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Floor Speech
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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I want to make sure we give a little bit of the Democratic response.
I had the opportunity to get to know Joe and Gayle--Lisa and I did-- when he was a Governor. And Joe gave this incredibly moving, important speech today. He left out one small part, because when he was making the decision to leave--Gayle, as you know, he has described it many times as the best job ever--he called me. And I said: Joe, come here, and we can do a whole lot of things.
And I say to my Republican colleagues, he was that independent streak from his first caucus meeting. We had our caucus lunch. You know, he did not adhere to the ``freshman should be seen but not speak.'' So he got up, early on in the lunch, and was already complaining about the job. He sat down, and, I swear to goodness--and, Gayle, we have talked about this--at the end of the lunch, he got up for a second time because he wanted to remind us that when he was Governor of the great State of West Virginia, he had two airplanes, a helicopter, and control of the whole National Guard, and now he is reduced to a junior Senator.
Over the years, he has reminded me often of that call. As people talked, he sometimes would complain about the process or what was happening this week or that week on the floor. And as has been echoed by everyone else, one of the things that Joe always stood for and has always been about is this notion that we ought to reason together. We have been in more groups or gangs--or whatever description you want to have of a bipartisan association--whenever that has happened, in his 14 years in the Senate, he has been involved in every one of them.
And the list of accomplishments that you laid out and your colleagues--our friends from the Republican side--laid out, that is a remarkable body of work, and it is a tribute not only to your staff and your family. It is also a tribute to the great people of West Virginia. And, quite honestly, this country is better because of your bipartisan work in the U.S. Senate.
And I join with all who love you and your family. We know you are not going far. We look forward to many times of bringing us together in the future.
And I think, at some point, you owe it to the body to acknowledge that you are actually glad you made that change to come to this body. West Virginia is better for it. The country is better for it. And I know it has been a challenge at times for the family, but, at the end of the day, I know they are incredibly proud of the great work you have done.
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