[Senate Document 113-35]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S.Doc 113-35
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Mark L. Pryor
United States Senator
2003-2015
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2015
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Mark L. Pryor
United States Senator
2003-2015
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
17
Boozman, John, of Arkansas.....................
17
Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
25
Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware.................
9
Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
24
Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
4
Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
16
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
6
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
16
Graham, Lindsey, of South Carolina.............
21
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
21, 24
Heitkamp, Heidi, of North Dakota...............
22
Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
25
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
13
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
23
Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
3
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
14
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
18
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
12
Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire..............
24
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
14
BIOGRAPHY
Mark Pryor is an attorney and former attorney general of
Arkansas who served as a U.S. Senator for 12 years. He
earned a reputation as a voice of reason for having
brought Democrats and Republicans and competing interests
together to find common ground and get things done.
Esquire magazine named Senator Pryor as one of America's
``10 Best'' legislators on Capitol Hill.
Senator Pryor helped build consensus on critical Senate
panels, including the Appropriations, Commerce, Armed
Services, Homeland Security, and Ethics Committees. He
often built bipartisan coalitions to overcome stalemates,
most notably on nominations, government spending, and
energy policy.
As a top-ranking Commerce Committee member, Senator
Pryor held chairmanships overseeing communications,
technology, and consumer protection. He led the passage of
landmark legislation to prevent dangerous toys and
products from landing on store shelves. For these efforts,
Parents magazine named him one of its three ``movers and
shakers'' in Washington who have had a ``profound effect
on kids' safety.'' He also forged compromises among
consumer advocacy groups and private industry that led to
safer highways and more fuel efficient vehicles.
As chairman of the Appropriation Committee's
Subcommittee on Agriculture, he directed funding to
critical USDA and FDA programs on research, food safety,
and rural development. On the Senate Armed Services
Committee, Senator Pryor passed legislation to improve tax
benefits for soldiers and ensure Arkansas' military
installations and defense industry remain strong and
vital. He leveraged his seat on the Small Business
Committee to improve financing options and resources to
help businesses compete in today's global market.
Senator Pryor began his career in public service in 1990
as a member of the Arkansas State House of
Representatives. In 1998 he was elected Arkansas' attorney
general, making him the youngest chief law enforcement
officer in the Nation. As attorney general, he led efforts
to toughen laws against drunk drivers, protect children on
the Internet, and establish the Morgan Nick Alert System,
which helps to locate missing and exploited children.
Senator Pryor grew up around the law, politics, and
policy as the son of a U.S. Senator and Arkansas Governor,
living in both Arkansas and Washington, DC. He received a
B.A. in history and his law degree from the University of
Arkansas and worked in private legal practice for over 10
years. He has a son and a daughter who attend the
University of Arkansas.
Farewell to the Senate
Monday, December 8, 2014
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I have to begin today by
saying one thing, that is, to God be the glory. I will
finish with that too. But first let me say a few words.
Since election night I have had many Arkansans come up
to me and thank me for my service. I appreciate that. But
I need to thank them for allowing me to do this for the
last 12 years. It sounds like a cliche, but it is not.
Serving in the Senate has been the greatest honor of my
life. It truly has been. I have loved it. I have always
done it with a cheerful heart. When I go back to my
beloved Arkansas, I have to thank the people of Arkansas
for allowing me to work for them. I must confess I will
miss waking up every morning and thinking, how can I make
a difference for Arkansas and for America today? Those
years were momentous in so many ways, for our country and
for our world. I had a front row seat to making history,
and I hope I made a little bit of it myself.
On a personal level, those years were filled with family
and friends, a remarkable staff, my Senate colleagues, and
a whole series of rich, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
The Lord has given me two wonderful children who are now
in college. I know many of you all saw them for the first
time when they were in elementary school. I am very proud,
and their mother is very proud, of Adams and Porter Pryor.
I am very excited about their future.
God has also brought an old sweetheart back into my
life, Joi. She and I attended the sixth and seventh grades
together. So when I say God has brought joy in my life, I
mean it, literally.
Many of you know my parents. Of course, I would be
nothing without them. David and Barbara Pryor have touched
so many lives. They continue to do so.
For the last 8 years, I have lived with my brother David
and Judith and Hampton Pryor in Washington, when I am here
in Washington. I will always be grateful for their love
and hospitality.
Scott and Diane and Devin Pryor in New York have been a
great inspiration to me as well.
My staff is simply awesome. I love them all, and they
are all part of my family too. There are too many to
mention, but words such as talent, commitment, public
service, effectiveness, all come to mind whenever their
names come up. I have said this many times about my staff,
and they keep telling me not to say it, but I am going to
say it one last time: They do 99 percent of the work and I
get 99 percent of the credit. So I want to acknowledge
them for a job well done. They should all hold their heads
high for the difference they have made. I ask unanimous
consent that a list of their names be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
Lisa Ackerman, Adrianna Alley, Ronnie Anderson, Suzanne
Bartolomei, Tim Bass, Frank Bateman, Jason Bockenstedt,
Patrice Bolling, Cathy Bozynski, Zac Bradley, Becca
Bradley, Ruth Bradley, Rachel Brown, Sonya Bryant, LaRonda
Bryles, Tamara Buchholz, Britton Burnett, Margery Buzbee,
Macio Cameron, Lauren Carter, Rachel Colson, Kim Cooper,
Paul Cox, Emily Culver, Laura Culver, Olivia Dedner,
Shiloh Dillon, Martine Downs, Wes Duncan, Michael Fangue,
William Feland, Greg Feldman, Jeff Fitch, Sherry Flippo,
Bradford Foley, Derrick Freeman, Conor Frickel, Bess
Ginty, Terri Glaze, Andrew Grobmyer.
Russell Hall, Beth Hallmark, Julie Hamilton, Jacob
Hargraves, Megan Hargraves, Ruth Hargraves, Justin Harper,
Ehren Hartz, Tonya Hass, Mary Grace Hathaway, Whitney
Haynes, Brigit Helgen, Larry Henderson, Lauren Henry-
Cowles, Hannah Herdlinger, Carrie Hern, Tate Heuer, Gene
Higginbotham, Brandon Hirsch, Emily Hoard, Sarah Holland,
Greg Holyfield, Vincent Insalaco, Susie James, Mark
Johnston, Louis Keller, Hank Kilgore, Caroline Kobek
Pezzarossi, Shannon Lane, Stephen Lehrman, Autumn Lewis,
Sam Losow, Shannon Lovejoy, Stan Luker, Scott Macconomy,
Amanda Manatt-Story, Elizabeth Manney, Randy Massanelli,
Eric May, Madra McAdoo, Nathan McCarroll, Lauren McClain.
Marietta McClure, Audrey McFarland, Valerie McNeese,
Kate Melcher, Rodell Mollineau, Melissa Moody, Reed Moody,
Brook Mumford, Callie Neel, Eric Nelson, Wayne Palmer,
Allison Pearson, Mia Petrini, Brad Phelan, Jim Pitcock,
Marisa Pryor, Walter Pryor, Hayne Rainey, Candace Randle,
Kris Raper, Robbie Reed, Mary Renick, Erin Ridgeway, Jenny
Robertson, Kirk Robertson, Bob Russell, Paul Sanders, Amy
Schlesing, Kymara Seals, Kristin Sharp, Ashley Shelton,
Ashely Simmons, Jason Smedley, Haley Smoot, Lucy Speed,
Brandon Spicher, Jeffrey Stein, Arthur Stokenbury,
Michelle Strikowsky, Kelsey Stroud, Kelvin Stroud, Richard
Swan, Frances Tate, Michael Teague, Jennifer Thompson,
Courtney Van Buren, Joan Vehik, Crystal Waitekus, Brad
Watt, David West, Preston Weyland, Deke Whitbeck, Libby
Whitbeck, Amanda White, Marco White, Quinten Whiteside,
Elizabeth Wilson, Andy York, Mary Claire York, Julie
Zelnick.
Mr. PRYOR. My colleagues. What can I say about my
colleagues that has not been said before? Or maybe I could
say, what can I say about my colleagues that they have not
said about themselves before?
You know, politics is about people; not just the people
out there, but the people in here, the people the people
elect. I have served with some greats and some giants.
Robert C. Byrd, Ted Kennedy, Daniel Inouye, Ted Stevens
are at the top of the list. But the truth is every single
Senator I have served with is a giant.
I have served with about 175 other Senators, so there
are too many to single out. But I have made lifelong
friendships here. We have done a lot of good things
together. This is what I will remember: all the
personalities, all the times when we came together to do
the right thing, and all the successes we had together.
While in the Senate, I had more than 70 initiatives
signed into law. Almost all of those have been bipartisan.
I ask unanimous consent to have that list printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
Highlights of Senate Accomplishments
Opened a new opportunity for the forestry industry.
Allowed domestic forestry products to be recognized by
USDA as biobased, leveling the playing field with imports
and ensuring such products can be procured by the Federal
Government and sold as a greener alternative to consumers,
P.L. 113-179.
Funded critical agriculture needs as chairman of the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Crafted and
passed $20 billion annual spending measure that allocates
funds for agriculture programs, P.L. 113-76.
Ensured veterans could collect retirement benefits
without gimmicks. Restored the full retirement pay
promised to disabled veterans and their survivors, P.L.
113-76.
Honored former Senator Dale Bumpers for his conservation
efforts. Renamed the White River National Wildlife Refuge
to the Senator Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife
Refuge, P.L. 113-76.
Ensured patients have access to lifesaving medical
treatment. Allowed the FDA to access industry-paid user
fees that had been blocked by sequestration, P.L. 113-76.
Ensured disabled veterans are treated with dignity
during airport security. Ensured the dignity of wounded
and severely disabled servicemembers and veterans during
airport security screenings, P.L. 113-27.
Protected food safety inspections from sequestration.
Ensured USDA food inspectors were not furloughed,
protecting 500,000 industry jobs at meat, poultry, and egg
production facilities, P.L. 113-6.
Sought greater employment opportunities for veterans.
Allowed States to accept military training as fulfilling
credentials or certifications for special skills required
for certain civilian jobs, P.L. 112-239.
Protected consumers from international scams. Extended
the FTC's ability to coordinate investigation efforts with
foreign counterparts and obtain monetary consumer redress
in cases involving Internet fraud and deception, P.L. 112-
203.
Expanded the safety mission at the National Center for
Toxicological Research. Allows the FDA to focus on the
health and safety implications of nanomaterials, P.L. 112-
144, P.L. 112-55.
Kept fatigued truckdrivers off the road with electronic
logging devices. Required truckers to use electronic
logging devices to more accurately monitor hours on the
job, P.L. 112-141.
Prevented dangerous drivers from driving big rigs with
national drug database. Established a national database of
drug testing information for commercial drivers to ensure
they can't bypass the law, P.L. 112-141.
Stepped up vehicle safety following numerous recalls.
Updated safety and compliance standards, and increased
resources at DOT to conduct additional research and
address emerging technologies, P.L. 112-141.
Reduced distracted driving. Established a grant program
for States to enact and enforce laws discouraging
distracted driving, P.L. 112-141.
Provided flexibility in pension plan payments. Allows
certain companies to invest in growth opportunities
instead of setting aside millions to cover certain pension
payments, P.L. 112-141.
Protected homeowners from buying unnecessary flood
insurance. Defeated a mandate that would force families
and businesses behind certified levees, dams, and other
protection to purchase unnecessary flood insurance, P.L.
112-141.
Stabilized Arkansas funding for Rural Schools Program.
Authorized USDA to allocate Federal dollars for road
projects in the State despite a missed deadline, P.L. 112-
141.
Expanded possibilities at the U.S. Marshals Museum.
Enabled the sale of coins to raise $5 million to enhance
exhibits at the U.S. Marshals Museum, P.L. 112-104.
Ensured military families receive death benefits.
Provided death benefits to a family should a reservist die
at home during training, P.L. 112-81.
Facilitated Camp Robinson land exchanges to improve
training and safety. Twice waived a statute to allow the
National Guard to gain land more conducive for training
and for an aviation support facility, P.L. 112-81, P.L.
109-13.
Enabled first responders to help neighboring States
during a disaster. Secured $2 million for a program
enabling first responders to help their neighbors in times
of emergency, P.L. 112-74.
Fixed FEMA's errors in disaster assistance repayment
process. Used legislative privileges to stop FEMA from
recouping disaster aid from an elderly couple who did
nothing wrong, and granted FEMA the clear authority to
waive debt in cases of FEMA error, P.L. 112-74.
Leveraged funds for economic development in the Delta.
Increased the Delta Regional Authority's budget by nearly
$2 million, P.L. 112-74.
Expanded environmentally-friendly options for military
construction projects. Encouraged DOD to recognize all
American National Standards Institute approved building
ratings and certification systems, P.L. 112-74.
Provided community access to health care. Provided HHS
with the authority to issue a waiver and preserve funding
for Arkansas health education centers, P.L. 112-74, P.L.
112-10.
Promoted exports abroad. Required the Commerce
Department to develop an outreach plan to strengthen
export promotion entities such as the Arkansas World Trade
Center, P.L. 112-55.
Expanded science parks. Enables the government to make
loan guarantees and grants to create or expand science
parks, P.L. 112-55.
Protected taxpayer dollars from prisoner fraud. Required
Federal and State prison systems to share information on
inmates with the IRS. This step allows the IRS to cross
reference tax returns with the list of inmates to
determine if a legitimate return is filed, before tax
refunds are paid, P.L. 112-41.
Expanded environmentally-friendly options for military
construction projects. Encouraged DOD to recognize all
American National Standards Institute approved building
ratings and certification systems, S. Rept. 112-29.
Modified product safety law to reflect lead limit
capabilities. Allows flexibility for certain manufacturers
and charities in complying with new lead limits, P.L. 112-
28.
Weeded out border corruption. Required applicants for
law enforcement positions within U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to receive a polygraph exam before they are
hired, P.L. 111-376.
Spurred innovation in technology through monetary
prizes. Enables Federal agencies to hold competitions with
monetary prizes in order to encourage innovation in
research and technology, P.L. 111-358.
Improved investments to advance U.S. manufacturing.
Required the National Science and Technology Council to
identify priorities for R&D programs and address
challenges in those programs, P.L. 111-358.
Incorporated entrepreneurship into STEM activities.
Requires lessons in innovation and entrepreneurship be
taught as part of science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) education activities, P.L. 111-358.
Improved technology access for blind and deaf. Ensures
all Americans are able to fully utilize online devices,
regardless of disability, P.L. 111-260.
Prevented excessive financial regulation of nonbanks.
Ensured banks and financial companies receive a higher
threshold of review by the Federal Reserve, but that
companies who were not part of the fiscal crisis, like
Home Depot, do not have to undergo additional supervision,
P.L. 111-203.
Empowered consumers to make informed choices when
selecting health plans. Ensured consumers have an easy-to-
use Internet tool to select the best plan on the health
care exchange, P.L. 111-148.
Retired certain C-130Es. Retired outdated C-130Es and
saved taxpayers millions of dollars in maintenance and
storage costs, P.L. 111-84.
Streamlined DOD research requirements. Eliminated a
duplicative report to Congress on DOD development programs
to allow the Pentagon to spend more time on research and
less time on paperwork, P.L. 111-84.
Blocked unreasonable regulation to end pocketknife
sales. Prevented Customs and Border Patrol from banning
certain pocket knives, bringing relief to consumers and
the 20,000 employees that could have been impacted, P.L.
111-83.
Preserved President Clinton's birthplace for future
generations. Designated the former President's home as a
National Historic Site and unit of the National Park
System, P.L. 111-11.
Helped parents protect children from inappropriate
content on the Internet. Required the FCC to fulfill its
obligation to continuously review and implement blocking
technology as it is developed, P.L. 110-452.
Fixed housing contract problems for military families.
Requires DOD to investigate and prevent base housing
problems, P.L. 110-417.
Fought for fairness for military pilots. Directed the
Air Force and Navy to review pilot assignments to
nonflying duties, and the effect these assignments have on
these officers' eligibility for flight pay, P.L. 110-417.
Ensured farmers access to ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
Required DHS to ensure that any person who produces or
sells ammonium nitrate (AN) registers their facility and
maintains records of sales. Buyers are checked against a
terrorist screening database, which keeps AN out of the
wrong hands without placing an undue burden on farmers,
P.L. 110-329.
Protected consumers from toxic toys and other dangerous
products. Overhauled the Consumer Product Safety
Commission and established strong product safety
safeguards that cut fatalities in half and dramatically
reduced toy-related recalls, P.L. 110-314.
Fought for fairness in the Tax Code for military
families. Enabled men and women in uniform to collect
combat pay and other tax benefits, such as the child tax
credit and the earned income tax credit, P.L. 110-245,
P.L. 108-311.
Provided relief to military families affected by
landlord foreclosures. Allowed the military to move
household goods for members of the Armed Forces who are
forced to relocate when the housing they are renting goes
into foreclosure, P.L. 110-289.
Advanced investment in cellulosic biofuel. Required USDA
to conduct a nationwide analysis of where the greatest
potential for development of cellulosic biofuel exists,
P.L. 110-234.
Updated regulations for private-public partnerships
following disrupted rice exports. Improves quality control
standards for university and private sector research, P.L.
110-234.
Ensured soldiers receive fair time for rest and
recuperation. Offered additional leave for troops serving
extended tours, P.L. 110-181.
Kept the Do Not Call List free. Permanently kept the Do
Not Call Program free, simple, and effective, P.L. 110-
188.
Improved medical care for wounded warriors. Increased
personnel and resources available to treat wounded
warriors, with an emphasis on training health care workers
on identifying and treating PTSD and TBI, P.L. 110-181.
Made swimming pools safer for children. Requires drain
covers to meet antientrapment safety standards, P.L. 110-
140.
Improved fuel economy standards. Negotiated an agreement
that overcame 30 years of deadlock on fuel economy
standards, P.L. 110-140.
Maintained training for first responders. Secured
funding for the Domestic Preparedness Equipment Technical
Assistance Program, a nationwide training program for
first responders, P.L. 110-53, P.L. 109-295.
Tapped an Arkansas center to head rural transportation
security research. Designated the Mack-Blackwell Rural
Transportation Center at the University of Arkansas as a
``National Center of Excellence for Transportation
Security,'' P.L. 110-53.
Expanded online education opportunities for minorities.
Established a pilot program for Historically Black
Colleges and Universities to develop online courses, P.L.
110-16.
Improved energy efficiency in military housing. Directed
DOD to consider products that meet Energy Star
specifications in order to reduce the military's energy
bill, P.L. 109-364.
Cracked down on foreign truckdrivers entering the United
States illegally. Directed DOT and DHS to comply with
measures that eliminate fraud in the commercial drivers
license process and verify citizenship, P.L. 109-347.
Put the FEMA mobile homes to good use. Ensured that
mobile homes purchased by FEMA in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina went to serve the public good, P.L. 109-
295.
Removed unnecessary obstacles for a local manufacturing
company. Eliminated a 4.5 percent tariff on crotonaldehyde
for Eastman Chemical Corporation, P.L. 109-280.
Kept local manufacturer globally competitive. Eliminated
a 4.5 percent tariff on LCD display panels in order to
reduce production costs for Sanyo, P.L. 109-280.
Funded the completion of the Little Rock Central High
School Museum and Visitors Center. Secured more than $5
million to complete the center, P.L. 109-146, P.L. 109-54.
Identified gasoline price gouging. Requires the FTC to
determine if and where gasoline price gouging occurs in
the supply chain, P.L. 109-108.
Prioritized Cleburne County for water infrastructure
assistance. Encouraged the Agriculture Secretary to
prioritize Cleburne County, AR, for rural utilities
service water and waste water loans and grants, P.L. 109-
97.
Improved medical care to soldiers. Increased funding for
mobile medical shelter prototypes, and later urged FEMA to
use up to $10 million to acquire a mobile medical system
for evaluation, P.L. 109-90, P.L. 108-287.
Prevented moving companies from holding goods hostage.
Requires movers to release goods if a customer pays the
estimate, P.L. 109-59.
Promoted the commercialization of biodiesel and hythane.
Requires DOE, in conjunction with universities throughout
the country, to prepare reports that would evaluate how to
best deploy biodiesel and hythane and create an
infrastructure to support their potential, P.L. 109-58.
Protected soybean industry. Directed the USDA to
initiate a stronger response to combat Asian Soybean Rust,
which resulted in $1.2 million for the effort, P.L. 109-
13.
Established tracking system for wounded servicemembers.
Ensures families receive timely information when loved
ones are wounded, P.L. 108-375.
Mr. PRYOR. I do not do very many press conferences, as
you all know, and I have always been first in line to work
with any and all of my colleagues to try to get things
done. The Senate is a special place. On a personal level,
we talk about the Senate family. It is a family. When
people mention the Senate to me, I think of other
Senators, of course, and I think of legislation, but
usually the first thing that comes to mind is the people
who work here: the Parliamentarians, the clerks, the
doormen, the Capitol Police. I am appreciative of the
other Senators' staffs and the committee staffs, and even
to my House colleagues--most of them, anyway. No, even to
my House colleagues.
But I have always been mindful of the people who really
make this place run: the janitorial staff, the folks in
the restaurants, the maintenance guys, the painters, the
carpenters, the tech people. The list goes on. All of them
contribute to make the Senate what it is. We work here
together. We go through life and budget cuts and changing
political winds together. There is a bond we all feel
because we all have been in the Senate together.
Please give me just a few moments of your time to make
this next point. As great an institution as the Senate is,
the Senate is broken. The American people know it. In
fact, this is an area where the American people are way
ahead of Washington. The people around our Nation look at
Washington and they shake their heads. We sometimes cannot
see the forest for the trees because we get bogged down in
personalities or perceived wrongs or whatever the case may
be.
This is not a Barack Obama problem, this is not a George
Bush problem. In fact, all recent Presidents have gone
through periods of deep unpopularity. This is an ``all of
us'' problem. The political environment today grinds the
trust and confidence out of our system. Let me tell you,
that is not good for anybody.
The Republicans have a great opportunity in 2015 and
2016. They convinced the voters they are the party that
can govern. Now it is time for them to turn off the
rhetoric and turn on the governing. In the Senate, if the
new Republican majority will run the Senate the way they
have said it should be run, then this is a very good
start. If we can replay the tape over the last 2 years, we
will hear Republican Senators time and again clamor for an
open amendment process and for regular order. They were
caustic when the Democratic majority changed the rules--a
change, by the way which I did not support. So let's
change the rules back to what they were. Let's govern the
way we know we ought to govern.
Democrats--this is an important message--Democrats
should help the Republicans govern. The rules are not the
problem around here. We are the problem, all 100 of us.
Hyperpartisanship has gotten the best of us. When things
get too partisan, good judgment and common sense go out
the window. The biggest and most serious problem facing
our Nation today is the dysfunction in our political
system within Washington. America has incredible
potential, but we cannot reach it unless Washington starts
to work again for all of us. If we are to continue to be
the greatest Nation on Earth, we must work together. That
is, after all, the American way. That is our history. This
country was created, this country was forged. The great
melting pot is just that, a melting pot. E pluribus unum
actually means something: Out of many, one. We have many
differing viewpoints, many philosophies, many backgrounds,
many priorities. So we have the pluribus part down pat.
That is not the problem. No, the challenge comes with the
unum.
From my perspective, I see the ultimate question as a
question of loyalty. Who are we loyal to? I just mentioned
that we have many different viewpoints, philosophies, and
agendas. But if we have different loyalties, then we are a
divided nation. That will only lead to bad things. When
each of us takes our oath of office, we swear allegiance
to the Constitution, not a party, nor a President, nor an
interest group. We do not swear allegiance to those who
pay for our campaigns or to a certain agenda. We need to
hash out our differences in the Senate in committee and on
the floor, then hash them out with the House, but at the
end of the day, produce legislation. That is the essence
of the legislative branch. We also must exert our
authority as article I, the first branch of government.
We have checks and balances. We cannot provide the check
or the balance if we are not functioning. Making this
place function is part of our oath of office. One thing we
should all remember: The Senate is bigger than we are. We
do not have to look further than our own desks to see
that. Look inside your desk and you see the names written
in the drawer. In my desk I see Senator Gronna, elected in
1911 from North Dakota. Names such as Everett Dirksen and
George Mitchell, David Pryor, Joe Lieberman, and Carl
Levin--these men molded history. These are Senators who
shaped world events. These Senators were good stewards of
what our Founding Fathers created for us. We should be
too, each and every one of us.
The Father of our Country had a lot to say about
partisanship. In his Farewell Address, he warns us of the
``continual mischiefs'' and ``ill-founded jealousies''
caused by parties. We should take heed. It is the greatest
mistake of our time to allow these prophesied mischiefs
and jealousies to divide us and damage the American
political character.
Abraham Lincoln once famously said, ``A house divided
against itself cannot stand.'' That is so true. His voice
is echoing down through the halls of history to us. If we
are divided, we cannot stand. We will not stand a chance
in the future. Let Lincoln's words be a clarion call to
all Members of Congress. That includes all Senators.
Look at what is happening to us. The Congress is getting
more liberal and more conservative. Look at the wild
swings in regulations that have occurred from President
Clinton to President Bush to President Obama. No wonder we
are seeing a sluggish economic recovery.
Washington is creating uncertainty and instability. The
private sector cannot make investments or take risks with
confidence. It should be the opposite. The Federal
Government should be fostering economic growth. This
country needs Washington to function. That starts in this
Chamber.
One thing I like to say in meetings is this: ``Don't
just bring me the problem, bring me the solution.'' So I
have identified a big problem here this afternoon. It is
fair for you to ask about the solution. Regardless of your
political philosophy, bipartisanship is the answer. Let's
take off the red jersey and take off the blue jersey and
let us all put on the red, white, and blue jersey. Our
Nation's challenges, large and small, require us to get on
the same team; that is team USA.
Remember, I mentioned Abraham Lincoln saying that, ``A
house divided against itself cannot stand.'' Well, he was
actually quoting an itinerant Jewish rabbi who said that
about 2,000 years ago. Jesus was right then and He is
right now. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Good government is good politics. Although there are
short-term gains to be had by political division, the
long-term consequences are bad for the country. It is time
for the giants of the Senate to emerge. Jesus has offered
us some advice. Probably the best practical advice of
wisdom He left us here in the Congress is called the
Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you. If we applied that around here, about three-quarters
of our problems would vanish. Poof.
Is that impossible? Not at all. Most of us claim to have
a Judeo-Christian faith, so why not apply what we know to
be true? The first step in this process is another one of
Jesus' admonitions--forgive one another.
I know each Senator, from time to time, feels betrayed,
let down, slighted, or somehow wronged. We need to forgive
one another and let the healing begin.
I am not trying to combine religion and politics, but I
think most everyone in the world agrees that Jesus is one
of the greatest moral teachers of all time. He has a lot
to say about how we should treat one another.
There are and there will be 100 Senators. Healing the
Senate and getting it to function as it did for two
centuries is up to each individual Senator. That means
doing the right thing but also persuading others to do the
right thing. It is not about us, it is about our country,
our children, and our grandchildren. It is about being
good stewards.
In closing, let me say I loved my time with you. I will
always remember you with fondness and I will always be
cheering for you. I expect great things from you because I
know you are capable of doing great things. God bless the
Senate and the work we do, and God bless the United States
of America.
I yield the floor.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
TRIBUTES
TO
MARK L. PRYOR
Proceedings in the Senate
Monday, December 8, 2014
Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, in just a few moments one of
my best friends in the Senate is going to give his
farewell address. Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, a former
State legislator, former attorney general, and two-term
Senator, was caught in this tidal wave in the last
election that caused those of us in the Democratic Party
in the former old Confederacy, now known as the South--and
of course parts of the South these days don't look
anything like the old Confederacy. As a matter of fact, my
State of Florida is a good example. It is a compendium of
people from all over the United States because folks from
all over the country have moved to Florida, and thus it is
a microcosm of the country.
Arkansas is a State where the Pryor family has served
with great distinction and enormous public service for
decades. Although it temporarily comes to an end with
Senator Pryor leaving the Congress in January, that is not
the end of his public service. His mom and dad served so
ably for years in the Governor's mansion, as well as the
Senate, serving the people of this country and Arkansas.
Mark and his family served our country so ably over the
years and that public service will continue.
I reflect back just a few days ago when Senator
Rockefeller gave his farewell speech. He is another
extraordinary public servant who has demonstrated selfless
public service. He is a Senator who, because of his family
heritage, could have done anything he wanted, but he
chose--after a life of privilege, growing up as a young
man, and after having spent time abroad--to go to one of
the poorest States in the Union. He first was a volunteer
to the poor and later developed a distinguished record of
public service that included secretary of state, Governor,
and now a five-term Senator. I will speak later about
other colleagues who are leaving.
These are just two examples. Senator Rockefeller and my
seatmate Senator Pryor are extraordinary public servants
who when you talked to them and when you looked in their
eyes, if they gave you their word, that was it. You didn't
have to worry about it.
Some say it is a throwback to the old days. The old days
is a throwback that we ought to go to, when if a Senator
gave you his or her word, that was it, when there was
civility among Senators, when there was not an avalanche
of outside money that came in to try to define you with
statements that were not true.
We see what has happened to our politics in America
today with exceptional millions of dollars coming into a
State, buying up television, to create a statement in 27
seconds often that is not true and that fact checkers say
is not true, factcheck.org and Politifact.
Yet when we talk to the TV stations and the broadcast
stations and show them the fact checkers, they will still
run the TV ads. But rather than talk about the mistakes
that were made with the Citizens United Supreme Court case
and missing by one vote in this Chamber several years
ago--we had 59 votes and we needed 60 to cut off debate so
we could get to the DISCLOSE Act, a DISCLOSE Act that did
not counter the Supreme Court decision, it just said if
you are going to spend all this money, you are going to
have to say who it is that is doing the contribution.
Of course, if we had been able to pass that, then all of
this money would not be flowing because it is hiding
behind this masquerade of the Committee for Good
Government or the ABC committee for whatever. So they
masquerade behind that veil to spend all of that money for
their ultimate purposes.
It caught a number of our people. Just look at what
happened in the runoff election this last Saturday. Look
at the imbalance of the spending on television that
occurred since the general election and the runoff in the
State of Louisiana.
I will speak about Senator Landrieu, Senator Udall,
Senator Begich, and Senator Kay Hagan later.
I wanted particularly to talk about Senator Rockefeller,
our chairman of the Commerce Committee, and Senator Pryor,
one of the finest public servants I have ever had a chance
to serve with.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to give a tribute to
Senator Pryor, whose remarks we have just heard [see
farewell address, page vii].
Through nearly a quarter of a century of dedicated
public service, Senator Mark Pryor has established a
strong reputation as the voice of reason.
From an Arkansas legislator and attorney general to a
U.S. Senator, Senator Pryor has always put the people
first. To me, he has been an admired colleague, a great
collaborator, and a treasured friend. Working with Senator
Pryor during his service in the Senate, I know that he
acquired his voice of reason the old-fashioned way: He is
such a good listener.
All of us are pretty good talkers, or we wouldn't be
here, but Senator Pryor has the distinction of being a
good listener. Whether debating colleagues on the Senate
floor or interacting with his guests on his Pryor-Side
Chats back home, he has consistently demonstrated that he
is one of those special individuals who can disagree
without ever being disagreeable. He always sticks to his
principles, yet he respects the principles of those with
whom he disagrees. He is well informed but always open to
new information.
It has been a particular pleasure to work with Senator
Pryor on the Homeland Security Committee for many years
and on the Committee on Appropriations. His work ethic,
his attention to detail, his willingness, once again, to
listen to alternative views have been great assets in
addressing the challenges we face in our country.
He has been a diligent fiscal watchdog for the Nation's
taxpayers. To me, Senator Pryor's approach to public
service is best defined by the crucial role he played in
ending the government shutdown in fall 2013 and as a
member of the Gang of 14 in 2005. In each case he worked
closely with me and with other Members to end a crisis and
to achieve a responsible, commonsense solution. In each
case he listened and he led.
As a charter member of our Common Sense Coalition last
year, Senator Pryor stepped forward to restore both
government operations and help to restore some modicum of
citizen confidence in our Senate, in our government.
These certainly were not the only times that Senator
Pryor's bipartisan approach and concern for the well-being
of Americans had been evident. In 2007, after a large
number of recalls following injuries and deaths that
caused parents throughout America to be concerned about
the safety of their children's toys--especially those
manufactured overseas--he once again stepped forward to
lead. After an extensive investigation in the Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Pryor
worked with those of us on the Republican side on a bill
to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission so
that we can now better detect and counter threats to our
children's health before these threats even reach the
store shelves, and eventually homes, schools, and daycare
centers.
From restoring trust in government to protecting our
children, Senator Pryor has proven over and over again
that bipartisanship works. It is so significant that his
message to us today is that the dysfunction and
hyperpartisanship that have characterized the Senate
cannot stand.
That is a wonderful parting message, and it is typical
of Senator Pryor that rather than talking about all of his
accomplishments, he instead is beseeching the Senate to
work together in the interests of all Americans--whether
we are Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, or
not affiliated with any party at all.
The 2014 election did not produce the result Senator
Pryor had hoped for, but it did reveal another aspect of
his extraordinary character. His message to the people of
Arkansas and to the new Senator-elect on election night
was genuine and it was gracious. To the people of
Arkansas, he simply expressed his sincere gratitude for
the opportunity to serve. But may these words, spoken that
evening to us in the Chamber, which he echoed today, be
his legacy. He said that night:
The biggest and most serious problem we are facing in
this Nation today is the dysfunction of our political
system in Washington. We have incredible potential, but we
won't reach it unless Washington starts to work again for
all of us.
Mark Pryor has been an extraordinary individual who
always did what he believed was right. He has contributed
enormously to our country and served his State well.
I commend him for his service and I thank him for his
commitment, his integrity, and, most of all, for his
friendship.
Thank you, Mark.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The assistant majority leader.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the great Cesar Chavez once
said, ``If you really want to make a friend, go to
someone's house and eat with him . . . the people who give
you their food give you their heart.''
That is true. Sometimes they give you more than that.
Sometimes they give you an adventure in eating that you
will never forget.
That is what happened to me when, in January, I was
invited by Mark Pryor to be his guest at a legendary
Arkansas political event. I am talking about the historic,
well-known, annual Gillett, AR, coon supper.
Never heard of the Gillett coon supper in Arkansas? It
is to Arkansas what Tom Harkin's steak fry is to Iowa,
only it is nonpartisan, it draws about 1,200, and
unfortunately they don't serve steak.
Coon is raccoon served in large buckets. Folks just
reach inside and pull out a chunk of coon, as they say in
Gillett.
I was there that night with Mark Pryor. I wanted to make
sure I had my best manners as a visiting guest. I was
certainly appreciative of the invitation to a packed room
with the Governor and every walking politician in
Arkansas. Bill Clinton had been there over and over again
in his terms as Governor. He never missed that supper, and
we weren't about to miss it that evening.
I watched as they put these bowls of coon and other
meats on the table, and I noticed something interesting.
All of the visitors like myself had bowls of coon put in
front of them. All the folks from Arkansas were eating out
of the beef platter. It struck me that perhaps this was a
delicacy they were saving just for guests. We asked for
advice from Mark Pryor about the proper selection of the
cooked coon, and he said, ``Get one with a big bone
because they have the least amount of meat on them.''
So we followed his advice, nibbled at the corners,
smiled, and said what a great dinner it was. We looked
around and saw that only a handful of the local people
from Arkansas were actually eating the delicacy of the
evening, including one old fellow whom I went up to
afterward to introduce myself to who was wearing a real
coonskin cap. He told me he shot the raccoon and this cap
had been in his family for a long time. He passed it on to
his daughter first, of course, and then to his grandson.
Mark Twain, another Mark, it turns out, loved roasted
raccoon as well, but he always kept an open mind when it
came to the issues of the day, including the issue of the
afterlife.
Mark Twain once said, ``I don't like to commit myself
about heaven and hell--you see, I have friends in both
places.'' One reason Mark Pryor has been such a good
Senator is that he has friends on both sides of the aisle.
We just heard this warm tribute to Mark Pryor from my
friend Susan Collins of Maine, and I am sure others will
join the chorus on both sides.
Mark Pryor is a man of deep faith who takes seriously
the admonition from the book of the prophet Isaiah, ``Come
now, let us reason together.''
Like Kay Hagan and Mark Udall in our caucus, Mark Pryor
has politics and public service in his bloodstream. Mark
Lunsford Pryor is the fifth generation of Pryors to serve
in politics in his State. The first three generations
served as sheriffs.
Mark Pryor served 4 years in the Arkansas House of
Representatives and 4 years as Arkansas attorney general.
In 2002, the people of Arkansas elected him to the Senate,
the same seat his father David held in the Senate for 18
years. Mark Pryor placed on his desk the same motto that
his father placed on his. It read, simply: ``Arkansas
Comes First.''
But he made his own decisions, and he left a
considerable mark in the Senate. Halfway through his
freshman term, a new Member himself, Mark Pryor was called
on to join forces with the lions of the Senate--John
Warner, Robert C. Byrd, and Danny Inouye--to forge a
compromise over judicial nominations that averted a threat
to a bigger confrontation. That compromise, Mark said, was
the result of perspiration, not inspiration.
I disagree. It involved the inspiration of a young
Senator from Arkansas who realized that public service
often meant trying to work together and to reason together
and to try to break down in your own individual fashion
the dysfunction of Washington.
I worked with Mark on so many things over the years. As
a whip I went to him many times, and we talked about
difficult votes. I always found him to be honest,
straightforward, and highly principled. We didn't always
come to the same conclusion on the vote, but I respected
him every time because I knew he gave thoughtful
consideration to both sides. When it came to his vote, he
was going to do what was right in his own heart and
especially what was right for Arkansas. I knew that would
make the final decision when it came to the vote.
I also want to put in a word of thanks to Mark as a
grandfather of two 3-year-olds who are anxiously awaiting
the arrival of Santa Claus in just a few weeks. You see,
Mark had the responsibility of reforming the Consumer
Product Safety Commission. It was an assignment long
overdue. That commission was grinding to a halt. It was
not exercising its authority, and it wasn't keeping
Americans safe, as it should. Mark stepped up, in a
bipartisan fashion. He stepped up, and he ended up
strengthening the Consumer Product Safety Commission
through his efforts on the Senate Commerce Committee. That
will keep toxic toys and harmful products out of stores.
Many people recognize what Mark Pryor contributed in
that effort. Parents magazine applauded Mark Pryor as one
of the three movers and shakers in Washington in the year
2005 for his work on the Consumer Product Safety
Commission--work that continues to this day to keep
America safer. Consumer protection has always been a
hallmark of Mark's service, dating back to his days in
Arkansas as attorney general and certainly as a Senator.
Fewer than 2,000 men and women have ever had the
privilege of serving in the Senate. In our entire history,
with hundreds of millions of people in our population,
fewer than 2,000 have been sworn in to represent their
States in the Senate. In Mark Pryor we have a person who
did an extraordinary job as a Senator for Arkansas and for
America. He has been a great friend of mine--someone I am
going to miss very much, but I hope he will keep in touch.
We say that somewhat loosely when people leave here, but I
mean it, because Mark Pryor always brought a smile to my
day. I recognize that his work in public service aspired
to the highest levels and always will.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I came to the floor without
any prepared remarks, but I want to say a few words, if I
could, about our colleague Mark Pryor.
I have affectionately called him ``Hey, man,'' because
in Arkansas, when you see one of your friends, you don't
just say ``Hi, Tom'' or ``Hi, Mark,'' you say ``Hey,
man.'' For the last 12 years, we have been saying a lot of
``Hey, man's,'' and hopefully we will do so for a long
time to come.
I was down in Honduras--murder capital of the world--10
or 12 days ago, and trying to figure out how to help save
a nation that may be a failing nation. They have a lot of
gangs down there--gangs involved in extorting money from
businesses, a lot of them kidnapping people, trafficking
people. Gangs have a bad connotation in Honduras, as they
should--here in Washington, DC, and in the Senate, not so
much.
Senator Collins and Senator Durbin have talked about
some of the ``gangs'' this Senator from Arkansas has been
involved in, which I think most of us would say are doing
the Lord's work, doing good work. Mark is a man of deep
faith, as we know, and he has been a great role model for
the rest of us.
Mark has reminded me before--and maybe some others as
well--that in the Old Testament, in Proverbs, we are
reminded we should always pray for wisdom. That is
something I pray for every night--not just for my
colleagues, of course, but certainly for me. All I can say
is the good Lord has answered his prayer.
One of the reasons he has ended up as a member of these
gangs for good is because he has so much wisdom. He is a
good listener. He is just a very wise human being.
It has been a joy serving with him. He got here in 2003.
He raised his right hand here and took the oath of office
in 2003. He came through orientation for new Senators, and
I talked to him about it later, and I asked, ``How was
orientation, Mark?'' He said, ``Well, it lasted about that
long. It was over. If you are a Democrat, we are going to
put you over here, and if you are a Republican, we will
put you over here, and it was just like, have at it.'' He
and I talked about it, and we said, ``That doesn't make
much sense.''
As an attorney general and a member of the Attorneys
General Association, and myself as a former Governor and a
member of the National Governors Association, we had a
robust orientation program for new attorneys general and
for new Governors. The Presiding Officer is a former
Governor of Maine, and he recalls that well. I think one
of the reasons why the Governors are less partisan and
more likely to work across the aisle to get things done
together--and the same with the attorneys general--is
because of that orientation that occurs a couple weeks
after the election. We didn't have anything like that in
the Senate. So Senator Pryor, along with former Governor
and Senator Voinovich, former Governor Alexander and
myself decided to see if we could get some kind of
orientation program here for Senators. Now when people
show up a couple weeks after getting elected new Senators,
they no longer get put over in one corner as Democrats and
one corner as Republicans and are told to go at it. They
spend some time together--maybe the most concentrated time
they will have together during the time they are here--
with folks of the other party. Those of us who are
Senators and spouses and chaplains and so forth go in and
provide information and tell them to learn from our
mistakes--those of us who have made plenty of them--and
you won't make those same mistakes.
One of the things Senator Pryor is especially good at
doing is trying to connect each new Senator with a
mentor--a Democratic Member and a Republican Member--and
he was dogged in that. Not that everybody needs a mentor,
but we all need friends. We need friends on both sides of
the aisle, and you will keep those friendships for a long
time.
I was a naval officer for 23 years. When I was a 17-
year-old graduate from high school, I went off to Ohio
State to eventually become a Navy midshipman. I did that
for 4 years, 5 years as a naval flight officer in a hot
war in Southeast Asia, and 18 in the cold war until I
retired in 1991. I started learning about leadership when
I was pretty young--something I learned before I became a
midshipman. But among the things I learned about
leadership is that a leader should be humble, not haughty.
A leader should say do as I do, not do as I say. Leaders
should have the heart of a servant, and we should come
here with the idea of serving. The Scriptures we read say,
``He who would be a leader must be a servant to all; he
who would be first should be a slave to all.''
A leader should have the courage to stay out of step
when everybody else is marching to the wrong tune. A
leader shouldn't ask what is the easy thing to do, the
speedy thing to do; they should ask what is the right
thing to do. And a leader, as has already been said, a
leader should ask the question asked of a rabbi some 2,000
years ago. A rabbi was asked: What is the most important
commandment of all? He mentioned what one was, and then he
said the second one is love our neighbors as ourselves. I
think that is the most important one of all. Leaders are
like that.
I just wish to say that I think my friend, ``Hey, man,''
also known as Senator Mark Pryor, personifies that kind of
leader. God knows we need more of them. He has
demonstrated by his own character and behavior what he
believes.
I am tempted to say we are going to miss him, but we are
still going to see a lot of him. In the Navy, when
somebody has done a great job, we say two words: Bravo
Zulu. So I say that to my friend.
We also have this admonition. The Navy has the tradition
of hailing farewell on a ship or submarine or aircraft
carrier, whatever squadron you are on. When people come
in, we have an event called a hail and farewell party.
When it is over, for those who are leaving, we say:
Farewell and a following sea.
So I would say this: Farewell and a following sea, and
we will see much more of you in the future.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). The Senator from
Alabama.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I thank Senator Carper for
those good remarks, and I think they reflect the quality
and the character Mark Pryor has displayed as a Member of
this Senate.
I have been asked: Who are some of your favorite people
across the aisle, Democratic people whom you respect and
like? Mark Pryor has always been at the top of that list.
We have both served as attorneys general of our States.
We have a number of things to talk about. I have been able
to commiserate with him over Arkansas football in recent
years. We kind of keep up with those things a lot.
I just would wish to say something that I basically said
at the National Prayer Breakfast several years ago.
Senator Pryor and I were cochairmen, and I was able to
say, with great confidence, that Mark Pryor is one of the
best people I have ever served with in the Senate. He is a
man of faith and integrity, and his ego is under control--
not always so around this place, and it makes it run
better. He is collegial, willing to work with people
across the aisle, work within his own party, and not one
who has had difficulty making decisions. He has done what
he thought was right year after year here in this great
Senate.
We had the opportunity to lead the Senate Prayer
Breakfast and then the National Prayer Breakfast twice,
and it was a special time. Mark really did a great job and
spent a great deal of time meeting with people from all
over the world. I think the depth of his faith is quite
obvious.
To Mark I wish to say that you are special to me. Your
service in the Senate has been very special. You have
always done what you thought was right for your State and
done so in a way that is so pleasant and collegial to work
with. I know you will have some great adventures ahead. It
looks even like the Razorbacks are coming back. They may
give Alabama and Auburn a real hard time next year--who
knows. Hope springs eternal. They did pretty well at the
end of this year, I have to say. A monster may be arising
in Arkansas--who knows.
We do have a great Senate, with less than 2,000 people
having served in this body. We have people of talent and
ability throughout, but there are people over the period
of years that touch you as the genuine article, people
whom you respect and admire, and, Mark, you are one of
those. God bless you and Godspeed.
I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. I join my colleagues today in all the
good words that are being said about my friend Senator
Pryor. I got to know Senator Pryor best in the Commerce
Committee, where early on he scored a major victory for
the children of this country. That was at a time we
learned that toys and children's products that contained
lead were being brought in from all over the world. We
actually had a young child in Minnesota whose mom went out
and bought a pair of Reebok tennis shoes, and with the
tennis shoes came a little charm. That little child
swallowed that charm, and that little child died. He did
not die from choking on the charm; he died over a period
of days when the lead went into his system. That is just
one example. Senator Pryor was heading up the Consumer
Subcommittee, and we took a major vote to change the
standards of lead in children's products, including
jewelry and toys, and it was a huge bipartisan vote, a
very important bill, what was called one of the most
important pieces of consumer legislation in decades.
Senator Pryor got that done.
Later, while he was head of that subcommittee, we had a
little girl in Minnesota named Abigail Taylor who died in
a swimming pool. All she was doing was playing in a kiddie
pool, and she happened to be sitting in the middle of the
pool. The pool drain malfunctioned and basically sucked
her insides out. She survived for a year. When Mark Pryor
came to Minnesota, he met with that little girl and her
dad. She later died after a surgery to try to save her
life.
We worked after that to get the bill passed--named after
Howard Baker's grandchild, who had also died in a similar
circumstance--to make sure that all these public pool
drains--from apartments to YMCAs; you name it--were
checked. There has been a decrease in the number of
deaths. We do not hear about them on the news like we used
to, and that is because of Mark Pryor's work in the Senate
subcommittee.
So I know the Taylor family--that was my proudest
moment, standing back in the Cloakroom and calling them.
They believed after they met Mark Pryor that it would be
easy to pass this bill, that we could get this done. It
wasn't quite that easy. It took a few months. We had to
end up putting it in the energy bill to get it done. But
being able to call Scott Taylor, who never gave up
believing Congress could get something done--that is just
one more example of the work Senator Pryor has done. So I
thank him for that.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to take a few
minutes to salute my colleagues who are departing the
Senate at the end of this year with the conclusion of the
113th Congress: Mark Begich of Alaska, Saxby Chambliss of
Georgia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Kay Hagan of North
Carolina, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Mike Johanns of Nebraska,
Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana,
Carl Levin of Michigan, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia, Mark Udall of Colorado, and
John Walsh of Montana.
They have all worked hard, ceaselessly giving their
energy and considerable time and service to their
constituents, to their home States and to our country. I
want to thank them for their service and for their
kindness to me over many years in so many cases. In
particular, I want to say a few words about these
colleagues. ...
Mark Pryor and I have worked together on the
Appropriations Committee. We have worked together on a
number of initiatives. I want to thank him particularly
for his role in trying to help States like Rhode Island be
included in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. I
thank Mark for that. I offer him my fondest wishes. ...
Along with all of my other colleagues who are leaving us
at the conclusion of the 113th Congress, let me thank them
for their service, their dedication to improving the lives
of Americans, and on a very personal level for their
friendship. I wish them all well.
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today we honor the
dedicated public service of my dear friend and colleague,
Senator Mark Pryor from Arkansas.
For Mark Pryor, public service is a calling--one that
goes to the roots of who he is. Mark Pryor is the fifth
generation in his family to serve in public office.
Beholden to no party, no special interests, Senator
Pryor's singular objective in Washington has been to make
lives better for the people of the State his family calls
home. The sign on his desk says ``Arkansas Comes First.''
It was his father's campaign slogan a generation ago, and
that's the priority that guided Mark Pryor from the day he
arrived in the Senate.
When Senator Pryor learned that a widow in Greenwood,
AR, was being deprived death benefits because her husband
died at home, instead of in combat, Senator Pryor crafted
an amendment to change that Pentagon rule, restoring the
full death benefit for the widow--and fixing it
permanently so it would be available to other surviving
spouses.
A deeply patriotic man, with a profound respect for
those who serve, Senator Pryor is the author of the HIRE
At Home Act, which encourages companies to consider
military experience for servicemembers reentering the
workforce.
But he has also fought to bring down the costs of
Arkansans' prescriptions and to protect the social safety
net. When FEMA demanded back pay for Federal disaster aid
it provided to Arkansas, Senator Pryor made sure the rule
got changed.
I was honored this past year to partner with Senator
Pryor on the Bring Jobs Home Act, to prevent companies
from being rewarded for shipping jobs overseas and giving
them an incentive to bring those jobs that have left our
borders back home again.
Of course, Senator Pryor served as chairman of the
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related
Agencies. So as author of the 2014 farm bill, I relied on
Senator Pryor as a partner. He introduced the Forest
Products Fairness Act, which helps timber farmers in
Arkansas and across the Nation qualify for USDA's
BioPreferred Program.
During an age of partisan strife, Senator Pryor has
provided sanctuary for those who seek compromise. I share
the sentiment he expressed in his farewell address--it is
imperative that we come to work not wearing jerseys of red
or blue but ones that have red, white, and blue.
It saddens me that my dear friend, Senator Pryor, cannot
join us in this enterprise, because he has truly been a
voice of civility and reason. But I have no doubt he will
find new ways to serve the country and the State that he
loves.
I wish him Godspeed in his future efforts.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Mr. COONS. ... As I close, I would also like to thank
those of our colleagues who will be leaving the Senate
after the New Year.
It is an incredible privilege to work in this Chamber
and to represent the people. Every day I am awed by the
dedication and talent of many of my colleagues, public
servants who come to work to fight for their States and
their government.
To those who are ending their service in the Senate,
know that I value your friendship and partnership. It has
been an honor to work with you, and I thank you for all
you have done for our Nation.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, it is one of the Senate's great
traditions at the close of each session of Congress to
take a moment to note the service of those of our
colleagues who are leaving the Senate at the end of the
year. It is a time for us to express our appreciation to
our fellow Senators for their service and share what we
have learned from them as we worked together to make a
difference in our States and in our Nation.
I have often thought that Mark has one great overriding
rule that has guided him in his work in the Senate, ``Is
this what the people of Arkansas sent me here to do?''
More often than not the answer to that question has helped
him to develop a strategy to get things done that were
designed to make his home State and our Nation better
places to live.
Ask just about any one of us here in the Senate what has
made Mark Pryor such an effective legislator and you will
get the same answer--bipartisanship. In fact, he was so
good at it, we might need to come up with a different word
to explain his strategy, something like Pryor-itize. For
Mark, the best way to get things done was to get everyone
involved--all parties, all sides of an issue, and
representatives of every point in between--together and
then take the best of what everyone had to offer to form a
coalition that would bring his legislative effort to a
successful conclusion.
That is why both parties would often try to recruit him
for their legislative projects. Each party knew he had a
great ability to persuade that would help to bring other
Members together to support their efforts.
I have often said that serving in the Senate is a great
adventure. If it were anything else, it would be too much
like work and too hard a job to take on. Because it is an
adventure it is something more--it is a chance to take on
the greatest challenge there is, leaving the world a
better place than we found it when we first walked through
the doors of the Senate, and find new, creative, and
inventive ways to make it happen.
As he closes this chapter of his life, his Senate
adventure, Mark can be very proud of his efforts, and his
successes over the years. He has a great deal to be proud
of and I hope it brings him the satisfaction that comes
from knowing he has taken on a difficult job and done it
well.
I know I will miss seeing Mark around campus here in
Washington, DC. I will miss his willingness to help on
those tough challenging issues we always seem to have
before us. I will also miss his words of faith and
determination that he would share with us during our
Prayer Breakfasts.
I hope you will keep in touch with us in the days to
come with news of your next great adventure in life. Thank
you for your service to our country, thank you for your
focus on making Arkansas and our Nation better places to
live, and, most of all, thank you for your friendship.
Good luck in all your future endeavors. God bless.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes to
retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and that
Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December
23, 2014.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I am honored to stand here
and recognize my colleague and friend, Arkansas' senior
Senator Mark Pryor, for his service to our State, his
contributions to our country, and his work across the
aisle.
I have worked with Senator Pryor during his entire
service in the Senate, both as a Member of the House and
as a colleague in the Senate. While we don't always agree
on policy, we always agree that we need to do what is best
for Arkansas and what is best for our Nation.
Mark is always ready to step forward, find a solution,
and resolve an issue. He is always ready to extend a hand
to the other side of the aisle to get support, and he
always has Arkansas on his mind.
Over the last 4 years, we have introduced several pieces
of legislation together, and you will find our names as
cosponsors of several other pieces of legislation that all
have one goal--helping the people of Arkansas and helping
the people of our country.
There is a long-standing tradition of collaboration in
the Arkansas delegation. When I was elected to the House
in 2001, longtime Arkansas Congressman John Paul
Hammerschmidt gave me some advice I have tried to live by
since coming to Washington. He said, ``John, always
remember that once the election is over, it is time to put
away the political differences and focus on helping the
people of Arkansas.'' That is how the delegation worked
during John Paul's 26 years of congressional service,
which included service with Mark's dad, Senator David
Pryor, and that is how Mark and I operated as well.
I appreciate the welcome Mark gave to me and the help
his office offered to my staff when I moved over here to
the Senate in 2011. I value his friendship, thank him for
his service, and appreciate all he has done for the people
of Arkansas. I wish him well in the next chapter of his
life.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am going to take just a
minute, because time is running out, to talk about a
couple of Senators.
I rise to honor Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas upon his
departure from this institution. I have been in the Senate
28 years, and there has been a Pryor here for 22 of those
years. I first worked with Mark's dad, David Pryor. David
Pryor left this institution because he had quite a
significant heart attack. What a fine Senator. I have said
before, and I will say again, he was the best legislator I
ever served with, whether during my experience in the
State legislature of Nevada or here: David Pryor. He was
very good.
Six years after David left, Mark came. What a good
legislator he is. He is just such a fine person. But it is
no surprise to me that he followed in his dad's footsteps.
After all, the Pryor family has worked as public servants
in Arkansas for five generations. Mark's great-great-
grandfather was a sheriff. Mark's great-grandfather was a
sheriff. Mark's grandfather Edgar was a county sheriff
also in Arkansas. In fact, just last year, an Arkansan
said to Mark, ``I'm for Mark Pryor not because of his dad
David but because of Edgar.'' That is how deep the Pryor
roots run in Arkansas.
On Mark's desk is a plaque that reads: ``Arkansas Comes
First.'' This was a plaque that was on his dad's desk and
that Mark put on his desk. This has been Mark's mission
since he has been here--to put Arkansas first. The Senate
and the entire country have benefited from the influence
of the Pryors in the U.S. Senate--David and Mark.
Mark was born in Fayetteville, grew up in Little Rock,
and attended the University of Arkansas as an
undergraduate and later to law school. While working as an
attorney in private practice, he began his public service
in 1990, when he ran for a seat in the house of
representatives. He was elected and served there for 4
years.
In 1996, Mark was faced with the fight of his life. He
had a situation occur near his Achilles tendon on one of
his legs. They tried physical therapy, but it didn't seem
to get well, and they discovered he had a very rare form
of cancer--clear-cell sarcoma--in his left leg. So it is
an understatement to say it was a trying experience for
Mark. He was faced with the prospect of dying or losing
his leg.
Mark was buoyed in this difficult experience that he had
by his family, his friends, and the people of Arkansas
praying for him. It was quite a spiritual experience for
Mark and his family. This experience deepened his
compassion for those who suffer physically, financially,
and emotionally, and he has translated that into his
public service.
In 1998, he was elected attorney general of the State of
Arkansas. In his 2002 senatorial election he bucked the
national trend to become the only Democrat to defeat a
Republican incumbent. Bucking trends would quickly become
one of his hallmarks here on Capitol Hill. As a Senator,
he has shown courage in voting according to his
conscience.
Key among his legislative accomplishments have been
bills to extend tax benefits and improve medical services
for men and women to make the products that people buy,
especially products for children, safe. He has also been a
strong advocate for honest and transparent business
practices in order to preserve our American tradition of
responsible free enterprise.
His respect for tradition extends to the Senate itself.
I say this for a number of reasons, but once a reporter
asked him what he would do if he had absolute power over
Congress. In his characteristic fashion, he responded he
would instill in his fellow Senators greater respect for
each other and for the world's greatest deliberative body.
That is what Mark Pryor said.
While some may have disagreed with Mark, they never ever
questioned his sincerity, his integrity. I admire his
impeccable dedication to his conscience.
Mark Twain said, ``The proper office of a friend is to
side with you when you are in the wrong. Nearly anybody
will side with you when you are in the right.''
With apologies to Mark Twain, if eternal agreement were
the price of friendship, we would all have fewer friends.
Friendship can transcend policy preferences, as Mark's and
mine do. We agree on most everything. There are a few
things we don't agree on politically, but that doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter because he is my friend.
He is a friend to my wife and me. It is no secret there
are many people--the Republican leader and his wife--who
reached out to console me and Landra during her terrible
accident, and then when the cancer was ravaging her body.
But she pulled through that. And one reason she did, I am
convinced, is Mark Pryor. Mark Pryor, who almost died from
cancer, called my wife often--texted her often telling
her: You are going to be OK; don't be afraid. So my wife
loves Mark Pryor.
We were talking about the elections not long ago, and I
said, ``I have never prayed to win an election, and this
election I didn't either.'' She said, ``Well, I did.''
That is how she feels about Mark Pryor.
I am really honored to have served with Mark Pryor, who
is such a genuine person, so sincere. He has been an
invaluable asset, his service here in the Senate. I
congratulate Mark on his exemplary service here in the
Senate.
Mark will always be my friend. There is a quote that
bears directly on my feelings about Senator Pryor: ``A
good friend is hard to find, hard to lose, and impossible
to forget.'' I will never ever forget Mark Pryor. He is a
unique, one of a kind, kind, thoughtful, considerate man.
Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will now speak very briefly
about my retiring colleagues and then turn it over to the
Senator from Florida [Mr. Nelson]. I promise I will be
brief.
Everybody will face retirement, voluntarily or
involuntarily. There will be a last vote to cast and a
last speech to make. Only God knows when that day comes
because we are all just one car wreck away from ending our
careers.
To the retiring Members, I have had the pleasure of
serving with you, and I know you all. You did what you
thought was best for our country and your State, and what
more could anyone ask? My good friend Mark Pryor, who
tried to find common ground at a time when it is hard to
find. Mary Landrieu, who would drill under the Capitol if
she thought it would help American energy independence. We
have good friends on the other side, and I will miss you,
and I wish you well. But I would like very briefly to
speak about four. ...
To all of you, Godspeed. I wish you nothing but the
best.
I am fortunate enough to go into my third term. To my
colleagues, as we go into the next Congress, let's try to
do better. I know we can. If we do, all boats will rise.
Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I honor my friend Mark
Pryor. For 12 years Senator Pryor has served the people of
Arkansas in this body. He is independent, open-minded, and
hard working. He will be missed.
Senator Pryor comes from a distinguished Arkansas
political family. His father, David Pryor, was Governor of
and later Senator from Arkansas. Mark was born in
Fayetteville, AR, and attended college at the University
of Arkansas. He received a law degree from the University
of Arkansas School of Law and then spent several years in
private practice.
In 1991, Senator Pryor was elected to the Arkansas House
of Representatives. Eight years later he was elected
attorney general of Arkansas. In 2002, Mark won election
to the U.S. Senate from Arkansas, winning the same seat
his father once held.
In the Senate, Mark has distinguished himself through
his independence and his willingness to reach across party
lines. Although Mark and I have not always agreed, I have
always known he has acted in what he firmly believes are
the best interests of his State.
Senator Pryor has served on a number of important
committees during his time in the Senate, including the
Appropriations Committee, the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation. I have been
fortunate to work with him on a number of important pieces
of legislation, on topics ranging from medical care to
homeland security to victim restitution. He has been a
strong partner in these efforts, and I have been grateful
to have him as an ally.
Senator Pryor is a decent and thoughtful man. He has
served his State honorably. I wish him and his family the
very best.
Ms. HEITKAMP. Madam President, I wish to honor my
colleague, Senator Mark Pryor, who will be leaving the
Senate at the end of this Congress. Senator Pryor has been
a tireless champion for the people of Arkansas for 12
years in this legislative body. However, his commitment
and dedication to the State of Arkansas is reflected not
only in his work here, but in the public service he and
his family have given for decades.
As the son of a former Governor and U.S. Senator,
Senator Mark Pryor grew up in a family that embodied
public service, instilling his interest and desire to do
the same in his career. After attending the University of
Arkansas and working in the private sector as an attorney,
he turned his sights to public service. While serving as a
member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and then
as attorney general for the State of Arkansas, Senator
Pryor honed his understanding of the needs of the State
and developed strong connections through its institutions
which served him well throughout his career. It was here
that I first met Mark. He was serving as attorney general
in Arkansas at the same time I was serving as attorney
general in North Dakota. I was immediately impressed with
this young public servant and grew to understand that he
is intelligent and principled in how he approaches his
life and career. In 2003, Senator Pryor was elected U.S.
Senator from Arkansas, reclaiming the seat his father once
held.
As a Senator, he served on various committees that
allowed him to fight for the priorities of Arkansas, pass
legislation and champion initiatives which helped this
Nation. During his tenure on the Armed Services Committee,
Senator Pryor protected the interests of Arkansas
servicemembers and their families. His work on the
Appropriations and Commerce Committees created
opportunities for growth in transportation, rural
broadband, energy, and agriculture, all critical interests
for Arkansas. Leading these issues with bipartisan
proposals and working closely with his colleagues on
marshalling these efforts Congress after Congress, Senator
Pryor earned the respect of his colleagues for his quiet
devotion and steadfast commitment.
Mark is a Senator who promotes commonsense solutions--
solutions that seek strong support and address some of the
more important needs of this Nation's citizenry. During my
short time in the Senate, we served together on the
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Small
Business Committees. I very much enjoyed working with him
and serving together for the benefit of others. I continue
to find him to be a man of great honesty and integrity.
This type of stewardship is to be admired and appreciated
by those inspired to serve on the local, State, or Federal
level.
I applaud my colleague for his years of tireless
commitment in defense of his home State, for his service
in the Senate and this country. I wish the very best to
him and his family in the years to come.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, since 2002, Senator Mark
Pryor has been a dedicated representative in the U.S.
Senate for the people of Arkansas. Throughout his career
he has carried on a strong family tradition of service. I
worked alongside his father, Senator David Pryor, for
nearly 20 years. Both father and son are two of the finest
public servants I have known. Their conscientiousness and
their decency are but two of the many distinguishing
features of their work in this body.
Throughout his tenure here, Mark Pryor has been a fierce
defender of and advocate for rural communities, a
commitment both he and I share. He has promoted expansion
of rural broadband infrastructure to ensure that families,
farmers, businesses, and students in even the most rural
communities in Arkansas, in Vermont, and across the Nation
have access to the World Wide Web. As the chairman of the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, he has been a
partner of mine in working to ensure that farms small and
large have the resources and support to maintain and
contribute to the rich agricultural history of the Nation.
We have also worked together to advance key conservation
programs to help protect farmlands across the country.
I have also greatly admired Senator Pryor's commitment
to the National Guard. As cochair of the Senate National
Guard Caucus I have seen how active and effective he has
been as a caucus member and as a valued ally in our
bipartisan efforts to protect, defend, and bolster
resources for the men and women of the National Guard.
In the day-to-day work of the Senate, I will miss
Senator Pryor's insight, his evenhandedness, and his
friendship. He has been a passionate voice in the Senate
for the people of Arkansas. I wish him and the entire
Pryor family all the best in the years ahead.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as we wind down the final days
of the 113th Congress, it is a good time both to reflect
on the past and to look toward the future. I have been
very moved as I listened to the farewell speeches of our
departing Senators, and I wish I had time to pay tribute
to each one of them. They have all been wonderful
colleagues, and I enjoyed working with and getting to know
every one of them. I wish them all the very best in all
their future endeavors. They will most certainly be
missed. ...
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, before this Congress ends, I
wanted to pay tribute to several of my colleagues who will
not be here when we convene next year. Some chose not to
run again, and others unfortunately lost their reelection
campaigns, but we will miss them all next year. I begin in
order of seniority. ...
Mr. President, Senator Mark Pryor comes from a family
with a history of public service. Mark served as Arkansas
attorney general before being elected to the Senate in
2002, occupying the same Senate seat his father David
held. As a member of the Agriculture Committee, Mark
fought hard to protect the interests of Arkansas' farmers,
and through his position on the Homeland Security and
Government Affairs Committee he pushed for regulatory
reform, all the while asking how each decision he made
would impact people back in Arkansas. Through his work,
Mark embodied what it meant to be a public servant. ...
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, Senator Mark Pryor of
Arkansas has served the people of Arkansas in the Senate
for the last 12 years, guided by his strong faith and
determination to bridge the partisan divide.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator
Pryor has successfully directed Federal assistance to his
Arkansas constituents, helping to strengthen his State's
economy. As a member of the Commerce Committee, he
prioritized bringing broadband Internet service to the
rural parts of Arkansas. When Senator Pryor served on the
Senate Armed Services Committee, he successfully
introduced and passed legislation to provide tax relief
for our servicemembers deployed in combat zones, as well
as legislation to more quickly inform military families
when their loved ones are injured in combat.
Senator Pryor has time and again proved his dedication
to the State where he was born and raised, and I wish to
thank him for his service in the Senate.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wish to celebrate and thank
the 13 outgoing Senators who have worked tirelessly to
represent their home States in the Senate: Senator Mark
Begich, Senator Saxby Chambliss, Senator Tom Coburn,
Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Mike
Johanns, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator Mary Landrieu,
Senator Carl Levin, Senator Mark Pryor, Senator Jay
Rockefeller, Senator Mark Udall, and Senator John Walsh.
I have worked side by side with these men and women for
years--some for decades--and witnessed first hand their
extraordinary commitment to public service and to the
people they so proudly represent.
Even when we didn't see eye to eye on every issue, I
always deeply respected and admired their service to our
Nation and their dedication to fight for what they believe
in.
It has been a privilege to serve alongside each and
every one of these extraordinary colleagues. I will miss
their leadership and their friendship, and I wish them all
the best as they embark on the next chapter.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I wish to say a few words
about my colleague, Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, who
will be ending his tenure in the Senate at the end of this
Congress.
The Pryor name is synonymous with public service in
Arkansas. Mark's father, David, served Arkansas in the
U.S. House, as Governor, and in the U.S. Senate. In fact,
Mark succeeded his father in the U.S. Senate after serving
in the State legislature and as attorney general.
Throughout his two terms in the Senate, Mark has been a
workhorse and not a show horse. As he noted in his
farewell remarks, he is not one to attend many press
conferences. But he certainly has done a lot of work on
behalf of the people of Arkansas. In 12 years in the
Senate he has worked to get 70 laws passed--many on a
bipartisan basis.
His work improves the lives of Americans and our youth
each day--from his work in consumer product safety, access
to health care, veterans issues, and more. He has fought
to protect Medicare, and to support Arkansas' farmers,
small businesses, and middle class families.
That may be why in his 2008 reelection to the Senate he
earned more votes than any statewide elected official in
Arkansas history.
Senator Pryor told us in his farewell to look inside our
desks and see the names written in the drawer, to see the
predecessors who have come before us. These names can
serve as a reminder of what we all are here for and what
large shoes we must fill, as well as how we must
collaborate to get things done.
Mark has spoken about the fact that politics is about
people--both the people we serve and the people we serve
with.
While there are many good people serving here, we will
all miss the work ethic, warmth, and charm that Mark
brought to the Senate during his service.
It has been an honor serving as his colleague.
Aloha, Mark, a hui hou, ``until we meet again.''