On the recordDecember 11, 2024
Madam President, I want to thank the Senator from Maine for her great words of serving so long with our friend and colleague Tom Carper. First of all, I want to say to Tom, I appreciate the very kind words that he mentioned about me and us in our work together on the committee. As we have said, he has dedicated nearly his entire adult life to the service of our country in many different ways and to the home State of Delaware. But don't let the ``Delaware'' next to his name fool you. All those good family values, all those good sturdy qualities of honesty and service, steadfastness were rooted in his birth in the great State of West Virginia. Anytime I tried to get anything over on him and say, ``Yeah, but I'm from West Virginia,'' he would always say, ``I am too.'' So he is always very proud of his West Virginia roots. He had a couple of family reunions there during our time of service together. Then, in 2021, we had the opportunity to have an EPW field hearing in his birthplace of Beckley, WV, and I will tell you, at that particular--not one relative of mine was there, but Tom had his relatives there to cheer him on. So I know it was a very special occasion for him, and it certainly was for me as well.…





