Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. Senate Tributes To Sen. Lamar Alexander 20240711

Will talk about later to get to senator alexanders remarks at the 10 30 scheduled time. Thank you, mister president. It is such an honor to be here and to join my colleagues in paying tribute to senator alexander, there are many that want to speak and have a few words to say. All of us wish we could do this to a background of music with lamar playing the piano. That would be the proper setting but i am so pleased to stand and honor the three terms of service in this body and the way he touched the lives of individuals in this body and millions of tennesseans. We know that he has talked about it in his remarks, he has worked with educators. He has worked with innovators. He has worked with the healthcare community, and works with entertainers, many of whom called tennessee home. When i was serving in the house and representing tennessees seventh Congressional District so many times i would look over here and i would say what is lamar not working on today because he always had such a broad portfolio of issues that were demanding his attention and he accepted that work to address that broad portfolio of issues. His commitment to caring for the needs of all tennesseans has manifested itself in what tennesseans like to see as a lifelong legacy that has really changed lives. It has worked to streamline our states government, very successful in those efforts and he brought that desire to streamline government with him when he came to the senate. Indeed this is work that has benefited also in tennesseans and all americans. As governor of tennessee he was very successful in working to persuade nissan automotive, this started a new impact on our state with the auto industry. And turned his attention to infrastructure. The access that was necessary was a to encourage this business and as the former secretary of education under president george h w bush, he couldnt not put his personal touch on education policy, working tirelessly as he said to fix no child left behind and this earned him the first ever James Madison award. He has a reputation for being a go to lawmaker and as chairman of health and the senate he put a spotlight in the issues that affect the most sensitive aspect of tennesseans lives. Again benefiting all americans. Out of his committee that have become law. 45 bills. As he mentioned one of those was 21st century cures act, and as a member in the house and working on originating this bill, we said were going to make this a partisan, and indeed we did. And we moved it from the house to the senate. And yes, indeed there were some days we thought this is never going to happen. But indeed senator alexander insisted, and yes, it did happen. Imagine the music modernization act, and i will tell you this is vitally important to tennesseans. And as we worked this to the house and then it hit some bumps in the road, senator alexander and senator hatch did such a great job of pushing this forward here in the senate, and then last september the Nashville Songwriters Association International Awarded him the white hat award, which is what they give to legislators who have been who have made a Significant Impact on the entertainment and music community. While, the highlight reel would be too long to cover in one speech. There are many that are waiting to express their thanks. So with that, mr. President , i yieldhe floor. The senator fromalifornia the senator from california is recognid. Mr. President , i rise today to honor senator Lamar Alexander, a friend and a colleague who served in this body for some 18 years now. I had the pleasure of serving with this senator on both the rules committee and the appropriations committee. And we sat next to each other as chairman or Ranking Member on two appropriation subcommittees. First in energy and water, and weve done that since 2009. It has been through these experiences that actually have come to appreciate his fairness, his interest in solving problems, and is bipartisanship. And most of all, lamar, i so appreciate your friendship and the time weve had to talk together. I do believe that the senate is going to be diminished by the absence of this senator. Working closely as chair and Ranking Member of the energy and water subcommittee, we have always been able to find agreement on the annual appropriations bill. Thats because we shared a willingness to find Common Ground. And thats no small thing. We have consistently held comprehensive subcommittee hearings on a wide range of issues, from Nuclear Power and Nuclear Waste to dam safety, e devastating droughts in the west, and the future of renewable energy. We were also often among the first, if not the first, subcommittee to negotiate our bill, draft it and get it marked up by the full committee. And that includes four years of record level funding for clean energy, the national laboratories, supercomputing, and water projects. The focus has always been on a fair open process that seeks compromise. And that track record speaks to the value we place on the process. But more than anything, senator alexander will be remembered as someone who dedicated his life to serving the people of tennessee. Between his eight years as governor and 16 16 years as a senator, he served longer than any tennessean who has held both jobs. And that doesnt include the two years he served as president george h. W. Bush is secretary of education. His priorities have always been of great importance to tennessee, whether the army corps of engineers funding for inland waters, particularly his favorite this this is the ft time i have heard the word pronounced, chickamauga lock picking often talks about in our hearings or updating the way musicians are paid for their work. Hes also led efforts to pass every Student Succeeds act in 2015 which present obama called a quote, christmas miracle, end quote. And as we hear promising news about coronavirus vaccines, we are reminded of the 21st century cures act. That is senator alexanders landmark 2016 bill that streamlined the drug and device approval process to bring treatment to market faster. He has a long record of work he can be proud of. Lamar, you have been a great colleague and a dear friend all these years in the senate. I am proud of what we have achieved together. I will miss our dinners together and sitting next to you on the dais. I i hope you enjoy a wellearned retirement with honey and your beautiful family. Thank you so much for your service. The senator from maine. Mr. President , i first met Lamar Alexander when he was a candidate for president 25 years ago. He was campaigning in the state of maine, and after giving an articulate speech outlining his priority and his policies, he proceeded to charm everyone by playing the piano. Little did i know then that we would one day serve as colleagues and friends in the United States senate. Lamar, as you heard already today, is an extraordinary legislator. He has the ability to bring people together, even on very contentious issues, and hammer out a compromise. He is extremely effective because he is always wellinformed, focuses on the issue at hand, never gives up, and is willing to work across the aisle. He gets things done that matter not only to his constituents and his beloved tennessee, but also to citizens across this great country. Hes been an extraordinary leader on important issues that many of us care deeply about, such as biomedical research, education, and combating the opioid crisis. He is that rare individual who is far less interested in who gets the credit than in giving the job done. But, in fact, each of us who have had the privilege of working with lamar knows that he is the one who deserves the credit. I served four years with lamar on the Health Education and Labor Conditions committee which he chairs. On one challenging issue after another, when others would throw up their hands and say this is impossible, it simply cannot be done, lamar never gives up the search for a solution, and for Common Ground. Lamar has been so prolific as a legislator that it is difficult to single out one accomplishment among so many. But if forced to do so i would say that the 21st century cures act is his signature achievement. As the name implies, this law is a Lasting Legacy for him. And it is already providing lasting benefits for our country, whether it is the Brain Initiative that will finally help us to make progress on diseases like alzheimers, our concerns, and other neurological illnesses, or the cancer moonshot that was done in honor of beau biden, or the funding that was included to look at the impact of lifestyles on our health, all of the provisions of this landmark law will improve the health of the American People far into the future. And it will be Lamar Alexander who deserves the credit. As a close second i would cite the educational reforms he drafted to replace and improve no child left behind to give more autonomy back to the states and local school districts. That law, every Student Succeeds act, was a momentous bipartisan achievement, and lamar has already explained what it took to get the job done. Its not surprising that in 2016 the nations governors named lamar the first recipient of the James Madison award, to recognize members of congress who support federalism. And as we heard today the wall street journal called essa the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter century. In addition to being a legislator, lamar is also a wonderfully talented musician, as both a a pianist and a sing. His hilarious performance at the annual Alfalfa Club Dinner back in 2011 is legendary. And thanks to you too it is also immortal. Lamar was a great friend, as he mentioned today, of the writer alex haley, the author of roots. Mr. Hillarys personal motto was, find the good and praise it. Lamar coach that often and he lives by it. Optimism and gratitude, effectiveness and skill are his defining characteristics. To lamar, the good isnt simply what is pleasant. It is what is worthwhile, what makes us better people, better citizens, a better nation. And if we follow the advice he gave us today, we will be a better senate. Not long ago i was interviewed by a journalist for a retrospective on lamars service in the senate. She said that she happened to be in the Senate Dining room on december 17, 2010, the day lamar announced his intention to retire. And in a room usually a a life with the chatter was unusually quiet and tinged with sadness. That somber atmosphere was genuine and bipartisan. Lamar, i cant tell you how much personally i will miss serving with you. You are not only a great senator, an extraordinary legislator, but a wonderful friend. Thank you so much for your many years of Public Service. I feel very honored to have served with you, to have learned from you, and i wish you and honey all the best. Thank you, mr. President. Mr. President. The assistant democratic leader. Thank you, mr. President. His name was the answer to frequently asked question. Its a question you to come up in almost every democratic meeting when we talked about legislative ideas and we talked about making progress on the floor of the senate. And the question was of this who can recall on the other side of the aisle . The answer was almost always Lamar Alexander. We know knew that if we presenn idea to him he would not only be receptive and respectful, we knew that if he came on board it would lend credibility to our effort, maybe get a bill passed around your. But it would always have to wear a red badge with it because there it was an idea that he wanted to bring to the party. But it was worth it. It was worth of not only for the progress that you could make in terms of legislation, but it was worth it because it was part of developing friendship. Harry truman used to recommend famously if you want a friend in washington get a dog. I thought of that and i told you about it a few months ago when you were in one of those sunday morning talk shows. And you were broadcasting from your living room or family room at your home in tennessee, and they couldnt get over that stuffed animal that was on the coffee table behind you. It just seemed like it was such an odd little piece of maybe personal pride to have that stuffed animal with you. And it turned out it wasnt stuffed at all. It was rufus, your dog who slept through your entire performance. Wasnt a big boot by the fact you on a sunday morning talk show. I want to thank you for many things and i will mention a few of them in terms of legislation but i but i especially want to thank you when a Broader Group of friends of mine down to nashville, tennessee, and you made a recommendation list of places to stop including the bluebird and they came by and join us for lunch. You could have been more gracious and i thank you for that. Its just a trademark of Lamar Alexanders life in service to his country. I could talk about many things but i want to reflect on one that it think its time insignificant as a reason a lot of us are wearing these masks were facing a pandemic with the covid19s virus. It has claimed 273,000 american lives, and im afraid many more to follow. Millions, almost 13,000,000 or more have been infected by it. We wanted to end and we wanted to end as quickly as possible. The really shiny ray of hope here is the possibility of a vaccine will be available soon. I pray it will be. Id like to think that some of the things that we did together with others, created an opportunity for the vaccine to be discovered. It was five or six years ago that i approached you, i approached senator patty murray and roy blunt with the idea that we ought to make a concerted, consistent effort of increasing the nih ajit by at least 5 per year budget you took that cause heart along with senator alexander. We had the right appropriator in the right authorizer, and patty murray served in both capacities so effectively. We have dramatically increased the nih budget over the last several years, and im hopeful, i would like to think that some of those researchers and the work that they did was laying the groundwork for the discovery of these vaccine so quickly in the United States and around the world. Thats a legacy you wont soon forget. Do you remember when we first got wind of this covid19 and i walked across the chamber here and said to you, im worried about this protective equipment issue and how much we are reliant on going overseas for sourcing it. Will you join me at least in an effort to find out whether we are dependent on Foreign Services at the time when we might desperately need this protective equipment for own . He said sure, and we did it gether and investigation is underway. It may not serve us in this particular crisis but it will serve many generations to come to make sure we have reliable domestic sources in the United States. I am cataloging all the items mentioned earlier by your colleague senator blackburn and senator collins in senator feinstein, but the list goes on and on but that increase of by 30 of the National Institutes of health was something our little quartet did together, and im particularly proud to be part of it. It wasnt by far the only thing that you have done. You championed increase in the department of energy, office of science as chair of the energy and Water Appropriations Committee which senator feinstein noted. And under your leadership with her the Office Budget has increased by 38 since 2015. You worked with the national labs, oak ridge, those near and dear to me as well and your support for research, infrastructure provided essential help to this lab, labs across america. I want to just close by saying this. Most of us were moved by your speech im sure, but it was a perfect illustration of your view of this chamber and the good memories you have, a challenge to all of us to do better. I think the honest answer is its not the rules of the senate that make the difference, its the senators who make a difference. If we gain to the chore of legislating with the inspiration of Lamar Alexander, we are going to get a lot done for america thank you for your Great Service to our nation. Mr. President. The republican whip. Mr. President , the senate is going to miss Lamar Alexander and listening to his farewell address just animate the fact that hes leaving all too real. I dont like to think of the United States Senate Without lamar. Hes a a sin institution and a leader and his leading is a loss for this body in the American People. Mr. President , any tribute to lamar has to mention his incredible career which a lot has been alluded to already. His walk across the state of tennessee, his eight years as tennessee governor, his time as secretary of education under president george h. W. Bush, his stint as president of university of tennessee system, and this time as professor of harvard. And that of course is 18 18 yes in the United States senate, marked by significant legislative accomplishment on everything from education to opioids. All that and he makes a plaid shirt look good, although these days he switched to a plaid facemask. Mr. President , i first met lamar like our colleagues from maine, senator collins mentioned, when he attended a lincoln day dinner in south dakota in 1995 when he was running for president. But i really started to get to know him a little bit when they came to the senate in 2005. Lamar had already been here for a couple of years by that time and, of course, he already had an extraordinary career behind him. And i know i was off the only young senator who regarded him as something of a mentor and a role model. I share a couple of things with mar. One is the fact that we were both Senate Staffers long before we came to the senate as elected officials. We were not here at the same time. He was a little ahead of me. I came to the senate the unit howard baker left, but like lamar i had great appreciation for the contributions that staffers make to the work that we do around here. And i know many of his staffers are in the gallery today, as he leaves. Also we lose tremendous amount of brainpower and talent that has contributed so significantly to the successes and accomplishments hes had as United States senator. The other is he and i both have served as chairman of the Senate Republican conference which is the messaging in Communications Office for republicans in the senator i succeeded lamar as chairman of the Senate Republican conference in 2012. I will tell you it was a very tough act to follow, but an inspiring one because he did such a tremendous job in leading our messaging in the conference. More has an ability to break down complex subjects and communicate them clearly. He can sum up an issue in one succinct phrase, and he mentioned earlier in his remarks the idea that there ought to be one column, one idea, when speech come one idea. He really didnt matter that. I can recall his summary when we were talking a lot about the energy issue. We need to find more and use less. Thats about as clear of the summit of our Energy Priorities as you can get, and many of us used a phrase he popularized around your in describing policies of the other side that we thought would be harmful to the economy as, you know, casting a a big wet blanket ovr the economy. I dont know how many times you heard that come out of our mouth by default originated with Lamar Alexander. I think that ability to really break down complex issues and clearly explained it as one of the recent to such a Good Conference chairman and one of the reasons has been so successful legislatively. And he has been successful legislative. You have already heard a number of my colleagues talk about his many successes, he has gotten, managed to get things past grandeur that i dont think anyone thought could get past, particularly in a polarized political environment weve been in. But the more has an ability to bring people together from across the aisle. You hurt our colleagues on both sides speak to that. Hes very practical about the basis of legislating. He focuses on what is actually possible to do, and defines the Common Ground and he gets things done. You heard the american impeached act, the every Student Succeeds act, the 21st century cures act, the opioids Crisis Response act, the copyright act, the Great American outdoors act. And i could go on and on. Those, ladies and gentlemen, are major, major pieces of legislation, tremendous accomplishment of the congress, United States senate, signed into law by the president , all of which couldnt have happened without the leadership of lamar alander. He said multiple leadership position senate, chairman of the h. E. L. P. Committee confesses that Senate Republican conference chairman but hes always been a leader, whether not hes in an official leadership position simply by virtue of who he is. Mr. President , i said before lamar has been a mentor and role model to me and i know too many others here in the senate. Else have to mention his personal wealth and hospitality to me and my wife and our daughter was studying at Belmont University in nashville, tennessee. He and his wife, honey, open the home to us in nashville. They hosted us. I was fortunate to be among those that he mentioned after place in the smokies which was a fabulous experience. He took us to a Tennessee Titans again. It went above and beyond and to this day we are grateful for the work and generosity and for the chance to get to see lamar in his element in his beloved tennessee. Mr. President , lamar has dedicated much of his life to a state and country, nobody could be more deserving of retirement. But i would be surprised if he ever fully retires. I am pretty sure even while sitting on his porch he is still going to be dreaming up ways to make our country better. Lamar, thank you for your leadership and for your mentorship. Thank you for being a role model to so many of us. May god bless you in your retirement. I will miss you. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Mr. President. The senator from colorado. Thank you, mr. President. I was not planning on speaking today, but i was so inspired by what senator alexander had to say about his career and about the senate that i wanted to share a word or two of reflection on what he said. Anybody who has spent any time around washington, d. C. Or even around this capital knows there are statues built all over this town of people nobody remembers. When i go by one of the statues in washington, whether its in a circle somewhere at a traffic stop or in the hallway in the capital, i think about the importance of dying at the right time. You want to die at a moment when statues are invoked, if youre going to have a statue. But there is no, none of these people ever going to be remembered in the long view of history. The philosophers on whom we base of much or at least attempted base of much of what we do here had a a solution for that, and their solution was whether it was the greek or roman philosophers, their solution was do your best. Show up and make a contribution. Do your best. Dont worry about how people are going to remember you. Dont worry about your own mortality. So few of us followed that advice. I think Lamar Alexander embodies that. As president of the university of tennessee, as governor as the secretary of education, as a senator, in every one of those jobs its always been about doing his best. In a chamber filled with people who think they have a monopoly on wisdom, lamar has never stopped learning. Hes always been curious. Up to this day, ill bet today, he probably got up and asked somebody on his staff or one of his colleagues to tell him about something that he wants to learn more about so he can be more effective and make a greater difference, so he can do his best. The senate is going to be diminished by lamars adsense. Its hard to believe that we could be anymore diminished then we are. But we are going to be diminished by lamar leaving. Susan and i were lucky enough to be invited to his home, spend a weekend there, and im going to Say Something now that i never said to Lamar Alexander, but he gave us the great privilege of standing in the Family Cemetery in eastern tennessee, in his beloved Smoky Mountains where he will forever keep the windmills out. And as i stood there a little awkwardly in the cemetery, because thats not usually part of a tour, all i could think about was how lucky lamar and honey were. To know that that would be the place that they would be, and that long after they were remembered by anybody, that they would know they had done their best. That they had always done their best. And so what i i would say to my colleagues today is that we have an opportunity to follow lamars example. Take him up on what he says. When i am memorializing lamar today he is going to have a lot more years left to contribute to his estate, to his community, and to the country. But he wont be in the senate. And we are in the senate. We could work in the senate that works five days a week, mr. President , or even six days a week, mr. President. Sign me up for that senator wicker work in a senate that has 25 amendments a bill instead of 25 amendments any year as we did last year. Cousin there is no other body in america or in this democracy as lamar said that he set up to decide the hardest russians that our country is facing questions that our country is facing and to make those decisions stick. That is what Lamar Alexander said to us today. Hes left us with a challenge, and i hope we will him up on it. Because there is no excuse for the way this place works. And the American People are tired of hearing that its the other sides fault. There are 100 people that can fix this place, and i hope we will hear i cant think of a greater legacy for lamar to leave then a senate that is actually working. Thats what the country deserves and thats the inspiration that Lamar Alexander has set for me. Thank you, mr. President. Senator from texas. Mr. President , we all know while Lamar Alexander is a person of tremendous character and judgment, and its not just because he asks that young woman in the red shorts that he met at that softball game so many years ago to marry him, who happens to be from victoria texas. That demonstrates his enormous judgment, and certainly we wish him and honey the best in this next chapter of their lives. But when i think about Lamar Alexander think about all the lamar isms, we put some them here today, but find a good and praise it. Folks have quoted alexander which speaks to the optimistic positive view of life that we could use more of. Then i remember the words he said if you want to get a standing ovation before any group of individuals, you need to say its time to put the teaching of American History and civics back into its rightful place in our schools so our children can grow up learning what it means to be an american. Well, he talked about alex haley, his friend told how to give the speech i telling a story. Aristotle had an idea about how to give a great speech. He basically took it down into three components to when is the logical argument. The other is the emotional argument, but the other is about establishing your authority but its about the character of the speaker. When i think about lamar as these demonstrators begin here today, the thing that i appreciate about in the most is not just what he as accomplished here, but his incredible character and positive impact on our senate and on our country. And its been because people know that his heart is in the right place. He is doing it for all the right reasons that we admire him so much. I would just point out as i told lamar previously, i was an admirer of Lamar Alexander long before ever met him, when i voted for him in the republican primary in 1996 for president. Unfortunately, he dropped out of that race shortly thereafter settled in i wasted my vote, obviously. But ive been an admirer for a long time. Well, lamar and i also share Something Else in common, its not about his it is what his predecessor as well as mine. Its a person by the name of sam houston. I occupy the senate seat first held by sam houston and texas became a state. Of course, he came originally from tennessee. He happened to be a the governr of tennessee before he left and came to texas, later became governor of texas and seceded and based on it a step in because his union man recruited by andrew jackson. He loved the union. He did not agree with secession. But, of course, he came to texas and became the victorious general of the decisive battle of san jacinto. He became president of the republic of texas, the same reason, the same why the texas like an American Flag fly at the same height was because we were an independent nation before we became part of the United States. Well, i have heard it said that you can never write a novel based on the life of sam houston, because nobody would believe it. I read plenty about him and i still find that to be true. But as i indicated, as proud as texans are at sam houstons contribution to our history and our state, we know we cant claim him entirely because he grew up in marysville tennessee the same town Lamar Alexander did and went on to become governor as i mentioned a moment ago. Sam houstons portrait hangs above my desk here in the Hart Office Building because it helps me remind helps remind me of my responsibilities and the incredible history and contribution that he made and that hopefully each of us can make. Well, you find sam houstons picture above my desk but you find his Walking Stick in Lamar Alexanders office just down the hall. The many conceits who visited lamar during his time in the gym at seeing the words sam houston, texas, and phone start in grade on his gold cap. According to lamar, several texans have tried to run off with it. Fortunately that hasnt been successful. The truth of the matter is you cant get through a Texas History class, unless you should without hearing the role of the volunteer state in the history of my states. I always get lamar, the tennessean to come to texas upon at the alamo in the ballot san jacinto, it would just one step ahead of creditor or an aggrieved spouse. This was a rough and tumble group from tennessee to found texas. Well, there are other tennesseans, people like davy crockett, others who came to texas who created our state. The state of texas many reasons to be grateful to the contributions of the sons and daughters of tennessee, and one of those great signs is lamar. His dedicate a life in Public Service as a note has led into an incredible great sons important offices. But i think the thing to me even was then its leipsic, which meant that is made lamar so effective is because we know we can trust him. We know his character. We know when he says something its true. And we seen time and time again when lamar has jews that character and the trust to pass historic legislation in this chamber. And as weve all come to know when youre working sidebyside with lamar on legislation, you are bound to get things done because he has cracked the code. He knows how to do it. I have been proud to work with lamar on legislation to address the Opioid Epidemic service, support our Service Members and veterans, protect coverage integer folks across the country have the opportunity to take advantage of the american dream. His presence has been a constant through our time. We came to the senate at the same time and, of course, his retirement makes that all bittersweet. So i want to thank our colleague from tennessee for his friendship over many years, for the example word from senator sinema and others, his example that he has shown for the rest of us how to be an Effective Member of the United States senate. And also to thank him for his decades of service to the country. So i dont expect lamar to follow in the footsteps of sam houston and run for governor of texas, i know he has many more contributions to make to our great country. And i want to wish him and honey all the best during this next chapter of their lives. And to make sure that, and im sure hes looking for to spend a little more time in their beloved Smoky Mountains. Mr. President. Senate from washington. Mr. President , thank you learned in my time in the senate that if you want to get something done across the aisle you really need the following. You need someone on the other side who is just as committed to working together as you are, and that member needs to have the trust of members on your side of the aisle and on their own. And you both need to be willing to set aside egos, and listen, and get a realistic understanding of what is the person on the other side of negotiating table can reach an agreement with you that uphold your principles without compromising their own. And now what ive laid out might not sound that unusual or rare, its actually pretty tough to find these days. So i have been very lucky that the senator that we are honoring today on the floor, my colleague and friend, chairman Lamar Alexander from tennessee is someone who has managed it time and time and time again. I dont think anyone, least of all still alexander himself, would be surprised to get me say that we are as likely to disagree as agree on many matters. I bring my wash and state values to the table. He brings his tennessee values so you can imagine how that has gone from time to time. But despite our different perspectives and are different approaches, we take the policy making. Weve also been able to see where our values and interests of our state and the country converge. We both understood the broken no child left behind law needed to be fixed, and lamar listen to me, which i so appreciated. When i told him we should write a bill together rather than admitting the republican bill that he had begun working on. With our help Committee Members were able to write and pass a new k12 Public Education bill that fixed that most broken parts of no child left behind, included federal guard rails we could understand how all of our students perform, dedicated resource to improving our schools that need it the most, and allowed for historic steps forward on early education. We laid the groundWork Together for new investments and lifesaving biomedical innovation and research for the 21st century cares act including the beau biden cancer moonshot. We worked together to pass landmark legislation to boost our response to the Opioid Epidemic, and to strengthen our Public Health preparedness programs. And to permanently fund historically black colleges and universities and minorities serving institution. We not only passed each of these bills that gives us time and again with huge majorities from the senate. And even still now chairman alexander and and i along withr colleagues in the house are working to get legislation to finally advance medical bills across the finish line. What i have just laid out is by no means a full list at all of his accomplishments as chairman. It doesnt even include quite a few things he still try to get done as we speak right now. Senator alexanders focus on working together has helped countless families, countless families in his home state of tennessee and my home state of washington, and nationwide. My democratic colleagues and i want to thank chairman alexander for the tone and manner by which he is led to help committee over the past six years. Some of them admittedly rockier than others, but throughout, guided by his steady leadership and commitment to working together. And for myself as someone who shares the drive to not only fight for what you believe in but also to look for Common Ground, i want to thank my colleagues from tennessee for the many opportunities to dig in and get to work that he has provided. From being willing to hear me and my colleagues out again and again and again when necessary, and for looking so often for Common Ground for another problem we could solve. And for being willing not just to keep talking but to keep listening as well. And finally i know, mr. President , that none of this would be possible without the support and strength senator alexander has received from his wife, honey. And i want to acknowledge and thank her for her contribution as well. Lamar, you will be thrilled to be back in this date you love so much but i and members of the h. E. L. P. Committee what you do know were going to miss you terribly here in the senate. Thank you so much for all you have done. Thank you, mr. President. Mr. President. Senate of mississippi. I ask unanimous consent senators cantwell, blunt, ronnie, schumer and i be able to complete our remarks before the next note. Is there objection . Without objection. I thank you, mr. President , and i dont want to prolong this discussion, except to make one additional point about the unselfishness and humility of this hero of the senate whose remarks we will long remember today. There is a framed piece of legislation hanging on the wall in my Conference Room in the dirksen building. All it is one of his signature accomplishments, and that is the american civics and History Education act signed into law by president george w. Bush. Theres a story about how i came to have that piece of legislation that senator alexander worked so hard on in my Conference Room on my wall. I live in north mississippi, and as such i listen to memphis television a lot. And during Lamar Alexanders first race for senator, on came the commercial and basically it said just what our friend from texas just quoted, that this candidate for senator, former governor Lamar Alexander wanted to pass an american civic Education Bill to teach our children what it means to be an american. And i stopped at the moment and i pointed at the Television Screen and i said, if that make it elected i want to be part of that though because thats exactly what we need. And so senator alexander introduced the bill here in the senate. I introduced it in the house of representatives. We make public appearances together, one in memphis, tennessee, i will always remember, and eventually the bill gained a lot of support over here and senator john kennedy has been mentioned as someone at the forefront of that effort. We were able to pass it in the house it went to conference to iron out the details and a decision made as to which one would actually be enacted of both houses to go to the president for his signator. Lamar alexander allowed a piece of legislation introduced by relatively Junior Member of the house in roger wicker to be that piece of legislation that went on to the white house of the oval office to be signed by the president of the United States. And so that is how that piece of legislation hangs on my wall as the bill authored i representative roger wicker, but past very much with senator alexander also. And so i just wanted to mention that not to prolong this discussion, but mention that act of selflessness and humility is another attribute to this great senator who we say farewell to today. I think, mr. President , that the remarks we heard from senator alexander will be taught at civics classes, collegelevel government classes for decades and decades to come. It was so profound and it is a real honor that a piece of legislation that he and i worked on together will always be a part of what i consider to be those immortal remarks. And so i thank you very much, and i yield the floor. Mr. President. The senate from washington. Mr. President , i come to the floor to thank the scented from tennessee for his service to our nation and for his work youre in the United States senate. Some of my colleagues have already mentioned that the brevity of boards of which senator alexander can deliver a message, i, too, remember his comments at a rules Committee Member the inaugural address, really capturing the moment of what a transition of power is so important to our nation. And it struck me we really had a poet or white among us, someone who could sense and feel the moment of what we were going through and express into words. I have no doubt some writing is in lamars future here and i look forward to seeing that. But he wanted to rise today to thank him for his service and what it is meant to my state and to our nation, my colleague from washington talked about their Work Together on the h. E. L. P. Committee. I want to thank you for the cares act and i remember your recognition on fox news about Stem Cell Research and the great work but that has led to. So we are appreciative of this research of dollars, but it want to focus on a rule that make us not gotten as much attention, peter strzok role you played on our Energy Budget and our National Laboratory budget. I so appreciate the background of your state in the background focus but Energy Funding both from the National Laboratory perspective as had to have constant flow and constantly has been challenged, yet it is put every step forward because of the level of investment and helping us make our nation more secure, create more innovation and create more jobs. So thank you for Holding Steadfast on the National Laboratory budget. I also want to thank you for your work on the Manhattan Historical park that we worked together on that both commemorate the history of our nation and our Manhattan Project at both oak ridge and at richland washington and to just thank you for the constant focus on the cleanup budget that weve had to have into Energy Department as a related. There was a time limit many cleanup projects around the nation and it was very easy to come together and say we had to get savannah river, oak ridge, we had to give colorado, we dedicate ideal, and we had to get hanford but as those projects may progress come a lot of people forgot about what it took to clean up and for an choice so appreciate your constant focus on helping us the dollars necessary or cleanup there. And i also appreciate recently your help on making sure people didnt overstep on the National Nuclear Security Agency intranet over to a defense oversight of people but kept it within the department of energy. I so appreciate that. But i will be forever grateful for your focus on public land. We have a saying in my state, environmentalists make great ancestors to so dont know if you want that environmentalist term associate with your name but im pretty sure you do want stewardship. And the great smoky mouse help us deliver a monumental piece of legislation by convincing the president of the United States to support the budgetary impact of combining both the National Park Enhancement Program which is basically taken care of the National Parks backlog which was in the billions of dollars, and also fully funding the land and Water Conservation fund come about that had been going on for more than a decade. Some want to thank you for that, lamar. I want to thank you on behalf of the washingtonians who voted some special places who would get to visit and commune with their families who will be able to outdoor experiences, who will be able to really understand the grander of mother earth. And so thank you for pulling off what seems to be like an impossible effort to convince people to make the level of investment. We are going to miss the harmony of your voice and the harmony of your legislative skills, were not going to say promo a goodbye to you because we hope that you will be seen as messages just like the one you sent today, and reminding us that we can do better. So thank you, lamar, for your contribution, in a lot of your life to these very impornt issues that affect so many of us. Thank you. Mr. President. The senator from utah. I first met Lamar Alexander in 1995 when he spoke at bostons lincoln day dinner. Like today, he was folksy, goodhumored, thoughtful, and impressive. I remarked he was surely going to go places are of course he had already gone places by then but he ran for president the next year. One thing lamar and i agree on is the best candidate for president does not always win. I think he may well have been just that. You all know he served as president of university, governor, senator and a sect of education. Ive watched firsthand as he has led the Senate Committee on health and education. I dont know any person who has worked longer, harder and more effectively for the wellbeing of americas children than Lamar Alexander. His service extends of course be on the children as weve endured the covid19 pandemic. He has led the same as with help to guide and find our national response. His healthcare expertise and his determination to keep each of us informed and involved has been invaluable. While americas response to the pandemic another been exemplary, Lamar Alexanders leadership in the senate roll has been superb. The speed at which we will have a vaccine is in no small measure a testament to his determination and vision. But lamar is much more than a senator. I have seen the devotion he has for his wife and family. I watched to entertain rooms full of celebrating republicans with his piano and singing. And ive experienced very personally the kindest and graciousness that long characterize this man. He was the first senator to come meet me when i joined this body. His impact in the senate, on the state of tennessee and the nation extends well beyond his legislative accomplishments, and leadership. His greatest impact has been that of his personal character. He is a man without guile. He is true to his conscience. He speaks and acts with truth and honesty. He cares about people and endeavors to help others. Hes a genuine friend, as is evidenced by the many members of his team wearing plaid masks around this room. He has used his talent and energy not to aggrandize himself, but to serve. They can be said of Lamar Alexander that he is a Great American of exemplarcharacter. We are a better people because of Lamar Alexander. Mr. President. The senator from missouri. Mr. President , i think it was mark twain said among many other things that theres nothing more troubling than a great example. And as we had all of the speeches today, i felt less and less adequate as the speakers talked about the great things that lamar has done, the great things he stands for, the incredible character that defines his life and his work, and its been wonderful to be here and to see the appreciation that senators have for somebody who is proud to be a senator. Not that often you get to start a last speech on the senate referred to somebody elses maiden speech almost over 50 years ago. But that kind of sense of the senate, that sense of community, that split screen the lamar talked about with educators where you do have the one screen where it appears that nobody can get along to get anything done, and pickle in the senate you had this relatively Small Community of people, all of whom got here by figuring out how to normally how to get along with other people as one of their attributes of getting to the senate. And then you have rules and the senate that require you to get along to get anything done, and so you have that of the screen that doesnt get nearly the attention. But when you do look at the accomplishments, even at the time of great frustration, the accomplishments have been significant, and so many of them have included lamar. I knew lamar before i came to the senate, but particularly the last ten years of working with lamar in the senate have been great for me. G that really define the opportunity to be here in such a significant way. Weve heard many of them today. There are others i think of often. Lamar told me not too long ago when i was talking about how well our staffs worked together, he said, well, it always he said the it seemed to me when the senators obviously got along the staff figures that out and they get along, too. And lamar is blessed with a great staff. It will be interesting to see the new standard of having that other speech that so significantly talks about the staff. I have a great staff and many of us do, but when those staff Work Together as opposed to looking for reasons they shouldnt Work Together, things happen. Remember lamar told me one day, they always remember the last thing you do. And if that turns out to be the case, at least the last senate year of senator alexander has been extraordinary as others have been. But this year, i had a chance, as the appropriating chairman of the committee that lamar is the authorizing chairman for and by the way, he also sits right beside me on the appropriating commit and most of our hearings when senator shelby isnt able to be there, of our full committee, but in the last year, particularly from march on, we have done so many things together and in march, april, may, june, there was almost never a day when we didnt have at least one call with somebody whos running a laboratory or someone at the fda, or someone who understood this investment arm we had barred us, that was had been designed about 10 years earlier, but never used as weve used it to bring the private sector and Public Sector together in partnership in a way that advances both tests and vaccines and we would spend sometimes hours a day in a series of 30minute phone calls trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. And, i remember one day we were talking to someone at the white house and the comment from his part of the conversation was, knowing how many other conversations wed had that day, if people had any idea how much the senate and the two of you, hes saying at that moment, are committed to get things done, theyd be surprised because thats the story that never gets told. So so much of the story of lamar and his work here, the good spirit he brings to that work, isnt told, but its so very obvious. Certainly, for me. One of the great gifts of my working life has been for Lamar Alexander to be such an important part of it for the last 10 years. Im grateful for it. Im grateful for him. I look forward to his continued friendship and advice, and i think senator alexander, like many of us, is more of a next chapter guy than a last chapter guy. Hes neither shy or retiring. I expect him to continue to have great impact in his state and in our country, and in my case, i hope he continues to have great impact in my life. Senators on the floor praise the career of retiring senator mike enzi of wyoming. They talk about his willingness to Work Across Party Lines on major pieces of legislation. Senator enzi also gave some remarks. This afternoon, or this morning we got to hear the Farewell Speech of my friend Lamar Alexander. Hes a fantastic speaker and legislator. Its been an honor to serve with him and to learn from him. Now, you get to hear from the accountant. [laughte [laughter] i rise today to give my Farewell Speech on the floor of the u. S. Senate. Its been the honor of a lifetime to serve the great people of wyoming in this position for the last 24 years. Ive really enjoyed being a senator. Not for the title, not for the recognition and certainly