congressional_record: CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11849-2
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| granule_id | date | congress | session | volume | issue | title | chamber | granule_class | sub_granule_class | page_start | page_end | speakers | bills | citation | full_text |
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| CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11849-2 | 2000-12-15 | 106 | 2 | RETIREMENT OF SENATOR ROD GRAMS | SENATE | SENATE | RETIREMENT | S11849 | S11850 | [{"name": "Carl Levin", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Kent Conrad", "role": "speaking"}] | 146 Cong. Rec. S11849 | Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000) [Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)] [Senate] [Pages S11849-S11850] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] RETIREMENT OF SENATOR ROD GRAMS Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as this session of Congress comes to an end, I want to speak about my friend and colleague from the State of Minnesota, Senator Rod Grams. A former television news personality, Rod Grams, in his term in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, quickly established himself as a proponent of assistance to farmers and as an advocate for the establishment of a national nuclear waste repository. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has been an [[Page S11850]] opponent of international agricultural sanctions and a strong supporter of vigorous foreign trade. He supported IMF funding, trade with China and review of the U.S.-Cuba relationship. He joined the bipartisan effort to enact strong brownfields cleanup legislation. Rod Grams earned a reputation as a strong supporter of tax relief, favoring elimination of the marriage penalty and other tax cut proposals. While Rod Grams and I have disagreed on a number of issues, I respect the commitment which he has brought to policy debate. Where we disagreed, I found Rod Grams to be a straight-talking and agreeable adversary. I wish him and his family well in the future. Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, for the past six years, I have had the privilege of serving in the Senate with Rod Grams, a colleague who has distinguished himself on a number of important issues including budget, tax policy, and agriculture. He has served Minnesota with distinction as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Senate Budget committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. On a national level, Senator Grams is perhaps best known for his ``Families First'' plan, first discussed as part of the 1994 Republican budget alternative. This plan included a $500 per-child tax credit, a recommendation that eventually became part of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. On a more parochial level, I have worked closely with Senator Grams on issues affecting our farm communities, and in 1997 to help our states recover from the disastrous floods along the Red River Valley. Communities along the Red River were devastated by this 500 year flood which disrupted business and forced thousands of families from their homes. Senator Grams worked closely with delegations from North Dakota and South Dakota to make certain that the urgent needs of so many families and communities were met. He played an important role in ensuring bipartisan support and passage of the disaster relief legislation that was so critical for our states at that time. I know that many North Dakota families and businesses are very grateful for his support. I extend my best wishes to Senator Grams, and his family, and my appreciation for his support on critical agricultural, budget, and disaster issues that we have worked together on in committee and on the Senator floor together. ____________________ |