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Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, Senator Joe Manchin often recalls these words of wisdom from his grandmother:

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Knowledge and caring define Joe's public service, both here in the Senate and as Governor of his beloved West Virginia.

He has always been knowledgeable on the issues and offers practical solutions to real problems. He cares so deeply and so personally about the people he serves and, just as important, about the values that define America.

With our Nation increasingly polarized by extremists on both the far left and the far right, Joe is something that we need more of: an extreme moderate. As fiercely independent as the people of the Mountain State, he has demonstrated time and again the strength to stand against the destructive trend of hyperpartisanship, for Joe understands that politics is the art of compromise. He knows that working with those on opposite sides of an issue, figuring out what matters most to each side, and negotiating in good faith produces the best legislation that will withstand the test of time.

Joe has been such a positive force throughout his Senate service. In 2013, he was among the first Senators to join in forging an agreement to end a destructive government shutdown that was causing so much harm to our economy and to the faith of the American people who deserved to have their government operating. It was a courageous act for a freshman Senator, but he did it because it was the right thing to do.

In his firm stand--which we heard about again today--against eliminating the filibuster, we see another example of his courage and respect for this hallowed institution. He understands that this longstanding tradition of the Senate protects the rights of the minority and produces better legislation because it forces us to work together.

Joe has also been such a dear friend, and it has been a privilege to work closely with him on so many vital issues. After the turmoil following the 2020 election, we joined together to lead the bipartisan negotiations that produced the Electoral Count Reform Act.

Joe was also, as we have heard from his colleague from West Virginia, 1 of the 10 Senators who negotiated the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the most significant investment in American infrastructure since the establishment of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. He was vital in securing that long overdue victory for the American people.

Being an extreme moderate is not a job for the faint of heart. It means taking a lot of incoming fire from both sides of the political spectrum. But Senator Joe Manchin never flinches, and he always puts progress and problem-solving ahead of partisanship.

It has been such an honor to work closely with Joe on countless issues and to call him my dear friend. And, yes, I have had some wonderful times on that boat, the details of which will remain forever sealed.

I wish him and his wonderful wife Gayle all of the best in the years to come.

And I just have to say, Joe, I will miss you so much.

(Applause.)

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