Ocean Research Coordination and Advancement Act

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a legend of a man who has spent his career dedicated to working for the great people of South Carolina. There is nothing small about Senator Hollings. From his height, to his storied career, to his large booming voice and southern drawl you can always hear calling ``yea'' or ``nay'' during rollcall votes, Senator Hollings is a giant. A reporter once said that if you sent to central casting for a Senator, you got Fritz Hollings. I have had the pleasure of serving with Senator Hollings for all 30 of my years in the Senate and during that time he, and his wife Peatsy, have been dear friends.

Before setting foot in this Chamber, Senator Hollings had amassed a career that any man would be proud of. He attended the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, and upon his graduation in 1942 accepted a commission in the U.S. Army. He served our country honorably in the campaigns in North Africa and Europe during World War II, and received a Bronze Star for his valor. Senator Hollings began his political career when he was 26 as he was elected to the South Carolina House of Represenatives. During his second term he was voted Speaker pro tempore and a short 4 years later he was elected lieutenant governor. In 1958 at age 36 was elected as Governor, the youngest Governor of South Carolina in the 20th Century.

Senator Hollings was first elected to Senate in 1966 and has subsequently been re-elected to six additional terms, making him the ninth longest serving Member of this body. Throughout his entire career the Senator has been a leader, fighting to protect our ports, our neighborhoods and American manufacturing jobs. He has been an outspoken advocate for fiscal responsibility, civil rights and against hunger.

In 1974, he led the creation of the Women, Infants and Children-- WIC--nutritional assistance program. In 1978, he sponsored legislation and helped secure funding for South Carolina's first National Park, Congaree Swamp. He has stood tall in protecting our oceans and coasts, he authored the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Oceans Act of 2000, which created the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.

Since 1967 Senator Hollings has been a member of the Commerce Committee and from his coauthorship of the 1996 Telecommunications Act that deregulated the telecom industry to his work on the FTC ``Do Not Call List,'' he has consistently looked out for the best interest of consumers. In 2000, Senator Hollings and I, along with Senators Sarbanes and Wyden, were successful in beating back the wholesale federal preemptions of State consumer protection laws during negotiations of the E-Commerce bill which I sponsored.

Senator Hollings is the longest serving Democrat on the Budget Committee, and is the only Democrat to have served on the committee every year since its creation. In 1984 Senator Hollings collaborated with Senators Phil Gramm and Warren Rudman to establish the Gramm- Hollings-Rudman deficit reduction legislation that helped reduce the deficit by $70 billion in its first year of enactment.

I have had the pleasure to serve with Senator Hollings on the Appropriations Committee, where he has served since 1971, and is currently 3rd highest ranking member. From this position he has helped important initiatives both in South Carolina and nationally, such as a cause I have always strongly supported, the battle against cancer. Senator Hollings helped create a nationwide program to screen women for breast and cervical cancer and worked to establish a cancer center at the Medical University of South Carolina that bears his name.

Earlier this fall more than 600 friends came together to celebrate Senator Hollings's career in the Senate, an event that raised $2 million for the Hollings Cancer Center. We toasted his accomplishments and his incredible career of public service that has spanned more than five decades in State and national politics. I joined this body in 1974 and I immediately learned that Senator Hollings is a man that always speaks his mind. His straightforward manner, dynamic personality and unwavering integrity are qualities that make me proud to call him my friend. I have valued his friendship and his camaraderie over these past 30 years, and I wish Fritz and his wife Peatsy the best of lives in their beloved South Carolina.

john breaux

Mr. President, the State of Louisiana has a proud history of sending remarkable public figures to serve in the Senate. Louisiana has elected leaders that have been influential in guiding the direction of our country. Our colleague John Breaux is a man from this same mold. For more than 30 years the senior Senator from Louisiana has represented his State in Washington, with 18 years as a Member of this body, and 14 years of service in the House of Representatives. In that time, he has always been willing to reach across the aisle to bring our colleagues together and his leadership has produced a list of impressive legislative accomplishments.

As chairman and then as ranking member of the Special Committee on Aging, Senator Breaux has fought tirelessly for the rights of older Americans, working to reform and protect both Social Security and Medicare. The senior Senator from Louisiana has also provided strong leadership within the Senate during his 8-year tenure as deputy chief whip. His repeated election to this position speaks to the respect that our colleagues have for Senator Breaux's ability to routinely bring together Members with differing opinions to build a consensus.

One of Senator Breaux's lasting legacies will be the leading role he has taken with regard to environmental conservation. In 1990, the Senator authored the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, which provides for the restoration of the vital coastal wetlands of Louisiana and has since become known as the Breaux Act. This legislation was passed during his first term in the Senate and has since been renewed. More recently, Senator Breaux has supported legislation that would help protect coastal regions from the impact of offshore oil and gas exploration.

In our many years of service together, Senator Breaux and I have had the opportunity to work closely on a wide range of issues. We both have been actively involved in telecommunications legislation, and collaborated on legislation that authorized reform of the telephone industry. I am particularly appreciative of Senator Breaux's unwavering support for legislation opposing the use of antipersonnel landmines, an issue of great significance to me personally and to the safety of millions of people around the world.

I am proud of the body of legislation that Senator Breaux and I advanced together throughout our shared time in the Senate. I commend Senator Breaux for his dedication to being a watchdog for American seniors, for his legacy of environmental protection in Louisiana, and for his record of public service on behalf of his fellow Louisianans. The Senate and the people of Louisiana are losing a dedicated public servant and exceptional leader. I congratulate the Senator on a remarkable congressional career and wish him continued success in his future endeavors.

On a personal level, John and Lois Breaux are good friends. Marcelle and I share the joy of telling grandchildren stories--and even of borrowing Mardi Gras costumes. I quickly realized in wearing one that you needed the special Cajun flavor of Louisiana to carry it off. John can do that one day at a Mardi Gras party and the next day handle on the floor the most complex issue facing the Finance Committee. He is a Senator's Senator.

Bob Graham

Mr. President, at the end of this Congress we will bid farewell to distinguished members of this body who have served their States and their country with honor. I rise today to pay tribute to the Senior Senator from Florida, a man who has been a leader in the Senate on national intelligence issues, prescription drugs and the environment and has been a strong voice in this body on behalf of the interests of his fellow Floridians.

For more than four decades Senator Graham has been a leader in Florida politics, serving his State as a State representative and Senator, as Governor and as a United States Senator. For 18 years Senator Graham has compiled an impressive record of leadership while serving as chairman and ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and as a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee.

Since 1974, Senator Graham has completed more than 400 ``Workdays,'' with Floridians around his State. During these workdays the Senator spends working alongside his constituents, the personal interaction helps him understand the challenges that Floridians face. These visits clearly have provided Senator Graham with an opportunity to recognize the community values and hard work that are exhibited and shared by his constituents. These jobs have gone everywhere from garbage loader to short order cook. No Senator has done anything similar.

From his position on the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Graham has picked up the torch for causes supported by another respected Floridian Claude Pepper, the former Senator and Congressman. He has supported providing affordable prescription drugs to Americans and has advocated for a common sense approach to Medicare that focuses on wellness and preventative health. Senator Graham has increased access to the Children's Health Insurance Program and has pushed Congress to live up to its commitment to support social services.

Both as Governor and Senator, Bob Graham has been dedicated to protecting the environment. He has helped direct millions of dollars to protect the Everglades, restore wetlands and promote responsible development. In the Senate, Bob Graham has voiced opposition to drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and for an end to the harmful practice of dredging in the Apalachicola River.

For those of us that have served with Senator Graham in the Senate we have admired his hard work and dedication to his constituents. We join him now in celebrating his eighteen successful years in this body, a period of time that is one part of a career of service to the State of Florida. As Senator Graham moves out of the public eye, he leaves behind a legacy of accomplishment that will be forever remembered by his fellow Americans and Floridians. He also leaves a reputation of integrity and insight. History will show that this country should have listened to his warnings about the failed intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq.

John Edwards

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the service of Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.

Because of his time on the campaign trail, Senator Edwards' biography is well known to most Americans. He is the son of a mill worker and was the first in his family to attend college. Before coming to the Senate, John fought for victims' rights against insurance companies for more than 20 years in North Carolina. He enjoyed great success in that career, but seeking to do more for the people of his State, he decided to run for the Senate in 1998. John ran against, and defeated, an incumbent Senator, Senator Faircloth. Immediately upon arriving in the Senate, Senator Edwards began to make an impact.

Only a few days after Senator Edwards was sworn in, I asked him to help depose witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Clinton. I wanted to make sure we had the best, and I thought he was. It was John's career experience that made him an ideal choice to assist in the depositions, and he had recent experience working in the trenches. In that pressure filled situation John won the respect of all of his colleagues, both on this side of the aisle and the other.

From his seat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee,

Senator Edwards advocated for lowering the cost of prescription drugs for all Americans by improving access to generic medications. In 2001, he authored the Patients' Bill of Rights which would have guaranteed that people in HMOs and other insurance plans get the health care they pay for. Unfortunately, this was passed in the Senate but blocked by the White House. In addition to serving on the HELP Committee, Senator Edwards served on the Intelligence, Small Business, and Judiciary Committees.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Edwards worked closely with me on a number of legislative efforts. He was a cosponsor of the Innocence Protection Act, the National Amber Alert Network, and a strong voice on judicial nominations. Senator Edwards has stood up to efforts by this President to pack the courts with people whose records do not demonstrate that they will be fair judges to all who come before them, rich or poor, Democrats or Republicans, or any race or background.

In September of 2003, Senator Edwards announced that he was running for President. John ran a great campaign, raising issues important to the American people. He frequently referred to the division of America into two halves, that of the haves and that of the have-nots. John focused on the struggles of the middle class and many of the same issues that he was a leader on during his time in the Senate. Throughout the campaign, John was a positive voice for our party, and he was an excellent choice as a running mate for John Kerry.

In an interview, John once said that he had an ideal image of what a U.S. Senator should be. He said that ``I think about a fiery advocate, someone who works passionately for his constituents.'' For the past 6 years, John has been exactly that. Be it health or education reform, supporting farmers or North Carolina's economic interests, John Edwards has been an incredible leader and advocate for his State. I will miss John's friendship here in the Senate. I know that he has a wonderful wife and three beautiful children, and that whatever steps he takes next that he will be just fine as long as he has their support.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell

Mr. President, for the past 12 years, the Senator from Colorado has served his State with distinction as a member of this body. Throughout that time, I have been pleased to join my friend and colleague in a number of legislative efforts. He has been a tireless advocate on behalf of Native Americans, for the protection of police officers, and for preserving public lands and natural resources. It is because of his leadership on these, and many other issues, that the presence of the senior Senator from Colorado will be missed in this Chamber.

In 1989, Senator Campbell, then Congressman Campbell, sponsored legislation to create a new museum that would ensure the recognition and celebration of Native American culture and history. I am thrilled that earlier this summer we were able to join in the celebration with Senator Campbell as the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian opened in Washington, DC. I know that none of us will ever forget the sight of our colleague in full chief's regalia speaking on the Senate floor on the day the new museum opened.

Before serving his State in Washington, Senator Campbell represented his country as the captain of the U.S.-Olympic Judo team, competing in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. While I have never had to witness him use these skills on a fellow member of the Senate, he once helped subdue a suspect that had shoved Senator Thurmond until the Capitol Police arrived.

One of Senator Campbell's most noted passions is his enthusiasm for motor vehicles. Senator Campbell has a well documented love of Harley- Davidson motorcycles, and Washingtonians have occasionally caught a glimpse of the Senator riding around town on his motorcycle. As the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill noted in April of 2003, the Senator added to his vehicle collection last spring when he replaced his 20- year-old Dodge Plymouth last spring with a brand new Mini Cooper. While most Americans may know how the Senator gets around town when he is in Washington, far fewer probably know that Senator Campbell was behind the wheel for most of the trip when the 2000 National Holiday Tree was transported from Colorado to Washington, DC on a Mack truck.

Senator Campbell and I share a background in law enforcement, he as a former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy in California, and I as a State's attorney in Vermont. This background helped bring us together to develop the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Acts of 1998 that has since been reauthorized in both 2000 and 2004. Since its inception in 1999, this highly successful Department of Justice program has provided law enforcement officers in 16,000 jurisdictions nationwide with nearly 350,000 new bulletproof vests.

Earlier this year, Senator Campbell and I collaborated to produce the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, which will allow qualified active- duty law enforcement officers to travel interstate with a firearm, provided that officers are carrying their official badges and photographic identification. I was proud to team up with Senator Campbell in writing and introducing the Senate version of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act that will enable law enforcement officers nationwide to be prepared to answer a call to duty no matter where, when, or in what form it comes.

Senator Campbell has a long and distinguished legislative history as a Member of the United States Congress. I am proud to have served with him on the Agriculture and Appropriations Committees, and I am proud of our partnerships to protect police officers, fight against landmines, and to provide funding for the WIC and Head Start programs. I applaud the Senator for his 12 years of service in the Senate and 6 years of service in the House of Representatives, and I congratulate him on a remarkable career.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to honor my good friend and colleague, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado. Ben is my best friend in the Senate. I know every one of my Senate colleagues would join me in expressing how much we care for Senator Campbell and how much we will miss him here in the Senate.

I have always considered Ben to be larger than life, someone you would read about in a novel about the Senate than someone actually serving in the Senate. He is a high-school dropout who became a United States Senator, a veteran of the Korean war, captain of the U.S. judo team, and an extremely successful horse breeder and jeweler. He doesn't conform to any stereotypes. No other senators--let alone Republicans-- wear a ponytail, ride a Harley-Davidson to work, or stubbornly refuse to wear any neckwear more formal than a western bolo tie.

But I am sure I am not surprising any of you by saying Ben is not your typical politician. One of my favorite stories about Ben's independent streak is from a town meeting he held back when he was a Member of the House.

A constituent asked Ben a question, and Ben did his best to answer it. The gentleman didn't like the response, so he tersely rephrased the question and Ben answered it again. The man got very upset, and said ``You have not answered my question!'' Ben firmly told him, ``Look, you asked a question, I answered it. You asked me again, and I answered it. Now I can't help it if you don't like the answer you got, but these other folks are waiting to ask questions of their own, so you and I are just going to have to agree to disagree.''

Ben started to call on another person when the man jumped out of his chair

and yelled to Ben, ``I don't believe you are taking all of the facts that I've stated into account, and you are not going to simply dismiss me like that. I am a taxpayer, and I pay your salary, and I demand an answer!''

Ben, through gritted teeth, said, ``You know, I hate it when people feel that because you're an elected official, they somehow own you. Do you realize that my salary costs every man, woman and child in this country about one-half of one cent each year?'' At that point, Ben reached into his pocket, pulled out a penny, flipped it to the man, and said, ``Here's your refund!'' He turned to the audience and yelled, ``Next question!'' The audience cheered and the man left the meeting.

Now that is a good description of the Ben Nighthorse Campbell that I have come to know and love.

Most of you know that I have sat next to Ben during policy lunches ever since he saw the light and switched parties so many years ago. I still love to tell the story of when he decided to move over to the right side of the aisle.

Ben and I became good friends soon after he joined the Senate, and we repeatedly discussed his growing disillusionment with the policies and politics of those on other side of the aisle. I would point out that power, its accumulation and retention, seemed to be of greater importance to some on his side than finding the right answer, that the worth of an issue should not always be measured simply by political advantage. He would disagree, but over time his protests would grow fewer and less heartfelt.

I was surprised when Ben stopped me one day nearly 10 years ago and said, ``Orrin, you're right. I can't stand it anymore over here.'' He asked whether I could arrange for him to see Senator Dole, and I said, ``I believe I can''--3 minutes later we were in Bob Dole's office.

Bob had the biggest smile on his face I had ever seen and gave Ben a warm hug. He commented about the courage and principle it took to make such a decision, but he didn't need to make a hard sell. It was obvious Ben had already made up his mind to become a Republican.

I can vividly remember when Ben attended his first Republican policy luncheon. Ben and I had discussed how disappointed he was with the direction and tone of the Democrat policy meetings. He said they had devolved from honest discussions of differences into angry, one-sided shouting matches dominated by some of the most senior and well-known members. If you didn't agree with their liberal positions, your view wasn't welcome.

I assured Ben that the Republicans were different. We showed great respect for one another and there was always considerable deference given to differing points of view.

When Ben and I took our places at the back of the room--where we have sat together since that day--a quiet discussion soon broke out into bitter argument. One person jumped up, anger seething from his face, stared at another very senior member with a snarl on his face, and then called him a derogatory name. Everyone started shouting, and it took Bob Dole several minutes to restore order.

Ben's eyes got larger and larger as he watched what was happening, then without turning his head, he gave me a quick jab in the ribs. ``Gee, Orrin,'' he muttered, ``it's sure good to see how well we Republicans get along compared to those darn Democrats!''

Thankfully, Ben's decision to join the Republican Party wasn't solely based on policy lunches.

I have plenty more stories to tell of my good friend from Colorado, but I will close by saying that I will miss Ben dearly and wish him the very best as he starts the next phase in his life. I know him too well to think that this is really a retirement from public service. This is just the end of one phase of service that will open up several other ways for him to reach out and make a difference in the lives of those around him.

Zell Miller

Mr. President, I am grateful for the chance to take a few moments to recognize my good friend from across the aisle, Senator Zell Miller of Georgia. Zell is one of my best friends in the United States Senate. I know every one of my Senate colleagues would join me in expressing how much we care for Senator Miller and how much we will miss him.

It is no secret that Zell is his own man, someone who does what he believes is right, not what is politically expedient. His values were shaped while growing up in the South, raised by his strong mother and reinforced through his service in the U.S. Marine Corps.

And for those who say you cannot be a successful politician without sacrificing some of your principles, I point to my good friend from Georgia. When he finishes his Senate term this year, he will complete nearly six decades of publicly elected service, starting with his first election as mayor of his hometown of Young Harris, Georgia, in the late 1950s.

Zell was a popular two-term Governor of Georgia in fact, he was named the most popular Governor in America by The Washington Post in 1998. His popularity came from his successful programs that found national acclaim among them was passing the Nation's first ``two strikes and you're out'' law against violent felons, starting the Nation's only voluntary pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds, and creating the nationally acclaimed HOPE scholarship that has had such tremendous success in Georgia.

My good friend swept into the Senate to complete the remaining 4 years of the late Senator Paul Coverdell. Many political observers call Zell the last of the Southern conservative Democrats to serve in the Senate. He has certainly established himself as a strong voice for the conservative, commonsense approach to issues, reaching across the aisle to support tax cuts, improve education, confirm judicial nominations, and strengthen national security.

Zell is widely known for his straight talk on the issues you know where he stands and what he stands for, and everything he says comes straight from the heart. I can't tell you how many times a constituent from my home State of Utah will write to tell me how inspired they were by a speech that Zell had given on this Senate floor.

I am sorry to see Zell leave, but I am grateful for the service he has given these last 4 years. He is beloved by Georgians, and I know he would have easily been reelected, and he is beloved by millions in America. And, last but not least, he is beloved by his colleagues here in the Senate.

Peter G. Fitzgerald

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment of the Senate's time, as we near completion of our duties for the 108th Congress, to honor the work and contribution to Republican Party, the Senate, and the Nation of my friend, the Senator from Illinois, Senator Peter Fitzgerald. Senator Fitzgerald has chosen to take his youth and talents and serve in other areas outside of the Senate. Our loss will be, no doubt, the gain of others.

Senator Fitzgerald provided a good, youthful, and modern face to the Republican Party. Our party will only stay strong if we maintain within it our own diversity of perspectives, and I am grateful for the contribution of Senator Fitzgerald.

Elected to the Senate in 1998 at the very young age of 38, the Senator immediately added his vigor, intelligence, and experience in financial markets to address many of the complicated issues faced by your Government and society as the Nation turned into the 21st century.

When corporate scandals erupted early in this century, threatening to undermine confidence in markets, the Senate was, indeed, fortunate to be able to turn to Senator Fitzgerald for his thoughtful and informed guidance. As a former commercial banking attorney, he used his expertise in his positions on the Commerce and Governmental Affairs Committees, particularly his chairmanship of the subcommittee on Financial Management, the Budget and International Security, to chair or support numerous hearings to illuminate the problems and necessary legislation we needed to return probity to financial dealings and confidence in our markets. The modern capitalist system is what provides growth and wealth to all the societies of the world, and the American markets are the most dynamic in the world. They are also the most diversified, and the vast majority of our citizens depend on them for employment, security and retirement. We owe a

great deal of appreciation to Senator Fitzgerald for his work on corporate fraud issues, and I would like to thank him, once again.

Senator Fitzgerald is a reformer, through and through. It is his dedication to our system of Government and economy that drove him to find ways to improve it. He applied his drive to reform to consumer issues, Government affairs, financial management, and the complicated mesh of revenue collection that is the current tax system of this country. And he quite deservedly received numerous acclamations from groups advocating for consumer and tax reform.

Through this all, he never lost his focus on his home State. He didn't work for Illinois to get re-elected, he worked for Illinois because of his dedication to his State and his high standards of public service. A column in the Chicago Tribune, a good paper not known for being ragingly Republican, commended him for ``elevating courage and honesty to new heights.'' That sounds right to me.

I will miss the presence of Senator Fitzgerald, his thoughtful floor statements before this body, and the impeccable manners of a gentleman that are so naturally his. His State can be proud of the Republican they sent to serve too briefly in this body. We will miss his intelligence and dedication, and I will miss a good Senator and friend. I expect that, with his relative youth, we will hear much more of Peter G. Fitzgerald.

Don Nickles

Mr. President, I rise today to express my sincere gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve with Senator Don Nickles, and to wish him the very best as he retires from the Senate.

A lot of descriptive words come to my mind when I think of Don Nickles. Among the most prominent are courageous, knowledgeable, and engaging. All three of these, as well as many other of Don Nickles' qualities, will be sorely missed in the United States Senate.

I can think of no other Member of the Senate who has been a more rock solid beacon for conservatism than Don Nickles. His is the kind of courage that leads him to speak up alone against the whole world, if necessary, for what he believes. No matter what the issue or whether it is brought up on the floor of the Senate, in one of his committees, or in some other forum, Don Nickles is willing to speak up in his earnest yet friendly manner to ask questions, raise concerns, and stand up for conservative principles. Senator Nickles has been one of the most articulate Senators I have seen in my 28 years of service in the Senate. His voice, in defense for what he and many of us believe to be right, will be noticeably absent in the months and years to come.

Senator Nickles is also one of the most knowledgeable Members of this body. I have long been impressed with his grasp of minute details of economic, tax, and budget issues. His major committee assignments, Budget, Finance, and Energy, all cover complex issues that can take a huge amount of effort to master. Yet, Don clearly does his homework and seems totally at ease in discussing details of the budget or a comprehensive tax bill. As chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Nickles has served with distinction. With all the challenges facing the budget in the recent past, Don has presided over that committee in particularly trying times. Yet, he has exhibited patience and perseverance in the midst of a number of very difficult problems. Every citizen of this country owes him a debt of gratitude for his service on our behalf.

Don Nickles is also one of the most engaging individuals I have had the privilege of knowing. His quick smile and friendliness to not only other Senators, but also to Senate staff and to everyone he meets marks him as a genuinely fine individual. I know Don has a deep faith in God and strives to do his best to live according to his convictions.

As Senator Nickles moves on toward the next stage in his impressive career, I wish him the very best and hope that we have the opportunity to see him regularly and to have the benefit of his wisdom and knowledge for many years to come.

Tom Daschle

Mr. President, I am grateful for this opportunity to say a few words about our friend and colleague, the distinguished minority leader, Senator Tom Daschle.

Tom's commitment to public service, on behalf of the people of South Dakota and America, is an example I hope more citizens will follow. He served here as a Senate staff member before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1978. South Dakota is one of just seven States with a single House member, which required Tom to run a statewide race. That was familiar territory for him when he ran for and won his Senate seat in 1986. Tom is one of 49 Senators who previously served in the other body, experience which I believe enhances their service here and makes the Senate more effective in serving all Americans.

Yesterday, our colleague Senator Durbin said that it is hard to imagine the Senate without Tom Daschle. Some might merit that compliment because of the sheer length of their tenure. Tom merits it because of the presence he quickly established, both as a Member and as a leader in this body. He was only 2 years into a second term when his fellow Democrats elected him their leader by just one vote. Only Lyndon Johnson became his party's leader more quickly.

Tom's 10 years as Democratic leader included periods as both majority and minority leader. Those positions, especially in a narrowly divided chamber, are each very challenging and each very different. Tom served in each post with class and determination, unifying his caucus and working to achieve their agenda. Needless to say, we have not agreed on every element of that agenda. But in this political world, it is really a compliment to say that Tom effectively and skillfully used whatever tools were available to fight for what he believed and for what his caucus wanted to achieve. Even when we were at loggerheads, when it seemed like the irresistible force was meeting the immovable object, civility has always marked Tom Daschle's presence in this body, as a Senator and as a leader.

I was gratified to hear Senator Daschle's comments on this floor yesterday and a few things really stood out. First, I was struck by the fact that he his number in the chronological list of United States Senators is 1776. Tom offered the valuable reflection that he is, as we all are, part of the broad sweep of American history, from the American revolution to the 108th Congress and into the future.

Second, Tom asked a very important question, whether our power comes just from military might or also from wisdom, compassion, tolerance, and willingness to cooperate. Everyone who serves in this body should maintain that perspective.

Third, Tom spoke of what he called the politics of the common ground. Individual Senators, as well as the two political parties, have certain bottom-line issues, certain fundamental principles or positions on which they just find little room to give. But on others, and I sometimes wonder whether this list is longer than we might think, we must practice the politics of common ground. Reminding us of that was, by itself, an act of leadership by the minority leader.

And finally, he told us of a note he wrote on one of his famous unscheduled driving trips across his State. He wrote, ``Everything was worth doing.'' Each of us who has worked alongside Tom Daschle, whether on the same or opposing sides, knows that this is his approach to, and attitude about, public service. That sets a good example for us all.

Bob Graham

Mr. President, I want to spend a few minutes talking about the Senators who will not be here when the Senate starts over again this January. The first I ever heard about Senator Fritz Hollings was while watching a TV program where Senator Hollings was running for President, and he said, during a Presidential debate, when the issue of the day was whether there should be a nuclear freeze, which had been propounded by Alan Cranston, another candidate, when asked about the nuclear freeze, Senator Hollings said, ``Until a few days ago, I thought this was a new kind of dessert.'' That wit is typical of Fritz Hollings.

Mr. President, Fritz Hollings is a man who is, as far as I am concerned, the epitome of what it means to be a Senator. He is a person who looks the role and is everything that I am not--tall, handsome, with flowing white hair, and very articulate. This is a man who was one of the original southern politicians who thought it was appropriate to start talking about the evils of segregation. Fritz Hollings is tall, handsome, with a great voice, a great sense of humor; and he is somebody for whom I have the greatest respect. I will miss him so much.

He, Peatsy, and I have traveled. He is someone who has been so good to the State of South Carolina. I have been to his home. He has given me a tour of Columbia, SC, where he is a legend in his own time. He showed me the place where he was born.

I want to extend through the magic of this television to everyone within the sound of my voice the fact that Fritz Hollings is a great Senator and will go down in the history of the Senate as one of the great Senators.

I also want Fritz and Peatsy to know how much I care for them, and I appreciate very much their generosity and friendship to Landra and me over these many years.

John Breaux

John Breaux and I came to the Senate together. We served in the House together. He comes from a State that, of course, is famous for unpredictable politics, and John has done every bit of his work to make sure that tradition is upheld.

When he was running for the Senate, as only John Breaux could do, his opponent raised a question, and his opponent, who was somebody who also had served in the House of Representatives, said John Breaux can be bought. They would rush out to John Breaux and would say: Your opponent said you could be bought. How do you respond to that? John Breaux said: Well, I can be leased but I can't be bought. Who else, other than John Breaux, could get away with something like that?

He is a great person, a person of integrity, a person who came to the House of Representatives way back in 1972. He served in the Congress for 32 years. There is no one who is better at making a deal than John Breaux. I say this in the most positive way. Legislation is the art of compromise, consensus building, and John Breaux understood that to a T. We need more people such as John Breaux with the ability to reach across the aisle.

We will miss John Breaux, Mr. Problem Solver. I appreciate his and Lois's friendship over these years. I will miss him very much.

Bob Graham

Bob Graham and I came to the Senate together in 1986. He first ran for Governor 26 years ago. Since that time, and even before, he has spent hundreds of days working with regular Floridians in their jobs.

The thing we all see in Bob Graham is the little notebooks he carries and everything he does he writes down. I am sure some day after we are long gone, a historian will review those, and Bob Graham will be well known in the history books because he wrote the history of everything he has done for the last 25 or 30 years.

He was a great Governor for the Sunshine State. He has been a tremendous Senator. I served with him from the time we came here on the Environment and Public Works Committee. He has certainly been tremendous on that committee. He is a detail man. He is a person, for example, who worked on the Everglades. He was tireless, persistent, and so smart. He has become an expert on foreign affairs and foreign intelligence. He served as chairman of the Intelligence Committee. He has written a book on the subject. His knowledge and contributions in that area will be hard to replace.

I certainly will miss the Senator from Florida. It is just too bad he decided not to run for reelection.

John Edwards

I ask everyone to pull out this week's People magazine, if they have one--if not, get a copy of it--because that tells the story of John and Elizabeth Edwards. The story is directed toward Elizabeth because she has now been stricken with breast cancer, but it tells in some detail about this wonderful family.

He was the Vice Presidential candidate and is someone who has tremendous ability. I am a trial lawyer. He is a trial lawyer. He has made such a distinct impression on the country with his oratorical skills. We know why he was a great trial lawyer.

People magazine is so filled with information and inspiration. The last sentence in that People magazine article talks about Elizabeth Edwards. She knew she had breast cancer in the last week of the campaign. She did not tell anybody, but she tells in this People magazine article that was so well written that somewhere at a place she stopped, they were having a cancer survivor program, and one of them asked her: Are you a cancer survivor? She did not answer but, of course, thought to herself, as the article says: We'll see.

We will see. We certainly hope for the Edwards family, which has already had a lot of personal problems due to the death of their 16- year-old son, we really do hope--all of us, all Americans hope for Elizabeth Edwards, this wonderful woman, to recover.

I will miss John Edwards in the Senate. He only served here 6 years, but he certainly left his mark as a great Senator from the State of North Carolina. North Carolina is going to benefit, however, from the defeat of the Kerry-Edwards ticket because he is returning to North Carolina.

Don Nickles

Don Nickles and I have done some things together in the Senate that I will always remember. There are laws on the statute books of this country. One of the things we did, and people said we could not do, resulted because we were concerned about regulations and how burdensome and overbearing they can become. So we introduced legislation that basically said if the administration promulgates a regulation that we do not think helps the country, then we can overturn that regulation. That is the law.

We have overturned regulations that have been burdensome to this country. I have not always liked the result of the legislation that has been overturned, but it is my law along with Senator Nickles'. He is a great legislator.

We worked together on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch. We really did some things that have changed what goes on. We have changed things a great deal, such as how Members of the House and Senate do their franking. We changed that.

Senator Nickles and I were the first to talk about how bad the east front of the Capitol looked, and we did a number of things. We got the automobiles removed from the east front of the Capitol. This was what first got me interested in doing something about having a visitor center on the east front of the Capitol, which is now in the process of being completed.

I have so much respect for Senator Nickles. He and I have a different political philosophy, no question about that, but I think the work we have done together sets an example of how Democrats and Republicans of totally different political philosophy can work together for the betterment of this country.

Don Nickles is a good man. He is a young man. He has a great future in the private sector. I personally will miss him a lot. I care a great deal about Don Nickles and wish him the very best.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell

Everyone has heard me talk about Searchlight, NV, the place of my birth and where I still live. The only Senator who has ever been to my home in Searchlight is Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Ben Nighthorse Campbell one day called my wife and said: I will be in Searchlight and want to come visit you. I will be there in about 40 minutes.

I was out doing a little jog. I thought something was wrong when I came back. She said: Nighthorse is on his way.

He had a vehicle that was so big--I live a little bit off the beaten path--it could not get into my yard. We went up and met him and brought him back to my home. We had a wonderful visit.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell is, among other things, a great artist. He makes jewelry. I wanted to get my wife something very special for Christmas a couple years ago, and I went to Ben Nighthorse Campbell to see if he could do something unique. He said he was making his daughter a belt, and he would make one just like it for my wife.

He did that. It is a beautiful piece of jewelry. There are two of them in the world. My wife has hers, and if you go to the Museum of the American Indian, which is right down the way and just opened, you will see my wife's silver belt in the museum. Actually, it is not hers, it is his daughter's, but there is only one identical to my wife's. Ben Nighthorse Campbell is a great guy, a tremendous athlete.

I have great admiration for his physical prowess. I have always disagreed with his motorcycle riding but he believes he should continue doing that. He is a man who has written a book. I have read his book. It is a wonderful rags-to-riches story. He will be missed and that is an understatement.

Tom Daschle

There is no way I can, on the Senate floor in the few minutes I am going to take, convey to my colleagues and the people within the sound of my voice the feelings I have about Tom Daschle. He and I came to the Senate together 18 years ago. We served in the House of Representatives before that. The last 6 years we have worked together daily. There may be a day or two that went by without our talking but they were rare. We spoke even during the time we were on break. We have virtually been together every day. The only time we really did not spend a lot of time communicating is when he was in South Dakota and I was in Searchlight. Our BlackBerrys would not work. My BlackBerry now works in Searchlight. His still does not work in South Dakota.

Tom's legislative record is certainly there. It is apparent. He has done wonderful things for the State of South Dakota and this country. I could, but it is really unnecessary, explain what he has done for the farmers, the environment, the military, including the veterans, but what I can try in a very inadequate way is to express to him, through this manner, the things I have tried to say personally to him in the last couple of weeks, and that is express my appreciation to him for the opportunities he has given me.

Tom Daschle is a totally unselfish person. I can remember about 6 years ago when I was selected by my peers to be assistant leader I went to Senator Daschle and said: What is this job going to be? He said: Whatever you make it.

I took him at his word, and this job is what I thought the assistant leader or the whip should be. I could never have done what I have done and had the good fortune of being in the places I have been and had the freedom to do things on this Senate floor but for the support and authorization of Senator Daschle.

I do not think I have ever raised my voice to Senator Daschle. We both grew up with three brothers. We are the first to really go to school of any depth in our families. I have learned a lot from Senator Daschle.

As I have told everyone, I am not Tom Daschle and I am going to be a different kind of person in the new duties I have beginning at the first of the year.

I told Tom Daschle earlier this week that earlier this year I lost my best friend. His name was Mike O'Callaghan. He was someone who taught me in high school. He taught me how to fight in the ring and in other places. When I went to law school, he helped me. He was a disabled Korean veteran but he gave me part of his pension money to help me through tough times in school. I was allowed to take the bar before I graduated from law school. I was married and had two children, was desperate for money. I came back to Reno and there was Michael O'Callaghan. He gave me a $50 bill. That was in the fall of 1963. He gave me a $50 bill. I had never seen one before but he gave that to me. He knew I was desperate for money.

Then I held a few offices, and as a very young man I ran for Lieutenant Governor. People kind of thought I was going to win that. He moved back from California to Nevada to run for Governor because there was no Democrat to run sitting for Lieutenant Governor. They knew O'Callaghan had no chance, but he did. He became the Governor of the State of Nevada.

I am trying to paint a picture for this man and how close he was to me. He was so good to me, able to give me advice and counsel. He told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear, and I did not make a decision important in nature unless I discussed it with my friend Mike O'Callaghan.

He went to church early one morning this summer and died. It was a very

painless death. He went to church every day. He was a devoutly religious man, and somebody whom I have missed more than words can describe.

I told my friend Tom in his office a day or two ago that he was now my Mike O'Callaghan, that I have somebody I will call just as I did my friend Mike, that I will call him often. He said: That is fine. You could not call me too many times.

So Tom Daschle and I have developed a relationship that can best be described as two brothers. I have three brothers, one of whom is dead. So Tom replaces my brother Dale. I will call Tom and I will talk to him when I feel it necessary, knowing he will continue to give the advice and counsel to me that he has for the last 6 years.

There are additional things I would like to say, but I will suffice to say that for the 22 years I have known Tom Daschle, which has been culminated in the 6 years of intense personal contact where we have dealt with the problems of the country and the world in great depth, that there will never be an opportunity and an experience like that again. I am grateful to Tom and to his wonderful wife Linda for their friendship and Tom's service to our country.

Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act, which is co-sponsored by my colleagues Senators Stevens and Inouye. The passage of this bill would mark a brand new day for our oceans and an important new chapter in Federal management of these waters.

Our oceans are critical to the economic and environmental security of our Nation. This is why I sponsored the Oceans Act of 2000, along with several of my distinguished colleagues. The Oceans Act created a Commission of national experts to conduct a rigorous assessment of ocean and coastal issues and offer their recommendations for a coordinated national ocean policy. The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, chaired by Admiral James Watkins, released its preliminary report in April and will issue its final report later this summer.

The Ocean Commission strongly urged us to pay more attention to our

ocean planet. Our oceans cover seven-tenths of the Earth's surface and are home to 80 percent of all life forms on Earth, holding incredible promise of new medicines, technologies, and ecological resources. However, 95 percent of the deep ocean remains unexplored and the Federal government spends only 3.5 percent of its research budget on oceans. Each day, more than 3,000 people move to coastal areas and these population and development pressures are resulting in degraded coastal habitat, polluted estuaries, and an increased risk of damage from coastal storms. Our fish stocks are being depleted, our corals are dying, and the number of oxygen-starved ``dead zones'' in our coastal waters have doubled in the past 15 years.

The Ocean Commission appropriately acknowledges the importance of the oceans to our Nation. It champions the notion that major changes are needed now if we are to preserve our marine resources for future generations. Among these urgent changes is a need to invest in ocean research and education in order to lay a foundation for the future. Even more importantly, the report stresses the need to improve the management framework governing our oceans and coasts, starting with the strengthening of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) into the Nation's premier civilian ocean agency. These were some of the themes Admiral Watkins testified to at hearings on the preliminary report before the Committees on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Appropriations Committee on April 22 and 23, 2004.

The preliminary recommendations of the Ocean Commission were heard loud and clear in the Senate. I could not be more supportive of the need to strengthen NOAA and improve Federal coordination on ocean and coastal issues. That is why I am pleased to be introducing the National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act today.

The National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act provides a vision to guide this Nation's management of the oceans. It outlines a National Ocean Policy that articulates national oceanic and atmospheric policy goals to guide all federal agency activities. These include concepts such as ecosystem-based management, integration of land-water-air activities, and preservation of marine biodiversity. This vision also includes preserving the role of the United States as a global leader in ocean, atmospheric and climate-related activities.

The National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act also provides a NOAA Organic Act to strengthen, clarify and codify NOAA's missions. Specifically, it confirms that NOAA is the lead federal agency responsible for oceanic, weather, and atmospheric issues. Consistent with the original recommendations of the 1969 Stratton Commission, the bill also establishes NOAA as an independent agency, and legislatively establishes a coherent and accountable line office structure headed by the NOAA Administrator. As recommended by the Commission, the bill would also encourage NOAA to streamline its line office structure, focus on integrated approaches, and organize its regional activities around common eco-regional boundaries. It also gives NOAA a firm hand in working with other agencies to reduce programmatic overlap, conflict and duplication.

Making NOAA independent is a tall order, and has raised questions from some of my colleagues, including those who believe that NOAA should one day be independent. I believe in the long term, the Nation will need an agency dedicated to addressing our oceanic and atmospheric environments--whether an independent NOAA or a Department of the Oceans and Environment. This bill thus provides for a transition period for reorganization of the agency, as well as a Presidential plan for future action. I look forward to working with our Chairman, Senator McCain, and other colleagues on options for moving forward on this bill that will minimize disruption for the agency, but ensure we achieve our shared long-term goal.

Strengthening NOAA is only one piece of the puzzle. More than half of the Federal cabinet-level departments, plus four independent agencies, conduct programs or activities that affect oceans and coasts. Title III of the bill establishes formal mechanisms to force Federal agencies to coordinate budgets and programs and work cooperatively on cross-cutting activities that cannot be addressed by a single agency. It establishes a Council on Ocean Stewardship in the White House to bring Federal agencies together. It also adopts the Commission's recommendation of creating a non-Federal Presidential Panel of Advisors on Oceans and Climate to provide advice to the Council and NOAA. This title also sets the stage for future improvements in Federal ocean policy by directing the President to submit a plan to further strengthen NOAA, including elevation of the agency to departmental status and by transferring relevant ocean and atmospheric programs to NOAA.

The National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act provides the vision and management framework to guide Federal ocean policy well into the 21st century. The valuable work of the Ocean Commission has provided us with an extraordinary opportunity to re-shape federal ocean policy and meet the challenges that lay before us so that future generations may enjoy the same marine resources we enjoy today. It is critically important that we do not delay implementation of the Commission's recommendations. We can start right now with passage of this bill. I hope our colleagues will join us in co-sponsoring this measure.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Ocean Research Coordination and Advancement Act, which is cosponsored by my colleagues Senators Stevens and Inouye.

The oceans remain one of the least explored and understood resources on our planet. Our Nation needs a coordinated research and education program staffed by a skilled scientific and technical workforce to further our knowledge of the oceans and ensure their health and vitality well into the future. NOAA, the lead civilian Federal agency for oceanic and atmospheric affairs, is the linchpin to this effort. However, this is also a job that the entire Federal Government must take on, since NOAA will need the cooperation and resources of a variety of other Federal agencies to achieve our common scientific and educational goals.

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, established by the Congress and President pursuant to the Oceans Act of 2000, issued its Preliminary Report in April and is set to release its final report later this summer. The Preliminary Report identifies ocean research and education as a high priority and calls for the doubling of ocean research funding over five years. It also recommends formal ocean research and education programs to cultivate a new generation of ocean scientists, educators, technicians and decision-makers.

This bill directly responds to the Ocean Commission's recommendations by establishing ocean research and education priorities both within NOAA and across the federal government.

First, the bill establishes a Federal Government-wide Ocean Science Committee to provide advice on ocean science and education to two high- level entities: the existing National Science and Technology Council and the new Council on Ocean Stewardship, to be established by the National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act, which I am also introducing today. A model for such a committee already exists at the NSTC, chaired by NOAA and NSF, and this would further define the Committee's tasks. This Federal Ocean Science

Committee would oversee implementation of many cross-cutting ocean science and technology needs, including an integrated ocean and coastal observing system and improved cooperation among Federal agencies.

The bill also calls for the development of a government-wide National Strategy for Ocean Science, Education and Technology, which is to include a doubling of the Federal ocean research budget. To assist in meeting this goal, the bill strengthens and focuses the multi-agency National Oceanographic Partnership Program, which is currently chaired by the NOAA Administrator, renaming it the National Ocean Partners Program. The bill also recognizes the need to focus Federal priorities in ocean education by establishing an interagency Ocean Education Program and an Ocean Science and Technology Scholarship Program to recruit and prepare students for ocean-related careers with the Federal Government.

I am particularly pleased that the bill specifically addresses NOAA's research and education programs. It directs the NOAA Administrator to prepare a 20-year research plan, as well as a plan for ocean education. Such a long-term vision is necessary to enable the agency to take the federal lead on an effective, integrated and coordinated national ocean research, operations, and management. The Commerce Committee has already taken action on important components of this research program, including S. 1218, the Oceans and Human Health Act, which passed the Senate unanimously earlier this year.

The bill also breaks new ground, placing NOAA at the head of a 10- year national marine ecosystem research program patterned on the approach we took in creating the Global Change Research Program. We have immense and critical information needs, specific questions, and management decisions to make concerning our oceans and their resources. Responding to these needs will require a coordinated and focused Federal effort. By pulling together Federal scientific data and expertise on this specific topic, and partnering with the external research community through a research grant program, we can really get some results that will make a difference to Federal and State managers and decision-makers.

The bill also promotes and encourages NOAA's ocean education activities, which have been conducted for many years under programs such as the National Sea Grant College Program, the National Marine Sanctuaries Program, the Ocean Exploration Program, and the Educational Partnership Program. It is high time that NOAA fully and publicly take a leadership role in this area, and the bill directs the Administrator to prepare a long-term ocean education plan that will help achieve this goal.

It is critically important that we invest in improving our understanding of the oceans, as they are the lifeblood of this planet. No greater resource exists on Earth or in space that has such a tremendous impact on our economy, weather and climate, or our environment and overall quality of life.

I hope my colleagues will join me in sponsoring this important piece of legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, nearly 26 years ago, I arrived in Washington as a newly elected Congressman with an urgent desire to help the people of my State but not nearly as much knowledge as I wanted about exactly how to do that.

Having good ideas and getting those ideas enacted into law, as my old friend Paul Wellstone used to say, are often

two very different matters. I decided to call on some of my heroes men who were serving in Congress then who had contributed greatly to the life of our Nation and whom I admired. One of those men was Claude Pepper. Another was Mo Udall. Both shared their time and wisdom generously with me and gave me advice that has guided me all these years.

In 1988, Mo Udall wrote a wonderful book entitled ``Too Funny to be President.'' I recommend it to anyone, especially those who have the privilege of serving in elected office in our great democracy. The ability to see humor in one's own circumstances and to share a good- natured laugh with others is essential if you are going to last long in public office.

Mo Udall dedicated his book ``to the 3,000 members of Congress living and dead with whom I served for nearly three decades.'' As I prepare to end my own nearly three decades in Congress, I, too, am deeply grateful to all of the Members of Congress living and dead with whom I have had the privilege of serving and from whom I have learned so much.

The list of such members is long. In addition to my early mentors, Claude Pepper and Mo Udall, it includes members who were gone long before I was born, but whose legacy is still felt today giants like Webster, Clay, and Calhoun.

It includes Senators such as Margaret Chase Smith, who had the courage to take on the red-baiting and bullying Senator Joe McCarthy in 1954 in her famous ``Appeal to Conscience'' speech not far from where I stand now.

The list includes two Senators who first inspired me to pursue a life in public service John and Robert Kennedy and it includes their brother and my friend, Senator Edward Kennedy, one of the finest, most capable Senators America has ever produced.

The list also includes earlier Senate leaders--men such as Lyndon Johnson, the ``master of the Senate;'' Mike Mansfield, one of my personal heroes, who showed that progress and bipartisanship are not mutually exclusive; and Howard Baker, a master of the art of principled compromise.

The list of those who have inspired me includes George Mitchell and Bob Dole, the two leaders who taught me the most about this job.

It includes my fellow South Dakotan, George McGovern; Mark Hatfield, who offered to resign from the Senate rather than cast a vote he could not square with his own conscience; and Jim Jeffords, who showed the world that one person can change history. It also includes Paul Wellstone, the soul of the Senate; Robert Byrd, as eloquent and determined defender of our Constitution as has ever lived; and many others.

Today, I would like to say a few words about eight additional Senators with whom I have served these last historic 6 years, all of whom will be leaving when this Congress ends.

Senator Nickels, Senator Campbell, Senator Fitzgerald, and Senator Miller, it has been a privilege to work with each of you. You have each sacrificed much to serve our Nation and I am sure you will continue to serve America well in the years to come.

Six Democratic Senators are leaving at the end of this Congress. Among them is our friend, the senior Senator from Louisiana.

John Breaux

I was joking with another friend recently that the good thing about John Breaux retiring is that maybe now he will finally be able to loosen up a little.

John's ability to make us laugh even in tough times is a gift we have all treasured. Another gift of John's is his ability to find workable compromises on even the most difficult issues. He really is a master of the art of the compromise.

A couple of years ago, I read a newspaper article in which John talked about what he might do if he ever left the Senate. He pointed out that Huey Long had actually served as Louisiana's Senator and Governor at the same time. I thought when I heard that that maybe John would never leave the Senate; he would just diversify. Regrettably, he is leaving now.

I know that serving as Ambassador to France has always been high on John's list of post-Senate dream jobs. I understand that a few years back, John asked President Clinton, ``Do you think I could handle France?'' to which President Clinton replied, ``The question is whether France could handle you.''

Whatever John Breaux decides to do next, I have no doubt that he will continue to find ways to serve the people of Louisiana and America. And I know he will have a heck of a good time in the process. John and Lois are special members of our Senate family, and we wish them all the best in the future.

John Edwards

We also say goodbye to John Edwards.

I think it is probably no coincidence that John Edwards holds Sam Ervin's old seat in the Senate. Like Sam Ervin, John has a brilliant legal mind and a deep love of justice.

In 2001, the first bill Democrats brought to the floor after we retook the majority was the Patients' Bill of Rights. I couldn't believe my luck: My first bill as majority leader--the Patients Bill of Rights and I was able to tap as floor leaders Ted Kennedy and John Edwards. It was like looking down the bench and seeing Babe Ruth and Willie Mays. You just knew the Patients' Bill of Rights was finally going to pass the Senate. And it did--in large part because of John Edwards' remarkable skill and deep personal commitment.

I think one of the great lines in American literature is the line near the end of ``Death of a Salesman'' where Willie Loman's wife Linda says her husband wasn't famous or powerful, but he was a good man to whom respect must be paid. That same conviction is what has motivated John Edwards' whole life: The belief that there is dignity and worth in every person, including people who work hard every day in mills, and factories, and farms.

In his race for the Democratic Presidential nomination and with John Kerry as our party's Vice Presidential nominee, John Edwards brought a sense of hope and optimism to millions and millions of Americans.

John and Elizabeth Edwards both won places in our hearts immediately, and our hearts and prayers are with them and their wonderful children today as Elizabeth continues her recovery from breast cancer. We look forward to spending many more happy years with them. We also look forward to the good work we know they will do for our Nation in the years ahead.

Bob Graham

The best way I found to stay in touch with the people who elected me was to drive through every county in South Dakota every year and just talk to whomever I ran into about whatever was on their mind. Bob Graham found an equally effective way of staying in touch with average Floridians. He calls them workdays. He would spend a day working in another job.

This year, he worked his 400th workday. He spent that day the same way he spent his first workday 30 years ago: as a teacher. That is appropriate because, in fact, Bob's entire career has been a living lesson in public service.

A while back, I was looking over the list of Bob's workday jobs and I have to tell you, I am amazed! Think about all the things he has done: NASA payload specialist, firefighter, bagel maker, bullet-proof vest maker, pea picker, phosphate miner, Air Force Special Operations gunner, circus worker elf!

Clearly, it wasn't lack of other career options that has kept Bob in the Senate for 18 years. What is kept him here is simple. It is his love of Florida, and of this country. It is a sense of responsibility that he inherited from his father and that has animated his whole life.

Bob Graham is a moderate with a capital M. And he is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. But when it comes to the people of Florida, when it comes to doing right by America, strengthening America's economy, creating good jobs, investing in children, and standing up for America's veterans and military families, Bob Graham is a fierce fighter. And when it comes to protecting our Nation from terrorism, he is a heavyweight fighter. America is safer today because of his courage and tenacity.

I suspect the only people who could possibly be sadder about Bob's retirement than the members of our caucus are the people who make those Florida ties! We wish Bob and Adele the very best of luck in all their future endeavors.

Ernest Hollings

Another remarkable Senator who is retiring this year is Fritz Hollings.

I used to joke with Fritz Hollings that he is the real reason C-SPAN first started its closed-caption broadcasts. Fritz's deep Charleston accent, like the man himself, is an American classic.

When you look inside Fritz Hollings' desk on the Senate floor, you see the names of giants: John Calhoun, Huey Long, Russell Long, Wayne Morse--courageous men who never hesitated to speak their minds. Fritz has earned the right to stand with those legends.

He was 36 years old when he was elected Governor of South Carolina. As Governor, he wrote the book on governing in the New South. He raised teacher salaries, invested in education and training, and laid the foundation for South Carolina's economic transformation from an agrarian State to a high-tech, high-wage State.

One of the amazing things about Fritz Hollings is how often he has been able to see the future before others--not just on matters of race, but on issue after issue.

He was the first Deep South Governor to acknowledge the existence of widespread hunger in his State. He was also the first southern Governor to understand that you can't create a modern economy simply by cutting taxes, you have to invest in education and training.

He has been a relentless advocate of balanced budgets and fiscal discipline since long before they became political buzzwords. In 1984-- years before Ross Perot uttered the words Fritz Hollings made deficit reduction a central plank in his Presidential bid.

He has been fighting for fair trade, and against the export of American jobs, his entire career. He has been calling for a long-term, comprehensive energy plan since before the first OPEC oil crisis in 1973. He wrote America's first fuel-efficiency standards--in 1975.

He was in the forefront of the movement to protect America's oceans in the early 1970s. He saw the future of telecommunications before a lot of Americans knew what ``surfing the Internet'' meant. He was pushing for increased port and air security before September 11.

If some people have occasionally found Fritz a little difficult to understand, I suspect it was not so much because of his wonderful Charleston accent but because he was so often ahead of his time.

Now Fritz and Peatsy are moving home to live full time in their beloved South Carolina, but they will always have a special place in the Senate family. We wish them the very best.

I have to be honest, Mr. President, it was not my wish to depart with these fine Senators. But it has been my honor and a joy to serve with them, and one that I will remember all the days of my life.