Floor Statements

Mr. President, global hegemony is a Chinese Communist Party's ultimate aim--we all know that--and they have grown increasingly brazen in their power plays designed to seize that.

The bill before the Senate purports to counter Chinese ambition and aggression by accelerating, among other things, American investment in critical technologies, but I believe such investment will fail to meet the objective if we shortchange America's military. Unfortunately, that is just what President Biden plans to do.

Yes, amid all the tough talk about China, President Biden proposes increasing domestic spending by nearly 20 percent while holding defense spending basically flat. And that is on top of several trillion more he has proposed in off-budget spending to supercharge the far-left agenda here at home.

Meanwhile, China is headed in the opposite direction, increasing the budget for the People's Liberation Army by nearly 7 percent this year.

Don't think for a moment they aren't taking note of President Biden's plans and sensing weakness and opportunity here because they are. The Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese leadership, which is the same, understands and heeds only one thing: strength and power.

A respected and feared American military, I believe, is the bulwark against the rise of China and the power of China. That is why we must not shortchange defense spending--not now, not ever. And that is why I am pleased to join my Republican colleagues in offering this amendment to ensure parity between increases in defense and domestic spending.

I encourage my colleagues on the other side to join us here in putting America's security first. Projecting real strength to counter Chinese ambition and aggression should be a bipartisan objective. We will see if it is.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Robert Campbell, of Mobile, AL, who will soon step down as regional manager at Lamar Advertising.

Robert Campbell joined Lamar Advertising in 1972 as a posting manager in Mobile. Robert rose through the ranks of sales manager and general manager before being appointed regional manager in 1983. Throughout his tenure, Robert oversaw the integration of numerous meaningful acquisitions and hired and trained dozens in the company. He has served on the national legislative committee for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, OAAA, for over two decades, and in 2007 he was inducted into the OAAA Hall of Fame.

Further, Robert is a longtime supporter of the University of Alabama and its football program. His enthusiasm for Alabama is unwavering, even though the corporate headquarters of his company is based in Baton Rouge.

Robert is an effective legislative advocate, and I appreciate his hard work throughout the years. It is with great pleasure that I join his friends, family, and colleagues in recognizing his commitment. I congratulate him on his retirement, and I wish him all the best as he transitions into a new chapter of his life.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of Paul Charles Wesch of Mobile, AL, who passed away on December 27, 2020. He will be long remembered for his vast knowledge of finance, law, and business, and for his commitment to his community.

Paul was born in Seattle, WA, on November 20, 1954. He grew up in Hunstville, AL, where he graduated from Butler High School in 1973. He went on to earn two undergraduate degrees, a law degree, and later a LL.M degree in taxation from the University of Alabama. Upon graduation from law school in 1980, he accepted a position with Stanard and Mills law firm in Mobile. In 1984, Paul joined The Mitchell Company as a real estate developer, where he worked for nearly 30 years. During his tenure at The Mitchell Company, he served as executive vice president, general counsel, and director. Paul was later appointed in 2013 by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson to be the city's executive finance director. A few years later, in 2016, he became Mayor Stimpson's chief of staff while continuing to serve as finance director.

In addition to his professional achievements, Paul previously served as chairman of the Mobile County Republican Party and managed several political campaigns. He served on the board of directors for National Security Group, Inc., as well as the USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Paul was also involved with Camp Rap-A-Hope, St. Mary's Home for Children, and the University of Alabama President's Cabinet for several years. He was a respected member of the Athelstan Club, the Mobile Bar Association, and the Alabama Bar Association.

I offer my deepest condolences to Paul's wife, Linda; his children, Paul, Caroline, and Colden; his sister, Sharon; his brother-in-law, Stephen; and his nieces and nephews. I join all of their loved ones as they mourn his loss and celebrate his many life accomplishments.

Mr. President, I believe there is no longer any question that the situation along our southern border has become a full-blown humanitarian and security crisis. I think that is a given. Leader McConnell has firmly established that fact right here on the Senate floor, and charges from the

other side of a manufactured crisis have fallen silent. At this juncture, there is little need to recapitulate the case for action.

We know what our professionals on the frontlines need in order to get a handle on the situation. The only question is, Will the Congress come together and act or fall prey to partisanship while the crisis escalates further?

I am pleased to say, last week, the Appropriations Committee charted a course for strong bipartisan action. By a vote of 30 to 1, the committee approved an emergency appropriations bill to address the crisis at the border--30 to 1. Such an overwhelming bipartisan vote would not have been possible without the cooperation of my colleague and good friend, Vice Chairman Leahy. I thank Senator Leahy for working with us to find a path forward.

This bipartisan committee product, which it is and which I will soon offer as a substitute amendment to the House bill, provides $4.59 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the border.

It does not contain everything that Senator Leahy wanted, and it does not contain everything that I wanted. More importantly, it does not contain any poison pills from either side, which is remarkable. That is why it passed the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 30 to 1, and that is what gives us the best chance today, in the U.S. Senate-- without further delay--of passing a bill that is badly needed.

I will take just a few minutes to briefly outline for my colleagues the particulars of the package reported by the Appropriations Committee.

Of the total funding provided, the lion's share--$2.88 billion--will help the Department of Health and Human Services to provide safe and appropriate shelter and care for children in its custody.

An additional $1.1 billion is included for Customs and Border Protection to establish migrant care and processing facilities; to provide medical care and consumables; and to pay travel and overtime costs for personnel.

There is $209 million provided for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fund the transportation costs and medical care for detainees; to conduct human trafficking operations; and, again, to pay travel and overtime costs for our personnel there.

There is $30 million for FEMA in order to reimburse States and localities for expenses that they have incurred related to the massive influx of migrants in their communities.

There is $220 million included for the Department of Justice to help process immigration cases and provide badly needed resources to the U.S. Marshals Service for the care and detention of Federal prisoners.

Finally, $145 million is provided for the various branches of the U.S. military that have incurred operating expenses in support of multiple missions along the border.

I believe, overall, this is a solid bill. It provides the resources that are needed to address the crisis that we face at the border. As I say again, it contains no poison pills, and it is poised to pass the Senate with strong bipartisan support, unlike the version that came out of the House last night.

So I say to my colleagues in the House, now that there is a bipartisan acknowledgment that the crisis on our southern border is real, do not derail the one bipartisan vehicle with a real chance of becoming law soon.

Those who want to alleviate the suffering--and I think it is most of us--on the southern border will soon have a bipartisan path forward in the Senate bill that we have here.

Those who choose to obstruct over partisan demands will soon have a lot of questions, I think, to answer when the crisis escalates further, and it will.

I believe there is no excuse for leaving town at the end of this week without getting this job done. I hope we will be coming together soon and do our job.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 901.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the Honorable T. Michael Putnam, who is formally stepping down from his 32- year term as a U.S. magistrate judge, effective on June 7, 2019. Judge Putnam served the Northern District of Alabama as a magistrate and chief magistrate judge during his many years of service to the court. He is the longest serving magistrate judge in the history of the

Northern District of Alabama, and I certainly commend him for this accomplishment. At the time of his appointment, Judge Putnam was the youngest magistrate judge in the country at age 32.

Instrumental in the expansion of the role of magistrate judges, Judge Putnam worked to highlight their value in the judicial process. He acted as the chair and vice chair of the Northern District's Criminal Justice Act Administrative Committee, playing a significant role in ensuring the highest quality of representation of indigent criminal defendants in the Northern District under the Criminal Justice Act.

Judge Putnam is widely known for his volunteer work at the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, AL. He has taught a pretrial practice and procedure class since 2006 and directed many trial advocacy and moot court programs. The Cumberland School of Law named Judge Putnam the 2019 recipient of the Friend of the Law School Award in recognition of his time and dedication to the betterment of students at Cumberland. The Young Lawyers Section of the Birmingham Bar Association also selected him for the Judge Drayton Nobles James Award in 2016, where they honored his spirit of volunteerism.

As an advocate for the Northern District, Judge Putnam played an active role in using technology to improve efficiency. He has been a judicial resource for the Office of the Clerk while implementing procedural changes to the electronic filing system. Judge Putnam led the Court in establishing the eVoucher system, making it easier for attorneys and courts to process vouchers for appointed counsel in criminal cases.

Judge Putnam received his bachelor of arts from the University of Alabama and his juris doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Law. He graduated in the top 5 percent of his class and was a Hugo L. Black Scholar.

Judge Putnam's contributions to Alabama's judicial system are truly remarkable and will have an impact for generations to come. I am proud to take this time to recognize and thank him for his service to the people of our great State and his unwavering commitment to the rule of law. I join Judge Putnam's friends, family, and colleagues in wishing him the best of luck as he transitions into a new chapter of his life.

Mr. President, today I wish to commend Dr. Robert Altenkirch for his leadership at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Altenkirch led the university as president from 2011 to 2019. While serving in this capacity, he implemented many strategic growth initiatives and promoted economic development throughout the campus and the city of Huntsville, AL.

Under Dr. Altenkirch's leadership, UAH provided assistance in recruiting numerous corporations to north Alabama. Those corporations include Blue Origin, Aerojet, Rocketdyne, GE Aviation, and Polaris. He also spearheaded the purchase of a 58-acre business park that is adjacent to the campus and serves as a town center for the students and faculty.

Continuing to add to his legacy, Dr. Altenkirch established the D.S. Davidson Invention to Innovation business incubator. This regional initiative fosters, promotes, and accelerates the commercialization of technology-based ventures through incubation, co-working, mentorship, funding, and strategic support.

Not only did Dr. Altenkirch expand the university physically and economically, but he also contributed to the university's growth in total enrollment over the past 5 years. By the fall of 2019, the enrollment at UAH skyrocketed by more than 10,000 students. The average ACT score for incoming freshman reached an alltime record high at the university under Dr. Altenkirch. By fall 2018, the average score was 28.5, which is the highest among the State of Alabama's public universities.

Studying mechanical engineering, Dr. Altenkirch earned a B.S. from Purdue University, an M.S. from the University of California, Berkley, and a Ph.D. from Purdue. He was recognized as one of the 101 Most Influential People in the State of New Jersey in 2009, as Dr. Altenkirch served as the president of New Jersey Institute of Technology for 9 years prior to his tenure at UAH.

Dr. Altenkirch deserves the highest recognition for his outstanding leadership at the University of Alabama in

Huntsville. He helped shape a more prosperous future for the university, the city of Huntsville, and the State of Alabama. The impact he has made on UAH and the entire north Alabama community will not be forgotten.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise this afternoon in honor of my good friend from South Carolina, the late Senator Fritz Hollings, who spent many, many years right here in this Chamber.

As we mourn his passing today, we remember the great impact Fritz Hollings had both in the Senate and in his home State of South Carolina, where he served as Governor, as Lieutenant Governor, as a member of the State legislature, and so forth. From 1966 to 2005, which was nearly four decades, he also represented South Carolina in Washington--right here in this body.

Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Fritz Hollings was a distinguished graduate of the Citadel and served as an Army artillery officer during World War II, for which he was awarded, among other things, the Bronze Star.

For 36 years, Fritz Hollings served alongside Strom Thurmond in the Senate, whom the Presiding Officer will remember. He was the junior Senator of his State for six terms, which made him the longest serving junior Senator in the history of the Senate. Throughout his tenure, Fritz served as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, where I served with him. He was also the chairman of the Budget Committee and the chairman of the Commerce Committee. He was a skilled legislator and statesman.

In terms of influential policy, Fritz made quite a mark. He was instrumental in the creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which we know as NOAA. When he was chairman of the Commerce Committee, he also helped to enact laws to alleviate childhood hunger and to expand competition in telecommunications during the early stages of the internet.

He may have spent nearly 39 years in the Senate, but his time in Washington was not all that made up his career.

Fritz Hollings served three terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives. He won his first election in 1948 at the age of 26. He went on to serve as South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor and then as its Governor at the age of 36. In 1984, while he was a sitting Senator here, he ran for President of the United States. He was a true public servant. He devoted his entire life to the betterment of his country, to his State, and to his people.

As we honor his lasting impact and achievements throughout his career, we are reminded that Fritz was what we would call a southern gentleman. With a distinguished Charlestonian southern drawl and a quick wit, Fritz was courteous and well mannered. He built his seniority with patience and respect.

I am grateful for his friendship and camaraderie over the last 40 years. Annette and I join his family as we mourn his passing and celebrate his life and the legacy he leaves behind in the U.S. Senate.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I object.

Mr. President, these unanimous consent requests are political and, I believe, are not productive at the moment. We know that for two reasons.

First, earlier this week, my Democratic colleagues rejected a disaster assistance package that contained assistance for the Midwest. Instead, they supported a different version that did nothing for folks in Iowa, in Nebraska, and in other States who have been the victims of catastrophic flooding. In fact, if the Democrats had gotten their way the other night, their bill would have gone straight to the President's desk.

That brings me to the second reason these procedural requests are empty gestures. My Democratic colleagues know that the measure they raise today does not have the President's support, not unlike the bill they supported earlier this week. Those measures cannot secure the President's signature.

My Democratic colleagues have regrouped today and have decided to provide assistance to the folks in the Midwest--the same folks they left stranded earlier in the week. Yet they are willing to help the Midwest only if Puerto Rico gets billions more in Federal assistance-- billions more they cannot justify right now.

Look, we all want to help the people of Puerto Rico, and I know the Presiding Officer has been deeply involved in this. Congress, in its recognition of those needs, has already committed significant resources to the island. In fact, Puerto Rico is eligible for more than $90 billion in funding from the previous supplemental.

For example, FEMA estimates that Puerto Rico will be eligible to receive more than $60 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund as a result of the 2017 storms; yet Puerto Rico has only spent approximately $10 billion of this amount thus far.

Another example is Congress has approved $20 billion in Community Development Block Grant--or CDBG--funding for Puerto Rico--$20 billion.

In February 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated $1.5 billion of this amount to the island; yet more than a year later, it has spent only $42,000 out of the $1.5 billion allocation. Still, HUD allocated another $8.2 billion just over a month ago. In addition, Puerto Rico has been granted an enormous amount of flexibility to expend these resources.

FEMA used its administrative authority to extend the 100-percent Federal cost share for emergency work in Puerto Rico longer than it has for any

other disaster in more than 10 years, and not once has FEMA denied Puerto Rico access to funding on the basis of its ability to provide its own share of the costs when required. More importantly, even if cost share were an issue, which I don't believe it is, Puerto Rico could use its ample CDBG funding to meet any cost share requirement.

However, it does not appear that access to resources for cost share is actually an issue in Puerto Rico. According to the Treasury Department, Puerto Rico has billions of dollars in unrestricted cash on hand. In fact, the Treasury Department reports it has $5.6 billion in unrestricted cash, to be precise. What is more, the land of Puerto Rico continues to collect tens--if not hundreds--of millions of dollars a month because revenues are exceeding costs on the island, which only adds to that $5.6 billion balance.

Despite all of these resources, we have agreed that the Government of Puerto Rico needs additional funding for nutrition assistance. My Democratic colleagues have been in the forefront. The question is, Why? It is that this money is actually being spent. In fact, it is running out. So not only did my Democratic colleagues leave folks in the Midwest behind when they rejected the Shelby amendment earlier this week, but they also passed up an opportunity to help the people of Puerto Rico immediately.

Where do we go from here?

I think we need to find areas of agreement, which we have before in my working with Senator Leahy, Senator Schumer, and Senator McConnell. I am pleased that my Democratic colleagues have discovered a newfound concern for the people in the Midwest. We want to stay on that too. It is promising that we not only agree on that but also that we should provide funding for nutrition assistance for the people of Puerto Rico now. Yet, when it comes to additional funding beyond nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico, I believe that our constituents--the American taxpayers--deserve a detailed explanation of exactly why existing funding is insufficient and why the resources that we have provided have not been spent.

How do we know Puerto Rico needs more when it hasn't come close to spending what we have already provided it? Communities, meanwhile, that experienced disasters in 2018 are truly suffering because Congress has provided them with nothing.

Unless my Democratic colleagues can demonstrate this urgency, I believe they should stop holding hostage those who are suffering in the Midwest and those who have been impacted by disasters all over the United States. These people are in urgent need of funding so they can begin the rebuilding process, and many of them have been waiting for months and months for relief.

I hope we can come together and work this out in a deliberate and fact-based manner. Until then, I will continue to object to these haphazard unanimous consent requests that will get us nowhere.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the retirement of Whit Armstrong, a native of Montgomery, AL, from the Alabama Power Company board of directors, effective on April 26, 2019. Whit is an acknowledged leader in the financial and investment arena with over 30 years in the banking industry, including service as a member of the Alabama State Banking Board. He has provided decades of service to improve the quality of life in his community and across the State of Alabama with numerous civic, economic development, educational, and business organizations.

Mr. Whit Armstrong previously served as president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of The Citizens Bank in Enterprise, AL, and of its holding company, Enterprise Capital Corporation, Inc. He currently serves as managing member of Creeke Capital Investments, LLC, also located in Enterprise, AL.

Whit has earned many recognitions for his contributions, among them a Silver Beaver Award for Outstanding Service to the Boy Scouts and the 1975 Alabama Jaycees' Outstanding Young Man of Alabama Award. He earned his bachelor's degree and master of science in finance with a focus in banking from the University of Alabama.

At home in the Wiregrass, Whit is married to Dr. Rebecca Brown Armstrong. They have a son, Whit Junior, and four grandchildren, Whit III, Charlotte, James, and Katrina Armstrong. An engaged resident in his community, Whit is an active member of First United Methodist Church of Enterprise.

His extensive experience in business and civic life, along with his seasoned judgment and knowledge of the Alabama Power Company, have provided great value to Alabama Power's board of directors.

What is truly remarkable are Whit Armstrong's many accomplishments and contributions to the State. I am proud to take this time to recognize him for his service on the Alabama Power Company board of directors, which has benefitted the customers of Alabama Power, the people of Alabama, and the State. His achievements and dedication to advancing the industry have not gone unnoticed. I join Whit Armstrong's friends, family, and colleagues in wishing him the best of luck as he transitions into a new chapter of his life, and I thank him for his commitment to Alabama.

I want to follow the distinguished Senator from Georgia. I also reserve the right to object here, and in the proper time, I will object.

If my colleagues are interested in supporting legislation here today that helps the people who are impacted by the 2019 storms and legislation that can actually be signed into law, then, I would say they should vote to invoke cloture on my amendment No. 201 today.

I am afraid they are not going to do that, but I will speak on my amendment in greater detail shortly, if I am permitted to.

At the moment, I object to the unanimous consent request offered by the distinguished Senator from Vermont.

Mr. President, I reserve the right to object. I will object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, this afternoon I rise to urge my colleagues to vote for cloture on the pending Shelby amendment on the floor.

My amendment provides critical resources to those impacted by a wide range of natural disasters in 2018--fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, among others. It also includes funding to begin to address some of the 2019 disaster damage.

This funding, I believe, is essential to aid our fellow Americans who are working to pick up the pieces and move on. There is a broad agreement, basically, on both sides of the aisle--Democrat and Republican--that this legislation should address 2019 disasters, and, both, my amendment and the underlying bill, do this.

There are, however, two glaring differences that I would like to discuss briefly. First, the Shelby amendment provides assistance to those affected by the 2019 disasters. The underlying bill does not. Secondly, the Shelby amendment has the support of the President. The underlying bill does not.

This assistance is not just for those whose lives were destroyed by the tornado that recently hit my home State of Alabama. It is also for those whose homes, crops, and livestock have been swept away by catastrophic flooding in the Midwest that we all witnessed recently.

Thus far, my Democratic colleagues have been unwilling to help these people unless their demands are met. What are their demands? Not more resources for 2018 or 2019 disasters, which is what the thrust of this bill is about. No, instead they demand nearly $1 billion more for Puerto Rico. We all agree that Puerto Rico was devastated in 2017 by Hurricane Maria. That is why Congress provided Puerto Rico billions of dollars in aid in a supplemental last March right here in the Congress. Yet much of the funding that we provided has not been spent yet-- billions of dollars. In fact, the Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported that Puerto Rico has $1.5 billion in community development block grant funding available but has only spent $42,000. Think about that.

Why, then, are my Democratic colleagues seeking to include $431 million more for community development block grants for Puerto Rico but not $1 for folks in the Midwest who continue to watch the floodwaters rise as we speak?

The one piece of Puerto Rican funding we agree is essential--in fact, it is urgent--is nutrition assistance. They need it, and they need it now. That is why my amendment includes $600 million to provide the people of Puerto Rico the food safety net they need now.

I believe we need to move forward with this disaster package so that those who have thus far received nothing from this Congress and those in desperate need of assistance can move on with their lives. We should not further delay, I believe, this assistance. Those in need must not be forced to wait any longer.

I also wholeheartedly agree with my colleagues who said in a recent letter to Senate and House leadership: ``Providing desperately needed relief to impacted communities should be a bipartisan, bicameral priority and continued inaction is unacceptable.''

I hope we will all join together to provide assistance to those who urgently need it today, regardless of whether the State we represent has been struck by disasters covered in this bill.

Only one of the two options before the Senate seeks to help everyone impacted by disasters and can be signed into law, and that is the Shelby amendment. Again, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on cloture.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 201.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with.

Mr. President, consistent with Standing Rule XXVI, I ask unanimous consent that the rules of procedure of the Committee on Appropriations be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I will be brief.

First of all, I thank Senator Leahy, the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, who worked diligently for the past year to get to where we are today in a bipartisan way and also, recently, in the conference committee, which we thought last week had broken down. I also thank Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, and Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader. I thank everybody else who has contributed to get us to this point.

Nothing is perfect, but we think this is a good bill for the American people. It opens up all of the government--the 25 percent that we had not addressed.

The conference report includes a robust and comprehensive investment in border security, providing funding for personnel, technology, and infrastructure that is critical to keeping our nation secure and our people safe. Critically, the bill provides nearly $1,400,000,000 to further construction of a barrier along the southwest border. But that is only a down payment. More resources are required. Fortunately, the President has at his disposal both constitutional and existing statutory authorities that allow him to supplement the congressional investment in border security that was made today. This bill preserves those authorities, and I support action by the President to use them to the fullest extent permissible to secure our border. In particular, this bill does not restrict the President's ability to declare a national emergency or to exercise emergency authorities under such a declaration. Nor does this bill further restrict the Administration's ability, previously granted by the Congress, to

transfer funds in support of efforts to gain operational control of our southwest border and to cease the trafficking of persons and drugs across it.

I am going to get on with the vote.

I want to say thank you to everybody, including Shannon Hines on our staff and everybody else who contributed to this.

At this point, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture vote on the conference report to accompany H.J. Res. 31.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Judge Hardy McCollum, probate judge and chairman of the Tuscaloosa County Commission, who retired earlier this month after 42 years of honorable service. Judge McCollum will be long remembered for his remarkable career and his dedication to the rule of law.

A native of Tuscaloosa, Hardy grew up selling peanuts, popcorn, and programs at Denny Stadium, which is now known as Bryant-Denny Stadium. Following graduation from Tuscaloosa High School, Hardy married his high school sweetheart, Juanita. They both went on to earn their degrees from the University of Alabama.

Following college, Hardy began working in Tuscaloosa and serving as an active member of the the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce, commonly known as the Jaycees. He has always told me that his first political experience was campaigning for me in the 1970 Alabama State Senate race.

In his first run for office in 1976, Hardy was elected to the position of probate judge. Following his initial election, he was reelected to six more 6-year terms, serving in the esteemed role from 1977 to 2019, a total of 42 years.

During his time as probate judge and chairman of the Tuscaloosa County Commission, Hardy also served as president of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, the National Association of Counties Transportation Steering Committee, and the National College of Probate Judges. Additionally, he held the role of chairman of the West Alabama Planning and Development Council, the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, and the University of Alabama Commerce and Business Administration Executive Society.

Outside of his professional career, Hardy has volunteered over the years with the Boys and Girls Club of America, Boy Scouts of America, and United Way. He also served as chairman of the Heart Association and the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Foundation.

Another noteworthy accomplishment in Hardy's career is that he has been the longest serving probate judge in the State of Alabama, and at the time of his first election in 1976, he was the youngest probate judge in the State. His dedication and service have been immensely valued in the State and will be greatly missed.

It is with great pleasure that I join Hardy's family and friends in recognizing his accomplishments. Our State and community have been fortunate to have a leader like Hardy McCollum, and I wish Hardy the very best as he transitions into the next chapter of his life.