Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Hagel), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Specter), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn), and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn). The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Menendez) Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote?

Mr. LOTT. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I, too, rise today to pay tribute to our fallen friend, the distinguished Senator from Wyoming, Mr. Craig Thomas. My wife Tricia and I were greatly saddened this morning when we rose and found out that Craig had lost his battle with this form of leukemia. The four of us have been together many times, socially and in business settings. We have had some great experiences together in other parts of the world. We were so sad to learn he had passed away. It was heightened by the fact that he seemed to have done so well after his first round of treatment. It was a great pleasure to come on the floor over the last couple months and see him looking better every day. He seemed to feel good. So I was personally excited that he was going to whip this thing. That was his attitude, as a true marine. He was fighting a battle to win. He brought to the Senate a special down-to-Earth Wyoming wisdom, reflective of the unique part of the country he represented so well. Cody, WY, where he was born, is a special place. Craig was the epitome of the people in that part of our great country. In a legislative body of sometimes showboats, lightning rods and mavericks, Craig was an engine of the Senate. He was not flamboyant. He didn't try to be. He kept plodding along, trying to find a way to get the right results and help the Senate do its job. I have learned over the years there are some people in life, and some Members of the Senate, who are tried and true, who can be depended on no matter what the issue is. Craig Thomas was one of those. He kept the Senate on point when we strayed from the big picture--with his goodness, his common sense, and his affable manner. It is very easy to get fired up and lash out at an institution where we all come from so many different backgrounds and are so passionate sometimes about issues. But Craig kept it cool, kept a level head, and kept moving forward. When we drifted off message, when we were too much into the weeds with our competing agendas, he didn't complain or rail or make demands to fix it, he rounded up several of his colleagues, came to the floor, and before long he had a way of helping us get back on track. His resilience and self-reliance were emblematic of the open range country in which he was born. He was Wyoming to me, in all its rugged zest for community, Nation, and faith. I was particularly interested in hearing our colleague, Senator Larry Craig, from Idaho, talk about his love of the outdoors, of Yellowstone, and his effort to preserve and improve that great national park. It was one of the things he truly did love. He didn't talk about himself very much, but he spoke eloquently about the quality-of-life issues of his mostly rural West neighbors. He was, after all, a farmer. That is what he got his degree in, in college--agriculture. Of course, he served his country for 4 years in the Marines. That was kind of how he approached his job in the Senate. He came to get things done, to get results for Wyoming, and the Nation. He was on the right committees to do that. He was on the Energy Committee, and I tangled with him, one time in particular I remember, on the Energy Committee. I came away knowing that, when you get in a tussle with Craig Thomas, you better bring your lunch because it will not be quick. It will take a long time to work it out. But work it out we did. He also served on the Finance Committee, where I had the pleasure of serving with him. He provided, again, good, solid, calm counsel and participation. It was that self-reliance, that selflessness that diverted our attention from the tragedy his family was facing over recent months. But that is how he wanted it. He was riding the Senate range, keeping us on the trail, and helping us to stay with the big picture, to improve the quality of life of all those we represent. Tricia and I extend our love, our thoughts, and our prayers to Susan, their children, and Craig's loyal staff. We have lost a solid statesman, and we will dedicate ourselves to keeping his spirit of goodness alive in the Senate for all of those to come. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Thomas).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Thomas).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Thomas).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Thomas). Further, if present and voting, the Senator form Utah (Mr. Hatch) would have voted: ``nay.''

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch), and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Thomas).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. Coleman), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch), and the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Thomas). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch) and the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. Coleman) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senator is necessarily absent. The Senator from Arizona, Mr. McCain.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. 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.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. 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).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. 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''.

Mr. LOTT

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

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

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

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