Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010--Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, for a variety of reasons, turnover in the Senate has been more rapid recently than at almost any other time in our history.

For some of us, the turnover has been the result of elections. For some, it has been the result of the passing of Senate legends Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd, and as a result, as well, of filling Senate seats once held by our President, Vice President and the Secretaries of State and the Interior, while most of us--I think I saw a number of my colleagues from the freshman class here earlier listening to my good friend and colleague from Delaware--got here through the ballot box. We have been blessed to serve with some extraordinary individuals who were appointed to serve in this body.

Perhaps no one stands out more in this regard than our colleague for the past 21 months, the Senator from Delaware, Mr. Ted Kaufman. But I think most of us have come to know Senator Kaufman's service to this body extends well beyond the 21 months he served as a Senator.

In fact, as we just heard from his comments, and he is oft to remind all of us freshmen, he actually has spent most of the last 20 years serving previously as a Senate staffer.

No matter how accomplished--I think we have former Governors, former State senators, folks who have been superintendent of school boards--no matter what our background was before we got to the Senate, we all have had a lot to learn about the peculiar institution rules, morays, and the flow of this body.

I think I may speak for some of my colleagues in the class of 2008, Ted Kaufman has been an extraordinarily generous resource. He has known the rhythms of this institution, has been someone who has counseled us at times as our--at least I can speak personally--my head was about to explode about some of the process, to kind of sometimes recognize the need to tune out some of the ceaseless distraction, to recognize the great power of this institution and, as he has demonstrated by his own conduct, that sometimes the best path is to simply keep your head down and do hard work.

Senator Kaufman, in his speech, went through the litany of activities he has participated in, in that short 21 months. I know we have other Members. I wish to speak about two of them, briefly. One was the incredibly important role he played on financial reform and, secondly, this, I think perhaps much underrecognized but incredibly important role, a role he has been kind enough to leave to me, pass the torch to me, in terms of recognizing our Federal workforce.

Senator Kaufman did not serve on the Banking Committee. But in terms of nonmembers on the Banking Committee, there was nobody more active in financial reform, on a host of issues, than Ted Kaufman. We did not always see eye to eye. But nobody approached issues with more thoughtfulness, more hard work, and more generosity of spirit, who recognized we could have different opinions, but we both realized the financial system needed to be dramatically reformed.

But the area I particularly wish to call attention to is the fact that it was Ted Kaufman, before virtually anybody else in this body, and for that matter beyond most of the commentators in the financial markets, who spotted and identified what could be the first sign of the next potential financial crisis, the lack of transparency, particularly around high-frequency trading and some of the techniques and tactics used by firms to institute that tool.

As the Member who oftentimes had the privilege, respectively, of sitting in the chair on Monday afternoons, I got to be educated by Ted Kaufman, as he mentioned earlier, as he went through an explanation of the challenges this technique posed.

Because of his actions and working with Members across the aisle, he has raised the attention of the SEC to this very important issue. Again, this is an area I hope to pick up the baton on. Because the actions of May 6, in terms of the precipitous fall in the stock market, could have been that first warning shot, in many ways perhaps due to some of the techniques Ted Kaufman has simply said let's bring more transparency to.

Senator Kaufman, as well, has done something that perhaps most of us in this institution and, for that matter, most of the 300 million Americans do not often pay enough homage and respect to, literally, millions of folks who work for the Federal Government.

As somebody who has committed his whole life to public service, and most of that public service in serving the Federal Government, Senator Kaufman decided, during his tenure, that each and every week he would come down and recognize somebody who works in the Federal Government who is a star. He has now recognized over 100 of these Federal employees, and Senator Kaufman has again reminded all of us that while we have challenges in terms of getting the Federal Government right, we still have in the Federal workforce the best in the world. I, again, look forward to the honor of picking up that baton.

Public service is never easy at any moment. But I cannot think of a time in my 20 years around public service that its times are tougher than now, with a great kind of disregard about many of us who serve. But I can think of no better example of someone throughout his whole life who exemplified the best of public service, serving the staff roll, serving as a Senator, constantly calling us to our better angels, recognizing the great traditions of this body.

So while we heard that Senator Kaufman for the last time yielded the floor, at least it is my hope, and I believe the hope of many of my colleagues, that you will still continue to frequent this institution, that you will still continue to be an individual whom we can count on for respect, for guidance, and recommendations.

I have to say that while you will be missed, this body will be greatly diminished by your absence. I again wish to salute my colleague, I wish to salute my friend, and I thank Senator Kaufman for his distinguished service to not only the people of Delaware but to the people of the United States.

I yield the floor.

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