National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017--Conference Report

Floor Speech

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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the contributions and the long and colorful career of Vice President Joe Biden--the pride of Scranton, PA--and of Wilmington, DE--and the pride of the entire United States.

Joe Biden lived, learned, and grew up among hard-working Americans in the 1950s and 1960s, when everything in America seemed possible--and it was. Remarkably, this gifted orator grew up with a crippling stutter--a challenge which he overcame through determination and perseverance. He displayed that same uncommon strength after he lost his wife and daughter in a horrific car accident just weeks after being first elected to the United States Senate.

Vice President Biden considered giving up his seat to tend to his injured children. It is one of this country's great fortunes that Joe Biden decided against that. Scarred by the tragedy and by a close brush with death himself and more recently by the loss of his son Beau, the Vice President has shown us the power of and the comfort derived from a deep personal faith.

When he was first elected to the United States Senate in 1972, he was only 29 years old. And in a Senate career spanning 36 years, Senator Biden left behind a legacy as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Perhaps his greatest achievement was his tireless advocacy for civil rights, especially the protection of women and children from domestic violence. The passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 is an enduring Biden legacy which we will continue to build upon for years to come.

And now, even as he is about to retire from political life, Vice President Biden has taken on a new cause: to find a cure for the disease which has claimed too many millions of Americans, including his beloved son, Beau. The Cancer Moonshot has refocused and reinvigorated our Nation's efforts to eradicate this devastating disease, and I was proud to support renaming the legislation to honor Beau Biden.
Vice President Biden is as honest and authentic a person as you will find, providing a welcome dose of humanity and authenticity to the business of governing. And he has served with great honor and humility.
I recall a dinner the Vice President attended at my home where, before he greeted a single guest, he made sure to spend time with my children--greeting them and engaging them in a real conversation. They have never forgotten that.

And, as the meal was ending, the Vice President said he wanted to hear from each of our guests. Now, this may come as no surprise to those of you who know Joe Biden, but he actually spoke at some considerable length about how important he thought it was to hear from everybody who was there. Two and a half hours into a dinner scheduled to last just 90 minutes, I think one guest got to ask the Vice President a question.
I know Vice President Biden and his exceptional partner, Jill, will continue to be engaged in the life of our Nation, so I will simply thank him today for four decades of public service--and pledge my continued respect for his many contributions to this great Nation which he loves so completely.
Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

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