January 12, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S285 entire career, the error should not disqualify tending the same schools, and using In other words, they didn’t really him. Eric Holder should be confirmed as At- the same restrooms, restaurants, swim- know MITCH MCCONNELL. They didn’t torney General. ming pools, and other public accom- know about how he overcame polio at That statement of support is from modations. It is one more measure of age 2, undergoing an intensive therapy James Comey, a Republican, and the how far America has come that we now regimen at the Roosevelt Warm chief prosecutor of Marc Rich who was have a chance to confirm a distin- Springs Institute for Rehabilitation entrusted with major responsibilities guished African American to be the top and obeying doctors’ orders not to in the Department of Justice under law enforcement officer in America. walk or run for 2 years. That took de- President Bush. He is a man who knows After 8 years of the Justice Depart- termination, and MITCH showed that that Department very well. ment trampling the Constitution and early on. Mr. Comey’s opinion is also shared by often putting politics over principle, Senator MCCONNELL’s service to his Larry Thompson, another prominent we now have a chance to confirm a State and Nation is as varied as it is Republican who served for several nominee with strong bipartisan sup- impressive. After serving as a student years as Deputy Attorney General port who can restore the Justice De- body president and graduating with under President Bush. Mr. THOMPSON partment to its rightful role as the pro- honors at the had this to say about Eric Holder and tector of our laws and renew America’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1964, he the Rich pardon: faith in our system of justice. went on to law school at the University There’s no way you can have a high-profile This week, before the Senate Judici- of , where he was elected job in Washington like the deputy attorney ary Committee, on which the Presiding president of the Student Bar Associa- general without attracting some kind of con- Officer also serves—we will have an op- tion and earned a law degree. troversy. That matter has been fully inves- portunity to ask questions of Mr. Hold- He followed that by working as an in- tigated, and it should be put behind him. er. I will be asking him many of the tern for Senator Let me also read the statement of an- same questions I have asked of former and as a chief legislative assistant to other high-profile Republican, Ed Rog- Senator Ashcroft, Mr. Gonzales, and Senator , which provided ers, who served in two Republican Mr. Mukasey. him with invaluable experience in White Houses. Mr. Rogers said: The answers, I am sure, will be sig- Washington, DC. Other stints followed: Under the Constitution, the President’s au- nificantly different, showing that we He was deputy attorney general under thority to pardon is unlimited. There was no are about to launch a significant President Gerald R. Ford and a county deceit or malfeasance by Holder. Everyone change in America, a change which the judge-executive in Kentucky until he knows this was Bill Clinton’s initiative. Eric American people voted for overwhelm- Holder is innocent. was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on Jan. ingly in November and a change that 3, 1985. Then he added: will be carried forward in a very posi- In whatever position Senator MCCON- tive way at the Department of Justice the Rich pardon is no bar to Eric Holder NELL has served, he has unfailingly being an effective Attorney General—even by Eric Holder as our next Attorney served with distinction. I have had the though we Republicans and some in the General. good fortune of working with MITCH for media will enjoy rehashing it. I yield the floor. years, dating back to his election as a You can question Eric Holder’s judg- f freshman Senator, when he became the ment in the Marc Rich case, but you TRIBUTE TO MITCH MCCONNELL first Republican to win a statewide can’t question his integrity, his inde- race in Kentucky since 1968. In fact, pendence, and his character. Mr. HATCH. Mr. President. I rise A few days ago the Senate Judiciary today to honor my good friend MITCH MITCH was the only Republican in the Committee received a letter of support MCCONNELL, the Senate minority lead- Nation in 1984 to defeat a Democrat in- for Eric Holder from 10 prominent Re- er whose strong leadership, sterling ex- cumbent. To his considerable credit, MITCH has publican lawyers, including former At- ample and wise counsel have earned been defying the odds ever since. For torney General William Barr and him an honored position within the example, during his tenure as chairman former chief counsel to Senator ARLEN ranks of the extraordinary public serv- of the National Republican Senatorial SPECTER of Pennsylvania, Michael ants who now serve or have served in Committee during the late 1990s and O’Neill. This is what the letter said: the U.S. Senate. Senator MCCONNELL is the second early 2000s, the Republicans controlled Due to his character and experience, Eric the Senate—in large part due to his today enjoys the endorsement of literally Kentuckian to lead his party in the thousands of law enforcement officials from U.S. Senate, the first being Senator leadership. across the country, including NAPO (the Na- Alben Barkley, who led Senate Demo- MITCH MCCONNELL is a conservative’s tional Association of Police Organizations), crats from 1937 to 1949. MITCH is now conservative who gets high marks from NDAA (National District Attorneys Associa- the longest-serving Republican Senator the American Conservative Union and tion), PERF (Police Executive Research in Kentucky history, eclipsing the pre- all who know him. Moreover, he is a Forum), NSA (National Sheriffs’ Associa- vious record held by the legendary Sen- scholar and able defender of the Con- tion), NAAUSA (National Association of As- ator John Sherman Cooper. stitution and this great country. Know- sistant U.S. Attorneys), and NOBLE (Na- Today, Senator MCCONNELL has been ing just how deadly terrorists can be, tional Organization of Black Law Enforce- he is deadly serious about protecting ment Executives). . . . As former federal serving as a U.S. Senator for almost a prosecutors and senior officials of the De- quarter century. During that time, America. He also is an outspoken advo- partment of Justice we are profoundly aware four U.S. Presidents, scores of col- cate of the first amendment and a tre- of the challenges that the Department and leagues, and several crises have come mendous parliamentary tactician. the country are facing. Eric Holder is the and gone, but MITCH has carried on When MITCH MCCONNELL talks, people right man at the right time to protect our with courage, boldness and steadfast- listen and pay heed—almost always citizens in the critical years ahead. ness. He has weathered the most turbu- with excellent results. It is worth noting that Eric Holder lent political seas and has always been As good a Senator as MITCH is, he is also has the public support of former a calming influence on his Senate col- an even better man—one who places FBI Director Louie Freeh, as well as leagues while at the helm. principals above partisanship. His love the National Fraternal Order of Police, Few would have predicted that Sen- for his State and our Nation is second which is the world’s largest organiza- ator MCCONNELL would have such stay- to none. He also is loyal, honest and tion of sworn law enforcement officers. ing power when he was first elected to unflappable, which explains why he is One final point: Eric Holder is a his- the Senate in 1984 by a razor-thin mar- held in such high esteem by his Senate toric selection. If confirmed, he would gin—less than half a percentage point. colleagues on both sides of the aisle. be the first African-American Attorney But political pundits and prognos- MITCH is a devoted family man. He is General in our Nation’s history. When I ticators often only skim the surface or the proud father of three beautiful was growing up, there were laws in state the obvious and give short shrift daughters and the loving husband of some States that prevented African to the characteristics that matter outgoing U.S. Secretary of Labor Americans from drinking out of the most in the making of an outstanding Elaine Chao. And he is utterly devoted same water fountains as Whites, at- leader. to the people of Kentucky he so ably

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After earlier. to work with him over the years and many obstacles and years of frustra- Twenty-four years is a long time in look forward to continuing to serve to- tion, I was proud to work closely with politics and in the case of my friend gether in tackling the tremendous MITCH on this effort to sign the buyout from Kentucky, it is historic. challenges confronting our great Na- into law. Many thought it couldn’t be But as someone who sits at the desk tion. done. But we knew it could. his father did before him—who treas- I honor him and his wife Elaine for Then there are the millions of Ken- ures this institution—I know there is a their service and sacrifices and ask for tuckians who have benefited from difference between the length of our God’s blessings on them both. both. MITCH’s work to strengthen higher edu- service and the quality of our service. Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, this is cation. I know firsthand his dedication And let there be no doubt that a day for all Kentuckians and Ameri- to Kentucky’s universities. He under- throughout his two-and-a-half decades cans to celebrate the man I proudly stands that by improving them, we not here, Senator MCCONNELL has tire- call my best friend in the Senate. only help students but entire commu- lessly dedicated himself to the latter. Today we mark an historic occasion nities by developing jobs and building a My friend and I may not agree on ev- for the Commonwealth of Kentucky better workforce. erything. But we both realize the ex- and the Senate, as my colleague, my During his time in the Senate, he has traordinary privilege and opportunity friend, and my party’s leader, MITCH secured over $320 million for research this is. When this institution works, it works MCCONNELL, becomes the longest serv- and infrastructure in Kentucky’s uni- because of people like MITCH MCCON- ing Senator in Kentucky history. versities. And I know he is not finished NELL. Back in 1984, when MITCH first won yet, as that remains one of his highest Having served with him for the past election to this Chamber by just over priorities. 24 years and during our time at the 5,000 out of over 1.2 million votes cast, All of us on this side of the aisle rec- Rules Committee, I had the privilege of some may have doubted that the Jef- ognized MITCH’s ability, and we have seeing my colleague’s remarkable tal- ferson executive and unanimously chosen him to be the Re- ent very closely. newly-elected Senator would go on to publican leader. Everyone in this Chamber knows how become the leader and statesman he is Leading the Senate is like herding difficult the moment was after the today. But some of us had little doubt. cats. Senators are not the kind of peo- Presidential election in 2000. The coun- It was easy to tell MITCH was special ple who are easily led. We are all used try was terribly divided along partisan from the beginning. In 1984, he was the to leading ourselves. lines and feelings in this institution only Republican challenger in the It takes a special kind of man to lead were raw. country to defeat a Democratic incum- all these class-president types, to bal- As chair and ranking member of bent in a Senate race. In Kentucky he ance the different personalities and Rules, the responsibility fell to Sen- was also the first Republican to win a issues that can come out of our con- ator MCCONNELL and me to count the statewide race since 1968. ference. It takes vision and clarity to electoral votes—typically a ceremonial MITCH went on to prove that his ini- be able to define our principles and our duty but one fraught with tension in tial victory was not just luck. Some of mission, to codify them in a way that the wake of the closest Presidential my friends may not know what a every Member can get on board, and to election in American history. prominent role MITCH has played in communicate them to our colleagues We would soon oversee together Kentucky’s political history. He has and the country. And it takes consider- President Bush’s first inaugural as helped to build the thriving two-party able wisdom to maneuver past the well. political system that Kentucky has many legislative obstacles and par- That we were able to get back to today. liamentary land mines that lay in wait business in such short order was a trib- MITCH worked with the focused deter- in the Senate. MITCH MCCONNELL is the ute to MITCH MCCONNELL’s tempera- mination that is his trademark here in right man for the job, and I am proud ment and commitment to this institu- the Senate and aggressively recruited of him as he continues to lead our tion. Republican candidates at every level party in the Senate. And there was some very important throughout the State. He made his case And Kentucky is proud of him, too, business to be done—not the least of to the people of Kentucky, explaining as only the second Kentuckian in his- which was reforming our nation’s vot- his philosophy and his mission. tory and the first in over half a cen- ing laws to ensure there wouldn’t be a As a Republican, he was certainly tury to become a Senate . repeat of ever again. Together, swimming upstream at first. But over In that role, he is able to do even more and over a series of months, he and I time, the people responded. for Kentucky. wrote the Helping America Vote Act. Twenty-four years later, he remains MITCH has graced this Senate with It was a difficult, delicate process— as popular as ever back home. Last No- his leadership, commitment to prin- but the hard work paid off. vember, Kentuckians elected him to a ciple, and his trademark determination Civil rights hero JOHN LEWIS called record fifth term and awarded him for 24 years now 8,775 days, to be exact. HAVA the most important voting nearly 1 million votes the most ever He is now Kentucky’s longest serving rights law since the Voting Rights Act won by a Kentuckian in a statewide Senator. passed in 1965. In part because of Sen- race. On a personal note, I want to say ator MCCONNELL’s commitment to And why shouldn’t Kentucky con- that I couldn’t ask for a better partner working together—to working through tinue to send MITCH MCCONNELL to our in my work to improve our State. Mary difficult issues instead of setting them Nation’s Capital to fight for them? and I will always be thankful for his aside—today Americans have more Look at all he has accomplished on friendship and that of his wife, our confidence in their right to vote pri- their behalf. great Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao. vately and independently. No. 1 on the list is his effort to pass Kentuckians could not have a better We also managed the McCain-Fein- the tobacco buyout one of the most sig- Senator fighting on their behalf. Our gold bill to reform our campaign fi- nificant events in the agricultural his- State is lucky to have him, and so is nance laws on the floor of the Senate— tory of Kentucky. I can’t stress enough this Senate. I congratulate him on another challenge that took consider- that the tobacco buyout, passed in 2004, reaching this very significant mile- able effort on the part of Democrats has helped the livelihoods of tens of stone. and Republicans to work together. To thousands of Kentucky tobacco farm- Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise to set aside those differences and focus on ers, their families, and the many towns join my colleagues in celebrating this what was at stake.

VerDate Nov 24 2008 03:19 Jan 13, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G12JA6.003 S12JAPT1 wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with SENATE January 12, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S287 Senator MCCONNELL did not support Nations charter which expressly recog- President Asad the issue of Hezbollah the McCain-Feingold bill in the end. nizes the right of self-defense under cir- and Hamas, he said if the Palestinian But he was passionate about there cumstances where a nation is attacked. issue could be resolved, those other being a fair process. And that was the factual matter there. matters would fall into place. As another Kentucky son once said, In speaking to Israeli President Peres There is also the potential advantage Justice Louis Brandeis, ‘‘We are not and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, the of trying to move Syria away from the won by arguments that we can analyze, point was made that Israel was taking influence of Iran. That is not an easy but by tone and temper—by the man- this action only as a last resort to pro- matter. But if there were to be an ner, which is the man himself.’’ tect Israeli citizens. Israeli-Syrian peace treaty—and I To me, that is MITCH MCCONNELL—a It is highly significant that the Pal- think that can happen only with the conservative to the marrow but some- estinian Authority, which has had its participation of the —the one who has never forgotten why we differences with Hamas, has backed the prospect would be present of improving come here: Israeli position. We had a discussion that situation of trying to separate To make a difference. with Palestinian Authority Prime Min- Syria from Iran. So I congratulate my colleague and ister Fayyad, who said that the Pales- In , we had a meeting with his family for reaching this remarkable tinian Authority was convinced that General Craddock, who is the NATO milestone. May you continue to expand Israel had acted properly and that the commander there. We discussed a vari- on it for many years to come. Thank Palestinian Authority would do what it ety of subjects, as described in a more you. could to maintain quiet within the Pal- extensive report that I will ask to have printed in the RECORD. f estinian Authority’s jurisdiction in the face of any demonstrations which With respect to our discussions with CONCLUSION OF MORNING might occur. General Craddock, the key point was BUSINESS It is worth noting that Egypt has the issue of what is going on in Afghan- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. backed the Israeli action, noting the istan. General Craddock made the CARDIN). Morning business is closed. aggressive stand taken by Hamas, and point that there cannot be a military victory in Afghanistan but the mili- f Saudi Arabia, too, has noted Hamas’s inappropriate conduct. tary can be successful in securing the DESIGNATING CERTAIN LAND We visited in Vienna with Ambas- situation, that there will have to be COMPONENTS OF THE NATIONAL sador Schulte and discussed at some improvements in the Afghanistan Gov- WILDERNESS PRESERVATION length the International Atomic En- ernment in dealing with the people of SYSTEM—MOTION TO PROCEED ergy Agency efforts to conduct inspec- Afghanistan. General Craddock com- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under tions on what is going on in Iran with mented that he thought it would be a the previous order, the Senate will re- respect to any efforts by Iran to create protracted period of time where we sume the motion to proceed to S. 22, a nuclear weapon. would have to have substantial NATO which the clerk will report. A year ago, I had an opportunity to forces, in addition to those provided by The assistant legislative clerk read meet with IAEA Director Mohamed the United States, to find a resolution as follows: ElBaradei. He was out of town when we of the issues in Afghanistan. I was accompanied on my trip by my A bill (S. 22) to designate certain land as were there. I had a conversation with legislative director, Chris Bradish, my components of the National Wilderness Pres- him by telephone on the issue of the ef- military escort, Phil Skuta, and by Dr. ervation System, to authorize certain pro- forts by the IAEA to conduct the in- Ronald Smith, all of whom did an ex- grams and activities in the Department of spections and that at the moment Iran cellent job. A very comprehensive trip the Interior and the Department of Agri- is not cooperating and, further, inter- culture, and for other purposes. report has been prepared by Mr. national action needs to be taken to be Bradish. I ask unanimous consent to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- sure Iran does meet its obligations have printed in the RECORD, as if stated ator from Pennsylvania is recognized. under international agreements and Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask in full on the floor, the trip report. that there are adequate safeguards to There being no objection, the mate- unanimous consent to speak for up to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear 10 minutes. I have conferred with the rial was ordered to be printed in the weapon. RECORD, as follows: Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. COBURN, When we were in Syria, Iran’s activi- REPORT ON FOREIGN TRAVEL who was scheduled to speak first. That ties on that subject were discussed Mr. President, as is my custom, when I re- is satisfactory with him. I further ask with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad. unanimous consent that Senator turn from foreign travel, I file a report with On the Iranian subject, President Asad the Senate. COBURN be recognized at the conclusion urged that action be taken to try to From December 25, 2008 to January 5, 2009, of my remarks. get the inspections, and that would be I traveled to the United Kingdom, Israel, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without a more productive line than chal- Syria, Austria, Belgium, Norway, and Ice- objection, it is so ordered. lenging whatever rights Iran had as- land. I was accompanied by my wife, Joan, The Senator from Pennsylvania is serted. my Legislative Director, Chris Bradish, my recognized. military escort, Phil Skuta, Colonel, USMC, In our discussions with President and Dr. Ronald Smith, Captain, USN. REPORT ON FOREIGN TRAVEL Asad, the subject of a potential Israel- ISRAEL Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have Syria peace treaty was discussed. The I departed the United States on December sought recognition to speak briefly Syrians have made it plain that they 25th and made a brief stop in London en about foreign travel which I undertook are interested in a return of the Golan route to Israel. We arrived in Israel on the over the past recess, focusing prin- Heights. Only Israel can decide for evening of December 26th. This was my cipally on the Mideast and on Europe. itself whether it is willing to give up twenty-sixth visit to Israel since joining the My group arrived in Jerusalem on the Golan with respect to whatever Senate in 1981. Almost exactly a year after December 26, late in the evening on strategic advantage the Golan may my previous visit to Israel, the domestic po- Friday. The next day, the hostilities litical landscape had changed significantly. have. Obviously, it is a different world Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tendered his arose in Gaza. I had an occasion to dis- strategically today than it was in 1967 resignation on September 21, 2008, and gen- cuss this matter with a number of offi- when Israel captured the Golan eral elections are set for February 10, 2009. cials in Israel and also with Prime Min- Heights. One of the major questions being posed to ister Fayyad of the Palestinian Au- It is my view that there could be sub- the major parties is how best to approach thority. stantial advantages for Israel in terms the peace process. As is well known from the news re- of Syrian concessions in a number of A 6-month truce between Israel and Hamas ports, the Israeli action was taken in directions to leave Lebanon as a sov- ended on December 19, 2008. United Nations data showed that fewer rockets were fired at response to shelling by Hamas on Israel ereign nation without efforts to desta- Israeli towns in the initial few months fol- over a protracted period of time. bilize Lebanon but withdrawing any lowing the onset of the truce on June 19, Israel’s action was legal under inter- Syrian support from Hezbollah and also 2008. The Times reported on De- national law, Article 51 of the United from Hamas. When we discussed with cember 19 that, ‘‘more than 300 rockets were

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