Tribute to Cory Gardner

Floor Speech

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Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to two Senators whom I had hoped to serve with longer: Cory Gardner and Martha McSally.

One of the first things that became clear about Cory Gardner when he came to the Senate is that he is an incredibly hard worker. He is tireless. Cory has not only a great sense of humor; I remember back during impeachment when we were working some really late nights, he left 5-hour ENERGY drinks for all of us in our mailboxes.

I have to say, you kind of need a 5-hour ENERGY drink to keep up with Cory. Seriously, though, Cory has a tremendous amount of energy and focus and drive, and he has left it all on the field during his time in the Senate.

I think he knew when he was elected that he might not be here forever, and he has made every moment over the past 6 years count. He is a results-oriented person. He is interested in getting things done, and he has built an impressive record.

Serving the people of Colorado has been the first thing on his mind every day. He spent a lot of time working on Colorado priorities, from protecting our public lands to improving wildfire preparedness, to expanding healthcare access for veterans by ensuring the completion of the VA hospital in Aurora, CO.

He has also been a leader on foreign policy issues, specifically on the issue of holding North Korea and China accountable for their lack of freedom and their human rights violations, such as China's mass incarceration of Uighurs and its targeting of Chinese citizens who dissent from the Communist Party line.

Cory has also been a great friend to Taiwan. Among other things, he authored the TAIPEI Act, which the President signed into law earlier this year, legislation that makes it U.S. policy to support Taiwan's efforts to strengthen its relationships with countries in the Indo- Pacific and around the world. A free, prosperous, and safe Taiwan is in the interest of the United States, and Cory understands this well.

In addition to being one of the hardest working people you will ever meet, Cory is also one of the most pleasant. He has an upbeat personality and a contagious cheer, and committee hearings and meetings are always more enjoyable when he is around.

He has been called a happy warrior. I think it is a fitting title. He is an eternal optimist. I don't mean that in a naive, wide-eyed sort of way. Cory is well aware of the challenges we face in our Nation and around the world, but he genuinely believes in our country and in our ability as citizens and as Members of Congress to make life better for our fellow Americans.

And over his 6 years here in the Senate, he has helped make life better for his constituents in all four corners of his State and for the American people. Nobody could have worked harder for Colorado over the past 6 years--nobody--and he has done more for his State in a single term than many have managed to do in twice as long a time period.

We were fortunate to have Cory here in the U.S. Senate. I will miss serving with him, but I look forward to seeing what he does next. Whatever it is, I am confident of one thing: It will be great

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