December 6, 2018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7325 He has been a leading voice on hous- I will admit, though, that I am plen- began to apply his skills of construc- ing reform, of course, and the combina- ty excited to see what this hugely ac- tion to help find decent homes for near- tion of his background with his post on complished individual will get into ly 10,000 people in Chattanooga. the Foreign Relations Committee has next, and there is plenty of talk about I met BOB CORKER 25 years ago. It led to some unique BOB CORKER accom- what mission is next in the queue. was 1993. His friend Jimmy Haslam, plishments. Just this year, he has been I have heard his name is in the hat who was his roommate at the Univer- hard at work on the BUILD Act to for an opportunity envied by many in sity of Tennessee, called me and said overhaul how America makes loans to this Chamber, and that is the chance to he had this friend who was thinking new projects in the developing world. spend a lot more time with family. I about public service, and he wondered He was also a key champion of the am sure Elizabeth and the family will if I would talk to him. Jimmy Haslam electrify Africa bill that became law in oblige with a smooth confirmation is today the owner of the Cleveland 2016, laying groundwork for a more sta- process. Browns. When they first knew each ble power grid across that continent. I have to admit, whatever comes other, I believe, according to CORKER, There are also other subtler ways he next, I really doubt we will be able to they spent a lot of their time sitting on has remained the consummate busi- call it a retirement in any ordinary the roof of the fraternity house at the nessman. Tennesseans know that many sense of the word. You see, I have University of Tennessee drinking beer. of the good things their junior Senator heard what happens when BOB CORKER Nevertheless, BOB CORKER and I has achieved for his home State didn’t tries to relax. walked up and down the beach at Hil- even involve legislation. Every bit the Apparently, there was one summer ton Head, SC, for what must have been former mayor, BOB has continued to when he endeavored to take up water- an hour and a half. In his typical BOB hustle to convince every new job and skiing. You know—nice, lazy days; CORKER way, he was weighing both new investment in sight why his home soak in the sunshine. Well, that didn’t sides—all sides—of the issue. Should I State is the place for them—phone call last very long. BOB went all in. He run for the U.S. Senate? Should I run by phone call, meeting by meeting. practiced and practiced and kept at it for Governor of Tennessee—which So the Senate is preparing to say all summer, and soon he was a master- might be better suited to somebody goodbye to one of our most energetic ful but somewhat exhausted and with his executive background. and accomplished Members. We will burned-out water-skier. Once the chal- He ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994, miss his enthusiasm and his expertise, lenge was gone, on to the next thing, which would have been a very good but we will also miss his famous gen- on to the next deal, on to the next con- year for a Republican to do that, with erosity and the great kindness every- struction project. one exception. He had a primary, and one close to BOB jumps at the chance So, BOB, we will miss you a lot. The he was defeated by Bill Frist, a doctor to describe. Senate and the great State of Ten- who had never before been involved in He is thoughtful to those he knows nessee will miss your service, but we politics. Some people said it really well and to those he has just met. I amounted to Frist—for these two rook- have it on good authority that on at just simply can’t wait to see what you build next. ies who were running against each least one occasion, BOB met a prom- other in a primary—Frist just spent ising young man working in a checkout The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- more of his money to beat CORKER than line and signed him up right there on pore. The Senator from Tennessee. CORKER spent of his to beat Frist. In the spot for a job interview with his Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I any event, Frist came here and even chief of staff. ask unanimous consent to speak as if Most recently, we know BOB CORKER in morning business. served as the majority leader of the as the brilliant chairman of the For- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- U.S. Senate. eign Relations Committee. He has trav- pore. Without objection, it is so or- Of course, that didn’t slow BOB down eled constantly. He has engaged issues dered. more than about 10 minutes. The new around the world with an enormous de- f Governor of Tennessee, Don Sundquist, invited him to become, in effect, the gree of skill and capacity. He is a pow- TRIBUTE TO BOB CORKER erful voice for American interests and chief operating officer of our State those of our allies and a forceful, influ- Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, let government. ential thorn in the side of those who me begin where the majority leader There, we saw the first indications of might wish us harm. stopped. diplomacy that we now see today in his He has also used that position to It is a true story about the tunnels. work around the world. He began to champion vulnerable people around the Senator CORKER was curious about work with the Democratic mayor of world. His spearheading of the End smuggling supplies from Egypt to Nashville, whom Governor Sundquist Modern Slavery Initiative Act, focus- Gaza. Others of us might have asked had just defeated in the Governor’s ing resources and attention on a hu- somebody about that—not BOB CORKER. race, and together they brought the Ti- manitarian crisis affecting literally He hailed a Jeep, rode to the border, in- tans to Nashville and to Tennessee— millions, will be a core piece of that spected the tunnels, took photographs, which, by the way, play the Jaguars to- legacy. and as the majority leader said, when night at 7:20. I know BOB prides himself on bring- he met with Benjamin Netanyahu that BOB earned so much respect from the ing more regular order back to the afternoon, showed him the photo- Democratic legislature that existed committee and getting it back to ba- graphs. Netanyahu was startled. The then that they tried to persuade him to sics—legislation, treaties. Under his Prime Minister of Israel might have run for Governor as a Democrat, but he leadership, the committee passed the been surprised by BOB CORKER’s con- said no, and he returned to Chat- first authorization bill for the State duct, but none of us who knew BOB tanooga and jumped back into busi- Department—listen to this—in 14 CORKER were surprised. ness. Real estate companies were what years. As Senator MCCONNELL said, BOB he became involved in, and then he be- Predictably, that BOB CORKER work CORKER is always a man on a mission, came the mayor of Chattanooga in ethic is on full display when he is trav- with little regard for the obstacles in 2000. eling the world on our Nation’s behalf. the way. Now, he would be the first to tell you I hear that when BOB was leading a trip In 1978, age 25, he had saved about that Chattanooga was already on a to Israel and Palestine a few years ago, $6,000, and he started a construction roll, that a lot of people had a lot to do he heard about smuggling tunnels be- company. A friend of mine in Mary- with Chattanooga’s success, but every- tween Egypt and Gaza and decided to ville, my hometown, worked for him as body else will tell you he was the best, go see them himself. he built a shopping center in Blount fastest runner to have on the last stage So the way I heard it, he arranged for County. My friend said: I always knew of the relay team because he took what ground transportation to Gaza, exam- that that CORKER was going to amount was already beginning to happen in ined the system, and was back in Tel to something. Chattanooga and put it into high gear, Aviv later that day to discuss the situ- After his experience in Haiti that lay the groundwork for what eventu- ation with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Senator MCCONNELL discussed, he also ally attracted Volkswagen to put its

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:09 Dec 07, 2018 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G06DE6.008 S06DEPT1 S7326 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 6, 2018 North American manufacturing plant body he could think of, traveling to 70 Peyton Manning once said that he there and to have the country gen- countries, worrying about issues and hoped BOB CORKER would serve in the erally regard Chattanooga as one of the saying what he thought—always trying United States until he was 100 years most, if not the most, desirable, to do it in a bipartisan way because he old. I think that was really to get peo- midsized cities in America. He was understood that is how you get results, ple to quit asking Peyton Manning to enormously successful as a mayor. and he wanted results. run for the U.S. Senate, because he Then, in 2006, the man who had de- BOB CORKER voted with the majority knew better than to get involved. feated him in his Senate race 12 years of Republican Senators 85 percent of While I am looking forward to working earlier, decided to retire from the Sen- the time, but he always has been a con- with MARSHA BLACKBURN, who is BOB ate, and Bill Frist persuaded BOB servative who prizes results over CORKER’s successor, I have to admit CORKER to run for his seat. Maybe Bill speeches. In 2015, he became chairman that I agree with Peyton Manning. Frist didn’t tell BOB the whole story. of the Foreign Relations Committee BOB CORKER has done as a U.S. Sen- That was a tough year for Republican and began to deal with the issues Sen- ator what every Tennessean and every candidates, and it was a different race. ator MCCONNELL mentioned—Iran, sex American should hope a U.S. Senator It was the closest race in our State’s trafficking, and others. His tough- should do. He has gotten up early, de- history for the U.S. Senate, and BOB minded pragmatism and grasp of eco- termined to find some way to make the nearly lost it, but he did something nomics has restored prestige to the country a little better, read everything that almost no one would do, whether Foreign Relations Committee. His he could find, talked to everybody he they are a politician or an executive. skills are reminiscent of the skills of could find on the telephone—anybody Six or eight weeks before the elec- the man we honor this week and the he thought knew anything about an tion, he understood he was about to team of George H.W. Bush and what he issue he cared about—and jumped into lose it, and he completely changed was able to accomplish in foreign pol- it with both feet, saying exactly what what he was doing. He moved his cam- icy. he thought was the right thing to do paign headquarters to Nashville; he When Time magazine picked him in for the country and usually coming out hired a new team; and he began to tell 2015 as one of the world’s 100 most in- with a result that did just that. the story of who BOB CORKER really is, fluential leaders, I wrote about that in- It has been a privilege to serve with instead of some Washington ad man’s cident at the border of Gaza and I said him and to know better Elizabeth and version of it, and so we began to learn this at the time: ‘‘If BOB CORKER is not their wonderful family. I look forward about his interest in Haiti and about President of the United States himself, to watching what has to be one of the the 10,000 people whose homes he had he is an obvious choice for Secretary of best upcoming shows in town, which helped find in Chattanooga and about State or for the Treasury,’’ which is ex- will be whatever BOB CORKER decides to his work to restore that city and to actly what happened when President do next. lead our State and recruit the Titans. Trump was running and was elected in I yield the floor. People liked that. He was elected. He 2016. He considered Senator CORKER for The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. had the privilege of being the presi- Vice President, then for Secretary of HYDE-SMITH). The Senator from Dela- dent, the secretary, and the treasurer State, and, more recently, for Ambas- ware. of the freshman Republican Senate sador to Australia. Of course, over this Mr. COONS. Madam President, I ask class that was sworn in, in 2007. He was time, Senator CORKER has dem- unanimous consent to speak as in the only one. onstrated with President Trump the morning business. When BOB first came here, the truth same thing he did with President The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without is, at first he was bouncing off the Obama—that he was not afraid to work objection. walls. He was a lot like many execu- with him and he was not afraid to chal- Mr. COONS. Madam President, I am tives who come to this body and find it lenge him. honored to have the opportunity to a very unusual place to be and to work. This produced some sparks. I have join my colleagues and rise today to That didn’t last very long. As the ma- told both President Trump and Senator speak in tribute to my friend Senator jority leader said, he jumped in right CORKER that they shouldn’t worry BOB CORKER and in recognition of his away. about those sparks very much because remarkable service to our Nation here Without repeating all of those things, that is just the way developers and in the Senate of the United States. there was the financial crisis, there contractors talk to each other. I know Senator CORKER and his staff have left were the problems with the auto indus- both men well enough to know that an astonishing legacy of tireless en- try. I would think BOB probably deep down there is a lot of mutual re- ergy, engagement, and productivity, learned as much about General Motors spect between the two of them. and I am thrilled to have a few minutes as the General Motors board of direc- For me, these 12 years of working to follow on the comments of the ma- tors knew, and he showed that as he with BOB CORKER have been a joy. It is jority leader and the senior Senator worked with them. He was unafraid to well known that Senators—especially from his home State of Tennessee. talk to the managers or to the union Senators from the same State, espe- When I first came here as a freshman about what needed to be done. cially Senators of the same political in 2010, I partnered with Senator JOE He became really focused on the Fed- party—don’t always get along well MANCHIN, who was elected at the same eral debt of this country and seeing it with each other. This is a body that op- time as I was in a special election. We as our biggest challenge, and I don’t erates by unanimous consent. This is a decided that the first thing we had to think there is anyone in this body, body where relationships matter. BOB do was to go to Afghanistan and see over the last 12 years, who has been CORKER and I have followed the old rule our troops in harm’s way. Having never more consistent in trying to point out that Senator Howard Baker and Sen- been a Senator before, I had no idea what the real problem is—the entitle- ator Robert Byrd followed: I won’t sur- how one went about getting to Afghan- ments. He even came up with a plan prise you if you won’t surprise me. We istan, but Senator MANCHIN assured me and introduced a bill to deal with it. not only didn’t surprise each other, but he had it under control and it was all The only problem is, he and I are the we looked out for each other. We re- going to be just fine. only two cosponsors of that bill. So as spected each other’s work, even though Just a few weeks later, I ended up on he leaves, that is a problem he high- we didn’t always agree. Our staffers an airplane with two Senators I had lighted, but we still have to work on. saw that. So they worked the same never heard of—BERNIE SANDERS of He thought about not running for a way, and I am convinced the people of Vermont and BOB CORKER of Tennessee. second term. He was discouraged, to Tennessee were the beneficiaries of Maybe I had heard of them, but I cer- some degree, about how the place that, because when they approached tainly had never met them and knew works, but he had already accom- the Corker staff and the Alexander little about them. plished so much that he decided to do staff or either one of us, I think they As we all got engaged in this trip—we it, and so he continued his habits of found that one plus one equals three, went to Pakistan and Afghanistan—I being up early, reading everything he not two, and that the people for whom learned more and more about BOB could get his hands on, calling every- we work are the beneficiaries. CORKER. You just heard it, but I will

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:09 Dec 07, 2018 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G06DE6.009 S06DEPT1 December 6, 2018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7327 repeat it. Possessing a fierce work in this region of the world. Much later, last year that he asked me on short no- ethic, incredible intellect, and a deter- a trip to the Philippines to see the tice if I thought we should go to the mination to get things done, Mr. tragedy of young women ensnared by fastest growing refugee camp in the CORKER is a builder who reaches across sex traffickers profoundly touched him world, Bidi Bidi, in Uganda, where the aisle, extends his hand, and doesn’t and moved him. It is this combination more than a quarter-million people relent until there is a deal done. I can’t of a relentless will, great intellect, and were living after fleeing war-torn think of a more frustrating place to try a huge heart that has made Senator South Sudan. I went to my wife and and bring that attitude than Afghani- CORKER—Chairman CORKER—such a said: I sort of planned a quiet weekend stan. We were there at a time when our successful leader here. at home this year, what do you think? own law enforcement had just informed Whether meeting with world leaders, She said: There is no better place on us that then-President Hamid Karzai’s fighting to solve budget issues, or Earth you can be than with BOB half-brother had stolen nearly a half chairing the Senate Foreign Relations CORKER. She and I both have been im- billion dollars from the American tax- Committee, there is universal agree- pressed with his tireless commitment payers. Chairman CORKER unleashed on ment about his passion, his character, to making a difference in the world, the President of Afghanistan with a fo- and his integrity. That is because he and the impact of that trip on both of cused communication that I will not genuinely listens to people, asks them us—of spending that weekend not in soon forget, and that left me looking thoughtful, sometimes tough, very fo- the comfort or quiet of our own homes around to make sure there were folks cused questions, and then gets moving in our home States but with people from our side in the room. toward solving a problem. who had just fled violence, torture, He was respectful and supportive of I asked for a review of the bills that rape, and abuse, and to provide some our men and women of the Armed we have worked on, and it is longer measure of comfort and confidence to Forces. He was engaged and purposeful than the time I have allotted. So let them and to gain insight into how we with the leaders of Afghanistan. In me just give a few highlights. One of are helping around the world—touched every single meeting we had in Paki- the issues that bears mentioning is my heart and will affect the whole rest of my service and my life. stan and Afghanistan and then in the that in a deeply divided, often too par- tisan Congress, where too few Members Let me just say this in closing. We follow-on in Jordan and Israel, BOB was are willing to work across the aisle to have had a remarkable time serving to- a blizzard of activity with purpose. gether in Foreign Relations. Chairman What an introduction that was. achieve results, my work on legislation CORKER has shown us how Members of What I realized on our trip is that my with Chairman CORKER has led to most of the things that I can say with con- this body should act. We have real dif- background as a county executive who ferences. He is a conservative Repub- did a lot in land use and development fidence have made a difference in my short 8 years here. lican. He is of the opposite party. He and BOB’s background as an entre- We recently worked together to reau- comes to things with different prin- preneur and a builder and then a mayor thorize PEPFAR, President George W. ciples. But he has been relentless in and someone passionate about pro- Bush’s emergency program for AIDS finding solutions, and the problems viding housing to those in need meant relief, in just September of this year. that face us will not be solved without that we had a lot in common. He has an We worked together—this is really leaders like Chairman CORKER. attitude of wanting to get a lot of Senator CORKER’s issue and his leader- It has been my honor to have the op- things done and refusing to be satisfied ship—to pass the End Modern Slavery portunity to work with him on a few with a body where folks talk too much Initiative Act, a critical step in fight- issues. Frankly, I wish more Members and accomplish too little. So from that ing the scourge of slavery around the were here to talk about all the other first trip, I concluded Senator CORKER world today. We worked to pass the issues—from financial services to the was someone with whom I could really Global Food Security Act, which au- auto industry to things around the get things done. thorized USAID’s Emergency Food Se- world—that I know are pressing busi- He is the sort of person who has been curity Program, and we worked tire- ness in this short lameduck session. willing at times to put Nation above lessly—work I intend to continue—to Let me say this. I am eager to see party and to be always committed to what Chairman CORKER does next, be- make our food aid more efficient and cause his relentless energy, huge heart, his home State of Tennessee. focused. I do want to make sure I also say There is the Water for the World Act, and great intellect have made such a thank you to his wife Elizabeth and to which promotes safe, clean drinking lasting difference here. I am eager to his daughters, Emily and Julia, and his water for a billion people around the find out what he is determined to build family, including his grandchildren, world and was signed into law in 2014. next. There is nothing to which he has who have supported him in this service. Most recently, there was a bill we bent his will toward that hasn’t been His dozen years in the Senate has left spent a great deal of time on and where shaped by his character, his integrity, a lasting legacy, and that is only be- his staff was particularly effective, the and his kindness. It has been a true blessing, Mr. cause he has a family who has loved BUILD Act, which will deploy $60 bil- CORKER, to serve alongside you and, in and supported him even as he has trav- lion of American private capital some small way, to try to earn the op- eled relentlessly around the world and around the world, at no cost to Amer- portunity to make a difference in this worked tirelessly to tackle our budget ican taxpayers, in a way that meets country and in this world with you. issues. As a builder, an entrepreneur, the challenges we face from China, in- Thank you and thank you for your and successful businessman, BOB can vesting everywhere in the world. It al- service to our Nation. read a balance sheet, and he knows lows us to step up the skills and that ours is badly out of whack. As a With that, Madam President, I yield strength of our private sector to help the floor. member of the Budget Committee in build and meet the needs of a growing my first few years here, he was relent- I suggest the absence of a quorum. world. Working to implement the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The less at delivering a message to anyone BUILD Act and to execute on BOB’s vi- clerk will call the roll. who was here that we were headed to- sion will be one of the things I will The senior assistant legislative clerk ward a reckoning. That is a piece of un- tend to this coming year, as well as proceeded to call the roll. finished business that I feel some obli- making sure that the Electrify Africa Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I gation to try and carry forward in Mr. Act, which we worked on together, is ask unanimous consent that the order CORKER’s honor. implemented this coming year, and for the quorum call be rescinded. As you heard his colleagues say, this will be something I look forward The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without though, it was at moments of BOB’s to doing. objection, it is so ordered. tireless, relentless energy and his de- Working on making sure that the f termination to build things and get End Modern Slavery Initiative Act is things done that he encountered the carried forward this coming Congress is RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY tragic realities of the world that most something I look forward to. LEADER moved him. A trip to Haiti opened his What I will deeply miss is time with The PRESIDING OFFICER. The eyes to the profound need for housing Senator CORKER. It was at Easter time Democratic leader is recognized.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:51 Dec 06, 2018 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G06DE6.011 S06DEPT1