[Congressional Record: December 14, 2010 (Senate)]
[Page S8972-S8976]                         


                     Tributes to Retiring Senators

                                Kit Bond

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to my old friend, 
Kit Bond, a man who has dedicated the better part of four decades to 
public service, and who has never failed in all those years to put the 
people of Missouri ahead of himself.
  As Kit puts it:

       Serving Missouri has been my life's work. . . . I have 
     walked the land, fished its rivers and been humbled by the 
     honesty and hard work of our people. The highest honor is to 
     receive and safeguard the public trust.

  But Kit also knew when to leave the field to somebody else. As he put 
it in his retirement announcement last year before a packed Missouri 
House Chamber:

       In 1973, I became Missouri's youngest governor. . . . I do 
     not aspire to become Missouri's oldest senator.

  It may have been the one ambition Kit did not pursue.
  Born in St. Louis, Kit is a sixth generation Missourian. He grew up 
in Mexico, MO, where his grandfather founded the A.P. Green Fire Brick 
Company, the largest employer in town. Kit and Linda still call Mexico 
home.
  Kit has always been an overachiever. He graduated cum laude from 
Princeton University and first in his class from the University of 
Virginia School of Law. After that, he moved to Atlanta to clerk for 
one of the great pioneers of the civil rights movement, Judge Elbert 
Tuttle of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  After that, Kit went home to Missouri to practice law. In 1968, he 
ran for Congress and lost, but he did not lose his taste for politics. 
A year later, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General, where he ran 
the Consumer Protection Division under Attorney General John Danforth. 
The future Senate colleagues would become close friends, political 
allies, and dominant figures in Missouri politics for more than a 
generation.
  In 1969, Kit was elected State auditor, and in 1972, at the tender 
age of 33, he was elected as the youngest Governor in the history of 
Missouri, and its first Republican Governor in 32 years. It was an 
extraordinary achievement, followed by an equally extraordinary series 
of events. Four years after winning the seat, he lost it to a Democrat 
named Joe Teasdale. But 4 years after that, he won it back from the 
same guy.
  As Governor, one of Kit's greatest accomplishments was working with 
the Democratic legislature to take the Parents as Teachers pilot 
program statewide--a program that was designed to help parents prepare 
their children for the classroom and help them score higher on 
standardized tests.
  As a young father and Governor, Kit saw how important the program was 
for his own son Sam. ``As a parent

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looking for an `owner's manual' to care for a new baby,'' Kit said, 
``[Parents for Teachers] was my lifeline.'' So in 1984, Kit signed a 
bill requiring all Missouri school districts to provide Parents as 
Teachers services.
  Since its inception in the mid-1980s, this program has been immensely 
successful and helpful to parents all across Missouri, serving 3 
million children in the State. Today, the Parents as Teachers program 
includes 3,000 programs and has expanded to all 50 States and seven 
countries.
  As Governor, Kit was also a strong advocate for biotechnology and the 
expansion of community health centers to underserved areas.
  After his success as a two-term Governor, Kit decided to follow his 
former boss, Senator Jack Danforth, to Washington. He won his first 
term with 53 percent of the vote, becoming the only Republican that 
year to capture a seat previously held by a Democrat. For the last 24 
years, Kit has been a leader of this body.
  There is no stronger advocate for the men and women of our Armed 
Forces than Kit Bond. He has worked hard to ensure that our Nation's 
veterans get the care they need and deserve. He has become an expert on 
Southeast Asian affairs, last year coauthoring a book on Southeast Asia 
and Islam entitled ``The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to 
Global Peace with Islam.'' ``It is not difficult to convince a senator 
to write a book,'' Kit said. ``The hard part is convincing people to 
read it.''
  The Senate is indebted to Kit for his service as vice chairman of the 
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He has worked tirelessly to 
conduct responsible oversight of our Nation's intelligence community. 
He worked closely with former Chairman Rockefeller and our current 
chair, Dianne Feinstein. In doing so, they showed all of us the 
importance of working together in a bipartisan fashion on matters of 
national security.
  Kit was instrumental in the passage of the Protect America Act and 
the subsequent Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendment Act of 2008. 
He worked tirelessly behind the scenes and across the aisle to combat 
widespread misinformation about these bills.
  Regarding the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, Kit said:

       There is nothing to fear in [this] bill, unless you have Al 
     Qaeda on your speed dial.

  Over the years, Kit worked hard to improve Missouri's transportation 
and infrastructure. Legend has it that his staunch protection of 
Missouri's highway funds even led to a physical altercation one day 
with our former colleague, Senator Moynihan. The details are a little 
murky with the passage of time, and Pat denied it ever happened. But 
Kit claims to have been the last Senator to be ``slugged'' on the 
Senate floor. The rest of us learned an important lesson that day: 
Don't mess with Missouri's highway funding.
  I think anyone who knows Kit well will tell you the last 10 years 
have been some of the happiest for him. Linda has made Kit a new man. I 
understand she has improved his diet, his fitness routine, and, thank 
heavens, his wardrobe. He has proudly watched his son Sam stand up and 
defend the Nation Kit has served his entire life. First Lieutenant Bond 
served two tours in Iraq, the last as a scout-sniper platoon leader, 
where he conducted close reconnaissance and surveillance operations in 
order to gain intelligence on the enemy. We all thank him for his 
courage and his sacrifice in defending our freedom and security.
  Now, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge another one of 
Kit's loved ones--his dog Tiger, who has become sort of a YouTube 
celebrity around here. Tiger is, of course, named after Kit's beloved 
University of Missouri Tigers, and her favorite past time is lying 
under Kit's desk and destroying a stuffed University of Kansas Jayhawk. 
Tiger may not be the kind of dog one would imagine for the vice 
chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Even Kit admits she is a 
little bit of a froufrou pet. But in Tiger's defense, Kit likes to 
point out that the last time she saw FDIC Chair Sheila Bair, she would 
not stop barking. Chairman Bair has not one but two degrees from the 
University of Kansas. ``I think she sniffed it out,'' Bond said.
  Kit has had a tremendous career in public service. He has been 
elected seven times in Missouri from State auditor to his four terms in 
the Senate--more than anyone else in the history of the Show-Me State.
  Looking back, Kit says his political adversaries kept him nimble, and 
the media kept him humble. Whatever the formula, Kit has been an 
outstanding Senator, and we will miss him terribly. I am sure it is 
hard for Missourians to imagine Kit outside of office. It is no easier 
for his colleagues to imagine the Senate without Kit. As his fourth 
term draws to a close, history will show he has served the people of 
Missouri and the people of this Nation with passion, honor, and 
integrity. He will be missed.
  Let me just add, back in the mid-1980s, I started off in the very 
last seat back there, and then, 2 years later--these were not great 
years for Republicans. We had two freshmen my first year, and two 
freshmen 2 years later, Senator Bond and Senator McCain. So seniority 
being what it is in the Senate, I got to move out of the very last 
chair, moving over two more chairs, and Bond and McCain came back there 
and joined us.
  We were such power players in those days, we referred to ourselves as 
the ``Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Players.''
  But I must say to my friend from Missouri, you have come a long way 
from those early days. You have made an enormous difference in the 
Senate, and we will all miss you greatly.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BOND. Thank you, Leader McConnell, for your very kind and 
generous words.
  Since I announced I was not running for reelection, I have been 
overwhelmed by the nice things folks have been saying about me. There 
is nothing like being eulogized while you are still breathing. But to 
my good friend Mitch, it has been a long time since we sat back in the 
corner as the ``Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Players,'' but while I 
never made it to prime time, except, of course, one appearance as a 
very less-than-best-selling author on the ``Jon Stewart Show,'' you 
certainly have arrived.
  You have led us through many difficult and protracted debates. 
Through all of it, you have been an agile, disciplined, and courteous 
negotiator, with a good sense of humor. You kept us together on many 
tough votes, at least as much as is possible to keep 40-something 
different, independent minds all together or, as I like to say, 40 
frogs in a wheelbarrow. But I thank you, Mitch. While I have 
occasionally caused you heartburn--I realize that--I have always 
appreciated your intelligence, your leadership, and your friendship. 
You and Elaine are very close friends of Linda and myself, and we wish 
you both the very best for the future.


                         Farewell to the Senate

  Two years ago I announced my retirement from the Senate, and that 
time has come. I have to begin by thanking all my colleagues and my 
constituents for making this job one of the best a person could hold. 
There is no greater honor than being given the trust of the people at 
home to represent them. I have done my best to keep faith with my 
constituents on every vote I have cast and every issue on which I have 
worked.
  Through more than two decades of membership in this world's greatest 
deliberative body--sometimes delaying body--I have participated in my 
share of debates. When I first came to the Senate, the Cold War was a 
conflict some thought we would never win. Thanks to the courage and 
resolve of former President Ronald Reagan, millions of people now live 
in freedom. During this last term especially, it seems many debates 
will have history-shaping consequences.
  America has faced many challenges in the past 6 years: the longest 
recession since the Great Depression, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 
continuing battle against terrorism, the fight to be competitive in a 
global economy, and many more. As I look back, the successes we have 
achieved during my time here have come because people of good will were 
willing to work across the aisle for the common good of our Nation.
  As I address the floor today, I am filled with memories of the many 
colleagues with whom I have worked over the years. One stands out in my 
memory--the one who was my best friend

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and mentor in the Senate, who took me under his wing and treated me and 
my family as close friends, and that, of course, is the late Senator 
Ted Stevens. He was unflagging in his support of his principles, and 
everyone clearly knew where he stood. Yet he was a very effective 
appropriator because he knew how to compromise. I can only hope my 
colleagues and constituents know where I stand, and I, too, know that 
working across the aisle is the only way to get things done in this 
body.
  Right after I arrived, I had the pleasure of working with the late 
Senator Robert Byrd, who achieved the acid rain trading compromise and 
passed the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990. I also joined with former 
Senator Wendell Ford to establish a National Guard caucus, and now it 
is a pleasure to work with Pat Leahy to ensure that our dual-mission 
National Guard is adequately prepared to serve emergency needs on the 
homefront and participate in our national security issues abroad.
  On the Appropriations Committee, I have enjoyed the successes I have 
had working first with Barbara Mikulski and now Dianne Feinstein to 
ensure that public housing meets the needs of the people it is supposed 
to serve and the communities in which they live, providing supportive 
assistance for the homeless--particularly veterans--and stopping lead 
paint poisoning of children in old public housing buildings across the 
Nation. Barbara and I also gave a boost to what I believe will be the 
job-creating technology of the 21st century: agricultural 
biotechnology. We did that with congressionally directed spending in 
the National Science Foundation budget.
  With Senator Dianne Feinstein as chair of the Senate Select Committee 
on Intelligence, we have put, I believe, the Senate Intelligence 
Committee back on a path of bipartisanship and achieved passage of the 
first Intelligence Act Reauthorization in 6 years.
  I especially owe my Republican colleagues my sincerest thanks and 
appreciation for sticking with me as we negotiated our way through some 
tough compromises, such as the fights we have had on FISA. But when the 
Help America Vote Act came to the Senate floor in 2001, ostensibly to 
cure problems with punchcard voting in Florida but which most of us 
Republicans thought was an effort to discredit the election of former 
President Bush, I urged my colleagues not to block the bill but to use 
it, not only to make it easier to vote but tougher to cheat. When we 
moved to the floor, I brought to the Senate floor a picture of a 
springer spaniel, Ritsy Meckler, who had been registered to vote in St. 
Louis, MO, to make the point that if we had positive identification, it 
would have been much more difficult for Ritsy to register or certainly 
to vote. My friend, Chris Dodd, with whom I had worked on many children 
and family issues and who worked with us on the HAVA Act, told me he 
never wanted to see a picture of that dog again, so I autographed the 
picture and gave it to him. I trust he still has it in his trusted 
memory box.
  Right now we are engaged on the Senate floor in passing a bill that 
will stop historic tax increases from hitting most American families 
and the entire economy next year. I truly hope the House will be able 
to pass a bill for signature by President Obama so we can begin getting 
the economy to work again and preventing even more job losses. Assuming 
we can do it, the new Congress has to put our economy back on a sound 
footing. We must end the recent trend of the push for government 
overspending and passing the burdensome mandates on States and the 
private sector. Excessive regulations that go beyond reasonable safety 
and environmental restrictions are costing us jobs in agriculture, 
energy, and many other areas of the economy, and stopping badly needed 
developments that we in this country need.
  The size of the debt has become an increasing concern for my 
constituents and others across the Nation. We have a debt problem that 
is caused by spending, not by having taxes too low. I am encouraged to 
see there has been more discussion of having a flat tax with lower 
rates, eliminating a wide range of deductions, credits, and other tax 
bill earmarks. Doing so would make it easier for all of us, as 
Americans, to fill out tax forms, eliminating the time and effort of 
figuring them out, and I think it should enable us to put more of those 
resources into what we need, our top priority: job creation.
  Speaking of job creation, I think there are tremendous opportunities 
in export trade. I applaud President Obama's call for expanding trade 
to create jobs. I look forward to seeing his continued leadership and 
to seeing Congress move forward promptly to adopt the trade agreements 
with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. For our intermediate-term future, it 
is essential the United States participate in the Trans-Pacific 
Partnership with countries on both sides of the Pacific to take down 
barriers to trade and increase export job opportunities.
  As most of my colleagues know, I have been particularly interested in 
expanding trade with Southeast Asia, which I believe is not well 
understood by too many Americans. But the entire Asian region, however, 
provides huge opportunities for better American jobs through trade and 
investment across the Pacific.

  In addition to expanding economic growth and jobs, trade is also an 
important element in SmartPower, the fight against terrorist 
insurgencies threatening other countries and ultimately those of us 
here at home. As I mentioned in the book the leader was kind enough to 
speak of, we can and must use trade, investment, and education 
interchanges to build strong economies as a necessary step as we use 
military action to stop imminent, violent threats. The combination can 
make stronger, stabler allies.
  I think SmartPower was no better demonstrated than in the efforts of 
the Missouri National Guard Development team in Nangarhar Province in 
Afghanistan. These military-trained Guard men and women went to 
Afghanistan with strong private sector expertise in a wide range of 
agriculture activities and helped reestablish a profitable, legitimate 
agriculture in Agatha, while they were maintaining security.
  By the end of the first 10-month growing season, illicit poppy 
production had dropped to zero in Agatha, which had been the second 
leading poppy producer in the Nation. I think we have to expand that 
model with more National Guard units deployed but also a better 
coordination of not only our military forces overseas but civilian 
assistance that must go with them. We must continue our efforts to 
avoid giving al-Qaida and its related terrorist allies an unchallenged 
place to develop recruiting and training camps, command and control 
units that threaten us.
  One of the greatest challenges, however, is the publicly announced 
summer of 2011 withdrawal date from Afghanistan.
  It has told our enemies they only need to wait until next summer to 
put our allies in the Karzai government on notice that we may not be 
there to protect them after the summer of 2011. As important, it tells 
the shura or local community leaders we will not be there next year to 
protect them from the Taliban, so they are less likely to cooperate 
with us. There must be a message, I believe, from the White House, 
widely disseminated, that we will pull out of Afghanistan only when 
conditions on the ground indicate there will be security.
  A high point of my legislative career got an impetus in 2007, when I 
went with Senator Bayh on a congressional delegation, a CODEL, to 
Afghanistan. We were told that the limitations in the old Foreign 
Intelligence Surveillance Act were a great threat to our troops as well 
as to those of us on the ground. I worked, as the leader said, from 
that point until the summer of 2008, with the strong support of my 
Republican colleagues, and a workable compromise across the aisle was 
developed which gave the intelligence agencies the access they needed 
and, at the same time, extended the protection of rights of Americans 
overseas from unwarranted interception of messages by telephone or e-
mail.
  As a result, we currently have that ability, but we must go to work 
quickly to make sure other provisions of vital intelligence collection 
measures and authorizations do not expire without legislative 
extensions. For the United States, our homeland, our defense against 
terrorist acts from prisoners of war is essential, and we must prevent 
the release of Gitmo detainees

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to other countries, where they will return to the battlefield. The fact 
that one in four detainees already has come back is a frightening 
figure because we believe there are many more who will come back, and I 
fear one of those may conduct an attack on the United States. We need 
to have a law of war which allows us to hold them.
  As a final thought on intelligence, however, the recent WikiLeaks 
scandal has shown us what damage the Internet can do to our diplomatic 
efforts as well as the safety of those in dangerous places with whom we 
have worked. The even greater threat we see is the continuing cyber 
attack on military intelligence and private sector critical 
infrastructure. With my colleague from Utah, Orrin Hatch, we have 
introduced a cyber security bill which will establish a cyber defense 
alliance to allow private sector entities to cooperate with government 
agencies to protect our critical financial systems, our utilities and, 
most of all, our communications systems from attack. The battle is 
underway, and we will need every effort to stay ahead of the developing 
attacks as well as helping the private sector protect their 
information.
  In closing, I will tell my colleagues I have worked in all possible 
party combinations. I have been in the majority and minority. I have 
been fat and thin, and being thin and in the majority is a whole lot 
better. In my two terms as Governor, with a 70-percent Democratic 
majority in both the house and the senate general assembly, they 
explained to me how bipartisanship works. I figured it out during my 
second term, which enabled us to do better. It was my most successful 
term in any office, and the general assembly and I both achieved 
passage of all the legislative priorities we had.
  So now if my colleagues will permit a little parting advice from an 
old bull: Work together, play nice.
  I would follow up on the leader's comment about a little scuffle I 
had with Pat Moynihan. I never talked about it. We never said anything 
publicly until now. Later on, as we became fast friends, he used to 
tease me about setting up boxing matches so we could raise money for 
charity. But when I looked at his height and his reach, I didn't take 
him up on that.
  In a world today where enemies are real--the kind who seek to destroy 
others because of their religion--it is important to remember there is 
a lot of real estate between a political opponent and a true enemy. In 
government, we expect spirited and principled debate where ideas 
compete and the best ones prevail. There will be issues where people of 
good conscience cannot come together, but let us never let what cannot 
be done interfere with what can be done. Events in the world and 
threats will continue to challenge us--terrorism, the economy, and 
growing debt.
  Nearly 24 years ago, I was sworn in as a U.S. Senator. Since that 
time, I have been honored to work with you and others on all the 
priorities facing our country and many more. Public service has been a 
blessing and a labor of love for me. Little in life could be more 
fulfilling.
  But I look forward to the next chapter in my life. I am neither shy 
nor retiring. There are ways to serve, and elective office is only one 
of them. I plan to continue fighting for Missouri and national 
priorities from a different vantage point.
  Throughout 40 years of public life, I have met many wonderful people. 
I have visited every area of the State every term I have served in 
office. The people I have met in office and the people I have worked 
with have made the job so rewarding I decided to stay longer. The 
people of Missouri have been my most trusted and valuable advisers and 
I thank them for giving me support and helping me to identify not only 
the challenges but the solutions.
  In addition to my colleagues and friends, there are too many others 
to thank, but let me give you the first one. First, to my patient 
family--my wife Linda, the light and love of my life; my talented, 
charming daughter-in-law Margaret, and my son Sam, whom I regard as my 
personal hero for his service as a marine ground-intelligence officer 
in Iraq.
  Thanks to all who have worked for me in my office, on my committees, 
and those who have helped me with political activities--hundreds and 
thousands over the years. Some were not born when I started, others 
have passed away. Fortunately, many are still here.
  As Mitch said, I thank my political adversaries for keeping me nimble 
and the media for keeping me humble. Most of all, I thank the voters of 
Missouri for sending me to Jefferson City three times and Washington, 
DC four times to represent them. There is no greater honor. I have been 
truly blessed to be entrusted by them with the responsibility of public 
office. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.


                     Tributes to Retiring Senators

                                Kit Bond

  Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I think it goes without saying there 
are things Senator Bond and I might disagree on, but today is not a 
time to talk about those things. I rise for a few minutes to talk about 
Senator Bond and the things I most respect and admire him for. It could 
be a very long list, and I don't want to take too long, but I am going 
to hit the high points of the things I think demand that anyone who has 
paid attention to Missouri needs to respect and admire this man for.
  For 42 years, he has served the State of Missouri. Let us start 
there. He loves the State we call home. I would say that he knows it 
better than any living person in the world. He understands it, he is 
dedicated to it, and he has made Missouri his life's work. For that, he 
deserves my respect and admiration.
  Secondly, he has made major sacrifices to serve. As the leader said, 
he graduated first in his class from the University of Virginia Law 
School; a graduate from Princeton. I don't need to explain to anybody 
in the Senate what that could mean in terms of one's career, in terms 
of making money. Christopher Kit Bond could have been wealthy beyond 
anyone's imagination. He had the intellect, he had the personality to 
succeed in any business that he decided to engage in, and certainly in 
the practice of law.
  I think in today's world there is so much cynicism about the people 
who choose a career of political service. This is a great example for 
civics classes throughout this country, to see that this is what we are 
talking about--someone who chose not to make big bucks, not to travel 
the halls of power in the private sector, but to toil in the fields of 
being a public servant. Yes, there are many things about being a public 
servant that are grand and glorious, but there is a lot that is not.
  I would challenge anyone to go to as many farm bureau picnics as my 
colleague has gone to and not admit a little bit of fatigue. I would 
challenge anyone to have attended as many State fairs as my colleague 
has attended and not confess a little fatigue. I would challenge anyone 
to go to what my dad used to call the ``slick ham suppers'' in small 
communities across the State after a long week of work, because he knew 
there were people there who were going to be rewarded by his presence 
and that it was part of his job. He realized that was very important. 
So I am very respectful and have great admiration for the fact that he 
has toiled in the field of public service for all these years.
  The third thing I respect and admire about him is how proud he is of 
his family and how devoted he is to his wife. It is wonderful to behold 
when someone exudes love and admiration and devotion to those people 
who are most important to all of us--our families. I have watched 
Senator Bond as he began to immerse himself in foreign policy, and I 
know it was because he went to bed every night and woke up every 
morning thinking of Sam, and Sam's service and what Sam was doing and 
feeling, that compelled him to do as much as he could in the Halls of 
Congress to help men and women such as Sam Bond throughout our world.
  Fourth, and maybe this is the best one, Senator Kit Bond is not 
afraid of a fight. I think that is terrific. You know, Missouri is a 
tough State. It is a tough State in that anybody who tells you their 
reelection is certain does not know or understand Missouri. Every 
election is a battle in Missouri. He has a record of nine and two in 
those elections. And for our beloved team, the Missouri Tigers, he and 
I would take that record any year in football. He has

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had three campaigns for Governor and four campaigns for the Senate from 
the State of Missouri, and his record is nine and one in those 
elections. Let me tell you, that is one remarkable achievement because 
in Missouri we have some strong-minded folks. We have a bunch of folks 
on one end who are very loud and very opinionated, and they are not 
going anywhere, and we have a bunch of folks on the other end who are 
just as loud and just as opinionated, and they are not going anywhere. 
But in the middle we have a grand and glorious group of very stubbornly 
independent people.
  I like to point out to people that the State of Missouri elected John 
Ashcroft Governor and Harriett Woods Lieutenant Governor in the same 
election. Now, many of you may not know who Harriett Woods is, but I 
can assure you my colleague and I both know these two people--John 
Ashcroft and Harriett Woods--and they had absolutely nothing in common. 
They had completely divergent ideological views of the world, yet 
Missourians elected both of them. Why? I will tell you what that grand 
and gloriously stubborn streak of independents want in Missouri--they 
want someone with a smile.
  Check for Kit Bond. When you think of Kit Bond, you think of him 
smiling. Even if his teeth are gritted, and he is telling you something 
you don't want to hear or you can tell he is angry at you, he is still 
grinning. They appreciate his intellect. He has always been an 
intellectual giant, and that is important when you are toiling the 
fields of public service. His integrity. There was never a doubt in all 
of these years of Kit Bond's service that this was not a man of the 
very highest integrity. And finally, a work ethic. And gee howdy, 
Missourians want a work ethic. They want somebody who understands that 
they are working hard and they want to see you working hard, and that 
is exactly what Senator Bond has done for these 42 years. He has worked 
very hard, even down to planting his chestnut trees himself on the farm 
in Mexico.
  So the magic formula of a ready smile, intellect, integrity, and an 
amazing work ethic has put him in the same category as some of 
Missouri's very greatest. From Thomas Hart Benton to Senator 
Christopher Kit Bond, he has shown the world and shown our country what 
hard work, what somebody who loves the middle of America and all that 
it represents can do in the Senate.
  He has been a wonderful role model for many of us in Missouri, even 
if we don't always agree on every issue. And by the way, I will tell 
this story today: When I took my desk in the State auditor's office, 
there is a tradition in the State auditor's office in Missouri that all 
the previous State auditors' pictures are around your office on a photo 
rail at the top. I sat down at my desk on the first day having been 
elected State auditor, and I looked up and who was directly across from 
me--Kit Bond and John Ashcroft. I will confess I moved the order so I 
didn't have to look at both of you every single day. But you were a 
reminder to me that there are many different ways to serve.
  It is with a great deal of reluctance that I say farewell to Senator 
Kit Bond in the Senate. He has served here well, he has served his 
State well, and I hope he remains a colleague and friend of mine for 
many years to come.
  With the utmost admiration and respect, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota is recognized.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I also want to add my voice in respect and 
recognition for the service of Senator Kit Bond. He has been a terrific 
colleague. We have jousted over issues such as water policy affecting 
our two States, but he has always conducted himself with honor and 
integrity and he will be missed in this Chamber.