wednesday, december 9, and does so as a further mark of respect to the late paul spyros sarbanes, former senator from maryland. >> gobbling out for the day today lawmakers worked on judicial executive nominations are expected to vote on government funding. when the senate returns watch live coverage on c-span2. >> you are watching c-span2 your unfiltered view of government. created by america's television company as a public service and brought to you today by your television provider. >> our colleagues in the uniteds states senate put an impressive bunch. it always makes it a challenge to pay adequate tribute when one leaves our ranks.

but even by the high standards of this place the course charted by the senator whom i o have to send up this morning stands out. the senior senator from wyoming has accomplished enough in one career to fill two, from physics access to military service to local government, state politics to the united states senate where he's built a remarkably productive legislative record. his career began in a small town in fact it was so small when mike and his wife diane arrived and stood up the family business the town still carried less than flattering nickname of dirt. but new discoveries in the american energy business were in the course of changing everything. a major oil and gas boom met more people. more people that more sales in

mike's shoe store. that is the letter in in the z madam president. mike could've just set back and cruised but mike basic services were logging and nearly everyone who encountered him in town and in the chamber of commerce meetings concluded this up and comer of real leadership talent. i understand the final product in the public service came from no less a statesman of our own former colleague al simpson. they crossed paths alan had heard mike speak and it took the promising young man aside to tell him up pointedly that his town sure did need a good mayor to be precise mike tells us it was typically blunt al simpson, put your money where your mouth is set out.

our future colleague took it under advisement but mike almost did not survive long enough to announce his campaign the way he tolday it on the floor when he worked up the courage to relay that suggestion to diana on the long drive home she almost swerved right off the road, fortunately they t were unharmed and the more that they talked the more that they like the idea of making a difference. at the rightful age of 30 this up-and-coming businessman ran for mayor and he won on his watch what could have been administrable disaster became an economic golden age for gillette. it did not take long for the town's fortunes to become the talk of political minds around wyoming. after a few years off the former mayor was representing his neighbors as state representative then as state senator. just like water seeks its own level they seek its best outlet. after seeking out a close

victory his now fellow senator from wyomingen john barrasso, me packed his bags for washington in late 1996 and this body gained at that time is only trained accountant. mike knew if he was going to properly serve his beloved estate he would need fellow wyoming nights working alongside him. people who shared his no-nonsense affection for careful planning and thrift in government. one of his best decisions was persuading his longtime collaborator the one-time town manager gillette philip mcconnaughhay to move to washington and be his chief of staff. mike says he initially had 500 applications from that job but none of them was the one that he wanted. the experienced salesman had to pitch his longtime friend on the opening and it worked. from gillette to the senate flip was mike's secret weapon not

just a staffer but as mike tells a true partner in service for many years. when he passed away much too soon in 2016 the entire institution felt the loss. mike like to say he has a whole collection of useful have taken where to approach senate business the perspective of the mayor or of a small business owner or state legislator or an accountant or wyoming night. that has not just been a winning combination for the people of wyoming and benefited our entire country. mike's trade secret has been what he calls the 8020 rule. across all issues he tackled he insists about four fifths of the subject matter is potential common ground right for progress. the controversial consent blow everything up, madam president that approach made her calling from wyoming downright prolific, life has been directly responsible for the passage of 'smore than 100 bills and become

go to leader on everything from budget, tax reform and to aid relief and workplace safety. his sober prudent approach not to mention his practical experience keeping the books and making payroll made mike exactly the sort of person taxpayers hope our managing their dollars. in his budget resolution for the federal government for fiscal help he help shepherd the first tax cold code in a generation he kept a watchful eye on the unintended consequences of legislation such as his recent work to help relieve mainstreet lenders from the one size fits all of dodd frank. back when he was steering the health committee the democratic counterpart was ted kennedy. fs city a small government guy from wyoming in the liberal line from massachusetts. call it the 8020 rules final

exam. but they passed that exam, they work together to create bipartisan outcomes on things like worker safety, pension reform and mental healthre pari. so to be clear madam president no lack of conservative conviction in c mike's career, just test our democratic colleague about the times mike landed in the 20% and that's when the gloves came off, this is the senator broadcaster in 2013 called the paul revere of obamacare but mike never lost sight of the mission he kept up the hunt for common ground, autism research, vocational training, carrying the torch in the historic fight against aids in africa. mike's sensational appetite remaking a difference brought interesting characters into his life, it turned out quite a few high-profile celebrities were happy to meet with one of the chief champions on the aids

issue. but let the record reflect the east coast, washington, d.c. never spoiled mike, i heard from a reliable source after wrapping up one meeting the world-famous front man and a leader in the fight against aids mike cheerfully offered to follow the remark to the well-established superstar. good luck with the van. if you've seen mike in action around the senate devouring details, mastering issue after issue it hard to imagine him making time for much of anything outside of his work but you would be badly mistaken because one of the worst kept secret around the capital is mike is one of the warmest members of the senate family. see madam president as we tepare to be in farewell mike's collies may miss his leadership on legislation but i suspect the loss will be greater for future classes of senate patients who bidden either pizza and ice

cream parties to celebrate their successes. the staff at a favorite mexican restaurant will miss the couple along with the brosseau's and grassley spent years ranked among their most devoted weekly visitors. more than anything i know the dedicated staff of the senate that don't get inked enough to food services to the capital police orchestrated by field marshal has organized the production of hundreds of dozens of big treats every year, mike is more like her assistant in that endeavor. their unstoppable tradition of giving back to our colleagues, even this year and calculates what kind of hearts this couple shares. as we know the labors of love, on top of diana's own important work like her longtime focus on

clearing landmines in eastern europe. i don't mean any of this to guilt mike into saying because he always has his head on straight, his plans lead, his priorities lined up, he knows even on our best days the senate cannot holdhe the candle to the next chapter he and diana have planned. it turns out that the man who senate website includes a page of advice is looking forward to more free time for delivering that advice to his own grandkids in person. and i understand there is still several states in which mike has yet cast a lie. one of the most interpreted anglers that will no longer have to plan around his buddy schedule as he seeks to correct the oversight. so m mike, while all of us here are sorry to see you go, i know her colleagues join me in wishing you tied lines.

were so glad you brought your mind in your heart here to this body, thank you for sharing your gifts with the country you love. >> madam president. >> senator from wyoming. >> i want to think the leader for his kind remarks and incredible research i particular appreciate the comments about mcconnaughhay who i work with for 40 years before he passed away from cancer and if there was ever anybody in the united states the gouda menace of a problem he would work with me as we grew gillette and a lot o solving them in a civil problems in the go to person on the hill and i really appreciate those comments as well as has all of the other things that you mentioned particular the ones about diana who without her i

would not have had the shoe store and not of been in politics and not have w been hee nor would i have been able to do anything when we travel around wyoming, she does most of the driving so i can work on speeches and legislation and is a chance for us to visit a little bit, we get to do a lot in washington because of the schedule again and i particular want to thank you for your leadership duringin this time, it's been phenomenal like the research on that speech and the strategy that you put into legislation is incredible and you get a lot done in spite of the differences that we might have with the house or with the other side of t the aisle, or occasionally with the president but you keep us moving forward and it's a talent that is hard to do under the circumstances that we work and i really

appreciate it. thank you for your comments. >> you were watching c-span2 your unfiltered view of government. created by america's television company as a public service and brought to you today by your television provider. >> c-span washington journal every day were taking your calls live on the air on the news of the day and will discuss policy issues that impact you coming up wednesday morning ohio democratic congressman jim ryan discusses the future of the democratic party and congressional news of the day including government funding deadline and efforts to forge a compromise on covid-19 relief gestation then alabama republican congressman talks about his plan to challenge the electoral college vote when congress officially satisfied the boat on january 6. georgetown university medical center doctor jesse goodman former chief scientist of the

fda discusses the covid-19 vaccine approval process. watch c-span washington journal live at seven eastern wednesday morning, be sure to join the discussion with your phone call, facebook comments, text messages and tweets. >> listen to c-span podcast the weekly our guest is don ritchie senate historian he joins us to discuss the constitutional steps that still need to be finalized before president-elect joe biden is sworn in, find c-span the weekly where you get your podcast. >> the supreme court is being asked to decide whether facebook text alert system is a violation of the telephone consumer protection act of 1991 which created restrictions on robocalls and the use of systems. . . .