{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11849-2", "2000-12-15", 106, 2, null, null, "RETIREMENT OF SENATOR ROD GRAMS", "SENATE", "SENATE", "RETIREMENT", "S11849", "S11850", "[{\"name\": \"Carl Levin\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Kent Conrad\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "146 Cong. Rec. S11849", "Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]\n[Senate]\n[Pages S11849-S11850]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                    RETIREMENT OF SENATOR ROD GRAMS\n\n  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as this session of Congress comes to an\nend, I want to speak about my friend and colleague from the State of\nMinnesota, Senator Rod Grams.\n  A former television news personality, Rod Grams, in his term in the\nHouse of Representatives and in the Senate, quickly established himself\nas a proponent of assistance to farmers and as an advocate for the\nestablishment of a national nuclear waste repository.\n  As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has been an\n\n[[Page S11850]]\n\nopponent of international agricultural sanctions and a strong supporter\nof vigorous foreign trade. He supported IMF funding, trade with China\nand review of the U.S.-Cuba relationship.\n  He joined the bipartisan effort to enact strong brownfields cleanup\nlegislation. Rod Grams earned a reputation as a strong supporter of tax\nrelief, favoring elimination of the marriage penalty and other tax cut\nproposals.\n  While Rod Grams and I have disagreed on a number of issues, I respect\nthe commitment which he has brought to policy debate. Where we\ndisagreed, I found Rod Grams to be a straight-talking and agreeable\nadversary. I wish him and his family well in the future.\n  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, for the past six years, I have had the\nprivilege of serving in the Senate with Rod Grams, a colleague who has\ndistinguished himself on a number of important issues including budget,\ntax policy, and agriculture. He has served Minnesota with distinction\nas a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate\nCommittee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Senate Budget\ncommittee, and the Joint Economic Committee.\n  On a national level, Senator Grams is perhaps best known for his\n``Families First'' plan, first discussed as part of the 1994 Republican\nbudget alternative. This plan included a $500 per-child tax credit, a\nrecommendation that eventually became part of the 1997 Balanced Budget\nAct.\n  On a more parochial level, I have worked closely with Senator Grams\non issues affecting our farm communities, and in 1997 to help our\nstates recover from the disastrous floods along the Red River Valley.\nCommunities along the Red River were devastated by this 500 year flood\nwhich disrupted business and forced thousands of families from their\nhomes.\n  Senator Grams worked closely with delegations from North Dakota and\nSouth Dakota to make certain that the urgent needs of so many families\nand communities were met. He played an important role in ensuring\nbipartisan support and passage of the disaster relief legislation that\nwas so critical for our states at that time. I know that many North\nDakota families and businesses are very grateful for his support.\n  I extend my best wishes to Senator Grams, and his family, and my\nappreciation for his support on critical agricultural, budget, and\ndisaster issues that we have worked together on in committee and on the\nSenator floor together.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11849-2"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.37934095598757267, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}