Cord Byrd: “I pay tribute today to the senior Senator from New Jersey, Bill Bradley, who has, unfortunately, decided to retire from…”

“I pay tribute today to the senior Senator from New Jersey, Bill Bradley, who has, unfortunately, decided to retire from the Senate after three terms. Bill Bradley has brought to the Senate a keen mind and an athlete's drive to cut through highly complicated, but vital issues affecting the economy of the United States, especially the Tax Code's treatment of the middle class, and the need to eliminate the accumulation of deductions and special interest provisions which have skewed our tax code in multifarious and unfair ways. In tackling the most vexing and wide-ranging problems affecting the economy, Senator Bradley had a central impact on the Tax Reform Act of 1986 after 4 years of hard work, perseverance, and studious attention to these very difficult issues. Using the springboard of his seat on the Finance Committee to grind away at his colleagues and the Senate as a whole as to the need for basic reform of the Tax Code, Bill showed that he could go the extra mile, and through sheer determination use the legislative process in textbook fashion. He produced far-reaching proposals on issues that have made a real difference for Americans, based on careful study and on convincing the rest of us to stand up, pay attention, and support the soundness of his position.”