[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 154 (Tuesday, November 30, 2010)] [Senate] [Pages S8274-S8275] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] COMMENDING SENATOR BOB BENNETT Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the retirement and the departure of my great friend, Bob Bennett. Senator Bennett and I have jointly represented the State of Utah for many years. We are close. During that time, we have worked together as partners, collaborators, but most of all as good friends. Bob's presence in the Senate is going to be sorely missed. Senator Bennett is a lot of things. He is honest, he is thoughtful, he is knowledgeable. But more than anything else, Senator Bennett is a fighter for the people of Utah. Bob has served with unwavering devotion to our State, its people, and its interests. Throughout his 18 years in the Senate, the State of Utah has been foremost in Bob's thoughts, and I don't believe he has made a single decision he didn't believe was in the best interests of our State and of our Nation. Senator Bennett is the son of Frances and Wallace F. Bennett. Wallace F. Bennett, we should all remember, was also a great U.S. Senator from Utah who served four terms between 1951 and 1974. I think that is accurate. Bob is also the grandson of Heber J. Grant, the seventh President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After attending East High School in Salt Like City, Bob graduated from the University of Utah, where he was elected the student body president and obtained a degree in political science in 1959. His first political job was managing his father's 1962 successful reelection campaign. Bob then spent several years working as a Mormon chaplain in the Utah Army National Guard before becoming a chief congressional liaison at the U.S. Department of Transportation. After his time at the Transportation Department, Senator Bennett moved on to a successful career in public relations. For over a decade, he presided over some of the most successful and high-profile public relations organizations in the country. He became well known for his hard work, his leadership ability, and his entrepreneurial prowess. This was solidified in 1984 when Bob was named the CEO of the Franklin International Institute, which is now known as Franklin Covey. Franklin Covey is now one of the premier personal and organizational effectiveness firms in the world. The products and services provided by the company impact literally millions of people every year. But when Bob joined the company they had only four employees. During his tenure that number grew to over 1,000. By the time he left to run for the Senate, the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It was at that time an already thriving corporation, a world leader in its industry, thanks in no small part to Bob's leadership. For his efforts, Bob was named Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year for the Rocky Mountain region. Bob was elected to the Senate in 1992 after a hotly contested Republican primary and a hard-fought general election. His father--once again, the great Senator Wallace F. Bennett--lived just long enough to see his son win an election and serve in the Senate for almost a full year. I know that must have been a great source of pride for the senior Senator Bennett and his family. Over his 18 years in the Senate, Bob has continued to demonstrate sound judgment and strong leadership. Republican Senators have considered him a trusted resource when it comes to strategy and policy. He has been a consistent resource for those who seek thoughtful answers to difficult political questions. For these reasons, among others, Bob has served on the leadership teams of our current minority leader, Senator McConnell, as well as his predecessor, Senator Bill Frist. While he is more well known for his quiet, contemplative demeanor, Senator Bennett has always been an outstanding orator. He comes often to the floor to discuss various issues at length, rarely reading from notes and almost never skipping a beat. His contributions to our debates in the Senate have always been very valuable, and I think people on both sides of the aisle will acknowledge that and have appreciated the type of advocacy he has brought to the floor of the Senate--always courteous, always well thought out, always reasonable, and always, in my opinion, right. As I mentioned before, I know few Senators who can match Senator Bennett's commitment to the people he represents. Every single person in the State of Utah has benefited from the work of Senator Bennett. One cannot ride on a train or drive on a freeway in Utah or avail oneself of so many other assets and attributes in Utah without seeing the results of Senator Bennett's service in the Senate. Our State has seen a lot of growth in recent years due to the expansion of our population and the fact that more and more companies have recognized that Utah is a great place to do business. Utah's infrastructure has for the most part been able to keep pace with the rapid growth, thanks in large measure to the work of Senator Bennett. I will miss working with Senator Bennett to help the people of our State, but I will miss him more as a friend. Bob and his wonderful wife Joyce--and she has been a tremendous companion to him, tremendous helpmate to him over these years--have been married for 48 years. They have 6 children and 20 grandchildren. I know every one of them is proud of the great service Bob has rendered to his country and the Senate, and they should be. I too am so pleased and proud of my friend, Senator Bennett, and I am certain that Bob will be successful in any endeavor he chooses in the future upon leaving the Senate. Bob Bennett is a wise counselor. He is a truly honest man. He cares not only for the people he represented but everybody in this country and many people throughout the world. He lives his religious beliefs. Other than family, I can't compliment anybody more than that. He lives his religion. He is exemplary. He is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever known. I value his friendship and I [[Page S8275]] value his advice and I have valued it over these years that we have served together. He has always been a serious and productive leader who also has a tremendously great sense of humor. After all is said and done, he is a great father, grandfather, husband, and friend--just to mention a few. Bob will be successful in whatever he chooses to do. He is a good man. I personally will miss him. I think everybody in the Senate will miss him, and I believe it is safe to say everybody in Utah will miss him as well--some more than others. Nevertheless, if they look at his record and they look at the things he has done for our State, for our people, they are going to thank God that Bob Bennett was a Senator for 18 solid years. I personally thank the Father in Heaven for having him here as a partner to me, as a friend, and as somebody on whom I could rely and with whom I could counsel on some of these very earthshakingly important matters that come before our Senate. I have such a great opinion of Bob Bennett, I don't think even he has known--maybe not until today--how great that opinion has been. I think the world of him. I love him as a human being, and I wish him the very best, he and his family. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah is recognized. Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am embarrassed and humbled and gratified by the comments of my senior colleague, Senator Hatch. My wife has said, by virtue of our retirement from the Senate: It is a little like going to your own funeral. You are hearing all of the eulogies but you are still alive. We, indeed, are planning a significant life and activity after the Senate. I will have more to say about that at some other time. But I want to express my gratitude to Senator Hatch for the kind words he has spoken, but more importantly for the relationship we have developed in the time we have served together. We did not know each other very well prior to my running for the Senate. He was a Senator off in Washington; I was a businessman in Utah. We had little occasion to see our paths cross and become acquainted. One of the things I will treasure the most out of my experiences in the Senate has been the opportunity to come to know Orrin as a friend, as a dedicated legislator, and a role model and mentor. He has guided me many times when I needed some guidance. We have disagreed sometimes when that was appropriate given our particular positions on an issue or two, but always I have been able to look to Orrin Hatch as a mentor, a friend, someone upon whom I could depend. In the recent election when there were those who were suggesting that maybe Orrin should distance himself from me for his own political benefit, I am gratified by the fact that he not only refused to do that but until the very end did everything he could throughout the State to see to it that I was triumphant in that election. It turned out I was not, as far as the convention is concerned, but elections and conventions are not the be-all-and-end-all of life. I will go on to other activities, but I will hang onto my friendship with Orrin Hatch and continue my respect and love for him in the years to come. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, are we in morning business? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct. ____________________