session and resume the consideration of the muzinich nomination with the cloture vote ripening at 5:30 p.m. monday. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: mr. president, if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until 4:00 p.m. on monday. mr. president, this is that time

at the end of the congress when inevitably some of our members go on to something else and leave this body. i want to take this opportunity this morning to pay tribute to another distinguished member of the senate who's leaving us at the end of this year. senator bob corker, one of the most hardworking and frankly relentless members of this body. relentless members of this body. . >> always a man on a mission. our distinguished colleague has a long history of impressing senators howard

baker, and of course, our colleague lamar alexander. with the great tennessee legacy he met that high bar and set a high himself and with that initiative some and then to dive into the fray and attacking the problem with everything he had. that limitless work ethic and that entrepreneurial drive. these things have defined bob corker since long before he was sworn in as a s senator.

he started to work odd jobs at age 13 and at 25 he saved enough money to found his own construction company that grew from an 8000-dollar lark to a major operation spanning a dozen states. bob was a natural he was constantly sniffing out opportunities along the way it is now joked as in addition one - - an addiction to the closing handshake. the needs were met, a deal was done in both word walk away happy. workaholic is putting it mildly. told after one particularly harrowing negotiation bob explained one - - exclaimed i

would sell it back to him if i could turn around and buy it again. he did not necessarily always aspired to public service in fact, it took a direct appeal to the builders and sinks to set this political career in motion. he saw a message in a church bulletin to volunteer with construction experience to help a mission in haiti. bob went along with his father and came back with the drive to keep doing good for real people. that conviction actually took him to city hall where people talk about the transformative ways with economic development

that was unleashed during his time as mayor. they decided the success story should be written right here in the united states senate i tried to have a comprehensive catalog to have everything accomplished in the senate with the last act of business before new year's. but a few highlights stand out especially. early inhe his first term when the financial crisis throughout the economy ended in chaos. but the inspired freshmen immediately started to work with new friends across the aisle to become a pivotal playeriv to help to craft policies to help begin

restoring civility. a leading voice on housing reform and the combination of his background with ford relations committee has led to unique accomplishments. hard at work to overhaul how america longs for due projects in the developing world. also a key champion of what become law in 2016 for a more stable power grid. there are also other ways he remains a confident businessman. f and bob has continued to hustle to invest in new job

and investmentis insight. phone call by phone call. meeting by meeting. by one of the most energetic members with those enthusiasm and expertise we will also miss his famous generosity. and the kindness that they jump at the chance to describe. he is thoughtful to those he knows well and those he just met so what at least on one occasion promising a young man to work out in a checkout line to sign him up on the spot for a job interview. but we know that bob corker is the brilliant chairman of the ford relations committee. he travels constantly, engages in issues around the world with an enormous degree ofh

skill. a powerful voice for american interest and those of our allies in the influential thorn in the side and also using that permit should on - - that position to spearhead the and modern slavery initiative act focusing resources and attention on a humanitarian crisis affecting millions as a core piece of that legacy. he prides himself to bring more regular order back to theba committee the legislation treaties and under his leadership to pass the first authorization bill with the state department listen to this in 14 years. predictably that is on full display traveling the world on

our nation's behalf. when bob was leading a trip to israel and palestine a few years ago, he heard about smuggling tunnels between egypt and gaza and decided to go see them himself. himlf the way i heard he arranged for ground transportation to gaza to examine the system , and was back in tel aviv to discuss the situation with the prime minister netanyahu. i willcc admit i was excited to see what this individual would get into next. i heard his name is t in the hat for the chance to spend a lot

more time with family. i am sure elizabeth and the family will oblige with a smooth confirmation process. but whatever comes next i doubt we can call that a retirement in any sense of the word. i heard what happened when bob corker tries to relax. apparently there was one summer he endeavored, to take a vacatio vacation. lazy days, soaking the sunshine but that didn't last very long. he practiced and practiced in soon he was a slightly burned out water skier. once the challenge was gone on to the next thing. on to the next deal. construction project

we will misse you a lot the state of tennessee will measure service and we can wait to see what you do next. . >> i asked to speak as if morning business. . >> let me begin with the majority leader's thoughts. it is a true story about the tunnels. senator corker was curious about smuggling supplies from egypt to gaza others may have asked somebody about that but not bob corker. he held a jeep road to the border and inspected the tunnels took photographs and as the majority leader said

and then medic meeting with benjamin netanyahu that afternoon he was startled. the prime minister may have been surprised by, his conduct , that none of us who knew bob corker were surprised. as senator mcconnell said he is always a man on a mission in 1978 at the age of 25, he saved $6000 and started a construction company. a friend of mine in our hometown workedke for him and my friends said i always knew that corker would amount to something. after his experience in hait

haiti, he also began to apply his skilled construction to find a decent homes for nearly 10000 people in chattanooga. i met bob corker 25 years ago in 1993. his friend who was his roomie at lund --dash roommate and he wondered if i would talk to him. he asked for the cleveland browns but i believe they spent a long spent a lot of time on the roof of the fraternity house drinking beer. we want - - that he walked up and down the beach for an hour and an half. in his typical way he was weighing both sides of the issue.

should i run for governor ofof tennessee? he ran for the united states senate in 1984 which would have been a very good year with one exception he had a primary he had never before been involved in politics some people said for these two rookies but he just spent more of his money and then to serve as majority leader of the united states senate. the new governor of tennessee with that chief operating officer. and then with those first indications of diplomacy to work around the world that

they had just defeated in the governor'sht race international and tennessee. that there is so much respect from that democratic legislation they try to persuade him to run for governor as a democrat. he said no and returned to usompandchattanooga. he became involved in real estate companies that was the mayor of chattanooga. he would be the first to tell w you chattanooga was already on a roll. a lot of people had to do with chattanooga success. everybody else will tell you that he was the best and fastest runner to have on the last leg of the relay team he

already took chattanooga putting into highha gear laying the groundwork attracting volkswagen there and have a country to have the most desirable midsize city in america and was enormously successful as the mayor. in 2006 defeating in the senate race 12 years earlier and bill frist said he did not tell him the whole story. that was a tough year for republican candidates. it was the closest in history. and bob nearly lost it. but he was about to lose it and completely changed.

he moved to the campaign headquarters to nashville, he hired a new team he told the story of who bob corker really is and so we begin to learn about and his work but people like that. but to be the secretary and the treasurer of the senate staff from 2007. when bob first came here he was like many executives that come to the body and find it unusual place to be and that long. as the majority leader said he jumped in right away.

i would say he learned as much about general motors as the board of directors and he showed that. he was not afraid to talk to the managers or the union what needed to be done. he became really focused on the federal debt of this country there isn't anyone in this body that doesn't try to point out the real problem of entitlements. and even with the sponsors of that bill. and then he thought about not running for a second term he was discouraged how the place worked but he already accomplished so much he decided to do it.

to be up early, reading everything he could get his hands on calling everybody he could thinkng of traveling to 70 countries because to understand how you get results. and with those republican senators 85 percent of the time and then over his speeches. chairman of the foreign relations committee began to deal with issues that senator mcconnell mentioned like iran, and others and then to restore prestige to the four relations committee and this kills are reminiscent of a man and what he could accomplish in foreign policy.

in 2015 and may 1 - - "time" magazine said and to write about the world's most 100 influential leaders we wrote about that. if he is not president of the united states himself, he is an obvious choice for secretary of state or treasury. when president trump was elected in 2016 and then for secretary of state and as ambassador to australia and of course, all this time senator corker has but then he was not afraid to work challenge but i

told both senator corker and president trump they should not worry aboutks those because that is the way that contractors and developers talk to each other. i know both men well enough to know deep down there is a lot of mutual respect between the two of them. so working with him has been a joy. it is well known senators those of the g same party don't always get along well with each other. this operates by unanimous consent. and we follow the old rule that baker and senator byrd followed, i will not surprise you and you won't surprise me.

so i am convinced the people of tennessee with the beneficiary. when they approach the corker staff. those people of whom we work are the beneficiaries. peyton manning once said he hoped bob corker would serve in the united states until he was 100 years old. really that was people to quit asking him to run for the paid manning senate. but i am looking forward to working with marsha blackburn who is bob corker's successor. i have to admit i agree with peyton manning. bob corker has done everybody

that helps he is got up early, determined bridge everything he assigned and anybodybo who has anything about the issue that he cares about to say exactly what he thought was the right thing to do or the country. and then to come out with a results but elizabeth and his wonderful family i look forward to watching the has to be one of the best upcoming shows in texas which will be whatever bob corker decides to do next. thank you and i yield the floor.

. >> i ask for unanimous consent to speak. >> i am honored to have the opportunity to speak in tribute to my friend senator bob corker and in recognition of a remarkable service to our senate with engagement productivity and i will follow on the majority leader in the senior senator from tennessee. when i first came here as a freshman in 2010, i partnered with senator mansion who was elected at the first time was to go to give stan. having never been a senator before i had no idea how we go

about getting to afghanistan but he assured me he had it under control. a few weeks later i ended up on an airplane maybe i have heard of them but i certainly them.ever met and to learn more and more about bob corker. but determined to get things done to extend his hand not relenting until the deal done, i cannotus think of someone else to bring that attitude to afghanistan. we were there at a time with our own law enforcement had just informed us thatd karzai and his half-brother had stolen nearly half a billion dollars from the american taxpayers.

and then to be with a focused communication i will not soonom forget to make sure there were those on our side in the room. for those to be engaged in purposeful and every single meetingg in jordan and israel bob was a blizzard of activity and purpose. but the account executive doing a lot with land-use development but someone passionate about providing to those in need. there's wanting to get things done. and then to do too much or accomplish too little. from that clip he is the sort

of person to put nation above heart and also to the home state of tennessee to make sure just like elizabeth or his daughters and his family grandchildren who have supported him in this service. is one dozen years here have last one - - have a lasting legacycy because he is a family that has loved and supported him as he has traveled relentlessly around the world come and work tyler dish tirelessly on issues. and as a member of the budget committee and to anyone that was here we were headed towards a recognizing with unfinished business that the obligation to carry forward.

so there were times of that determination and that most moved him. a trip to haiti to open hisg eyes to the profound need for housing in the world and in the philippines. ensnared by the sex traffickingg. and also a combination. so while fighting to solve budget issues there is universalsi agreement about passion and character and then to move on.

and it is longer than the time that i have allotted but it bears repeating but my time with chairman corker has been most of the things that i can say that he has made a difference in my short eight years here. we basically work together and work with president george w. bush with relief and in september we work-- together as a initiative to pass to stop the discourage of slavery around the world. and the food security act through usaid and to work tirelessly and continue.

it with the clean drinking water. and then to spend a great deal of time and with the american private capital no cost to american taxpayers and then to step up the skills and the strength of the private sector to build and need. and then to implement one of the things they tend to that is implemented the coming year is something i look forward to doing that is carried forward that i look forward to but

what i will deeply this is my time with senator corker. easter last year he asked me on short notice if i thought we should not go to the fastest-growing refugeeee camp in the world in uganda. and then to say to plan a quiet weekend at home but she said there's no place i'd rather be. we were impressed with the tireless commitment to make a difference in the world.or. and then to just lead violence torture and rape and abuse to have some measure of confidence to have insight how and then let me say this in

closing we had a remarkable time. chairman corker shows how the members of the body should act we have real differences here over different principles but he has been relentless to find solutions and those problems will not be solvedrs without leaders like senator corker. it has been an honor to work with him on issues frankly wish other members were here to talk about the financial services to auto industry around the world but i know the time is short but let me say this i am eager to see what chairman corker does next with that relent on - - relentless energy and a big heart has made a difference here that makes me eager to find out what he will do next there is nothing to which he

has done that has not been shaped by his character and integrity h and kindness it is been truly great to serve alongside you and you have the opportunity to make a difference in this country and in this world. thank you for your service to your nation. >> and i asked the court call be officiated quick. >> without objection. >> and then if i but to be perfectly honest i think every one of my fellow alaskans and then what happened with the reaction to alaska last friday and the