[Senate Document 111-33]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. EDWARD E. KAUFMAN
Edward E. Kaufman
U.S. SENATOR FROM DELAWARE
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Edward E. Kaufman
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Edward E. Kaufman
United States Senator
2009-2010
a
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Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell to the Senate................................
ix
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii....................
17
Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
10
Burris, Roland W., of Illinois.................
9
Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
14
Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
16
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
15
Harkin, Tom, of Iowa...........................
12
Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
3
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
13
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
8, 11
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
7
Warner, Mark R., of Virginia
...............................................
....
5, 9, 14
BIOGRAPHY
Ted was formerly the U.S. Senator from Delaware.
He is a senior lecturing fellow at the Duke University
Law School.
He is cochair of the Delaware STEM Council, serves on
the board of directors of the Institute for International
Education, the Ministry of Caring, and Children and
Families First, the board of trustees of Wesley College,
and the University of Delaware Engineering College's
Advisory Council.
He was the chair of the Congressional Oversight
Committee of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
Ted arrived in the Senate with significant experience,
having served 22 years on the staff of U.S. Senator Joseph
Biden, 19 years as chief of staff, and taught about the
Congress at the Duke University School of Law and Duke's
Sanford School of Public Policy for almost 20 years. He
used that experience to his advantage. Less than a month
after arriving in the Senate, he introduced the Fraud
Enforcement and Recovery Act with Senators Patrick Leahy
(D-VT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The bipartisan
legislation, signed into law by President Obama on May 20,
2009, strengthens the tools and increases the resources
available to Federal prosecutors to combat financial
fraud.
Ted remained a leading voice in the financial debate,
successfully pushing the Securities and Exchange
Commission to strengthen its short selling rules and
advance market structure reforms in such areas as high
frequency trading. He was extremely active in trying to
solve the problem of financial institutions deemed ``too-
big-to-fail,'' calling for a reimposition of the Glass-
Steagall Act, which would separate commercial and
investment banking activities.
Along with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ted in April
introduced the SAFE Banking Act of 2010, which would cap
the size of banks based on their assets and liabilities.
His provisions on health care fraud enforcement, which
expanded the Government's capacity to investigate waste,
fraud, and abuse in government and private health care,
were included in the historic health care bill.
Initially appointed to two committees--the Judiciary
Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee--Ted was
assigned to two more panels in March 2010: the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the
Armed Services Committee. He was the first Delaware
Senator to serve on the latter committee.
He was also assigned to the Impeachment Committees of
Federal judges Samuel B. Kent and G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.
Ted was one of the leading Senate voices supporting
international press freedom, public diplomacy, and an
expanded civilian role in counterinsurgency operations. He
coauthored the only piece of legislation on Iran signed
into law in 2010: the Victims of Iranian Censorship
(VOICE) Act, which supported increased U.S. broadcasting
in Iran, as well as the development of Internet censorship
circumvention tools.
Ted made three trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan and
four trips to Iraq while in office, as well as two visits
to Israel and the West Bank, and trips to Saudi Arabia,
Lebanon, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkey, and Syria. During those
trips, he met with U.S. troops and military leaders, as
well as regional officials, including Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, Pakistan
President Zardari, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu,
Lebanon Prime Minister Hariri, Turkish Prime Minister
Erdogan, and Syrian President Assad.
As the Senate's only Member to have worked as an
engineer, Ted was especially active in promoting the
expansion of ``STEM'' (science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics) education. He was able to secure $400,000
to fund research and extension grants for women and
minorities in STEM fields in a spending bill signed into
law on October 16, 2009. In April 2010, Ted received the
American Society of Mechanical Engineering's prestigious
President's Award, presented to companies and individuals
who have made significant contributions to the engineering
profession. On December 21, 2010, the America COMPETES Act
was signed into law, which includes Ted's STEM Education
Coordination Act which provides overall coordination of
Federal programs and activities in support of STEM
education. He received the Duke University Engineering
School's Distinguished Alumni Award for 2011.
He was the keynote speaker at the 2010 graduation
convocations of the University of Delaware and University
of Pennsylvania Engineering Schools. He was keynote
speaker at the 2010 annual meeting of the Engineering
Deans Institute. He received the Leadership Award from the
A. James Clark Engineering School at the University of
Maryland.
A former Federal employee, Ted went to the floor each
week to honor a wide variety of Federal employees, from a
lawyer at the Securities and Exchange Commission to a
technician in the National Guard. During his term he made
floor statements on the accomplishments of 100 Federal
workers.
On April 13, 2010, Ted authored and introduced S. 3196,
the Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010,
along with Senators Voinovich, Akaka, and Lieberman. The
bill authorizes the government to provide office space,
equipment, and an array of services to major Presidential
contenders automatically, once they have been nominated at
their conventions (and authorizes separate private funds
for the candidates to use for the costs of any salaries
and travel expenses). The Senate passed the bill by
unanimous consent on September 24. It was debated in the
House on September 29 and passed by voice vote on
September 30. It was then presented to the White House and
signed into law by President Obama on October 15 (P.L.
111-283).
Ted was born on March 15, 1939, in Philadelphia, PA, to
Helen Carroll and Manuel Kaufman. He graduated from Duke
University with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. He later
earned an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University
of Pennsylvania. In 1966, Ted moved to Delaware to work
for the DuPont Company, and in 1972, joined Joe Biden's
long-shot U.S. Senate campaign on a volunteer basis. He
began working full time for Joe Biden in 1973, and 3 years
later, became Senator Biden's chief of staff--a job he
held for 19 years.
Since 1991, Ted has taught a number of courses at the
Duke University's School of Law, Sanford School of Public
Policy and Fuqua School of Business.
From 1995 until 2008, Ted was a board member of the
Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the independent,
autonomous, Federal entity responsible for all U.S.
Government and Government-sponsored nonmilitary
international broadcasting. He was appointed to the BBG by
Presidents Clinton and Bush and was confirmed by the
Senate for four terms.
He lives with Lynne, his wife of over 50 years, in
Wilmington, DE. They have three children, Kelly Lance,
Murry Pierce, and Meg Hartley, and seven grandchildren.
Farewell to the Senate
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I love the Senate. It is not
always a beautiful thing, and surely it is not a picture
of a well-oiled machine, but years ago I found a home
here. As my colleagues know, I first came to the Senate in
1973 as an aide to a young man who had won a stunning and
very improbable election against a respected incumbent. At
that campaign victory party 38 years ago--I can remember
it as if it was yesterday--I thought to myself I would
never again believe that anything is impossible.
In the intervening 37 years I have seen a lot of
campaigns. I never saw one that was as big an upset as Joe
Biden's. When I started working for Joe Biden that year, I
told the DuPont Company--that is where I worked--I would
take a 1-year leave of absence. I stayed for 22 years.
I will soon be leaving the Senate. I am grateful beyond
words to have gone through much of Joe Biden's Senate
career as his chief of staff and observed his career first
hand. I can say if my Senate career had ended then, if I
had not been called on to serve as his successor, that
experience, helping to represent Delawareans and fighting
for the values that Joe Biden and I shared, would have
been more than fulfilling enough. I would have been happy.
I thank our leader, Harry Reid, who is most responsible
for the most historic, productive Congress since FDR. I
thank my committee chairs. They have been great to me: Pat
Leahy, John Kerry, Carl Levin, and Joe Lieberman. I
especially want to thank my senior Delaware colleague,
Senator Carper, for whom I have the greatest respect and
who has helped me tremendously during my last 2 years in
all manner of issues. I know I am going to alienate some
of the Senators, but he is without a doubt the best senior
Senator in the entire Senate.
After almost four decades, I think I finally got used to
the unpredictable rhythms of the Senate. In the short time
since I was sworn in last January, the Senate has seen
heated debate over a basic principle under which this body
functions--the filibuster. All Members are frustrated with
the slower pace, and they are right to be frustrated when
good bills, important bills that promise to help millions
of Americans, are blocked for the wrong reasons.
But rule changes should be considered in the light of
the fact, which we all know, that the Senate is not the
House of Representatives. It serves a very different
constitutional purpose, and the existence of the
filibuster remains important to ensuring the balanced
government the Framers envisioned.
Indeed, the history of the Senate is that of a struggle
between compromise and intransigence. But this is the
place where we protect political minorities. This is the
place where we make sure the fast train of the majority
doesn't overrun the minority. While I think there are
changes, and good changes, that are being considered, I do
think the filibuster should remain at 60 votes because
during the long struggle in the Senate, certain traditions
have been adhered to by Members on both sides of the
aisle. Whenever anyone moves to change one of those
traditions in a way that may diminish the comity under
which this body must function, I believe they should do it
very carefully. I know my colleagues will do that.
Regardless, I continue to have faith that out of the
debates in the Senate, the fights we are having now, out
of the frustrations of some of the intransigence of
others, we will eventually find our way toward the next
great compromises we need to solve many of our problems,
compromises that will keep America great.
I am incredibly proud of the opportunity I have had to
work on important issues during the brief service I have
had in the Senate. I feel especially privileged to have
served in this historic Congress, when there were so many
great challenges facing this country. I have been hanging
out in this place since 1973. There has not been another
Congress like the 111th, one where we have dealt with more
issues. During my first month in office, more than 700,000
Americans lost their jobs on the heels of the economic
collapse in late 2008.
People are wondering why are people upset? How soon they
forget. Less than 2 years ago, 700,000 people lost their
jobs in a month, and it was not the first month and it was
not the last month. Action by the Federal Government to
stop further decline was critical--and we acted. I am
proud of my vote on the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act. I believe the ARRA worked to arrest the financial
free fall to jump start the economy--and if I had another
hour and a half, I would show my charts and graphs to
demonstrate it.
All across Delaware I have seen the benefits of this
law--the investments in infrastructure and education and
new technologies for our future, and I met with the people
whose jobs were saved or who found new employment that
flowed from these investments.
We succeeded in passing many other initiatives to foster
growth and to bring much needed help to those who have
been hit hardest by the recession, which was my No. 1 job
in the Senate. As Senator Carper knows, it is all about
jobs, jobs, jobs. We actually did a great many things that
I firmly believe helped make us a stronger country.
As you know, as you grow older you realize that life is
not about what you accomplish or about winning. It is
about having tried, and I feel good that I tried my very
best.
I was so pleased to work with Senators Leahy and
Grassley on the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, to
chair oversight hearings in the Judiciary Committee on law
enforcement efforts to pursue financial fraud associated
with the financial crisis, and to sit with my friend,
Senator Carl Levin, as he and the Permanent Subcommittee
on Investigations held hearings on financial fraud. I was
honored to be a part, as were all of my colleagues, of two
Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justices Sotomayor
and Elena Kagan.
I had the distinct honor, and it is a true honor, of
serving on the Foreign Relations Committee with Chairman
John Kerry and Ranking Member Dick Lugar, as well as on
the Armed Services Committee with Chairman Levin and
Senator John McCain.
I made two trips to Israel and the Middle East, three
trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and four trips to Iraq
in the last 18 months. I know a number of things: No. 1,
we must build our civilian capability for engaging in
counterinsurgency, and in this Congress we passed
legislation to enhance civil-military unity of effort
through joint training at Camp Atterbury.
Along with Senator Brownback, I cofounded the Senate
Caucus on Global Internet Freedom to promote greater
access to freedom of expression and freedom of press
online.
I also highlighted the importance of U.S. public
diplomacy efforts, especially international broadcasting.
As you know, I served on the board for 13 years--there is
nothing more important in our battle than international
broadcasting and public diplomacy. I sought to raise the
awareness of the limitations on press freedom in countries
such as China and Iran through the passage of resolutions
and have coauthored legislation funding the development of
Internet censorship circumvention technology in Iran--
getting around the jamming that Iran is doing to deny its
citizens the right to get information on the Internet.
I have also had the privilege of working to promote
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or
STEM, education during my time in the Senate. As a former
engineer, I know first hand the importance of STEM
education.
I spent much of my career in government service, and I
decided early in my term to come to the Senate floor each
week and recognize the contribution made to this country
by our Federal employees. I honored 100 great Federal
employees from this desk, sharing their stories and
accomplishments with my colleagues and the American
people, and I am very pleased that Senator Warner from
Virginia is going to be taking that on when I leave. I
could not have left it to a better person.
Last but not least, I have tried my hardest to be a
voice for the average investor and to work for financial
accountability and stability so our economy can thrive.
That is what it is about. We can't thrive if we don't have
credibility in the markets. I offered legislation with my
good friend, Senator Johnny Isakson, to curb abusive short
selling. I gave a number of speeches on this floor, from
this desk, calling for the Securities and Exchange
Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of equity
market structure and high-frequency trading and to advance
reforms that promote clear and transparent markets--not
always clear and transparent to everybody listening. As I
said from the floor dozens of times, it is critical that
we preserve the credibility of our markets, one of our
Nation's crown jewels, if our grandchildren are to live in
the most economically powerful country in the world.
Finally, I repeatedly highlighted from the Senate floor
the importance of the problem of too big to fail in the
financial reform debate, working with my good friend,
Senator Sherrod Brown, to offer the Brown-Kaufman
amendment. We made the good fight but, again, trying was
better than succeeding--not better but the alternative to
succeeding, and I thank every Senator who voted for that
amendment. I am proud of that. While our amendment was not
agreed to, I will ever be proud of the opportunity to work
with Senator Chris Dodd and participate in Senate debate
on financial reform.
I could not have achieved anything--and I genuinely mean
anything--during my term without the help and hard work of
my excellent staff. I spoke early this week about the
staff. They are vital to our work. I am going to tell you
as someone who spent years delivering staff work and now
someone who has been a consumer, I am more impressed than
ever with my staff, and with Senate staffs and the job
they do.
I want the American people to understand that one of the
reasons I love the Senate is because it is filled with
intelligent, hard-working people who are passionate about
serving this country. This goes for Members and staff
alike. The Senate is a magnet for those who feel called to
public service. It is the destiny for countless improbable
journeys. Our constitutional Framers would have been
relieved to see this noble experiment working, to know
that in the Senate today we serve a farmer from Big Sandy,
a realtor from Cobb County, a mayor from Lincoln, a former
Army Ranger from Cranston, a social worker from Baltimore,
and a doctor from Casper.
All of them are here for the same reason as the other
Senators--because they love this country and their
communities dearly and want to give back. Their paths to
public service may have been different in their first
steps just like mine was, but they converged here and this
is what continues to sustain my faith in the Senate.
Here this leg in my improbable journey comes to an end.
Although I leave the Senate as a Member, I will not be
leaving the Senate behind. I will continue to teach about
the institution to my students and encourage them to
pursue their own path to public service. I will continue
to speak out on issues that I worked on here because that
important work, as always, goes on.
I love the Senate, and I will always cherish the
unlikely opportunity I had to serve Delaware as its
Senator. With deep gratitude to those who worked with me
and stood by me through my journey--to my staff, to my
colleagues, to my wife Lynne, to our children,
grandchildren--with great appreciation to former Governor
Ruth Ann Minner and the people of Delaware for the
responsibility they gave me, and with optimism and faith
in the future of the Senate and this great Nation, for the
last time, I yield the floor.
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TRIBUTES
TO
EDWARD E. KAUFMAN
Proceedings in the Senate
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor today
simply to thank my friend, the Senator from Delaware, for
his extraordinary work in the Senate and to make a comment
on some of the things he has been working on.
Since coming to this body, Senator Kaufman has proven to
be a tireless advocate for his State of Delaware and the
country, and his remarks he just provided (speaking of
Federal employees) are further evidence of that.
Senator Kaufman joined us here and joined me on the
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, where he and his
staff dug deeply into the weeds of financial statements
and emails in efforts that helped ferret out some of the
astonishing findings of our hearings into the causes of
the financial crisis. Senator Kaufman's dedication and
thoughtful questioning during those hearings helped expose
some of the root causes and crass conflicts of interest
that led to the crisis that brought our economy to its
knees.
I also want to make particular note of Senator Kaufman's
work on high frequency trading, flash trading, and other
trading market issues, where those with powerful computers
are able to exploit weaknesses in our regulatory systems
to their own financial advantage, while hurting long-term
investors and hurting the real economy.
Senator Kaufman cares deeply about these issues, and he
has voiced his concerns about them in this Chamber for
over a year. Last year, he called for a ban on flash
trading, a practice in which some firms pay for a ``sneak
peak,'' only a few thousandths of a second long, at
trades. With their computers, those firms can take
advantage of that split-second head start on market-moving
trades. The Securities and Exchange Commission is working
on rules to ban the practice, and I join Senator Kaufman
in urging that this practice be stopped.
Senator Kaufman has studied the trading markets in great
detail, communicating with regulators and industry
participants. He has learned that our regulatory system
for monitoring trading is outdated and that the technology
and capabilities of those who seek to exploit loopholes in
the rules or avoid them altogether have too often outpaced
those tasked with their oversight.
Senator Kaufman has come to this floor many times over
the past several months to warn us of the risks of our
current trading market structure, and of his concerns with
the inadequate regulatory process we have to police them.
On August 5, he sent a letter to Securities and Exchange
Commission Chairman Schapiro outlining proposals to
address some of those concerns. His thoughtful proposals
make a significant contribution to the debate over how to
make our financial system safer.
On May 6 of this year, we all watched helplessly as the
stock market plunged nearly 1,000 points in a few minutes.
While the regulators have committed to studying it and are
expected to release their report soon on the root causes
of that ``flash crash,'' I cannot help but think that we
in Congress owe it to families and businesses around this
country to better understand what happened and to make
sure we do what we can to stop it from happening again.
Although Senator Kaufman will soon be departing this
body, we must continue his work so that those who seek to
exploit our markets to the detriment of long-term
investors and the real economy will not be able to do so
without a battle from the Senate. Senator Jack Reed is
committed to doing just that. He held a hearing in May
shortly after the flash crash in which he looked into the
causes of the crash. I will join him and others and do all
we can to respond to these high-tech threats to market
fairness and transparency.
The world of trading stocks, bonds, commodities, and
other financial instruments today occurs on two levels.
There are those who invest for the long haul, investing in
companies and products they expect to do well for some
time. They drive our economy. But then there are those who
seek to ``invest'' for thousandths of a second or just
long enough to profit on split-second price swings. These
traders argue that they provide ``liquidity'' to the
markets, but in many cases they are actually hurting the
markets by promoting volatility and undermining the
integrity of those markets.
As Senator Kaufman said, we owe it to the millions of
families who have their savings in the markets and to the
businesses that rely on the markets for the capital they
need to survive and grow to make sure our markets function
properly. I applaud Senator Kaufman for his extraordinary
work on these issues and other issues in the Senate. I
thank him for his service. One way for us to recognize
that service is to continue his quest for more fair and
transparent markets.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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. 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 (see
farewell address, page ix), 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
superintendents 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,
mores, 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 about some of the process, to recognize the need to
tune out some of the ceaseless distraction, to recognize
the great power of this institution. As he has
demonstrated by his own conduct, 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 wish to speak about two of them, briefly. One
was the incredibly important role he played on financial
reform and, two, 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.
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. 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 we need more
transparency.
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, 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.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from
Michigan is recognized.
Ms. STABENOW. Before I speak about a very critical piece
of legislation, I wish to join the Senator from Virginia
in recognizing our friend and colleague from Delaware who
has done such an extraordinary job in the time he has been
here. I wish to associate myself with the comments of the
Senator from Virginia.
There is no one who brings more intelligence, passion,
commitment, or generosity of heart than the Senator from
Delaware, and the fact that he has given his life to
public service is something we all thank you for. You will
be greatly missed.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, the 111th Congress will be
recorded as one of the country's most historic. It will be
rightfully remembered for the landmark legislation we
passed to help our economy recover from recession and to
help Americans afford to recover from health problems and
for the passion that characterized the debates over many
of these laws. It will also be remembered for the
replacement of remarkable Senators, under remarkable
circumstances, by dedicated and devoted appointees.
Two years ago, for the first time in half a century, the
men elected President and Vice President of the United
States were sitting U.S. Senators. One year before the
last time that happened, in 1959, Robert C. Byrd was sworn
in for the first of his record nine consecutive full terms
in this body.
In the 111th Congress, three pairs of the biggest shoes
in American history needed to be filled, three public
servants were chosen to sit in the seats vacated by the
President, the Vice President, and the longest serving
Member of Congress. That has never happened before and
will probably never happen again.
Though Senators Edward Kaufman, Roland Burris, and Carte
Goodwin were selected and not elected, none was content to
be merely a footnote of history or the answer to a
congressional trivia question. Each made the most of his
time in the service of his State.
Before he became the junior Senator from Delaware, Ted
Kaufman was an engineer, a university professor, and Vice
President Biden's right-hand man in this body for two
decades. He spent nearly all his political career behind
the scenes but impressed everyone in his State and in the
Senate every time he stood up on the Senate floor or spoke
out in a committee hearing.
Rarely has an appointed Senator serving such a short
term made such an impact. Senator Kaufman wrote
legislation to make sure no Wall Street bank is too big to
fail and made it easier for Federal prosecutors to root
out financial fraud. His ideas on how to crack down on
health care fraud are now the law of the land.
He served less than one Congress, but he was no rookie.
His knowledge of parliamentary procedure is vast, and he
was a great legislative partner to me personally over the
last 2 years.
But among the most remarkable things Senator Kaufman did
in his time here were the 100 tributes he gave on the
Senate floor honoring Federal employees of all stripes:
military engineers, intelligence analysts, nuclear
scientists, Medicare benefits administrators, advocates
for the homeless and the sick, and so on, everyone from
administrative secretaries to assistant Cabinet
secretaries.
Senator Kaufman knows that the 2 million selfless public
servants who choose to spend their careers in the Federal
Government often make personal and financial sacrifices to
work in relative anonymity and rarely receive recognition.
He knows they often bear an undeserved reputation as part
of a vast bureaucracy. But Senator Kaufman, a great former
Federal employee himself, has both the character and class
to publicly honor them for their good, hard, and honest
work. He should be recognized for the same. ...
Senators Edward Kaufman, Roland Burris, and Carte
Goodwin represented their respective States with
distinction. They will forever hold a special place in
American history for the good work they did in the short
time they were U.S. Senators.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Mr. BURRIS. ... I also wish to acknowledge my fellow
freshman Senators: Senators Begich, Bennett, Franken,
Gillibrand; the Presiding Officer, the North Carolinian,
Senator Hagan; as well as Senators Merkley, Shaheen, Mark
Udall, Tom Udall, Mark Warner, and our just departed
Senator Kaufman from Delaware. They are tremendous
individuals possessing incredible talents and have been a
very supportive group for me. Thank you, my freshman
colleagues. ...
Mr. WARNER. ... Madam President, I rise today to
continue a recent tradition of the Senate--the tradition
of honoring exemplary Federal employees--my friend Senator
Ted Kaufman began last year. Senator Kaufman believes, as
I do, that our Federal employees deserve recognition for
their admirable patriotism which drives them in their
daily work as civil servants.
Senator Kaufman highlighted 100 Federal employees in his
close to 2 years of service--100 Federal employees with
significant accomplishments in the fields of medicine,
science, technology, diplomacy, and defense. Today I will
start to continue that tradition. ...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, 16 Senators will retire
this year. There is a pretty big turnover in this body,
but that is a lot of Senators at once. We are losing an
enormous amount of talent, but, of course, we are gaining
a lot of talent with the new Senators.
I wish to show my respect for those who have served,
which I will do in a summary fashion because we are
talking about 16 individuals with very complex and
distinguished backgrounds.
One might ask, what are the characteristics of a
Senator? There are a lot of different answers to that,
depending on your background and attitude toward politics
and government. First, I have always thought that one
characteristic of almost every Member of the Senate is
that he or she probably was a first grader sitting in the
front row, hand in the air waiting to be recognized. This
is an eager bunch or you would not have gotten here.
Second, it is a group of risk takers. Most people who
end up in the Senate get here because a lot of other
people who wanted to be Senators were standing around
waiting for the right time to run. A lot of people who
were elected to the Senate seemed to have no chance of
winning at the time they decided to run, but the voters
decided differently, and here they are.
Third, we are almost all professional and congenial.
That is a big help. It is almost a requirement in an
organization of 100 individuals who spend almost all their
time with one another, who serve in a body that operates
by unanimous consent, when just one Senator can bring the
whole place to a halt, and whose job basically is to argue
about some of the most difficult issues that face the
American people. So it helps that almost every Member of
the Senate is an especially congenial person.
Back in Tennessee, people often say to me it must be
rough being in that job. They are awfully mean up there.
The truth is, I don't know of a more congenial group than
the Members of the Senate. We begin the day in the gym.
The next thing you know we are at a Prayer Breakfast, and
then we are at a committee hearing. Then we are on the
floor voting, and then we have lunch. It goes through the
day until 7 or 8 o'clock, or sometimes later. We live
together and we get along very well. We know and respect
each other.
Not long ago, the Presiding Officer (Mr. Udall of New
Mexico) and I were having dinner together with our wives.
We were lamenting the loss of families who know one
another, the way it happened when his father was serving
in Congress and when I first came to the Senate to work
for Senator Baker. And that's true. We've lost some of
that. Still, there is an enormous amount of affection and
good will here. You don't always get to be very close
friends in this job, but you get to be very good
acquaintances, and you learn to respect people for their
strengths.
Senator Domenici said, when he left, that we don't do a
very good job of saying goodbye here. That is true. As one
part of saying goodbye, I wish to say at least one good
thing about each one of the 16 retiring Senators. Much
more could be said about each, of course. Mostly, I am
going in alphabetical order. ...
There have been four Members appointed to the Senate who
are retiring, and that is quite a number. ...
Senator Ted Kaufman of Delaware was a great teacher and
a longtime Senate staffer before serving in the Senate
himself. ...
It has been my privilege to serve with these 16
Senators. We thank them for their service to our country.
They have had a chance to serve in what we regard as the
world's greatest deliberative body; it is a special
institution. We will miss their leadership, and we hope
they will stay in touch with us because they are not just
retiring Senators, they are all our friends.
I yield the floor.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of
materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to
retiring Members of the 111th Congress, and that Members
have until Thursday, December 16, to submit such tributes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, when our colleague Ted
Kaufman, who is leaving, was sworn in as Senator in
January 2009 to succeed the newly elected Vice President,
Senator Joe Biden, he made it clear that he would not run
for election in 2010. He noted that he had not raised
money to become a Senator and would not raise money to be
elected 2 years later. He would be a free man, beholden to
no special interest, determined to do only what is right
for the people of Delaware and the United States.
Senator Kaufman has made good on that pledge. He may no
longer be a Member of the Senate since the swearing in of
the new Senator from Delaware, Mr. Coons, but in just 2
years in the Senate, he left his mark--both legislatively
and in the esteem of Senators on both sides of the aisle.
Of course, it should come as no surprise that Ted
Kaufman excelled in this body, and had influence and clout
far beyond what is typical for a freshman Senator whose
tenure was only going to be 2 years. After all, he came to
this body with a distinguished and diverse background in
government, business, and the academy. He holds a degree
in mechanical engineering from Duke, which led to a job
with DuPont Chemical Company. He went on to earn an M.B.A.
from the Wharton School and taught at Duke University's
schools of law and business. And, of course, as we all
knew Ted before, he served for 20 years on the staff of
Senator Joe Biden, most of that time as chief of staff.
Like most Senators, I have enormous respect for the role
of the Senate's professional staff members. In fact, we
often joke that Senators are ``a constitutional impediment
to the smooth functioning of staff.''
In Senator Ted Kaufman, we saw the best of both worlds,
combining the expertise and competence of a veteran
staffer with the leadership and political skills of a
first-rate Senator. This made Senator Kaufman a formidable
presence in this body for the last 2 years.
No question, Senator Kaufman's influence was felt most
impressively in the effort to reform Wall Street in the
wake of the financial meltdown of 2008.
Soon after becoming Senator, he cosponsored, along with
Senator Leahy and Senator Grassley, a bill to give Federal
prosecutors more effective tools for rooting out financial
fraud. President Obama signed that bill into law in May of
last year.
When the Senate undertook the sweeping reform of the
financial system earlier this year, Senator Kaufman
quickly stepped forward as one of the toughest critics of
Wall Street, giving speech after speech here on the floor
proposing and demanding fundamental changes in America's
broken financial system.
I listened with particular interest to his explanations
and criticisms of high-frequency trading and other opaque
trading practices of hedge funds and big Wall Street
firms.
I was proud to cosponsor the SAFE Banking Act,
cosponsored by Senator Kaufman and Senator Brown.
This legislation would have dramatically reduced the
size and concentration of the largest financial
institutions, thereby making our financial system safer. I
was disappointed this proposal was not included in the
financial bill. But getting 33 votes for this ambitious
measure was no small feat, and, no question, Senator
Kaufman's tireless efforts helped to rally support in the
Senate for reforming our financial institutions. Thanks in
no small measure to Senator Kaufman's expertise and
relentless advocacy, the worst aspects of Wall Street's
casino capitalism have been eliminated, and our financial
system is better able to allocate capital to areas of the
economy that need it the most.
So the junior Senator from Delaware was true to his
word. For the last 2 years, he was a Senator's Senator,
giving his all, beholden to no interest, serving the
people of Delaware and the United States with competence,
character, courage, and, I might add, with rock-solid
integrity.
I have valued Ted Kaufman's friendship and counsel here
in the Senate, as I said, going back for nearly 20 years.
I look forward to continuing that relationship now that he
has departed from this body. So I join with the entire
Senate family in wishing Ted and Lynne much happiness and
success in the years ahead.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to
our colleagues who are departing the Senate after
distinguished service on behalf of their States and on
behalf of the Nation. I have been privileged to work with
these individuals, to learn from them, to collaborate and
cooperate with them, and to, in some small way, help them
do what they have done so well--represent their States
with fidelity, with great effort, and to move the agenda
of the Nation forward. ...
My dear friend Ted Kaufman and Lynne. We traveled the
world together--including Afghanistan multiple times. He
served with such distinction. He took up the effort to
ensure that our securities markets in particular are well
regulated, especially in regard to the new phenomenon of
high-frequency trading. It is no coincidence that just
this week, we had a hearing on high-frequency trading. Ted
has not let us forget that very critical issue for the
future. ...
To all of these colleagues and their families, my
deepest appreciation and my profoundest respect.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise again to recognize the
service of another great Federal employee. This is a
tradition that was started by our friend and former
colleague, Senator Kaufman, and I am proud to carry on
that tradition. But I want to first say that I appreciate
the remarks of the Presiding Officer (Mr. Reed) about our
colleagues who are leaving this body, and I share his
great respect for not only Senator Kaufman but all of the
colleagues who are leaving the body at the end of this
Congress. ...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I wish today to pay tribute
to my distinguished colleague, Senator Ted Kaufman. Ted
has retired after just 2 years as a U.S. Senator. He was
appointed to this position in January 2009 after Senator
Joe Biden was elected as Vice President of the United
States.
Ted was an obvious choice to fill Joe's well-established
shoes. He has a tremendous amount of experience on Capitol
Hill, and there are few who understand the inner workings
of the Senate as well as he does. Before being appointed
to fill Delaware's vacant Senate seat, Ted served almost
20 years as chief of staff for Senator Biden. This
experience served him well as Ted proved himself to be a
strong and effective leader for Delaware.
After only a month of Senate service, Ted introduced the
Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, which increases the
number of FBI agents and prosecutors available to
prosecute individuals who committed fraud during the
financial meltdown. This legislation became law May 20.
In addition, Ted has been a tireless advocate for
improving regulation and safety in the financial services
market to help protect Americans from another devastating
economic decline as a result of loose rules and abusive
banking practices. He was also a strong proponent for
renewing our country's focus on science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics research to help propel our
country into the 21st century.
Ted also established a unique tradition during his time
in the Senate. Every week, he made it a priority to honor
the lifelong services of Federal employees. All too often,
the hard work of these public servants goes unrecognized,
and I commend Ted for his efforts to honor these men and
women.
Even in retirement, Ted will continue serving the
American people. He was recently named chairman of the
TARP Congressional Oversight Panel.
There are few who could make such a tangible mark on
public policy in such a short time. I thank Ted for his
years of service and wish him all the best in the coming
years.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, soon the gavel will bring to a
close this session of Congress, and many of us will return
home to be with our families for the holidays. Before we
leave, it is one of the Senate's traditions to say a few
words to express our appreciation to those who will no
longer be serving in the Senate when we reconvene for the
next session of Congress in January. One Senator I know I
will miss in the months to come is Ted Kaufman.
Ted isn't one of those who followed the typical road to
the Senate. He came to be a part of our work after first
making career stops as a college instructor, a political
consultant, and a chief of staff for Joe Biden, whose seat
he was appointed to fill when Senator Biden became our
Nation's Vice President.
Each stop along the way provided Ted with a different
perspective about government and its effect on the people
it was created to serve. The different roles he has played
and his knowledge of and experience with the workings of
the Senate made him a good choice to serve the remainder
of Joe Biden's Senate term. When the Governor made the
appointment, she cited Ted's knowledge of the Senate which
he gained during his many years of service here that she
believed would enable him to hit the ground running and be
an ``effective Senator for Delaware from day one.'' She
was right on both counts.
Ted is one of only two Senators who holds a degree in
engineering. Just as I have found being the Senate's only
accountant has helped me during our debates on the budget
and how to handle the deficit, Ted's understanding and
appreciation of the sciences have given him some valuable
insights into the importance of moving science and
technology careers ``back in their rightful place in our
economy.''
As the ranking member of the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions, I share his concern about
the need to encourage our young people to take a closer
look at those fields and consider a career in one of them.
Unless they do, we will continue to fall further and
further behind in the number of science students we
graduate. That will have an impact on our place in the
world economy and our ability to attract the kind of jobs
that will enable our workers to find jobs that are both
challenging and rewarding.
Although I do not know what the future holds for Ted as
he leaves the Senate, I do know that he has taught in the
past about government and the process of governing. His
experience as a Senator would add a vital dimension to
another round of those classes. I hope he considers
sharing what he has learned with the next generation of
our leaders--and help to groom our future Senators. It
will be yet another way for him to make a difference in
the world.
Good luck, Ted. Thanks for your willingness to serve.
You can be very proud of the contribution you have made to
the Senate and to the history of our country. Every day
another chapter of our history is written in our Nation's
Capital and, as 1 of only 100 Senators, you have played a
key role in that effort that has now been recorded and
will not be forgotten.
Our thanks also go to your wife Lynne, who has been a
part of this and all your life's adventures. As we both
know so well, serving in the Senate means a lot of late
nights, trips back home with little notice, and a lot of
other things we have to deal with because they come with
the job. Fortunately our wives never complain because we
could never do what we have to do without them. While I am
thanking you for your service, I think Lynne also deserves
a word of recognition for all she has done over the years
to support your efforts. Together, you are a remarkable
team, and that is why Delaware is so proud to claim both
of you as their own.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
the order for the printing of tributes be modified to
provide that Members have until sine die of the 111th
Congress, 2d session, to submit tributes and that the
order for printing remain in effect.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell
to a number of our friends and colleagues who are ending
their service in the Senate. Their contributions are too
numerous to mention, therefore I would like to take just a
few minutes to highlight some of the memories of the
Senators I came to know personally.
Some of the departing Senators I have served with for
decades. Others were here for only part of a term. All of
them worked hard for their constituents and our country.
Senator Ted Kaufman served for the past 2 years on my
Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management,
the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.
Throughout Senator Kaufman's time with the subcommittee,
he made a remarkable effort to honor the critical work of
Federal employees. His regular statements on the Senate
floor highlighting their work were an inspiration and I
know were greatly appreciated by the dedicated Federal
employees in Delaware and across this great Nation. I also
appreciated Senator Kaufman's strong leadership on
addressing longstanding shortcomings in Presidential
transition planning, culminating in the enactment of the
Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act this year. ...
In closing, the end of this Congress is bittersweet,
with so many talented and dedicated public servants
leaving this institution. All of them made a lasting
impact on the Senate and on our country. Mahalo nui loa,
thank you, for all your work.