Senate Proceeding on Jan 16th, 2009 :: 0:17:05 to 0:37:25
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0:17:01 to 0:17:22( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: responsibility as secretary of the interior. i yield the floor. the presiding office the previous o leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate shall now proceed to a paoefrd morning senators permied to speak for up to ten minutes each. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the chair recognizes for the last

0:17:05 to 0:37:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Ken Salazar

0:17:23 to 0:17:43( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: time the senior senator from colorado. mr. salazar: i thank the chair and the distinguished senator from rhode island, and i thank my great leader, senator reid, for his inspiration and for his leadership of this body and his

0:17:44 to 0:18:04( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: love for this nation. and i think that our journey together here in many ways has been a similar journey, because if you think about a man from searchlight, nevada, raised in the house where he was raised, raised in the circumstances where he was raised, working in the mines and being essentially

0:18:05 to 0:18:25( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: part of the poorest part o nevada, and yet today serving here in the united states senate as majority leader, it is a pathway that really illustrates the opportunity and promise of america. for his support and his leadership, i will be forever

0:18:26 to 0:18:47( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: grateful for the support from his family, landra and rory and all of his children. i admire him and admire them. i appreciate the comments so heartfelt in him and appreciate the comments as well from senator mcconnell. i thank my colleagues who are here this morning. i know that almost everybody took off last night, and so the

0:18:48 to 0:19:09( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: chamber is not exactly full this morning. but i see both democrats and republicans here who came to hear me say the last few words th i will say from this desk here in the u.s. senate. let me start out first by giving tribute to my family. my wonderful wife,

0:19:10 to 0:19:31( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: daughter melinda, my daughter andre i can't and my grand -- my daughter andrea and my granddaughter are watching. they truly are the bedrock of my life. without them, i would not be here. without them i would not have traveled the 64 counties

0:19:32 to 0:19:53( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: great state of colorado. since they were little they were holding balloons, walking the parades and doing the rest of the things it takes to become part of an state as large as colorado. to them i say thank you. i want to pay tribute as well to my father, henry.

0:19:54 to 0:20:14( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: as senator reid described his history as a very true history. you know, born into poverty and lived through a lot of sacrifice, but always rembered the two most important things of his life, as my brother, congressman salazar, often says: number one, family; number two, love for country.

0:20:15 to 0:20:35( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: and i think those two guided him to achieve what he still at the end of his life considered to be his greatest success. and that is that all eight of his children -- all eight of his children -- became first-generation college graduates. to my father, henry, who taught

0:20:36 to 0:20:56( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: me so many things about life, i will always be forever proud. within his family, within my mother's family, if you look at the genealogy of my family, which i will insert in the record, we start back with my

0:20:57 to 0:21:17( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: one born in 1520 and 1555 who became one of the original founders of a city. and his son. and it goes on to the point where i am a 12th-generation son of the southwest of new mexico and colorado. and it is a history that i am very proud of, and it is a history that i hope is not forgotten.

0:21:18 to 0:21:39( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: it is a history that for a long time was essentially shoved beneath the dust and was not given the illumination of its reality. and i hope that in some small part my role here in the united states senate has been to give credence and also celebrate that history that makes us such a wonderful and diverse america.

0:21:40 to 0:22:00( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: and so i appreciate everything that i got from my father's side. and, yes, he was a proud soldier in world war ii. he is a as we grew up, he made us understand the importance of hard work. he had a strong sense of pride and strong sense of community in

0:22:01 to 0:22:21( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: giving back and a strong sense of love for his family. my mother, emma, likewise in so many ways was a strong, spiritual person who i still today cal saint emma. they call her saint emma because nothing can even shake her from her roots.

0:22:22 to 0:22:45( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: she is who she is. she has she's not afraid to live or die. i rember many times in my life, including the death of my olde brother, my mother was the one who held the family together after a tragic accident that we had on our ranch back in 1992.

0:22:46 to 0:23:06( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: to her selfless, completely selfless love, which she has taught the world a family, i thank her from the bottom of my heart. i often have asked my mother: is there a single person in the world that you do not like? or is there a single person in the world that you hate? and my mother will think about it for ainute, and she will

0:23:07 to 0:23:29( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: say, "no." she says, "i love everybody." and just like she loves everybody, everybody loves her. i thank her for her faith and all she taught us. to my brothers and sisters, we are seven of us still left. my oldest brother passed away, taught us a lot about history and abouthe culture of our community.

0:23:30 to 0:23:50( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: i rember his days working with cesar chavez and the united farm workers and coming back to the farm long. he is and always will be my hero. i miss him. to all the rest of my brothers and to my sisters, they have all been the bedrock also of my successes.

0:23:51 to 0:24:11( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: and today here on the floor of the united states senate as i give my farewell address, i have the honor of being joined by congressman john salazar who is a congressman for the third co covers about 65% of the state of colorado. congressman salazar, in his own way, is the personification of many things that my family stands for.

0:24:12 to 0:24:34( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: if you look at his history and who he is in his profile, he is a farmer, he is a soldier and veteran, he is a businessman. he knows things and has taught me so much. as he and i have grown up together, being here in washington with him has been one of the highlights of my entire life.

0:24:35 to 0:24:56( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: i want to also just thank all of my colleagues here. and i'm going to say a few specific words about them in a few in early february, the senate selects a member to perform its oldest nonlegislative tradition: the reading of george washington's farewell address here on the floor of the united states senate. in 2006, senator harry reid,

0:24:57 to 0:25:17( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: majority leader then, gave meet honor of doing that reading. washington's famous words, i think, are important for us to remember at this time of transformation in america. in his farewell to public life in 1796, washington warned us of the dangers of partisanship, of

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Ken Salazar: geographic sectionalism and of politics and we are, washington said, one nation, which like shades of differences, you have the same religion, mners, habits and political principles. you have in a common cause fought and triumphed together. the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels and joint efforts of

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Ken Salazar: common dangers, sufferings and successes. washington's farewell address is a message reborn today. in this moment, in this time, with the inauguration next tuesday, with this body here in the united states senate and the house of representatives, there is a new hope with a growing sense that we're all in this together.

0:26:03 to 0:26:23( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: we are again becoming the one nation that the first president of the united states of america imagined. our next obama -- embodies this historic change. he is asking us not to think of ourselves first as red states and blue states, but as americans first, with

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Ken Salazar: obligations another. we can solve our problems, no matter how difficult they are. we can reach the horizon of human possibilities, no matter how difficult it might seem. but in order to do that, we must all work together. it is collaboration of nation before

0:26:45 to 0:27:05( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: party, of compromise, of results-driven government that americans believe that can get it done this time. i owe a debt of gratitude to all of you in this chamber who have guided me in our work over the last several years. i want to comment specifically just on four or five things that i am very proud of that we have worked on together here in the

0:27:06 to 0:27:26( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: senate. the first is about the forgotten america and the work that we have done together here to make sure that that rural part of america that has so often been forgotten is no lonr forgotten. when you look at the united states of america, the fact is that there are about 3,000 counties, about 1,700 of those counties are characterized as rural counties.

0:27:27 to 0:27:47( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: in each of those counties, what we have is significant unemployme. you have income disparities of some 0,000 per capita between people who live in those rural counties and people who don't live in those rural counties. and so it's been important for us to address the issues and needs of rural america, and we've done that in some significant ways.

0:27:48 to 0:28:08( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: the passage of the farm bill, which we ultimately had to pass, i think, out of this senate on ree or four occasions during the past year, i think was a culmination of that promise to the forgotten america. i want to thank senator reid for making sure that we kept our feeto the fire to get that bill done. i want to thank people who are involved in that legislation, including the chairman of the

0:28:09 to 0:28:29( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: committee, senator tom harkin; our ranking member and great senator from georgia, saxby chambliss; as well as ken conrad and others who are involved in that historic effort and all the members of the agriculture committee. secondly, the creation of the new energy frontier. there are many of some of us here on the floor this morning, who set about some

0:28:30 to 0:28:50( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: four years ago with a that we could set america free, that we could deal with the reality of inescapable forces of our time on national security and economic opportunity at home and environmental security for our planet, and that we could set america free from our addiction to foreign oil. and under the leadership of senator bingaman from new

0:28:51 to 0:29:11( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: mexico, as chairman of committee, the work of senator pete domenici and other members of the senate energy committee, i believe that we have taken some steps in that direction which are very significant. there is much more that we must do, and we are absolutely committed that to making sure that we take the moon shot to

0:29:12 to 0:29:32( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: energy independence in the years ahead. i am confident this time we will not fail. we cannot afford to fail in the energy imperative for our nation. i thank all of my colleagues who i worked it w on the senate energy committee -- who i worked with on the senate energy committee. i also want to thank every member of this chamber who has worked to make sure that america's defenses remain strong

0:29:33 to 0:29:53( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: and that we protect america here at home securi implementation of recommendations like the 9/11 commission, and the efforts that we have worked on together here in this chamber to give the united states of arica a new direction with respect to the war in iraq. it is because of the debates that have taken place in this

0:29:54 to 0:30:16( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: chamber that today we are on a new pathway and a new plan in iraq. and as divisive as those debates have been, as debates have been, i'm confident that people who worked on that issue had the best interest of the united states of america at mind. and it is in that vein that i enjoyed very much the

0:30:17 to 0:30:37( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: i did with many democrats and republicans in trying the legislation that would have implemented the recommendations of the iraq study group. 16 members of the united states senate joined us i legislation. and because that legislation really created the road map for where we are in iraq today, i am pleased of the work that i was

0:30:38 to 0:30:58( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: taoeubl make in that effort. -- able to make in that efft. i will never forget the fact that senator warner, senator levin and senator reid were among the first people that took me to places in the middle east, places i had never traveled to before, to baghdad and iraq and many places around that country. it was the inform

0:30:59 to 0:31:20( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: -- the information that i gleaned from that that characterizes the last four or five years here in america. health care, i want to just make a quick comment about health care. there are many people who have worked on this issue over time. i do think that what we were able to do with the children's health insurance program and the

0:31:21 to 0:31:41( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: passage of that bill last year really demonstrates how republicans and democrats can come together. when i see orrin hatch and i see max move forward that is so enormously important for the children of america, it is the right step for us as we try to deal with this enormous domestic problem that faces all

0:31:42 to 0:32:02( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: of us. there are so many people involved in those efforts. and, finally, mr. president, i have spent a lot of time in this chamber and at this desk and at my other desk working on the issue of immigration. it is still continues to call out in a

0:32:03 to 0:32:23( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: very clear voice tha we must get to a resolution of this issue. it affects so much. it affects national security. and whether we are a nation of laws and it affects the reaty of 12 million people who live in the shadows of america today. i'm hopeful with president

0:32:24 to 0:32:44( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: obama's help, with the u.s. congress and the senate that that is an issue that we will resolve in the year ahead. mr. president, as i conclude and i just want to make one more tribute here to senator harry reid. we both are men of faith.

0:32:45 to 0:33:05( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: and we often share our faith together. he encouraged me,long with senator mark pryor to be a part of the wednesday prayer chair and i was proud to chair that

0:33:06 to 0:33:26( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: with mark pryor and mike. i'm proud of those of us who attend the prayer breakfast and the 100 members of the united states senate there is a great common sense that the possibilities of humanity are somehow achievable to all of us. that it is -- we, as human beings, who somehow stand in the

0:33:27 to 0:33:48( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: way of finding what those human possibilities are for all of humanity. i think back on a story that some of you have heard to my grandmother who lost -- who lost five of her eight children before those children reached the age of 5 years old. and i always asked myself, what is it that kept her going?

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Ken Salazar: and at the end of the day my own answer to my question has been that what kept her going was the fact that she had a faith in the future that somehow around the corner in the future that she could not see. that the world would be much better for her children and grandchildren. for sure she could not have seen that the eight children of her

0:34:11 to 0:34:36( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: only eight serving son would all graduate from high school. for sure she could not have seen one would be a u.s. senator and another a hem of the house of representatives. for sure what she could see is that the world would be better for humanity. and i think that is a common bond of the members of this august wonderful chamber of the united states senate.

0:34:37 to 0:34:57( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: so, mr. president, as i close i want to share the prayer that i've shared with senator reid and many of my colleagues in this chamber before. it is a prayer that my brother, leon, the oldest in the family, learned when he worked with the founder of the united farm workers of america.

0:34:58 to 0:35:18( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: i believe this prayer embodies what it is we do in public service. and the prayer is as follows: show me the suffering of the most miserable so i will know my people's plight. free me to pray for others, for you are present in every person. help me take responsibility for

0:35:19 to 0:35:39( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: my own life so that can be free at last. grant me courage to serve others, for in service there is true life. give me honesty and patience so that the spirit will be alive among us. let the spirit flourish and grow so that we will never tire of

0:35:40 to 0:36:00( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: the struggle. let us rember those who have died for justice for they have given us life. help us love even those who hate us so we can change the world. mr. president, one thing i forgot to say of the five

0:36:01 to 0:36:21( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: million people in the state of colorado have given me a great honor to serve as their attorney general and to serve on their behalf and i will submit for the record some of the things that we have done in the representation of all of the five million people of the state of colorado and no matter where they were from, no matter what their economic circumstance,

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Ken Salazar: that they knew that we were working on their behalf. and i am elated that senator mark ewe call has -- udall has joined us in the united states senate, because i'm absolutely confident that he will become one of the stellar senators of this body.

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Ken Salazar: so, mr. president, i would ask unanimous consent that the genealogy of my family and the work of my wonderful staff in putting together our colorado regional pla and priorities become as part of the record and i -- the presiding offir: without objection, they will be in the record. mr. salazar: and i thank my wonderful staff, many of whom

0:37:05 to 0:37:25( Edit History Discussion )

Ken Salazar: are here today, and some of whom are watching back in colorado for havin made this possible because without their great effort, frankly, we would not be able to do what we have done. i thank them. i thank my good friend, the presiding officer, i look forward to our together.