Tribute to Tom Udall
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. LEE. Madam President, I stand today to give tribute to my friend and colleague, the senior Senator from New Mexico, Tom Udall, who was assigned to be my mentor when I first arrived in the Senate nearly 10 years ago.
Over a series of meetings we had over breakfast, lunch, and in our offices, Tom mentored me and tutored me on the rules of the Senate. He took the time to explain the nuances of the filibuster and how the Senate has deviated from the rule as it was originally designed. The concept is not a familiar one, nor is it intuitive, and yet Tom was able to explain it to me in a way that was simple and easy to understand and helped me grasp the passion that he has for addressing that issue and for reforming the Senate for the better ever since then.
He had a way of doing it that didn't make anyone feel demeaned but made them, rather, more enthusiastic about making the Senate a better place in which to work, operate, and legislate.
I have no idea whether the person who assigned Tom as my mentor knew that Tom and I were related, that we are second cousins, that his grandmother and my grandfather were brother and sister, or that my grandmother on the other side of the family was his U.S. history teacher at James Fenimore Cooper Intermediate and Junior High, but our paths seemed destined to cross.
I didn't know Tom well growing up, although I knew his father Stewart, and I knew his Uncle Morris. Tom was already off to fame and stardom by the time I came along, but I knew his family long before I got to know him. In many ways, they saved the best for last.
Even though I got to know your dad and your Uncle Morris before I got to know you, I tremendously enjoyed getting to work with you. You and I come from similar parts of the country, from some of the same ancestral pioneer stock, and we have very different ideas. Yet Tom Udall has always been someone with whom I have been able to communicate freely and frankly and from whom I have always heard positive, uplifting communication, even when we disagree, which happens from time to time.
Thank you so much for your service. It has been a pleasure getting to work with you as a colleague. I wish you and Jill the very best success and happiness in your future endeavors.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source