Ken Salazar

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 665, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand in recess under the previous order.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, we expect to receive the consolidated appropriations bill from the House tomorrow morning. It is the majority leader's intention to turn to its consideration upon its arrival.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in recess until 9:30 a.m., tomorrow, Thursday, September 25; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and that any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 551 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 683, submitted earlier today by Senator Reed of Rhode Island.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 684, introduced earlier today by Senator Durbin.

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to this measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6370, which was received from the House.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements be printed in the Record as if read.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 680, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that a McCaskill substitute amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 928, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 682, submitted earlier today by this Senator from Colorado.

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 936, S. 2840.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I wish to make a few comments about some of our departing colleagues who will not be joining us for the next session of Congress. They are great colleagues, people whom I have enjoyed working with in my 3\1/2\ years here in the Senate. They include Senator Allard from Colorado, Senator Pete Domenici from New Mexico, Senator John Warner from Virginia, Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska, and Senator Larry Craig from Idaho. A quick word first about my colleague and the senior Senator from Colorado, Mr. Wayne Allard. He has served the State of Colorado with distinction. In the days before he came to the Senate, now almost 12 years ago, he also served the people of the State of Colorado in the general assembly. I had the opportunity then to watch him work on matters ranging from education to protecting-the-water issues in the State of Colorado. I know well that he has been a strong voice for the State of Colorado and know that his services here, including the services of his acting as a veterinarian for colleagues like Senator Kennedy and his dogs, are something that will be missed. I have enjoyed very much the time I have spent working with him on matters of mutual and common interest to the State of Colorado. I wish him well. Pete Domenici from New Mexico, the senior Senator from New Mexico, is one of the Senators here who comes from the same place my family came from many generations ago. His constant reminding me of the beauty of the Land of Enchantment and his work on behalf of securing an energy future for America is second to none. We will be missing him also in terms of his major contributions to the Energy Committee. He also has done a lot with respect to a whole host of other issues, too many to mention, but in particular I want to mention his work on the mental health parity initiative which would not have happened without his leadership. We were successful in getting mental health parity in legislation we passed in the Senate yesterday, and it was in large part because of his passion and willingness to work hard on a bipartisan basis to bring people together to help create that achievement. I want to say a word about my very good friend, Senator John Warner of Virginia. I often call him Moses because, as we have debated on the floor of the Senate over the last several years on one of the major issues of our time, the issue of war and peace and how we create a framework for a more peaceful world for our generation and those to come, it has often been Senator Warner we have gone to to get direction and counsel on how we might move forward. I had the opportunity of traveling with him to Iraq and Afghanistan and other places along with his very good friend, Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee. The friendship between the two of them, between Senator Levin and Senator Warner, is one that exemplifies the types of relationships that are important for this Chamber and for the good of America. I will miss my good friend, Senator John Warner, the man I call Moses, because of his willingness to try to bring people together to try to resolve major and difficult issues that face us in America. Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska has likewise been one of those voices of independence, putting public purpose above partisanship and being a great example for all of us in doing so. He has some deep connections in Colorado, including his sister Claire who lives in Colorado, and his family whom I have met over time. Even though he teases me occasionally on the battleground between Nebraska and Colorado with respect to the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the University of Colorado Buffaloes, he has done a remarkable service in the Senate as a great Senator and someone whom I will sorely miss. Finally, Senator Larry Craig from Idaho has been a champion for agriculture and rural issues and for western values. When, yesterday, we were able to pass the payment in lieu of taxes, secure rural schools act, on which Senator Wyden and others had worked so hard, it was Senator Craig who helped make sure at the beginning that payment in lieu of taxes, which is so important to the Presiding Officer's State and my State of Colorado, were, in fact, on the radar screen of Washington, DC. Sometimes those issues that are unique to the western part of the United States are not heard in the Halls in this Capitol. Senator Craig was an unrelenting advocate for making sure those western issues were, in fact, not forgotten by those of us who are here who have an ability to cast a vote. I will miss my five colleagues. All of them are Republicans who are departing. Many of them brought a true spirit of bipartisanship and working together, which is worthy of the emulation of many Members of the Senate who will serve in this Chamber in the next Congress and in many Congresses to come. I yield the floor.

Mr. SALAZAR

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

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 1053, S. 3550.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Elaine Ulrich, a legislative fellow in my office, be granted floor privileges for the reminder of the session.