On the recordDecember 10, 2014
first let me thank Senator Inhofe for his friendship, most importantly, but also for the great partnership we have enjoyed. It has been a real pleasure working with the Senator from Oklahoma. I should perhaps also say we are confident our successors will carry on this tradition as well. Senator McCain, the new chairman, and Senator Jack Reed will be the new ranking member and they will be carrying on this tradition that we have done everything we know how to do to maintain. I wish to again thank my good friend Jim Inhofe and his staff who worked so well with the staff on this side. We talk about this side of the aisle and that side of the aisle. In this bill obviously there will be differences--very rarely, by the way, on a partisan basis, even when there are differences. But the aisle sort of disappears when it comes to the Defense authorization bill, and that is the way it should be. I yield the floor.
