Floor Statements

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to my senior legislative assistant, Beth Spivey, who is departing my staff after almost 10 years of outstanding service to the people of Mississippi and the Nation.

Beth has been an integral part of my personal office staff for so many years and we will genuinely miss her when she leaves. She joined my staff as an intern during the summer of 1997 and never left, starting as an employee that September. From the beginning, she demonstrated exceptional skills and confidence. Starting as a legislative correspondent, she showed that she could handle a large volume of mail, promptly answering all letters with well thought out responses.

Beth was eager to learn the substance of large and small issues alike, and it was only a matter of time and an available opening on my staff before she was ready to move up to serve as a legislative assistant. She proved herself adept at handling a range of issues with skill and efficiency; from transportation to telecommunications, and from energy to the environment. She understands the key concerns, organizations, and people for her issues and knows how to bring them together to find common ground in order to advance legislation to become law.

It is the latter quality that I found so valuable in Beth. As my colleagues know, I care about the Senate being productive in matters that are resolvable. While there will always be issues that define the differences between the political parties, the vast majority of bills can be worked out with a minimum of contested votes, or none at all, if Members and their staffs are willing to work hard to reach an agreement. Beth has the skills and the desire to move bills through the legislative process to enactment, sometimes negotiating two or more bills moving through the process at the same time.

Beth excels at multitasking. It has not been uncommon for her to simultaneously work on the highest priority bills of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. This skill was evident early on as she planned her Mississippi wedding from Washington while working a rigorous schedule. Whether I was chairing a surface transportation subcommittee or an aviation subcommittee, Beth was

my point person for moving nationally significant legislation through the committee and the Senate. When I was the majority leader, she led the Senate Energy Task Force staff efforts.

Beth has been a key figure in the enactment of several important bills into law: the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and its previous incarnations, the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, the Aviation Investment and Revitalization Vision Act, and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users. She also shepherded the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2005 through the Senate and the Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act through the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee during the 109th Congress. During the 110th Congress, she has already guided the Aviation Investment and Modernization Act through the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Beth always ensured that these bills were good for the Nation and good for Mississippi.

While Beth is as gracious and charming as one would expect from her Mississippi upbringing, she is also assertive and confident, and deserving of respect for her abilities. She never hesitated to take charge of her areas of responsibility or speak up if she felt she or anyone else was being overlooked.

Beth is not just a hard working, skilled staff member. She has been part of my personal office family for almost 10 years. Whether training a new staff member, guiding interns through their Washington experience, or cutting birthday cakes, Beth has been a trusted, steady, and caring colleague. As a former intern, she always ensured that our legislative interns were provided challenging assignments and treated with respect.

Mr. President, Beth has come a long way from Brandon, MS, and the University of Mississippi. In addition to being a seasoned staff member, she also is a wife and a mother. Beth now moves on to a new phase in her life, leaving for the private sector and making more time for her husband Les and young daughter Ann Miller. We all will miss her very much. I wish her the very best as she heads out in a new direction and pray that God will continue to bless her and her family.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Smith), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch) would have voted ``nay''.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole), the Senator South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), and the Senator from Arizona, (Mr. McCain).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) would have voted ``nay.''

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Domenici), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint) and the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) would have voted ``yea.''

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole), the Senator New Mexico (Mr. Domenici), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint) would have voted ``yea.''

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) would have voted ``nay.''

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) would have voted ``yea.''

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Bennett), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Allard), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Ensign), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe) would have voted ``yea.''

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Allard), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Ensign), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe) would have voted ``nay.''