Tom Harkin: “I thank my good friend and former chairman with whom I have served all of these years in the Senate for his very kind…”

“I thank my good friend and former chairman with whom I have served all of these years in the Senate for his very kind remarks and kind words. More than that, I thank my friend for his many kindnesses that he has shown me and for upholding the finest traditions of the Senate. I say to Pat Leahy, through the Chair, when we think about a Senator and what a Senator should do and how a Senator should conduct himself or herself, we have to think about Pat Leahy. He has just been a stalwart. He is always willing to work with people, always willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt, always willing to help move legislation through the Senate. That is the way the Senate used to be. It used to be that way. Thank God, we still have people here like Pat Leahy. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. McCaskill). The Senator from Rhode Island.”