-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I appreciate being recognized right now. But I would be remiss if I let Jon Tester leave the floor without telling some of the truth about this guy.

All the niceties here are making me a little nauseous. I want to set the record straight and say for the record, for the rest of the history of this country going forward, that I want it to be known that I do not like Jon Tester. So I want a rebuttal. I need to clear the record. He has had his piece, and I want my piece.

I came to the Senate as this kind of naive guy. I did not think the Senate would be like what I experienced. I got here in earnest. My idea for who a Senator was, was very set in stone. I watched great movies about the U.S. Senators. I saw ``Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.'' And then I met Jon Tester, who is more like a combination of John Belushi and John Wick go to Washington.

I didn't know Senators cursed until I got here and met Jon Tester. I think, if I remember the exact first quote that Jon Tester said to me, it was: Booker, I didn't think you were much. I thought you were a big hole--and there was a word in between that--but now I realize you are not a big hole; you are really not that big. This was the beginning of a relationship.

(Laughter.)

I have to say, I was the guy who played college football. I have some scars still from running into the likes of Junior Seau. But I literally wear physical scars because of my hitting Jon Tester.

My mom said: I think you finally got an answer to the question of what happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object.

Literally, he invited me to play basketball with him once. I have played some rough-and-tumble hoops before. There is a court here on the Senate grounds. What he did to me on that basketball court is illegal in six States. I have video evidence that I was planning--you know, he has cited the speech and debate clause protects what Senators do when they are in their official capacity, but now that he is leaving the U.S. Senate, I will be filing charges against this man.

(Laughter.)

Jon Tester is mean. He is cantankerous. He is ornery. He is rough. He is truly a son of a gun.

Now, despite the fact that, again, I do not like Jon Tester, I have learned a heck of a lot from him. I was the mayor of a city, an urban place, and I hadn't gotten to know farmers in my State yet, but I came here and I met a farmer. And despite our issues and the tension between the two of us, he was willing to sit down with me and--perhaps more than any other Senator in my experience here--take the time to help me learn the urgencies about America's farm system.

You see, what I learned about Jon Tester is he doesn't give a damn who you are. Will you work with him to advance the causes of his State? I realized that, despite the fact that I do not like Jon Tester, he loves the people of Montana. Look, I hear him complain about this place, complain about how it works. But I watched him and learned from him about how you fight here to get things done; that it is not about people or personalities; it is about fighting for causes and the communities that you care about.

So Jon Tester taught me a heck of a lot. In fact, some of the things I feel most passionate about about the American food system were things that he taught me. And what he showed me was that, in this Nation, whether you live in rural Montana or urban New Jersey, we share common cause. Jon Tester showed me that we still have a common American fight and that this place still needs people who don't care about partisanship, who don't care about camaraderie, who don't care about the formalities, but just care about fighting for people.

And so I am grateful for that, but I still don't like Jon Tester.

(Laughter.)

I used to come by his office. And I just want to look at his staff right now and tell them: God bless you. I mean, the HR claims you could have probably filed against this guy are extraordinary, and it shows me your loyalty to him because sometimes I would walk in there, and there was, like, full combat staff games being played. I mean, I couldn't believe it. I mean, what was being tossed around that office sometimes was extraordinary.

But the fact that somehow he bred extraordinary loyalty from his staff members, dedication, work ethic, and people that delivered real results, in this place that is often hard to get things done, is a testimony to you and how much, in his office, he bred a sense of commitment to country. And so I thank you all for that.

And being now that there is no limit on what I can say and get off my chest, I want to thank his chief of staff Dylan because, unbeknownst to you, we would break into your house often, sir. When you were back in Montana, yes, I have been in your home and done things in that home that will be in my next book.

(Laughter.)

Dylan, I can't get you fired because you are leaving anyway now at this point.

I want to end by saying this: I have stories to tell about Jon Tester. I have charges to file about Jon Tester. I have a lot of language that has been expanded in my vocabulary because of Jon Tester. And I thought that I would come down tonight and write an original poem. I was very excited about the chance to rhyme ``Jon Tester'' with ``Uncle Fester.'' I thought it would be great. I had this incredible poem that I wanted to read. But I, instead, want to end with this poem.

I watched Jon Tester do something that was extraordinary. He chose to run again--a guy that I knew how he felt about Washington but decided to do something recklessly audacious. Most Senators, when they see the odds are against them and their chances of winning are slim, they decide to retire. Jon didn't go quietly into the night. He ran an election.

And so many people on both sides of the aisle actually believed that if anybody can win in a State that Donald Trump won by 20 points, where there are probably as many vegans in Montana as there are Democrats, he chose, because of the love of his State, to run again, run an election. And by golly, the people I saw pouring their heart into this fight--it was extraordinary.

It was an election to me--and in talking to Dylan on so many days-- that was one of the more exciting ones because I really felt like he was from a movie like ``Braveheart'' or the men in ``300'' in Thermopolis. He was running one of the most extraordinary fights in this place. And because the world believed that--oh, my God--Jon Tester could pull off the greatest upset in American politics, he drew fire into that State. You talk about campaign finance reform. Literally, tens if not well over $100 million that would have probably gone to Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, everybody was pouring into this fight. He drew so much fire and went down in an election, to me, that was a testimony to his character.

So instead of reading an original poem, I just thought I would read a poem by a man that I have known all my life. And now I have to say this poem most describes the man I don't like, Jon Tester. It is by a guy named Rudyard Kipling. It is entitled ``If.''

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you; if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too; if you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don't deal in lies, or being hated, don't give way to hating, and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; if you can dream--and not make dreams your master; if you can think--and not make thoughts your aim; if you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same; if you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build `em up with worn-out tools; if you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss; if you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone, and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them: `Hold on!'; if you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings--nor lose the common touch; if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; if all men count with you, but none too much; if you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distance run, yours--

Jon Tester, yours--

is the Earth and everything that's in it, and--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

Mr. President, I have served with a lot of people in a lot of levels of government. Jon Tester is a man and one of the greatest ones I have known.

I do not like Jon Tester, but, God, I love the man. Thank you.

(Applause.)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source