Floor Statements

Mr. President, we have heard a lot of debate over the past few days on the question of fairness. Every Member of this body supports equal pay for equal work. I could not find anybody who does not support that.

But this so-called Ledbetter bill is a trial lawyers' bailout. It is not about fair pay.

Pay discrimination has been illegal since 1963. Let me say that again. Since 1963. This bill is about effectively eliminating the statute of limitations on pay discrimination. It unfairly targets business owners who, in many cases, will no longer have the evidence they will need to mount a just defense.

As we all know, job creators have enough to worry about these days. We should not add the threat of never-ending lawsuits. Republicans have a better idea to ensure fairness in the workplace. Senator Hutchison has crafted a commonsense proposal that says the clock should not run out on someone who has been discriminated against until he or she discovers the alleged discrimination. That is fair to both sides.

If we are going to grow our economy, we need to focus on legislation that will create jobs, not put undue hardships on job creators. So we will have an opportunity to vote on the Hutchison amendment, which is absolutely fair to anyone who has been discriminated against in the workplace but also does not create a plaintiffs' lawyer bailout, which is what is at stake if we pass this bill without the Hutchison amendment.

I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, if the majority leader would yield for a question?

Is the Senator suggesting that the time on Senator Clinton's nomination run through the luncheons?

That is fine.

Mr. President, I wanted to come out and join my good friend, the majority leader, in congratulating the Senator from Colorado upon his selection as Secretary of the Interior, but I must say I am kind of sorry to see it.

The first thing I said to Senator Salazar is, say it isn't so. I hated to see him leave the Senate. Even though he has been here a relatively short time, he has made an enormous number of friends, I think an incredible contribution to the institution and, of course, to his State as well. I think his passion for the issues the Interior Department deals with overcame what I would have hoped he would have concluded in the end was the right decision, which was to say no to the new President and stay in the Senate.

We hate to see him leave. We think he has been an extraordinarily outstanding and fine Member of this body. I wanted to join with the majority leader and say how much we appreciate his service and how much all of us look forward to continuing to work with him in the coming years in his new and important responsibility as Secretary of the Interior.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I, too, shortly want to make some remarks about our good friend from Delaware as he leaves the Senate today to take up his new responsibilities, but first a few observations about the next item on the agenda, the so-called Ledbetter legislation.

Let me say to my good friend the majority leader, I intend to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed. He and I have had a number of constructive conversations privately, and he has reiterated again today publicly that we are going to make an effort to get the Senate back to operating the way it used to, which is that bills are amendable. So I have said to my colleagues and I would say to my good friend from Nevada that I trust you and believe you that we are going to get on the Ledbetter bill, we are going to have amendments and have votes and then dispose of the legislation in the normal way.

With regard to the substance of that particular measure, despite the gross distortions voters heard about this legislation in the runup to the November elections, the Ledbetter bill as written is neither about women nor fairness, and it is not about whether pay discrimination should be illegal. Pay discrimination is illegal, and it has been since 1963. Rather, this bill is about how long the statute of limitations on pay discrimination suits should be.

Last night, Republicans began to outline a proposal for addressing this question in a way that is fair for everyone. Senator Hutchison's bill strikes the right balance. It says the clock should not run out on someone who has been discriminated against until he or she discovers the alleged discrimination. This way, the focus is where it should be, on the injured party.

The Ledbetter legislation unfairly targets business owners, who may or may not have discriminated against a man or a woman, on the basis of pay years or even decades ago. Its primary beneficiaries are lawyers, who want to squeeze a major settlement out of every company that fears the expense or the publicity of going to court. This bill is unfair to business owners who in many cases will no longer have the evidence they would need to mount a convincing defense, and it is unfair to the millions of American workers who are worried about losing their jobs in the current economic downturn. Job creators have enough to worry about at the moment. Adding the threat of never-ending lawsuits is a new burden the Federal Government should not even be considering at this particular time.

No right-thinking American would defend discrimination of any kind in the workplace or anywhere else. And it is unfair to the public to suggest that those who oppose this bill endorse discrimination. It degrades our public discourse and it degrades the legislative process.

Many of us oppose this bill as written because it will paralyze businesses and add an even greater strain on workers than they currently face. We support a business climate that creates the conditions for success, not a climate that harasses the millions of men and women in this country who support themselves, their families, and their

workers by owning and operating small businesses.

Republicans have a better proposal and other good ideas to help American workers. I believe we need to get on the Ledbetter bill, as I said a few minutes ago, and have an open debate about it so the American people can hear Republican alternatives and the Senate has an opportunity to vote on more than what our good friends on the other side have offered.

Mr. President, I turn now to the issue of the moment, which is the celebration of the career of our good friend from Delaware and wishing him well in the future. I remember being sworn in, in January of 1985, thinking I had gotten to the Senate at a pretty early age. I was 42 years old. I thought: Gee, I have gotten here at a pretty early age. At the same time I was sworn in for my first term, the Senator from Delaware was being sworn in for his third time. He was barely old enough to vote when he got here. We were born in the same year, but you got a 12-year head start on me, I would say to my friend from Delaware, and has had an extraordinarily distinguished career.

When we think about Senator Biden, certainly we think about his marvelous personality, his demeanor, his friendliness. He can have a good riproaring debate without being disagreeable, as we all say. He has been a pleasure to work with. I say that as somebody who has rarely voted on the same side as he has. We say goodbye today to an outstanding individual who has been a fixture in the Senate for 36 years and a friend to everyone in the Chamber. He now, of course, is going to enjoy an even greater achievement as he becomes the Vice President of the United States.

I remember right from the beginning in 1985, as I was discussing a few minutes ago, that Senator Biden made everybody feel comfortable. Although we were born in the same year, as I indicated, he certainly got here at an early age, and it has allowed him to spend most of his adult life in the Senate.

America got to know Joe pretty well over the course of the last year. They got a chance to witness his humor, his compassion, and, yes, his extraordinary decency. They learned firsthand his not entirely undeserved reputation for loquaciousness. They met his wonderful family. Barack Obama decided he liked what he saw in Joe Biden as well and invited him to be his running mate in what turned out to be a spirited Presidential campaign.

So next week, after the peaceful transition of power from one political party to another that has distinguished our democracy since 1801, Joe Biden will become the 47th Vice President of the United States. This inauguration marks the first time in almost 50 years that two Senators moved directly into the offices of President and Vice President. So no matter what outcome some of us may have hoped for in the election, I think my colleagues and I can feel a little institutional pride at that accomplishment--the fact that two Senators will be sworn in as President and Vice President.

Everyone knows by now Joe's famous loyalty to his beloved Amtrak and his regular commute by rail 80 minutes each day from his home in Wilmington to the Capitol. We know of his commitment to being home with his family every night.

I am sure every single one of my friends in this Chamber has a story to tell of working with Joe. For my part, one of several efforts Joe and I worked together on is the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act passed in 2006. After the election of the Hamas-dominated government in Gaza, Joe recognized, as I and others did, the threat that situation posed-- and continues to pose as we have seen up close over the last weeks--the threat it poses to peace in the region. Thanks to his efforts, we were able to pass and have signed into law this important bill which restricts U.S. and foreign assistance to the Hamas-led government unless and until it takes serious steps to renounce terror and publicly recognizes Israel's right to exist. That bill was the right thing to do to confront terrorism. I am proud of my work with Joe Biden on it, and I know he is too.

I have also worked with Joe on tightening sanctions on the dictatorial, illegitimate regime currently ruling in Burma. Among other efforts, the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act, which we collaborated on, restricts the importation of Burmese Jade into America through other countries. That takes a large bite out of every lucrative source of profit for the Burmese regime.

Joe is well versed in these issues and many others, thanks to his years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with much of that time as either chairman or ranking member. I know he is particularly proud of his role in pushing for NATO expansion in Central and Eastern Europe in 1998 and in 2003.

We will all certainly miss Joe's presence as 1 of 100. It will take some getting used to, to have a Senate without him, but the good news is he is not going very far. Obviously, Senator Biden's election as Vice President is a great honor and a fitting tribute to his 36 years of public service. I look forward to working with him as a key player in the incoming administration, as Congress and the new President work together to tackle the many difficult issues this Nation faces.

Let me say, on a personal basis: Joe, it has been a pleasure knowing you and working with you over the years. Elaine and I wish you and Jill the very best in the coming years.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I say to my good friend from New York, through the Chair, I believe the new President could not have made a better selection for Secretary of State. Senator Clinton has had a unique career in the Senate, actually having only been here 8 years, but nevertheless a candidate for President of the United States who came very close. She had fabulous public service before that as First Lady for 8 years. She has clearly made a difference throughout her life, and I expect she will do the same again.

I told her on the floor privately, I am particularly enthusiastic about her selection as Secretary of State because I think she will be the first Secretary of State in the history of the United States who has actually been to Hazard and Pikeville, KY. That should give her an extra edge in this new responsibility which she is about to assume.

I say to the Senator from New York, we will be anxious to work with her on some of the issues for which we shared a passion during her years as Secretary of State. I know she will do an outstanding job. She has been a credit to the Senate and will be one of the Nation's outstanding Secretaries of State.

Mr. President, I want to proceed for a few minutes as in morning business. I know Senator Murray is then anxious to be recognized. I ask unanimous consent that she be recognized at the conclusion of my remarks.

Mr. President, with regard to the TARP issue we just dealt with on the floor, I voted for the disapproval resolution.

Three months ago, I voted in favor of Government action to rescue the Nation's financial system. The early indications suggest that our actions did have a stabilizing effect. But the problems persist. And based on what we know about our current financial situation, it is clear the full $700 billion we voted for in October is still needed.

Republicans have insisted from the beginning that the outgoing administration agree to strict oversight and taxpayer protections related to the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the TARP. And we asked for similar assurances from the incoming administration this week when it requested the second round of TARP funds.

In response, the incoming administration graciously agreed to meet with Senators, and spent a good deal of time explaining to Republicans last night how they plan to use these funds. I want to express publicly our appreciation for their time and for their efforts.

After last night's conversation, Republicans asked for one more thing: a public assurance from the incoming administration that these funds would be used in a manner consistent with the original purpose of the TARP. And, today, the incoming administration again graciously responded to our request by providing a letter of intent for the second round of TARP funds.

I want to be very clear that I appreciate the incoming administration's assurance in that letter that these funds for the original purpose of stabilizing the economy and preventing a systemic economic collapse--they agree that is what the funds were for. However, the incoming administration also indicated it would use the money in ways I cannot support.

The letter explicitly states that they will pursue a policy of ``cram down,'' both by amending the bankruptcy laws and by forcing banks that receive TARP funds to write down mortgages. This will result in higher mortgage rates for everyone who seeks a home loan.

The letter states that the Federal Government will require banks that receive TARP funds to make loans--require banks to make loans. And while we want banks to resume lending, forcing them to make loans is exactly how this crisis started in the first place. We need to show that we have learned from past mistakes.

The letter also states that participating firms will need Federal approval before issuing dividends. I fear this will hamstring their ability to raise capital and thus perpetuate their dependence on Federal funds. We should encourage firms to raise private money, but that will be impossible if they cannot promise investors a return on investment.

Again, I do want to express my appreciation to the incoming administration for its responsiveness to Republican concerns. Every time we asked a question, it was promptly answered. So far, Republican interactions with the incoming administration have been quite encouraging and appreciated. While I voted on the losing side, I hope the new administration will consider some of my concerns and our concerns on this side. We hope their stewardship of these funds is successful in stabilizing the markets according to the original purpose of the TARP, and we will continue to work with them to strengthen our Nation's economy.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, many of us originally supported the economic rescue plan because we recognized we needed to act immediately to prevent an economic disaster.

I heard from a lot of Kentuckians last fall who were hurting and wanted the Government to help, and I am still hearing from many small business owners and others across Kentucky who still need help. But those same Kentuckians are quick to call for assurances that whatever the Federal Government does should be undertaken with the assurance that taxpayer money will be spent wisely and will actually stimulate economic growth.

The American people have questions and so does Congress. We want assurances that if we decide to release additional funding, this money will not be wasted, that it will not be used for industry-specific bailouts that some House Democrats are already requesting.

We will be receiving briefings from the new President's team later today, and we look forward to hearing from them; that is, my Republican team. I know the new President was up here yesterday talking to the Democrats.

While I feel strongly we must continue to stabilize the economy, I would find it exceedingly difficult to support use of additional taxpayer funds without serious assurances from the incoming administration that the taxpayers will be protected.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor a well-respected Kentuckian, Mr. Tom Watson. Throughout his life, Mr. Watson has contributed immensely to Owensboro and to the Commonwealth.

Recently the Messenger-Inquirer in Owensboro, KY., published a story about Tom and his work as mayor of Owensboro. Throughout his career as a public servant, Tom has worked hard to give back to the community that he loves so dearly. I have worked closely with Tom over my career and have seen firsthand his dedication to the people of Owensboro.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mayor Watson and wish him the very best as he embarks on new challenges. I further ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor a well-respected Kentuckian, Mr. David Stevens. Mr. Stevens's outstanding dedication to public service is truly immeasurable, as is his devotion to our Commonwealth.

Recently the Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, KY, published a story about Mr. Stevens. The story highlights not only the major initiatives he took as a Lexington-Fayette urban county councilman, but the keen sense of humor that contributed to his significant presence in Kentucky. Mr. Stevens's noteworthy pursuit as a public servant is a true testament of his devotion to not only Kentucky, but his loyalty to our great Nation.

Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. David Stevens as a true patriot and Kentuckian whose dedication to his city will be long remembered. I further ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, a couple brief observations with reference to what the Democratic leader just indicated. I want to say I appreciate the way in which we are going forward here. When he and I first came to the Senate, the notion that you would pass bills without amendment was foreign to everyone. I think we are getting off to a good start here with a kind of reestablishment of the Senate as it used to operate with amendments

being appropriate. As members of his party said when they were in the minority, the Senate is not the House. I think there is a growing appreciation on both sides of the aisle that we ought not to operate that way.

With regard to the organizing resolution, I agree with the majority leader that we are very close to being ready to move forward on that. It is a difficult process for the two of us, but I think we have gotten close to being at a point of completion, which is, of course, essential to beginning our business.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Bourbon Heights Nursing Home, which was recently recognized as the best nursing home in the State in 2008 by the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities, KAHCF.

Recently, the Bourbon County Citizen in Paris, KY, published a story about the Bourbon Heights Nursing Home receiving this top honor.

Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the work of the dedicated staff and volunteers at Bourbon Heights, whose continued commitment to the community and to those they care for is extraordinary. I further ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I thank my good friend, the majority leader, for his very kind remarks about what has now become a rather lengthy period of service in the Senate. He and I came here at roughly the same time, and, as he indicated, came to the Congress at roughly the same time. We have shared a few positions on each side of the aisle that are remarkably similar no matter which party you represent.

I noted with interest last week the photograph at the White House of the living former Presidents who had all had lunch together, and I was thinking, as the majority leader was speaking, we are in a rather limited fraternity, too--so far it is a fraternity; it will be a sorority at some point as well as a fraternity; a brotherhood or sisterhood, if you will--of people who have held these jobs which have their own unique set of challenges that are quite similar whether you are leading the Republicans or leading the Democrats.

I wish to thank the majority leader for his very kind remarks not only about me but about my wife's public service as Secretary of Labor, which will be coming to an end at noon on January 20, along with the current administration. I also wish to express my gratitude to the majority leader for coming down to the University of Louisville back in 2007. The students enjoyed it immensely. In fact, their last magazine about the program of the center has a very large picture of the majority leader and a lengthy article including a Q and A session he had with the students.

So I am grateful for his friendship and look forward to working with him in this Congress to advance the interests of our Nation.

A few months prior to this body's convening last week, I was grateful to be chosen by my colleagues to serve once again as the Senate Republican leader.

I would also like to thank the people of Kentucky for giving me another term in the Senate. I am certainly privileged Kentucky has sent me to the Senate five times now to speak for them and for their interests, and I intend to work harder than I ever have over the next 6 years to justify their confidence.

At such a time as this, after the people of Kentucky have spoken, I cannot help but think of great Kentuckians in the past who the people of my State have selected to represent their interests.

Some we know from the history books, such as Henry Clay. Although he was Speaker of the House, Secretary of State, and a three-time Presidential candidate, we know him best as the Senator from Kentucky-- the Great Compromiser who staved off civil war. Or take John Breckinridge. Elected to Congress from Virginia, he resigned that seat to move to Kentucky, which at the time was America's western frontier. A key architect of Kentucky's early State government, Breckinridge went on to serve as a Senator from Kentucky, and then as our young Nation's Attorney General under Thomas Jefferson.

Moving to modern times, I can think of other legendary Senators from Kentucky whose footsteps still echo in these halls.

Kentucky still fondly remembers the career of public service carved out by A.B. Chandler. He would be the first to tell you he made his mark not as a Senator but as a two-term Governor, or in the job he resigned the Senate to hold: commissioner of baseball. No matter what the job, with his winning personality, he was better known throughout the State by his nickname ``Happy.''

I am sure he would be happy to see his grandson, Congressman Ben Chandler, continuing his family's tradition of service to the people of Kentucky.

I have also spoken on this floor before of my admiration and respect for John Sherman Cooper, the conscience of the Senate in his day. I will always remember the man who mentored me as an intern in my first job on Capitol Hill and helped me navigate these hallways decades later as a freshman Senator.

Of course, there is Alben Barkley, the first and, until recently, the only Kentuckian to be elected his party's leader. After 12 years leading Senate Democrats through the Great Depression and World War II, he became America's 35th Vice President.

Alben Barkley held the record as Kentucky's longest serving Senator for over 40 years--until it was broken by a man who, like him, rose from humble beginnings to become famous across the Commonwealth.

That Senator was Wendell Ford, a man many of my colleagues have had the honor to know and work alongside. Wendell was the senior Senator from my State when I was first elected, and I got to watch him up close for 14 years. Over those years, I learned why Wendell is the first and only Kentuckian to be elected successively Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and Senator. It is because even while he attained high office, he never forgot the lessons he learned working alongside his parents on their farm. Countless times he reminded voters he was ``just a country boy from Yellow Creek.'' And Kentuckians respected him for proving that a country boy could walk the halls of power, dine with kings and Presidents and still come back to Yellow Creek and be right at home.

Wendell Hampton Ford was born in Daviess County, KY, and grew up on his family's 250-acre farm in the little town of Thruston. The Ford family raised cattle, hogs, and chickens and grew tobacco and corn. Young Wendell was no stranger to work. He did his part by milking 30 cows by hand twice a day every day. Decades later, whenever anyone told him he had a strong handshake, Wendell would tell them: ``I milked at an early age.''

I know Wendell would credit his parents with teaching him everything he needed to know to succeed in life. Ernest Ford was a farmer, an insurance company owner, and a chairman of the Daviess County Democratic Party. He served in both the Kentucky State House and Senate. His mother, Irene Ford, worked harder than anyone on the family farm. She picked strawberries, she snapped green beans, and she canned everything that you could can. She could cook a pork tenderloin that was so good, Wendell recalls, ``We'd say it'd make you swallow your tongue.'' She was devoted to her family, her friends, her neighbors, and her church.

Wendell remembers:

Mother never disliked anyone. She never would say anything

unkind about anybody. And mother worked very, very hard. . .

. if there's anyone that ever went to heaven, my mother is

there.

Now, I am going to guess that maybe through his father's political connections, Wendell scored a plum prize as a young child: he became a page in the Kentucky State House. The way they inducted pages back then is a little different from how we do it in the U.S. Senate today. Wendell's sponsor, a representative from Taylorsville, had young Wendell come and stand on his desk on the House floor. He gave a speech about what a good little kid he was, and when he was done, the entire chamber applauded, making Wendell a page by acclamation. After an introduction to politics like that, is it any wonder Wendell decided he wanted more?

Wendell was also lucky enough to meet one of the great Kentuckians I mentioned earlier--Alben Barkley--back when, obviously, Senator Ford was young. At the Seelbach Hotel in my hometown of Louisville, he heard a speech from the Senator and future Vice President. Like Barkley, Wendell always wanted to be around people--a trait that would serve him well as a public servant.

Like most Kentuckians, Wendell Ford loves basketball. He played on the basketball team for Thruston Elementary School and he played on the team for Daviess County High School. But while in high school, Wendell broke his arm. That ended his basketball career, and that threatened to end his involvement with the team, the friendships he had made, and his seat on the bus to all the away games. So to stay involved, Wendell filled an open slot on the school's cheerleading team. He got to keep going to the games, he got to keep up his friendships, and he ended up being voted ``most talkative'' in the Daviess County High School senior class of 1942.

After high school graduation, Wendell attended the University of Kentucky. Then, in 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and SGT Wendell Ford reported for duty at Fort Hood, TX. But he was not the only Ford to trade in his bluegrass for a 10-gallon hat and make that trip. By his side was his lovely bride Jean, who met Wendell when they both worked at the J.C. Penney store in Owensboro the summer after Wendell's high school graduation. They married in September 1943 just after Wendell had turned 19. Jean hailed from the town of West Point in Hardin County. She could hardly have known then how her life would turn out or how she and her husband would become respected across the Commonwealth.

Oftentimes, my colleagues and I will talk about our wives or our husbands and what we will be doing over the next recess. You will frequently hear spouses' first names tossed around, like my wife's name is Elaine. But after 50 years of marriage, Wendell only referred to his bride as ``Mrs. Ford.'' It is a testament to the fact that the country boy from Yellow Creek remains forever a country gentleman.

After the end of World War II and an honorable discharge from the service, Wendell graduated from the Maryland School of Insurance. He and Jean returned to Owensboro, where his family had moved after selling the farm. Wendell entered the insurance business with his father and started to take an interest in what was happening in his community.

It all started with a razor. That is what Wendell was looking to buy on a lunchtime errand when he ran into a friend who invited him to a Jaycees luncheon.

In my travels across Kentucky, I have met many who know and remember Wendell from his days with the Jaycees. Devoted to fostering leadership and community service, the Jaycees have done a lot for Kentucky and for the Nation. Once again, the man who played a role that cannot be ignored is Wendell Ford.

A lot of beliefs that would come to characterize Wendell Ford's career came from the creed of the Jaycees. That creed states that only faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life, that government should be of laws rather than of men, and that service to humanity is the best work of life.

Wendell would rise rapidly in his career, again and again, no matter what the arena, and his time in the Jaycees was no different. That first meeting at the request of a friend led to Wendell becoming a member. By 1954, he was the Kentucky Jaycees State president at 31. In 1956, he led the Kentucky Jaycees to their national convention in Kansas City with one goal: they wanted to return home with a Kentuckian as the organization's national president--a Kentuckian named Wendell Ford.

Kentucky has a rich history of colorful, memorable campaign ads, but it took Wendell Ford, as a candidate for the Jaycees' national president, to come up with a brilliant ad by piggybacking his name on perhaps the most famous rock-and-roll song of all time. By convention's end, every Jaycee delegate went home singing a familiar tune with the words ``shake, rattle, and roll'' replaced with ``shake, rally with Ford.'' Wendell remembers:

We kept them up all night with that record. And I guess

[we] made it even better, because we won.

To work the crowds at the convention, Wendell bought two new suits for $35 apiece, one black and one gray. By rotating jackets with each pair of pants, he had four different outfits for the 4 days of the convention. Whether it was the song or the suits or both, Wendell went home the first Jaycees national President from Kentucky, and his network from that organization became the foundation for one of the Commonwealth's most successful political careers.

By the late 1950s, Wendell had caught the eye of Bert Combs, who had run for Governor of Kentucky but lost to ``Happy'' Chandler. Combs was planning to run again, and he wanted the

impressive Jaycees president to be the youth chairman of his campaign. After winning that race, Bert Combs made Wendell his administrative assistant, a job he held from 1959 to 1961.

But soon the time came for Wendell to emerge from the ranks of political staffers and run for office himself. In 1965, he ran for a State senate seat representing Daviess and Hancock Counties, and clearly he was not afraid of a challenging race. The reason I say he was not afraid of a challenging race, the guy he ran against in the primary, a fellow named Cap Gardner, was not just any incumbent Senator, he was the State senate majority leader. I was in law school at the University of Kentucky at the time, and I remember reading about the primary in which the majority leader of the Kentucky State Senate was upset by an impressive young man named Wendell Ford. He won that race by 305 votes--after a recount.

In those days, Kentucky was very much a one-party State, so winning the Democratic primary for most any office was tantamount to winning the election. In most counties, you could hold Republican Party meetings in a phone booth. It is not that way anymore, which I think is for the better--I think a competitive, two-party system makes both parties better, and that, in turn, serves the people best--but the Democratic Party ruled Kentucky then, and after Wendell won the primary, he easily won the general. For the first time, but not the last, he became Senator Ford. As a freshman Senator, he sponsored 22 bills, all of which became law. That is a record of success few legislators would dare seek to duplicate.

But Wendell didn't plan on staying in the State senate too long. Just 2 years later, in 1967, he ran for Lieutenant Governor, and once again he ruffled some feathers amongst the more established politicians of the Commonwealth who didn't understand why this country boy from Yellow Creek couldn't settle down and wait his turn. In the primary, Wendell faced Robert Matthews, the incumbent State attorney general. I am sure the entrenched political forces in Kentucky expected and perhaps even desired Matthews to win, but Wendell wasn't going along with their program. He defeated Matthews in the primary--barely--36.1 percent to 35.9 percent. Wendell went on to win a similarly close race in the general election, defeating Thomas Ratliff and becoming the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.

But at the same time, something unusual happened. You heard me say just a minute ago that in those days Kentucky was very much a one-party State, but in 1967, Kentuckians elected a guy named Louie Nunn to be Kentucky's first Republican Governor since World War II. At that time, candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in my State ran separately. So while the Democratic candidate for Governor lost, Wendell Ford quite remarkably won, and he instantly became two things: the top-ranked Democrat in State government and, of course, a real thorn in the side of Governor Nunn.

Wendell had to beat a Republican tide--a rare tide in those days--to become Lieutenant Governor. He was clearly a man of great talent and ambition who was not yet done making his mark on Kentucky politics. So naturally he looked next to the top job in State government, the office of Governor.

In that era, Kentucky Governors were forbidden to succeed themselves by running for a second term. In fact, Kentucky retained that term limit for Governors right up until the 1990s--one of the last States to do so. So Wendell would not have to face Governor Nunn in the 1971 election. He would, however, have to face a different Governor, his friend and mentor, former Governor Bert Combs.

Everybody in Kentucky thought Governor Combs, who had subsequently had a distinguished career as a U.S. court of appeals judge after his term as Governor, was a lead pipe cinch to be the next Governor of Kentucky, or at the very least to win the Democratic primary for sure. But once again Wendell Ford beat everybody's expectations. Bert Combs resigned his judgeship to run for Governor and couldn't believe what a tough race his former administrative assistant gave him. When a mutual friend of the two candidates said to Combs that he had taught Wendell well, Combs replied, ``Yes, I taught him too damn well.'' Wendell beat Bert Combs 53 percent to 44 percent in the primary and went on to easily win the general election. On December 7, 1971, he was sworn in as Governor of Kentucky.

Right from the start, Governor Ford's guiding belief as Kentucky's chief executive was that the only reason for the existence of government at any level was to serve people. Wherever he felt that wasn't happening, he believed there must be change.

Throughout his term, no bill that Governor Ford supported failed to pass. He commanded the forces of the State government below him the way a general commands his troops. But Governor Ford didn't ask anyone else to work harder than he did himself. His work ethic back then was legendary, and I think some of my colleagues can attest to the fact that he kept right at it after he joined us here in the Senate.

As Governor, a 14-hour workday was routine, a 16-hour day frequent, and an 18-hour day not uncommon.

When Governor Ford used to fly here to Washington for official matters, he was all business. Time in the car or the plane was spent reading memos or writing speeches. Dinner was a cheeseburger and fries in the hotel room.

As early as possible the next morning, Wendell was up and flying home to Kentucky where he would put in an extra-late night at the State capitol to make up for time missed.

Once he had successfully enacted the major points of his platform-- including shrinking and streamlining State government, creating the State's first environmental protection agency, and enacting a severance tax on coal--Wendell Ford decided he was not finished serving the people of Kentucky just yet.

I have already said at that time, a Kentucky Governor could not run for a second term. So Wendell looked to the U.S. Senate election in 1974 where he would have to take on incumbent Republican Senator Marlow Cook.

The 1974 election came on the heels of the Watergate scandal and Richard Nixon's resignation. It goes without saying it was a very hard year for Republicans. But even if it had been an easy year for Republicans, Governor Ford would have been very hard to defeat.

So Wendell won over Marlow Cook pretty handily, and Governor Ford became Senator Ford. I should point out, I actually used to work for Senator Cook as a legislative director in the early part of his one term.

Senator Cook graciously agreed to step aside a little bit early for Senator Ford. So Wendell's tenure in this Chamber began on December 28, 1974. At this point, the Wendell Ford so many of my colleagues know and admire emerges, as he spent an incredibly successful and fruitful 24 years here.

After my election in 1984, I served alongside him for 14 of those years. Obviously, Wendell Ford and I did not stand on the same side of the aisle. But we always stood together for the people of Kentucky.

With Wendell, whether you agreed or disagreed, you always knew where you stood with him. Even if you disagreed--which we often did--Wendell knew how to disagree without being disagreeable.

I remember one joke he liked to tell about how seriously we Kentuckians take our horseracing. He liked to say that one day on the running of the Kentucky Derby, a man walking in Churchill Downs noticed a box with an empty seat in it. He stopped and said to the little old lady sitting next to it: This is the first empty seat I have seen today. Bear in mind, this is at the Derby.

She replied: Well, it belonged to my husband, but he died.

The man said: It seems a shame to let such a good seat go to waste. Why didn't you give it to one of your relatives?

The lady said: I would have, but they are all at the funeral.

That is how important the Derby and the horse industry are to the Bluegrass State. Wendell Ford enjoyed telling that story.

With his sense of humor, a penchant for storytelling that rivaled his childhood hero Alben Barkley, and his ability to establish friendships and trust, Wendell quickly became a leader

amongst his Senate colleagues. He served a stint running the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

By 1987, he had risen to become chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. That position put him in charge of the inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol for both Presidents George H.W. Bush in 1989 and Bill Clinton in 1993. Kentuckians were proud to see one of their own on the inaugural platform just footsteps away from the new President.

Wendell was chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing where he worked to trim the costs of Government printing and implemented the first ever program for the use of recycled printing paper. That may not be the type of issue that grabs the biggest headlines, but, obviously, official Washington uses a lot of paper. Wendell was ahead of his time in making these environmentally friendly efforts that are commonplace now, and he saved taxpayers millions of dollars.

Wendell could see the absurdity of some of what goes on in Washington and knew just when to break the tension with a little humor. One former colleague has spoken of one of the many times the Senate has continued in session until 3:30 or 4 o'clock in the morning, with debate still going on on the Senate floor. At one of these times, Wendell nudged the Senator next to him and said: You know, the people back home think that we are the ones who won.

Wendell even appeared once on the cable channel MTV on a program called ``Rock the Vote'' because of his sponsorship of the motor voter law. That MTV appearance made him very popular with his grandchildren. Surely the number of U.S. Senators who have appeared sandwiched in between videos for Whitney Houston and Billy Ray Cyrus is very small.

In 1990, Wendell's colleagues, as my friend the majority leader pointed out, elected him to be No. 2 in their party in the Senate, the Senate whip. He held that slot until his retirement in 1999. Wendell was elected by acclamation and without opposition. That is obviously a position of great responsibility and honor, and it speaks to the respect Wendell commanded from his fellow Senators.

After his election as whip, he said: In Kentucky, we are known for our horses. I plan on being a workhorse and not a show horse.

I think knowing Wendell's work ethic, no one doubted he would give his all to the job.

In March of 1998, Wendell became the longest serving Senator in Kentucky history, breaking the record of the man he had seen giving a speech more than 50 years earlier, Alben Barkley. That is just another accomplishment in a long list that he has amassed over his extraordinarily successful tenure in both State and Federal Government.

Wendell Ford served in this body for 8,772 days, a record that stood for nearly 11 years until January 10, this past Saturday. He never lost an election for public office. Kentucky sent him to the U.S. Senate four times, and he was the first statewide candidate to carry all 120 counties.

How does a country boy from Yellow Creek achieve such success at the highest levels of American politics? I think because no matter where he ended up, Wendell Ford never forgot from where he started from. Even in his final months in the Senate, he still got goose bumps every time he looked up at the Capitol dome on his way to work. He remained the same man, partial to a cigarette and a down-home tale.

When his duties didn't require him to be in Washington, he would return home to Kentucky, as he did most weekends throughout his Senate career. A 3-day weekend was a perfect chance to go to the house he and his family owned by Rough River Lake and do some reading and fishing. He once said his idea of a vacation was ``not shaving and not wearing a suit.''

Wendell Ford never forgot the truly important things in his life--his wife Jean, their children and grandchildren, and the simple pleasures of his native Kentucky.

Many of my colleagues will remember his trademark greeting when he walked into a room. He would say: How are all you lucky people doing? Sometimes that would be shortened to simply: Hey, Lucky!

But Wendell never lost sight that he was truly the lucky one for receiving the trust of the people of Kentucky many times over. He would be the first to tell you that, and Kentucky and our Nation are lucky as well for having had his many years of service.

Over the next 6 years, as I work my hardest to better the lives of everyone in Kentucky and the country, I am going to remember the lessons learned from Wendell Ford's long career. I will remember how his life is a testament to the success anybody in America can attain, even a country boy from Yellow Creek. I will remember what an honor it is to continue in the tradition of Wendell Ford and so many other fine public servants who have come from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Their service will continue to remind me every day that with energy, determination, and principle, being the Senator from Kentucky is the best job I could ever hope to have.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank my dear friend from Tennessee for being on the Senate floor today and for his overly kind comments about my tenure. We have indeed been friends for 40 years.

Mr. President, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Senator from Wyoming for his overly kind and very generous comments about my work here, and also say, Mr. President, to the people of Wyoming, how fortunate they are to have Senator Barrasso representing them.

I have seen a lot of new Senators come into this body over these 25 years. I have never seen one make a mark quicker. So I know the people of Wyoming deeply appreciate their junior Senator. They demonstrated that a couple of months ago in the election, and they really could not have made a wiser choice. I value my colleague from Wyoming, and I thank him so much for his very kind and generous remarks.

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, let me add, this resolution in support of the State of Israel has strong bipartisan support. Hamas is a terrorist organization. It clearly started this current conflict by launching rockets on to civilian sites in Israel. The Israelis, as the majority leader indicated, are responding exactly the same way we would if rockets were being launched into the United States from Canada or Mexico or some similar situation. The Israelis have every right to defend themselves against these acts of terrorism. I enthusiastically support the resolution, as does Senator Lugar, our ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee.