Chris Van Hollen

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I send a question to the desk for the House managers.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise to support the nomination of Denis McDonough to be Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. McDonough brings to this position a wealth of experience as a national security professional and White House Chief of Staff. He knows how to solve problems, break down bureaucratic silos, and deliver results. As the VA Secretary, Mr. McDonough will face a host of new challenges brought on by COVID-19. I appreciate his commitment to addressing these issues head-on, including the need to lead an aggressive effort to vaccinate veterans and their healthcare providers, ensure that claims are processed in a timely manner, and review the proposed rule on VA home loans exiting COVID-19 forbearance. In addition to the immediate challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I know that one of Mr. McDonough's priorities is to tackle the structural needs of the VA. I am also pleased that Mr. McDonough has already promised to defend the VA healthcare system against efforts at privatization. Additionally, I am grateful for Mr. McDonough's assurances that he will act assertively to create a culture of zero tolerance toward sexual harassment and assault in the Department. This is of particular importance after a VA inspector general's report found that his predecessor engaged in active measures to discredit a congressional staffer who reported that she was sexually assaulted at a VA medical center. We must ensure that our women veterans are treated with dignity and respect at all VA facilities. I also want to applaud Mr. McDonough's pledge to make ending veteran homelessness a national priority. My home State of Maryland has been a national leader in this effort. Montgomery County, MD, effectively ended veteran homelessness in 2015, and the Veterans Village in Perryville is creating a model for using VASH vouchers to build supportive communities that house and provide services to homeless veterans. The State is also moving forward with an aggressive effort to build a second veterans home in Sykesville. This is a moral imperative, and Maryland has been leading the way. I trust that we will have the same level of urgency from the VA under Secretary McDonough, and I look forward to continuing the partnership on these efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides crucial services, care, and peace of mind for our Nation's 18 million veterans. The VA has more to do to make sure that the care that it provides is worthy of those who served our Nation. I believe that Mr. McDonough's experience has prepared him well to continue that effort, and I support his nomination.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, let me start by thanking my colleague from Delaware for outlining the urgency of the moment and reminding us that the United States is not an island; that we have to address these issues together. And I am pleased to see President Biden reasserting American global leadership on all sorts of fronts, including the healthcare front. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to support the budget resolution that is before us. As our country together fights the COVID- 19 health crisis and the economic fallout, more than 450,000 of our fellow Americans have died of COVID-19--200,000 more than the country that has experienced the next highest death toll. It is an unacceptable toll of suffering, and the economic fallout is painful as well. Main Street is struggling. We have seen thousands of small businesses shuttered. Our students are facing an ever-widening education gap. Families are contending with mounting bills and food insecurity. It is a crisis that has upended every part of American life and which has disproportionately harmed working families, communities of color, our children, and the elderly. I am glad that this Congress has been able to come together on a bipartisan basis before to deliver important emergency relief, but now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back and say we are done and throw in the towel. We need to go big, and we need to do it before it is too late, so we can beat this virus, get help to those who are hardest hit, and put our economy on the road to recovery. We must pass a package that meets the moment, and that is what the Biden proposal does: beating the pandemic by accelerating the delivery of vaccines and testing, helping to get our students back into school as fast as possible, and do it safely, and get our economy moving again--an economy that continues to suffer the wounds of the pandemic that has killed jobs and ballooned unemployment. Right now, we are seeing a K-shaped recovery, a tale of two economies. Some people are bouncing back just great, like a V shape, but many others are flatlined or actually going further and further under. At the very top, the wealthy are doing just great. The stock market had a good year in 2020. The S&P 500 went up 16 percent. But it is no secret that stock holdings are concentrated among the very elite and that almost half of all American households have no stock holdings at all, including in 401(K) or other retirement plans. So don't tell me that the country is doing well because the stock market is up because the stock market conceals the whole other economy. Here is a little story that illustrates the point, which is that in Baltimore City, per capita income is roughly $54,000, but if last year Jeff Bezos moved to Baltimore City, the average per capita income would be $175,000. People struggling in Baltimore City would be no better off, but it would appear that way if you simply look at the averages. So, as we look at these economic figures, let's remember that averages conceal the real hurt being experienced by so many people. In fact, over 18 million of our fellow Americans are relying on unemployment benefits right now to sustain themselves and their families, and that relief will begin to expire in mid-March if we don't act. Four million Americans have been out of work and looking for a job for at least 6 months. The harsh reality is that the longer someone is unemployed, the harder it is for them to get a new job, and when they do, it is often at a much lower wage, and that lower pay then follows them for decades. That is the story of countless American families holding on today against the torrent of financial hardship. So to those who claim ``Don't worry. This is all going to blow over. Let's just delay our efforts to provide urgently required relief'' or ``Let's provide less,'' I say let's look at the hard facts. If you look at the projections that just came out from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, they indicate that unemployment will remain above 4 percent until the year 2025 unless we do something different. That means that even after the last vaccine shot goes into the last arm, we may be caught in the wake of this economic down tow for years unless we act now. So we shouldn't get complacent. We shouldn't look at those overall average numbers. We shouldn't look at the stock market. We should listen to the stories of people who are suffering, and if we don't act, they will be suffering for much longer than they have to. That is why it has been said that the risk is not that Congress might do too much but that we might do too little. I remind my colleagues that we have been in this place before. Many of my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle have scar tissue from 2009. Remember, we were facing a financial meltdown that was taking the entire economy under, and here in the U.S. Senate at that time, then-President Obama was working to get a big economic relief package through. They had plenty of Democrats--at least 57 Democrats were on board; a majority of this body--but needed just some Republicans to join in this effort. Well, what happened was that the proposal, the bold proposal, got negotiated down and down and down and then barely squeaked by the U.S. Senate. Even after all that long, bipartisan negotiating, in the House of Representatives, not a single Republican Congressperson voted for that bill. So we ended up with a divided Congress and an inadequate recovery bill, and our Republican colleagues spent the next many, many years complaining that the economic recovery after the downturn had taken too long. It was the longest and slowest economic recovery in history, when if we had been permitted to go big and bold, we could have changed that trajectory. That is why Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said that now we have to go all in. She said: Neither the President-elect-- This was her earlier testimony-- nor I propose this relief package without an appreciation for this country's debt burden. But right now, with interest rates at historic lows, the smartest thing we can do is act big. In the long run, I believe the benefits will far outweigh the costs, especially if we care about helping people who have been struggling for a very long time. Even President Trump's former top economist, Kevin Hassett, supported that assessment and has said that if we don't act now, we could end up in a negative spiral for the economy. The American public sees this very clearly. If you just look at recent polls, 70 percent of the American public is fully on board with President Biden's bold plan. That is reflected in a Quinnipiac poll that came out just today. The Navigator data said the same thing. The American public recognizes that we have to act big and we have to act now to make sure that we beat this pandemic and that we get our economy back on track just as soon as possible. We all would like to have our Republican colleagues as partners in this effort. President Biden has made that very clear. But the overriding priority must be to meet the moment and take care of the needs of the American people. That is what the American people are telling us. I hope all of us will listen. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I opposed amendment No. 54 proposed by Senator Young because it could prevent more than 3.5 million American citizens with Social Security numbers, including 2 million children, from receiving vital relief if anyone else in their household lacks a Social Security number or uses an Individual Taxpayer Identification number to file their taxes. Before Congress passed an omnibus Covid relief package in December 2020, these mixed-status families were excluded from receiving economic impact payments, including their American citizen children. It is simply wrong and constitutionally suspect to discriminate against this group of American citizens. Amendment No. 48 Mr. President, I opposed amendment No. 48 proposed by Senator Blunt. Getting our kids back in school is an urgent priority. Children, parents, and educators all struggle with remote learning, especially when far too many children don't have adequate access to the internet. But if we are to open safely and keep kids in school, we must follow evidence-based public health guidance from experts that protects all members of our school communities: students, parents, educators, and staff, alike. Vaccines for educators is a critical step, but schools must have the necessary guidance and resources to implement mitigation strategies to safely reopen, including funds for ventilation improvements, PPE, and robust testing and contact tracing. This amendment would be counterproductive--dangerously penalizing schools, disregarding State and local public health guidance, and blocking access to billions of dollars for our educators and students when they need it most. The Biden administration has called for cross-agency collaboration to provide guidance and for Congress to provide an additional $ 130 billion in emergency K-12 funding, so our schools can safely return to in-person learning. American families, children, and educators can't afford for us to waste any more time; it is time for Congress to act.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the nomination of Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation. I believe Mayor Buttigieg's experience serving the people of South Bend, IN, as mayor and his service in the U.S. Navy Reserve position him well to lead the Biden administration's ambitious infrastructure and climate-related agenda at the Department of Transportation. In coordination with Congress, Mayor Buttigieg will face numerous challenges as the Transportation Secretary concerning issues important to Marylanders. We must reauthorize WMATA to maintain and improve metro rail and bus service to Maryland's DC suburbs, develop transit solutions for Baltimore city and other jurisdictions throughout the State, and provide pandemic relief assistance for Maryland's motor coach and transit industries not included in the CARES Act and for whom the most recent bipartisan package was only a down payment. We also should focus on repairing and modernizing our infrastructure, investing in local projects, working with other Federal partners to expand access to broadband, addressing environmental concerns such as air and noise pollution plaguing our communities from air traffic, and connecting communities through the removal of aging infrastructure. As Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg will also play a vital role in implementing Presidents Biden's climate change agenda. As one of the youngest Cabinet Secretaries in decades and the first openly gay member of a Presidential Cabinet, Mayor Buttigieg's nomination presents an opportunity to bridge the gap between the Federal Government and younger generations of Americans and communities traditionally underrepresented by leadership in government. I am confident in Mayor Buttigieg's ability to take on these urgent challenges. And I look forward to voting yes on his nomination and working closely with him in the years ahead to tackle the issues facing our national infrastructure and transportation system.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise to express my support for the nomination of Mr. Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Secretary. His long career in public service, first as a prosecutor and later as Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services--USCIS--will provide DHS with much needed experience, expertise, and stability. DHS is the third largest Federal agency, and under the Trump administration, it had six Directors in 4 years, four of whom were never Senate confirmed. This lack of stability at the leadership level, combined with the Trump administration's brutal immigration tactics and confrontational actions against peaceful protesters, sowed chaos and distrust in and about the Department. Mr. Mayorkas will need to meet the challenges of restoring moral authority and guiding the Department through this difficult time. The challenges are many: executing a nationwide vaccine strategy to combat COVID-19, combating the rise of far-right, anti-government extremism and White supremacy, and strengthening our cyber defenses. I was pleased that he committed to supporting both DACA and TPS and working with Congress to support these communities. Maryland has a vibrant TPS population, with over 6,600 TPS holders working in essential industries during the coronavirus pandemic. Congress must act to extend permanent protections to these individuals and ensure that they have a safe and secure future with their families here in the United States. Unlike the previous administration, which torpedoed bipartisan congressional efforts to pass commonsense immigration reform, I am confident that Mr. Mayorkas will work with Congress to tackle these pressing priorities. I was dismayed that my Republican colleagues sought to delay Mr. Mayorkas's nomination at such a crucial time. Approximately 4 weeks ago, domestic terrorists attacked Congress in an attempt to overturn the 2020 elections. Last week, for the first time, DHS released its first national bulletin warning about domestic rightwing extremism. The Department will need to work with the FBI and DOJ to combat one of the most lethal and persistent threats against our democracy. We cannot wait a minute longer, and Mr. Mayorkas must be confirmed immediately.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise to honor Mrs. Barbara Ann O'Malley, who passed away last month at the age of 93 after a long life guided by kindness, strength, grace, and humility. Mrs. O'Malley-- affectionately known as Mrs. O to both Hill staffers and Members alike--served Maryland for 30 years in the office of former Senator Barbara Mikulski. The indelible mark she has left on our State and on Capitol Hill will endure for generations. Barbara Ann O'Malley was born a pioneer. In her youth, she hungered to fly and earned a pilot's license at the age of 16 on her own initiative. But it was in the arena of public service where she would soar. Inspired by her father's service as chair of the county Democratic Party where she grew up, Barbara started volunteering for political campaigns when she was still too young to vote. Her passion for public service brought her from Indiana to Washington, where she worked for Democratic Congressman Edward Kruse and later became the national committeewoman for the Young Democrats. And as a mother, Barbara O'Malley raised her three children on the value of serving others. Her son Martin grew up to be the mayor of Baltimore, Governor of Maryland, and a candidate for President of the United States. After her boys left home, Mrs. O'Malley turned to raising a new family on Capitol Hill. She spread kindness, collegiality, and community from the front desk of Senator Mikulski's office for three decades. She was notorious for dropping off treats at coworker's desks throughout the day, shuttling baked goods back-and-forth from the so- called BAMtry, a cache of snacks that kept the staff running. And she gave moral nourishment to the team by sharing advice cultivated through years in politics. Legions of Hill staffers, from new hires to chiefs of staff, turned to her for counsel. But it wasn't just staff. Senator Mikulski likes to say that Mrs. O gave her the ``first briefing of the day'' when she walked into work. Senators Jay Rockefeller and Arlen Specter could often be spotted circling her desk just before heading to the Senate floor. And when I served in the House of Representatives, Mrs. O'Malley was always the first to warmly greet me on my way in to see Senator Mikulski, and I always relished the moment. If flying was her first love, then history was her second. She knew every fact, detail, and anecdote about the U.S. Senate, and for years, Barbara O'Malley's Capitol Hill tours were the hottest tickets in town. She guided Marylanders of all ages and interests through the halls of American democracy with trademark wit--never compromising between her reverence for the Senate and her taste for a good joke. At the front desk, she was known as the office historian, collecting the stories of constituents who passed through and maintaining a long catalogue of staff directories that she held onto throughout her life. She forged deep friendships and kept up with colleagues even after they left the office. That was Barbara O'Malley's gift. She saw the multitudes that live in all of us and treated each person who crossed her path like they were the first and last thing in the world. That talent for compassion made her the soul of the Senate for 30 years and makes this loss all the more painful for me and for my State. But though she has passed, her spirit survives. Barbara O'Malley's legacy lives on in the generations of Hill staffers, students, and public servants whom she taught and trained and who now serve throughout Washington and across the country.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of the nomination of Antony J. Blinken to be U.S. Secretary of State. Mr. Blinken has decades of experience in foreign policy, beginning in the early 1990s as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for European and Canadian Affairs. He has since risen to senior foreign policy positions on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch, including as Democratic Staff Director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and as Principal Deputy National Security Adviser and Deputy Secretary of State in the Obama administration. I have had occasion to work with him over the years and can testify to his professionalism, diligence, and good judgment. Mr. Blinken faces an enormous task. The last 4 years have been rife with chaos, division, and ineffective unilateralism. Under the so- called slogan of ``America First,'' President Trump turned his back on allies and emboldened our adversaries, leaving the United States weakened, vulnerable, and alone. Mr. Blinken must not only reverse the damage done by President Trump; he must reinvigorate U.S. leadership in a manner that meets the challenges we face today--from the existential threat of climate change, to a more aggressive and confrontational China. To begin, Mr. Blinken must restore our alliances, rebuild our global partnerships, expand our commercial ties, and rejoin the critical international agreements and organizations recklessly abandoned by President Trump. Already President Biden has reversed Trump's Muslim ban, rejoined the Paris climate accords, and recommitted to the World Health Organization. In the coming months, Mr. Blinken must work with our allies to develop a united front to counter the threats posed by adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran. He must reaffirm our commitment to NATO. He must reestablish U.S. leadership in providing development and humanitarian assistance around the world, reasserting U.S. values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. As importantly, Mr. Blinken must restore the State Department itself. The Trump administration routinely undermined and smeared our dedicated career foreign and civil service officers. Rebuilding the morale of our talented public servants will be imperative for the successful execution of our foreign policy. Given the breadth of his knowledge and experience, I am confident Mr. Blinken is the right person to meet America's foreign policy challenges, and I support his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of State.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I was proud to vote in support of Lloyd Austin to serve as our next Secretary of Defense. I cast my vote with confidence that he will capably lead the Department of Defense through this difficult period in our Nation's history. As a four-star general, Lloyd Austin was tasked with leading the drawdown of American troops from Iraq and helped bring 150,000 U.S. soldiers home. He demonstrated the logistical mastery that will be necessary to help lead the nationwide effort to vaccinate against COVID-19. Through his remarkable life and trailblazing career, he has gained the experience and perspective required of this office, and now, he has broken one more barrier as the first African-American Secretary of Defense in our Nation's history. I am confident he will ensure that our Armed Forces reflect and respect the diversity of our Nation and that everyone in our military upholds the oath they take to protect our Constitution. I have made no secret of my concerns about the troubling trend of Congress granting waivers to allow recently retired officers to serve as Secretary of Defense, and I voted against such a waiver for Lloyd Austin as I did when that question was previously put before the Congress. Nevertheless, I believe once Congress speaks on the issue of a waiver, each Senator must evaluate the nominee on his or her merits alone. By that measure, Lloyd Austin is superbly qualified. He has the confidence of the President and is the right person for this moment. I support his confirmation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise today to support the nomination of Janet Yellen, a dedicated public servant and world- renowned economist, as Secretary of the Treasury. Janet Yellen's extensive background in economics and accomplished career in the field led her to Chair the Federal Reserve, where she served with distinction in the aftermath of the great recession. Ms. Yellen brought a steady hand and wisdom befitting her experience to her responsibilities at the helm of the Federal Reserve, and as a member of the Banking Committee, I always appreciated her frank testimony and thoughtful analysis. In her new role as Treasury Secretary, she will inherit an economic crisis caused by a mismanaged pandemic. She will be charged not only with providing historic relief in close coordination with Congress, but also with building back better to create the conditions for a dynamic economy that harnesses the potential of each and every American. I am confident in her ability to take on these urgent challenges. I look forward to voting yes on her nomination and working closely with her in the years ahead to ensure that we build an economy that works for everyone.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise today to once again oppose a waiver to bypass U.S. law and allow a recently retired member of Armed Forces to serve as our Secretary of Defense. On the merits, I support the nomination of Lloyd Austin, and I believe that Mr. Austin is highly qualified for this role. However, the importance of civilian leadership at the Department of Defense is greater than any individual nominee. The subordination of military authority to civil authority is a bedrock principle of our democracy. In 2017, when I voted against a waiver to allow James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense, I stressed that our Founders' emphasis on civilian leadership distinguished the young United States from the other nations of the time. I also noted that in enacting the exception for General Marshall in 1950, Congress expressly stated that: ``the authority granted by this Act is not to be construed as approval by the Congress of continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future. It is hereby expressed as the sense of the Congress that after General Marshall leaves the office of secretary of defense, no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.'' I still believe that the 7-year waiting period is a valuable practice--one of many--that preserves our--Nation's long tradition of placing civilian authority above military authority. In 2017, I said ``should Congress vote to waive this law at this moment in time, I will review the nomination [. . .] on its individual merits.'' And I intend to apply my words then to my actions now and will consider Mr. Austin's nomination on its merits when it comes to the floor for a vote.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Thursday, January 21; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise to support the nomination of Avril Haines to be the Director of National Intelligence. Ms. Haines is a historic nominee and would be the first woman to lead our intelligence community in this critical role. With a background at the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Council, she understands the work of our intelligence professionals and the need to ensure a frank and nonpartisan process to deliver the information that underpins national security and foreign policy decisions. Ms. Haines has applied her keen intellect to a number of pursuits, even including running a bookstore in Baltimore and serving as a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She has a firm commitment to her country and to encouraging others to serve, including as a member of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. After a tumultuous 4 years and a President who routinely scorned the work of our intelligence community, it is critical to restore professional leadership who will work with the administration and Congress, deliver honest assessments, and speak truth to power. Ms. Haines is the right woman for the job.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Thank you, Mr. President. The mob violence and attack we saw on our Capitol today should be a wake-up call to each and every one of us of what happens when we fail to come together, not as Democrats and Republicans but each of us as Americans, to stand up to a President who time and again has shown contempt for our democracy, contempt for our Constitution. Today, here on the Capitol, we witnessed people taking down an American flag and putting up a Trump flag. That is not democracy in the United States of America. As every Senator who has spoken has mentioned, we have for hundreds of years had a peaceful transfer of power. Nobody likes to lose, and supporters of the losing candidate are always disappointed. What is different this time? We all know what is different this time. We have a President who, as the Senator from New Jersey said, even before a vote was cast, that if he didn't win the election, it was going to be a fraud and every day since then has perpetrated that lie. We have a President who just today criticized the very loyal Vice President, who is presiding right now, urging him to disregard his responsibilities under the Constitution of the United States in order to reinstall Donald Trump as President; the same person who got on the phone to the secretary of state in Georgia and threatened him to change the results of the election. Mr. President, I read something this week I never thought I would read in a newspaper in the United States of America. It was an op-ed by all the living former Secretaries of Defense, including Secretaries Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Mattis, warning--warning--the country about our tradition of peaceful transfer of power and that it would be inappropriate for the military to take sides in the United States of America. We talk to the world about how we want to promote democracy and our values, and right here at home too many are undermining those values. Mr. President, Donald Trump could not do this alone. He could only do it if he is aided and abetted by individuals who are willing to perpetrate those lies and those conspiracies, and that is why it is so important that we as Democrats and Republicans and Senators stand up together--stand up together and tell the truth. You know when you go into a court of law, like those 60 cases, you are testifying under penalty of perjury. That is very different than here in the House and the Senate, and in all those 60 cases, under penalty of perjury, there was no evidence of widespread fraud. So it should be easy for us all together to tell the truth. On January 20, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next President of the United States. He has said he wants to bring the country together. He has said he wants to bring Democrats and Republicans together to do some of the pressing business of this country, to defeat this pandemic, to get the economy going again, to face challenging issues of racial and social justice. I hope we will learn from what happened today--the mob attack on this Capitol--the price we pay when we don't stand up for the truth and for democracy. James McHenry, Maryland's delegate to the Constitutional Convention, wrote about a famous exchange in his diaries between Elizabeth Willing Powel and Benjamin Franklin. A lady asked Dr. Franklin, ``Well, Doctor, what have we got, a Republic or a monarchy?'' ``A republic,'' replied Dr. Franklin, ``if you can keep it.'' My colleagues, this is a test of whether we unite to keep our Republic. I hope we will pass the test together. Thank you

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I voted against the motions to proceed and invoke cloture on overriding the President's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 because, at this time of national crisis, the Senate's first order of business should be getting more relief to struggling American families. That means the Senate should have held a clean up-or-down vote on the House-passed measure to increase the amount of the individual stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000. The Senate could have easily passed both the additional payments and completed the business of the NDAA veto override this week had Senator McConnell and the GOP majority been willing to do so. Given the President's purported support of this relief, it could have been signed into law this week. But instead of delivering this additional help to struggling American families, the Republican majority repeatedly blocked requests to pass the additional relief by unanimous consent and refused to schedule an up-or-down vote. That said, I support the underlying National Defense Authorization Act. The President's veto of this legislation put at risk a number of important measures, including a pay raise for our troops; critical investments for Maryland's military installations; a process to rename those military facilities that bear the names of individuals who fought with the Confederacy to preserve slavery; limits on the transfer of military equipment to local police forces; and support for key national security priorities. While the NDAA bill is not perfect and includes a number of provisions I oppose, on balance it is an important measure for our country. That is why I voted for it in the first place and why I voted in favor of overriding the President's veto.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, today I rise to honor my dear friend and colleague, Senator Doug Jones of Alabama. Doug Jones is fearless. He cuts against the grain, shrugging off critics to chart his own path rooted in deeply held principles of justice, virtue, and equality. After law enforcement had failed to prosecute civil rights cases for decades, Doug Jones successfully brought a measure of justice to the families of the four girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. When skeptics claimed there was no chance of him winning a Senate race in Alabama, Doug Jones stayed the course and clinched an upset victory. And despite having seen some of his own colleagues shy away from addressing controversial issues in this Chamber, Doug Jones stood up for what he knew was right, from his very first speech in the Senate when he delivered a moving address on the threat of gun violence. But despite his tenacity, Senator Jones has never stopped leading with compassion--compassion for his colleagues, compassion for the people of Alabama, and compassion for all Americans. Like his personal role model, Atticus Finch, Senator Jones abides by the principle that in order to know someone else truly and fully, you need to ``climb in his skin and walk around in it.'' And it is that empathy that has led Senator Jones to champion unity over division. My seat is near Doug's here on the Senate floor, and we sat together during the impeachment trial. Even during one of the darkest moments in our country's history, Doug maintained faith in our better angels. When the trial of the President came to a close, Senator Jones issued a call for unity, saying, ``We must find a way to come together, to set aside partisan differences, and to focus on what we have in common as Americans.'' He looked forward, past the tension consuming Washington and toward brighter days ahead. That is Doug. That is how he works. From the time I chaired the DSCC during then-Candidate Jones' run for Senate in Alabama, to our years together in this Chamber, I have always admired his desire to put country first, follow his conscience, and value principle over politics. He is a man of enormous integrity-- someone who never forgot who sent him to the Senate, someone who always worked to get results, and someone who achieved more in just a few years than many Senators do in multiple terms. I was proud to work with Senator Jones on the passage of the FUTURE Act, which provided permanent funding for historically Black colleges and universities. His commitment to that cause has directly benefitted the four proud HBCUs in my State of Maryland, and the bill is a step forward in the fight for equity in higher education. I am also grateful for Senator Jones's work to end the military widow's tax, which prevented military spouses from receiving the full benefits they deserved. Senator Jones was a champion for the widows who had lived for too long with broken promises. He was principled, persistent, and got the job done. Doug Jones is a model public servant, someone the American people can look up to and admire. His absence will be deeply felt in the U.S. Senate, but I know that just because he will depart the Nation's Capital on January 3 doesn't mean his role in this fight is over. Service is in his bones, plain and simple. It has been a profound honor and privilege to serve alongside him. Thank you, Doug--thank you for all you have done for our country, and I want to extend my warmest thoughts and wishes to you, your wife Louise, your three children, and your grandchildren on behalf of a deeply grateful nation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank my colleague. First, section 702 references how NASA should select multi-institution consortia and university affiliated research centers, inserting Congress into an agency-specific process that is broadly governed by existing authorities in title 5 and title 41 of the U.S. Code, which make such selections based on technical merit alone and not political influence. We are deeply concerned about the committee's explicit delineation of this authority for NASA, given that such authority already exists and NASA currently does not have any university affiliated research centers so designated. We believe that such language should never become law as it implies that Congress is trying to force NASA to establish such a center or consortia even though NASA does not see the need for one. Second, sections 818 and 819 call for short order reports from NASA on creating a Space Resources Institute and Center for Space Weather Technology that could allow NASA to bypass extensive consultation with the scientific and aerospace communities and without the benefit of independent peer review under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences. These are the concerns my colleague and I have.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise to honor my colleague and good friend, Senator Tom Udall, who will be retiring from the Senate at the end of this Congress. Tom has been a forceful advocate for the people of New Mexico, a champion for all Americans, and a guardian of our Nation's public lands and our democracy. It has been my privilege to partner with him, both in the House and Senate, over the past 17 years. Tom's family roots were grown from American history. Generations ago, his ancestors traveled west and settled on the American frontier. Although centuries have passed since those early pioneers, Tom's deep connection to our country's rich history hasn't waned. He holds deep respect for the communities that treasured the American landscape long before his family arrived, and Tom has championed the cause of Tribal sovereignty throughout his career. As vice chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, he fought to ensure that our country fulfills its obligations to indigenous Tribes. His commitment to this cause reminds us, as lawmakers, that the government has a responsibility to respect the rights of all communities from coast to coast. His personal link to the American experiment has also nourished a passion for conserving our natural inheritance. In the House, I was proud to work with him on bolstering our Nation's renewable energy infrastructure. In the Senate, I have been privileged to serve with him on the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment. He has been an advocate for supporting the Chesapeake Bay in my home State of Maryland and helped us secure a historic increase in funding to the Chesapeake Bay Program. Senator Udall's pioneering work in these arenas has rallied colleagues around the cause of protecting our environment, culminating this August with the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. His tireless efforts to preserve America's natural heritage will live on through the clean water and clean air that he helped safeguard for generations to come. But Tom knew well that preserving our environment must go hand-in-hand with defending our planet against climate change. His landmark bill on renewable energy standards offers a model for the type of rigorous approach we can take to cut carbon emissions and address this global threat. Senator Udall's commitment to keeping our planet healthy has been equal in force to his mission of keeping our democracy healthy. Throughout his career, Tom promoted the notion that we need structural change in our institutions if we want to move our country forward. He and I worked together on campaign finance reform to help insulate our elections from the influence of special interests and big corporations and have fought to reform financing for Presidential elections and the FEC. In Washington, he has been a vocal critic of government inaction and proposed rule fixes to remedy congressional paralysis, both while in the minority and in the majority. His calls for change have challenged this body to act on institutional adjustments that could help us get more done for the American people. But beyond these achievements, one of Tom's greatest contributions to the Senate is the way in which he has made this Chamber a kinder place. His warm temperament and humble nature exemplify the character of a true public servant--someone who is here to do good work on behalf of their constituents, not stroke their own ego. He has stayed grounded and honored those whom he serves, always looking to move our country forward. In his farewell address, Senator Udall reminded us that disagreements in politics shouldn't get in the way of progress. Tom lives and breathes this bedrock principle and has always extended a hand to those across the aisle in order to deliver for the American people. Although he is now headed back West to return to the place that made him, he is leaving a lasting legacy of collaboration and success that cannot be undone. Thank you, Tom, for your dedication to this body and to our country, and I wish you and your family the best in the years ahead.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to my friends and colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle who are departing the Senate at the conclusion of this Congress. Although we might not have always seen eye-to-eye on every issue, I am proud to have worked with them on finding solutions to the many challenges facing the American people. On January 3, when the new Congress is sworn in, we will be missing among our ranks a stalwart advocate for the people of Wyoming who has valiantly served in the U.S. Senate for 23 years, Mike Enzi. Senator Enzi's service to this body has been defined both by a commitment to principle and a willingness to find common ground. Mike believed fully that our focus in Washington must always be on crafting legislation, not making headlines. He took a low-ego approach to lawmaking and prized delivering results over fomenting conflict. On many occasions, he extended a hand to those working on the other side of the aisle, including the late great Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, with whom he collaborated in crafting the bipartisan Sarbanes-Oxley Act. I was privileged to serve with Senator Enzi on the Senate Budget Committee, and despite our differences, he always made an effort to treat me and others on the committee with kindness, as a true professional and a gentleman. His infamous ``80 percent tool''--the notion that all of us can agree on 80 percent of the issues 80 percent of the time--will continue to remind us on Capitol Hill of the capacity for Congress to come together on the issues that matter. I wish him the best in the years to come. I am also sad to say goodbye to my neighbor in the Senate Hart Building and a veteran of this Chamber, Senator Pat Roberts, who is retiring after four decades serving his home State of Kansas in the U.S. Congress. Although Senator Roberts has had a storied career in Washington, all of us know that his first love was the U.S. Marine Corps. Pat Roberts took what he learned in the Armed Forces of humility, friendship, and cooperation and brought those values with him to Washington. As a lawmaker, Senator Roberts has led with good humor and grace. I was honored to serve with him on the Senate Agriculture Committee, where we worked together on the 2018 farm bill to enhance provisions to help farmers clean up the Chesapeake Bay, correct an inequity in how our 1890 HBCUs spend Federal funds, and support our Nation's minority and veteran farmers. I was also pleased that he joined me in introducing a bill that would fully fund the IDEA in order to support our schools and ensure a first-rate education for children with disabilities. His tireless commitment to promoting comity and camaraderie in this body demonstrated that kindness often precedes compromise. I salute the years of service he has given in the defense of our Nation and the promotion of the common good. And I say directly to my colleague and friend, Pat Roberts: semper fi and Godspeed. But of those departing the Congress this year, few rival the erudition, warmth, and spirit of Senator Lamar Alexander. He is a true renaissance man, who excelled in the academy as president of the University of Tennessee, served our country first as Governor, then as Senator, and has entertained scores of captivated listeners with his skills at a piano. Those of us in the U.S. Senate who have had the distinct pleasure of working with Lamar Alexander recognize his talent for building consensus and reaching across the aisle to hammer out real solutions to the problems facing the American people. I am particularly grateful for his work on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, leading the charge to publish a report on our Nation's competitiveness in science and technology. That report, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' produced findings that have been vital to the promotion of increased funding for science and STEM education in my State of Maryland and across the country. And his leadership in shepherding through the Great American Outdoors Act has allowed for serious investments in our Nation's public lands, our conservation efforts, and our outdoor economy. Senator Alexander's commitment to bridge-building presents a model for how the U.S. Congress can come together, despite the nature of these divisive times. He will be dearly missed. Lastly, I would like to extend a warm farewell to my colleague Senator Cory Gardner from the great State of Colorado. Cory Gardner and I first met in the House of Representatives in 2011. I had just started my fifth term representing Maryland in the House, and then-Congressman Gardner was being sworn in for the first time as the Member from Colorado's fourth. We got to know each other even better in 2017, when I joined the U.S. Senate and served as the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee opposite Senator Gardner, who was chairing the National Republican Senatorial Committee. We didn't always agree on how best to move our country forward, but I have no doubt in my mind that Senator Gardner has served our country with unceasing optimism and love for his State. He possesses a profound and deep respect for our Nation's history and institutions. I send my best to him and his family.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise to recognize an extraordinary member of my staff who retired from the Senate earlier this year, Karen Robb. For 15 years, Karen Robb served as a critical senior member of my staff, first in my House office and then in the Senate. Karen is a trusted adviser, skilled leader, and wonderful friend. Over the years she has been a key partner in many of our successful legislative initiatives and was a tireless advocate for the people of Maryland. A humble and committed public servant, Karen is driven by her deep-rooted values and a strong commitment to public service and the institution of the Congress. Karen was already a seasoned pro on Capitol Hill when she joined my team as chief of staff in the House of Representatives office 15 years ago. She had previously served as Deputy Assistant to President Clinton in the Office of Legislative Affairs, chief of staff to Senator John Edwards, democratic staff director for the Senate Judiciary Committee under then-Senator Joe Biden, and chief counsel to Senator Dennis DeConcini. Her extensive experience in both the legislative and executive branches helped us achieve significant victories for Maryland and pass priorities important to the American people. An attorney, Karen has always identified first as a policy wonk with particularly deep knowledge of the judiciary, and I drafted her into becoming an expert on campaign finance reform and election issues. She worked with Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 and other reformers to change the political finance system through legislation and the courts. Karen worked tirelessly to help draft the Lobbying Transparency Act, legislation I introduced to shine a light on lobbyist bundling of political contributions that ultimately became law as part of an ethics reform package. Many Members of Congress opposed the effort, but it was the right thing to do, and with the support of Speaker Pelosi, it passed in the House, while Senators Obama and Feingold pushed it through in the Senate. After the Supreme Court's notorious decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, we worked for months to write and pass the DISCLOSE Act in the House of Representatives. The DISCLOSE Act is based on the idea that voters have a right to know what individuals and interests are financing the political advertisements trying to influence their votes. It was vigorously opposed by deep-pocketed special interests that prefer to operate in the dark and hide behind front organizations, but Karen kept at it. She spent countless hours negotiating every comma and definition. With perseverance, we succeeded in eking out a victory of 219 to 206 in the House. The Senate version failed by one vote, and we have been trying to pass it here ever since. Karen helped us pass legislation protecting whistleblowers who put their careers at risk to expose wrongdoing--an issue that has become even more important in recent years. She recognized that the success of our democracy depends on people's willingness to speak truth to power, and it is our job to advance the truth for the public good. During my time in the House, Karen served in a number of key roles, including as policy director of my Assistant to the Speaker's Office, where she accompanied me to all the House leadership meetings as well as the House-Senate bicameral leadership meetings. She always had good insights and was respected by all. Karen also served as counsel on the House Budget Committee during the time I was the ranking member on the committee and played an important role during my participation in the bipartisan budget negotiations headed by then-Vice President Biden. During our tenure on the House Budget Committee, House Democrats proposed budgets to expand economic opportunity for all, strengthen Medicare and Social Security, put our country on a path for strong jobs and wage growth, and much more. She was at the center of these efforts and understood that budgets are more than just lists of programs and tabulations of dollars and cents--they represent the priorities and values of the American people. Upon arriving in the Senate, Karen's deep roots in the Upper Chamber got us off to a quick start. She set up our office and had an insider's knowledge of how to navigate many of the Senate's byzantine traditions and processes. With her wise guidance, we were able to achieve much for Marylanders in a short time. Karen's love for the twists and turns of lawmaking and politics is surpassed only by her love of children and animals--her first stop after leaving our office was the Nyumbani AIDS orphanage in Kenya, where she has served as a guardian angel for many years. She has helped to raise funds for supplies for the orphanage while taking a direct personal interest in the children who live there, sharing photos and stories and delighting in their growth and progress. Karen's charitable efforts have never been abstract--she has personally hauled supplies on her trips to Nyumbani, and, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, she jumped in her car and drove to New Orleans to help rescue and rehome animals. While a loss to the Senate, Karen's retirement gives her more time to spend on the many causes close to her heart, including to her continued service on the Nyumbani board of directors. Karen Robb was not a bystander to any project she embarked on. She was hands-on, all in, and whatever it takes. From the smallest detail to the biggest obstacle, she threw herself into her work and our lives. She is a compassionate person who always puts others first. My family and I will be forever grateful for Karen's friendship, many talents, and loyal service. Our entire team will miss her and the wisdom she brought to the often-hectic world of congressional offices. I wish her the very best as she embarks on her new adventures.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a tenacious entrepreneur, visionary radio personality, and powerful advocate for the African-American community, Cathy Hughes. This year, her pioneering radio company, Urban One, celebrated 40 years on the air. Cathy Hughes has left an indelible mark on the State of Maryland and inspired millions of listeners across the country. This titan of the airwaves began her extraordinary career in Omaha, NE, where she worked for a local radio station, KOWH. But it was when she moved to Washington, DC, in 1971 to pursue a job at the Howard University School of Communications that her career took off. While working at Howard, she got involved in the university's radio program as a station manager. In her first year on the job, she increased the station's revenue twelvefold. Cathy Hughes has always aimed high, and when she learned that the local DC radio station WOL was up for sale, she seized the opportunity. After being denied a loan 32 times, she finally received the bank financing she needed. So she purchased WOL, founded her own media company, Radio One, and quickly soared to new heights. Cathy Hughes revolutionized radio by rebuilding WOL from the ground up, literally, and brought on grassroots volunteers from the neighborhood to develop her station's headquarters on H Street and 4th Northeast, just a short walk from the U.S. Capitol. Her innovative broadcasts captured the attention of the African-American community and attracted a wide audience of devoted listeners. Although she got her start in Washington, DC, Cathy Hughes has become a champion for Maryland. When her company first expanded out of Washington, its first stop was Baltimore. And her flagship venture, which was renamed Urban One in 2017, is now headquartered in Silver Spring. She has cultivated strong roots in Anne Arundel County and has been living in Pasadena for 20 years. Today, Urban One's broadcasts reach households across Maryland and provide a platform for honest conversation on the issues that matter to our State. Cathy Hughes has given back time and time again to the communities that raised her up by hiring locally and employing countless Marylanders. That tradition of uplifting others has remained a hallmark of her career. Her company, which now houses two new multimedia ventures, CLEO TV and TV One, both stationed in Maryland, has created 1,500 jobs. In the 40 years since purchasing WOL, Cathy Hughes has never stopped overcoming barriers. In 1999, she became the first African-American woman to chair the board of a publicly held corporation. She headed the first African-American-run company to succeed in multiple radio markets simultaneously. Cathy Hughes made history again as the first woman to own a radio station ranked No. 1. Her trailblazing multimedia enterprise now reaches 82 percent of the African-American community and has cultivated a devoted weekly following of 15 million listeners. Speaking of Cathy Hughes' inspiring career, Reverend Al Sharpton said, ``She took the `mute' button off of Black America.'' Her legacy has been defined by a commitment to speaking up for those who have long been silent in the radio arena. While she has already lived a storied life and achieved enormous success, Cathy Hughes hasn't slowed down. Her recent efforts to highlight local Black businesses struggling to weather the storm of this pandemic speaks to the depth of her lifelong passion for shining the spotlight on others. While her name has already been inscribed on the aptly renamed Cathy Hughes School for Communications at Howard University where she once worked, her story is still being written.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I want to start by thanking my friend and colleague, the senior Senator from Maryland, Senator Ben Cardin, for his remembrance of Paul Sarbanes. I am honored to join him and others in offering a resolution in memory of Senator Paul Sarbanes. I should say that Senator Sarbanes was very pleased that Ben Cardin succeeded him in his seat here in the U.S. Senate. So I am honored to join with him, Senator Stabenow, Senator Reed, Senator Durbin, and others in remembering somebody who was a friend, who was a mentor, and who was the excellent role model for every elected official--Senator Paul Sarbanes. He was a thoughtful and brilliant Senator, a kind man, and a dedicated public servant. As we have heard, he was born on Maryland's Eastern Shore to parents who emigrated from Greece. He graduated from the local public high school, Wicomico High School, and was recruited to attend Princeton on a full scholarship. He excelled in his studies as he would in his career, becoming a Rhodes scholar and graduating from Oxford before attending Harvard Law School. He went on to a very distinguished career in public service that ended here in the U.S. Senate, but he never ever forgot his humble roots in Salisbury, where his parents owned a small restaurant they called the Mayflower. In his farewell speech in the Senate, Senator Paul Sarbanes said: My parents came to this country as immigrants from Greece, both my mother and [my] father, and it was from them that I first learned about the meaning of a democratic society and the potential it offers to move up the ladder of opportunity on the basis of ability, hard work, and conviction. Their memory is still a very powerful influence in my life. As we heard from Senator Cardin, Senator Barbara Mikulski, who served here so well, was his friend and partner, and for years she always joked that they were the ``Diner Democrats,'' a nod to the Mayflower restaurant, owned by Paul Sarbanes's father, her roots in the Polish- American community in Baltimore, and their mutual commitment to fighting for working people, for the dignity of work, for the reality of the struggles so many Americans face, and the need to give every American a fair shot. Paul Sarbanes carried the values he learned from his parents on Maryland's Eastern Shore, first to the Maryland House of Delegates, then to the House of Representatives, and later here to the U.S. Senate. From the very start, he developed a reputation for thoughtfulness and honor. He could make simple and confident arguments, based on evidence, to win others to his cause--Members from both parties. He was in his first term in the House of Representatives during the Watergate hearings, and he approached the proceedings on the Judiciary Committee with his signature seriousness of purpose. He considered the evidence, he listened to President Nixon's counsel's statements, and methodically addressed and responded to their arguments. Because of his own unimpeachable conduct, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee called upon him, a new member, and asked him to introduce the first article of impeachment against President Nixon--the charge of obstruction of justice. Paul Sarbanes had the legal acumen to take on that responsibility, but he also had the integrity to be a moral voice in the Congress at that moment for the country. Writing about his dignified work during the Watergate proceedings, journalist Elizabeth Drew commented: ``Paul Sarbanes would not have looked at all bad at the Constitutional Convention; he might have [even] been one of the great ones.'' After three terms in the House, Paul Sarbanes ran for the Senate. I first met Senator Sarbanes in the 1980s, when I was serving as a staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I know everybody who served with Paul Sarbanes will understand what a master class it was to watch him during a hearing. On cross- examination, he asked thoughtful, probing questions, and before a reluctant witness realized what was happening, he had them cornered with no way out but to concede to the point that he wanted to make or look deliberately evasive. Woe be it to any witness who came before Senator Sarbanes unprepared. He was a Senate workhorse in the truest and best sense. Former Majority Leader George Mitchell once said: ``Paul was effective because he didn't seek credit, which endeared him to his colleagues.'' He wasn't afraid to take his time to get to the bottom of an issue, build his case, and convince his colleagues. In the wake of the Enron scandal, he held 10 hearings to ensure that the congressional response would be thorough and effective and rallied the entire Senate to support the ensuing Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the law that is credited with restoring greater investor confidence in the market and providing transparency and oversight for corporate governance. He loved the State of Maryland, and especially the Chesapeake Bay. As Senator Cardin indicated, he took on the mantle of forging and strengthening the Federal partnership to clean up his beloved Chesapeake Bay. He wanted everybody to have a fair deal and worked to improve access to affordable housing and to protect consumers from his seat on the Banking Committee. He believed in the United States as a force for good in the world and supported foreign assistance, the treaties to return control of the Panama Canal to Panama, and strongly supported legislation to impose sanctions under the then-apartheid regime of South Africa. He opposed senseless and unnecessary wars. I came to the House of Representatives in 2003, along with my friend and colleague from Baltimore, Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger. Senator Sarbanes was then the leader of our delegation. He welcomed us kindly, but as captain of Team Maryland, he characteristically was eager to allow all Members, however new they were to the delegation, to play an important role. Not surprisingly, Senator Sarbanes was a favored son of the Greek- American community. He was a member of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore and held the highest lay office in the church. We shared strong bonds in the Greek-American community because, like Paul's parents, my wife Katherine's mother's family immigrated from Greece. As a strong believer in promoting democratic values at home and abroad, Senator Sarbanes was proud of those Greek roots and spoke often of democracy's roots with the ancient Greeks. He used to speak to students about the importance of public service, telling them that in ancient Athens, people who lived only a private life, without view of the public good, were failing to live fully. Indeed, the power of democracy and its promise of opportunity was the driving force behind his governing philosophy--to open the door to others, to keep your promises, and to achieve based on your merit, not on your connections, money, or power. As extraordinary a public servant as he was, Paul Sarbanes was, above all, a family man. He was devoted to his wife Christine, whom he met at Oxford. Recalling their first encounter, Paul said: She came to a meeting of the American Association I headed. I forgot what was on the agenda. All I remember of that meeting was that was where I met Christine. She was brilliant and kind, an educator in Latin, Greek, French, and the classics, who matched Senator Sarbanes's intelligence and shared his love of service. They used to knock on doors together during his political campaigns, and she was a sounding board throughout his career. They raised three children, including our friend, John Sarbanes, who now serves Maryland so well in the House of Representatives. He was enormously proud of them and his seven grandchildren. I also extend my condolences today to Senator Sarbanes's former staff. His legacy goes well beyond the laws he wrote to the way he worked. He shared with them: Do your homework, understand the details, act with integrity, and hold firm to your values. It is an example for all of us to follow. Senator Sarbanes was not a flashy presence. In fact, political opponents once tried to belittle him with the name ``the stealth Senator.'' But as he joked, stealth ``is one of the most important weapons in our military arsenal. . . . if you let somebody else take the credit, you can get the result.'' That was Paul Sarbanes--enormous accomplishments, never taking the credit. His quiet confidence left an impression on all who served with him. We have lost a great Senator. America has lost a great Senator, and many of us have lost a very good friend. But we should be comforted in the knowledge that he achieved what we would all wish for ourselves: He served well, he made the world better for others, he treated all he knew with respect and earned their respect in return, and he leaves us with fond memories. May God grant those who loved him the strength to bear his loss, and may his memory be eternal. Thank you. I yield the floor.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I am honored to thank and congratulate one of my constituents and one of the Federal Government's unsung heroes, David E. ``Dave'' Benor, who is retiring on January 3, 2021, after more than 48 years of service as a public health attorney at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the General Counsel, HHS-OGC. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1972, Mr. Benor began his career at HHS-OGC and never left, rising to positions of increasing responsibility throughout the years. Since 2004, he has served as the Associate General Counsel for Public Health. In this leadership role, he has led HHS-OGC's Public Health Division, a 100-person office within HHS-OGC that provides legal services to the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Surgeon General, and multiple agencies that comprise the Public Health Service, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service, the Health Services and Resources Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Mr. Benor has worked extensively on product liability, grant law, organ transplant, and vaccine issues, and has particular expertise with the Public Health Service safety net programs, in public health emergency response issues, and in implementing regulatory and compensation programs. Mr. Benor has dedicated his entire career to implementing HHS's mission to advance the health of all people. He has done this by providing authoritative legal advice on major health initiatives, including those related to bioterrorism preparedness, biomedical research, organ transplantation, vaccine development and liability, and the provision of healthcare to medically underserved populations through such programs as the community health center program, the Ryan White HIV/ AIDS Program, and maternal and child health grants. He has been a key legal adviser on the Department's international health initiatives, including Afghan and Iraqi reconstruction, global AIDS programs, and quarantine activities for diseases such as SARS, pandemic influenza, and monkey pox, and has been part of multidisciplinary teams working on the public health response to the War on Terrorism, including the response to anthrax attacks, smallpox vaccine development, COVID-19, and pharmaceutical stockpile development. Mr. Benor has received numerous awards throughout his career. In 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Mr. Benor the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive, one of the highest awards that a career Senior Executive Service member may receive. Dave Benor's impact on public health will be felt for years to come both through his work on a wide variety of public health programs and by the inspiring example he has provided for the many attorneys with whom he worked and mentored. I was pleased to have a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as a symbol of our Nation's thanks to this outstanding public servant. I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Dave Benor for his distinguished service to our country and to wish him all the best in the coming years as he enjoys his well-earned retirement.