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Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, how heartwarming it has been today to witness Richard Burr's farewell speech to his colleagues, his staff, the Members of the Senate, his constituents, and, indeed, all Americans, and equally heartwarming it has been to listen to the heartfelt tributes that he is receiving from those of us who have been privileged to share with him.

During his 28 years in Congress as both a Member of the House and of the Senate, Richard has been a strong voice for responsible government and bipartisanship.

I join my colleagues in thanking him for his truly extraordinary service not just to the people of his beloved North Carolina but to all of our country. Throughout his service, Richard has consistently reached across the aisle to meet challenges and to move our Nation forward.

As the leader of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, he has supported innovations in our healthcare system that have made a real difference for his fellow Americans. These advancements include enhancing the ability of cutting-edge treatments and medications to reach patients as well as advocating for historic funding increases for biomedical research.

Richard has also left a lasting mark on education policy for Americans of all ages. He has worked to ensure that the very youngest learners have the best possible opportunities in life by supporting early education through Head Start and quality childcare and by supporting afterschool programs through the child care and development block grant.

He has sought to increase the affordability of higher education by authoring the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, and he has helped Americans obtain good-paying jobs by strengthening workforce development programs.

Richard was also a member of the bipartisan group that shepherded the Great American Outdoors Act through Congress. Two years ago, I was proud to join him when that bipartisan bill was signed into law. This historic legislation fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund that supports access to the great outdoors for all Americans. It is preserving and creating recreational opportunities from the Outer Banks to the Pacific coast.

Perhaps less well-known but also important is the fact that Richard has been a champion of civil rights. He spearheaded the passage of the ABLE Act--one of the most important laws for individuals with disabilities since the Americans with Disabilities Act.

He partnered with Congressman John Lewis, the late civil rights icon, to reauthorize the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act to right the wrongs committed against African Americans that were never investigated.

When in 2010 former Senator Joe Lieberman and I led the fight to repeal the discriminatory don't ask, don't tell law that prohibited patriotic Americans from serving in the military due to their sexual orientation, Richard stepped forward to help ensure that successful repeal.

As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard oversaw the Agencies that helped to keep our Nation safe and ensured that they had the tools needed to guard against foreign threats.

In addition, as Senator Warner has mentioned, at a time of intense partisanship, he led the investigation into Russian attempts to meddle in U.S. elections. He deserves enormous credit for keeping our committee focused on the task at hand and for producing a fact-based account of the events surrounding the 2016 election.

There is a final story that I want to end with about Richard, and it is repeating in many ways what our chairman, Mark Warner, has said.

I, too, have accompanied Richard Burr as he has visited with our men and women of the intelligence community at stations around the world. He doesn't just receive the intelligence briefings, as you would expect. No. He goes beyond that. He makes the effort to thank each and every one of our intelligence community's staff, who are serving in stations, sometimes in dangerous conditions, often being separated from their families or enduring hardship. He thanks each and every one of them. That tells you a lot about who Richard Burr is.

Richard, thank you for your countless contributions to the U.S. Congress and to our Nation. I join your friends and colleagues in wishing you and Brooke all the best in the years to come.

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