Joe Biden: “Today the Senate expresses its appreciation and best wishes to one of the great unsung heroes who make this institution…”

“Today the Senate expresses its appreciation and best wishes to one of the great unsung heroes who make this institution work. Art Rynearson, the Senate's Deputy Legislative Counsel, is retiring after over 26 years of exemplary service to this body. Art has been a backstage participant in many historic foreign policy decisions of the Senate, assisting the Foreign Relations Committee to draft both legislation and resolutions of advice and consent to ratification of treaties. His actions were rarely recognized or noticed by the public, but his contributions were essential. Art's job was to ensure that our legislation clearly expressed the intent of the committee and that it meshed properly with existing law. He accomplished that through marvelous attention to detail and a complete absence of partisanship. During the past 6 years, during which I have served as either the chairman or ranking member of the committee, Art has borne a heavy burden--working on such matters as the Chemical Weapons Convention, NATO enlargement, and major legislation to restructure America's foreign policy agencies. The committee owes him a great debt. It is not overstatement to say that the Senate could not function without people like Art Rynearson.”