hard-working, brilliant individuals who reflect the great diversity of the americanpeople . thank you everyone. >> the senate now taking a break for their weekly party lunches. when they return it to: 15 eastern senators will vote to confirm stephen schwartz to be a judge for the us court of federal claims and nathan bennington become a member of the federal communications commission. lawmakers are working on legislation passed this friday at midnight deadline. when the senate comes back 2:15 eastern we will have

live coverage here on c-span2. >> they are an impressive bunch.not only facing the challenge to pay adequate tribute when one leaves our ranks. but even by the house standards of this place, the coursecharted by the senator who i have to send off this morning stand . the senior senator from wyoming has accomplished enough in one career to fill two. he's glided from business success to military service to local government to state politics to theunited states senate where he's built a remarkably productive legislative record . mike's prolific career began in a small town. in fact he wyoming was so small that when mike and his wifearrived and set up a family business that town still carried the less than flattering nickname of dirt . but new discoveries in the american energy business were in the course of changing

everything . and major oil and gas meant more people, more people meant more sales and mike's store h, that's the letter in an the z, madam president. mikecould have just stepped back and cruised . mike sought to keep up with the growth based on services that were lacking and nearly everyone who encountered him in the chamber of commerce concluded that he had real leadershiptalents . i stand in public service came from no less an extension that our own former colleague house simpsons. they crossed paths, alan heard mike's speech and ehe took the promising young man aside rather pointedly that his talent sure did eneed a good mayor. to be precise, mike tells us the brazing was typically

blunt. put your money where your mouth is, said. our future colleague took it under advisement but mike almost didn't survive long enough to announce his campaign . the way he told eit on the floor last week when he worked up the courage to relay that suggestion to diana on their long drive home, she almost swerved right off the road. fortunately they were unharmed and the more they thought, the more they like the ideaof making a difference . so at the ripe old age of 30 this up-and-coming businessman ran for mayor and he want. on his march, what could have been a municipal disaster became aneconomic golden age . didn't take long for the towns fictions to become the talk of political minds around wyoming. after a few years off the former mayor prand it representing a state representative and then as state senator. just like water seeks its own

level, talent tends to see if that outlet. so after squeaking a close primary victory over his now fellow senator from wyoming, tom barrasso, mike packed his bags for washington in late 1996 at that time it's only trade accountant. and mike knew that if he was going toproperly serve , he'd working alongside him. people who shared his no-nonsense perspective for careful planning and thrift in government. one of his best decisions was persuading a longtime collaborator, a one-time town manager flip mcconnaughhay to move to washington and be his chief of staff. mike says he initially had 500 applications for that job but none of them were the one he wanted. the experience salesman had to pitch his longtime friend on the opening and itworked . from gillette to the senate

was mike's secret weapon not only as a staff or a true e partner in service for many years. when flip passed away w, this entire institution felt the loss. mike's staff likes to say he has a whole collection of useful anecdotes to approach that business, from the perspective of a mayor or a small business owner or a state legislator or an accountant, or a wyoming heights. well, that had just been a winningaccommodation for the people of wyoming, benefited our entire country . mike's trade has been what he calls that e3 will. across all the issues he tackled, he insists about 4/5 of the subject matter as potential common ground ripe for progress area electric controversial 20 percent blow everything up he says. madam president, that

approach may are probably wyoming downright prolific. mike has been responsible for the passing of more than 100 bills. it become a go to leader on everything from budget, tax reform and the deficit to aids relief and workplace safety. his sober, prudent approach not to mention his practical experience keeping the books and making payroll made mike exactly the sort of person taxpayers hope will manage their dollars. his budget revolution to secure the federal government sustain more physical health. he hoped for the first major overhaul of the federal tax code in ageneration . he steps a watchful eye on the unintended consequences of legislation such as his recent work to help relieve mainstreet lenders from the one-size-fits-all approach of.frank. back when german is he was chair of the health committee his democratic counterpart was ted kennedy.ee that small government guide

from wyoming liberal guy from massachusetts. call it the 8020 rules final exam. but they pass that exam. they worked together to create bipartisan outcomes like worker safety retention and reform and mental health. so to be clear madam president there's no lack of conservative conviction in mike's career. just ask our democratic colleagues about the time division landed in the 20 percent and that's when the gloves came off. this is the senator broadcast in 2013 paul review of obamacare but mike never lost sight of the mission. he kept up a fund for kcommon ground and research, vocational training, carry the torch on the historic fight against aids in africa. mike's sensational appetite for making a difference brought some interesting characters into his life. it turned out quite a few

high-profile celebrities were happy to meet with one of his chief champions on the eighth issue. but let the record reflect the east coast, washington dc never spoiled mike. i heard from a source that after wrapping up one meeting with bono, world-famous front man of u2 and a leader in the fight against aids, mike cheerfully offered the following parting remark. well, goode luck with that . if you've seen mike in action around the senate , mastering issue after issue it's hard to imagine himmaking time for much of anything outside his work . but you'd be badly mistaken because one of the worst kept secrets around the capital is that mike is one of the warmest members of the senate family. madam president as we prepare to bid him farewell mike's colleagues may miss his leadership on legislation.

but i suspect the loss will be greater for future classes of patrons who would be denied parties mike through to celebrate their successes. the staff at the mexican restaurant will miss a couple along with the barrasso's and grassley's years right, the most devoted . more thananything , i know the dedicated staff of the senate that don't get thanked enough for the office of food-service and the capital police will miss the massive holidaycookie parties orchestrated by field marshal .al diana has organized the production of hundreds of dozens of baked treats every year. mike is more like her assistant in that endeavor. their unstoppable tradition dating back to our colleagues even this year encapsulates what kind of heart this

couple shares and as we know these labors of love, on top of diana's own important work on her longtime focus on clearing land mines in ancient europe. i don't mean any of this to guilt mike into staying because mike always has his head on straight . his priorities lined up, so he knows that even on our best days the senate can't hold a candle to the joys of that chapter he and diana have planned. it turns out that the man who senate website includes a page of grandfatherly advice is looking forward to more free time to delivering that advice to his own grandkids in person. and i understand there's still several states in which mike has yet to cast a line. one of the senate's intrepid adversaries will no longer have to plan around the schedule as he seeks to correct this oversight so

mike , from all of us here i'm sorry to see you go. i know our colleagues join me in wishing you pipelines. i'm so glad you brought your mind to this body. thank you for sharing your gifts with the country you love. 's madam president class senator from wyoming class i want to thank the leader or his kind remarks and incredible research. i predict he will appreciate the comments about let mcconaughey who i worked with for four years before he passed away fromcancer . and if there was ever anybody in the united states who had a municipal problem, he worked with me and he was able to solve a lot of those municipal problems so he was the go to person on the hill or all that and i really appreciate those comments.

as well as all of the other things that you mentioned, particularly the ones about diana who without which i would not have and the shoe store, i would nothave had politics , i would not have been here and i would not have been able to do anything . when we traveled around wyoming she does most of the driving i can work on speeches and legislation and it is a chance for us to move a little bit too, we don't get to do much of that in washington but i particularly want to thank you for your leadership and time. it's been phenomenal like the research you did on that speech. the strategy that you put into legislation is incredible. you got a lot done in spite of the differences we might have with the house or with the other side of the island but occasionally with the president and you keep this moving forward and