Transcripts For CSPAN3 Senate Finance Committee Tribute 20240714

The president and ceo of the United States capitol Historical Society. I just took this job in february, so this is my new adventure. But this organization has been around for more than 50 years, and we are delighted to have you all join us for a celebration of the distinguished history of the Senate Finance committee. We begin the program tonight with the presentation of colors by the United States Capitol Police ceremonial unit and the pledge of allegiance. Please rise. Forward march. March. Right shoulder. Now please join in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you very much. You may be seated. Our celebration this evening is possible because we have generous support from the bank of america, from grant thornton, from allergen, from the National Retail federation, from the association of global automakers, United Technology and the ongoing support of our society members. We have several of our Board Members who are here. I would invite you to stand up. Anna, don, john. Board members of the society. Thank you very much for your work. [ applause ] we are here today to raise a toast to the Senate Finance committee. The finance committee is over 200 years old. Tracing its founding to a select committee that was created in 1815. In its first assignment, it was charged to reduce the enormous debt from the war of 1812, and it has been cope with debt limits ever since. The committees portfolio is large now, but in the 1800s, its jurisdiction was limited to financial issues. Tariffs, appropriations, the national debt, currency and banking legislation. In those days, the finance committee raised the money and decided how to spend it. Protectionist tariffs versus free trade. A National Bank versus state banks. The gold standard. The silver standard. Creation of paper money. The income tax. Critical issues of each era of our nations history were debated by this committee with strongly held and often opposing views. One would say that the issues before the committee have come full circle as tariffs are once again a topic of national debate. The Committee Also shapes social programs, enacting measures to aid veterans, to provide income and health care for seniors and those with special needs and to look after the welfare of children. As the issues became more complex, the committees authority became more focused. Much of its Spending Authority was transferred to the appropriations committee. Other responsibilities were also reassigned. Even so, its jurisdiction is so broad today that it is most often referred to as the powerful Senate Finance committee. As though the word powerful were part of its name. It is the societys tradition in these celebrations to offer a toast to the committee. So please join me, if you have your glasses, and if you dont, just pretend. And offer a toast to recognizing the long history and the outstanding achievements of the finance committee. To the Senate Finance committee for shaping the economic foundations of our nation, for the gi bill of rights and other programs supporting our veterans, for protecting the health and welfare of our older citizens, of children and those with special needs, for promoting International Trade and for a commitment to fiscal responsibility and economic growth. We salute the committee, its leaders, its members and its staff. Hear, hear. It is my honor to introduce to you the chairman of the powerful Senate Finance committee, the honorable Chuck Grassley. [ applause ] in addition to his leadership of the committee, senator grassley is known for his incredibly strong work ethic, his integrity and scrutiny of government spending. His dedication is obvious in his voting record. He has cast 7,600 consecutive votes. The longest record in senate history. Senator grassley was elected president pro tem for the Current Congress and is the senior republican in the senate. We could go on and on, but we will not because it is his turn to speak. Senator grassley. [ applause ] thank you. Thank you. As far as i was concerned, you could go on and on. Thank you for the recognition by the Historical Society. Its an honor to be here to recognize the original Standing Committees of the United States senate. The original one, committees on finance, was established more than two centuries ago, december the 11th, 1815. Contrary to what my predecessor may have led some people to believe, senator hatch and i were not original members of this committee. For more than two centuries, the Senate Committee on finance has steered landmark legislation through congress that has shaped American Society and our way of life, and i think you gave a better historical description of that than im prepared to do. And i appreciate your perspective of that. More than 100 years ago, it took passage of the 16th amendment to allow the federal government to raise revenue through the income tax. Since then, the most ambitious and sweeping policy changes under the committees jurisdiction is arguably social security, a critical income safety net for the nations elderly, survivors and disabled. The finance Committee Also was instrumental in the passage of the gi bill following world war ii to provide benefits to returning veterans, including tuition, home loan and unemployment. As a returning chairman of the finance committee, i thank the u. S. Capitol Historical Society for its very important work to educate and inform the american public. Theres very much an iowa connection with the u. S. Historical society. Your organization was founded by iowa congressman fred swankel who, at the time i came here, was a retired congressman, but still head of this association. Like congressman swankel, im a big fan of history, and our system of selfgovernment, fred swankel recognized the importance of an informed public citizenry. A defining moment for the future congressman from iowas First District took place two decades before he was elected to the u. S. House of representatives. Freds blooming interest in history, particularly the life and leadership of abraham lincoln, and he was considered pretty good scholar of abraham lincoln, was cemented by none other than harry truman, at that time not president harry truman. After delivering a speech in 1934, the future president of the United States learned about this Iowa Republicans interest in history. When introduced, truman grabbed the lapels of fridays coats and said Something Like this, you got to know your history, young man, if you want to be a good citizen. Fred swengel took that advice to heart when he was elected to congress in 1954. He immersed himself in legislative affairs to commemorate history. In 1962, congressman swengel launched the u. S. Capitol Historical Society. Since then, the society has led an outstanding effort to educate the public about the history and heritage of our nations capitol legislative branch and the u. S. Capitol. The stories are told that you never had a dig around the u. S. Capitol building if there was a hole fred was down in the hole trying to find the cornerstone, the original cornerstone of the u. S. Capitol. And i dont know how many times he took me on tours of the capitol and told me things that i since have forgotten, and i wish i could have remembered, because its so important for us to have those details. And he knew those details very much. So if we dont honor and remember how we got here, we will fail then following his admonition to find the best paths forward. In other words, knowing history about the past, and history is about the past and you have to know that to know what the right route is for the future. Consider just two recent examples. Last week we celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of womens suffrage vote on june the 5th in the United States senate. The next day, we observed the 75th anniversary of dday. These crucial milestones of history rang the bell of liberty for freedom and equality here at home and abroad. The Suffrage Movement paved the way for women to have a big voice in government, and we know today a very big growing voice in government, and thats what america ought to be all about, to make sure that every interest is proportionately represented. Operation neptune paved the way for our allies forces to liberate the entire continent and the entire people from tyranny and terror. One of the fundamental areas of jurisdiction of the committee on finance is taxation. One might argue that taxes and tyranny walk together and its a fine line. [ inaudible ]. Well, thats a marine talking there. We walk the fine line every day from the trenches of the Senate Finance committee. Winston churchill, the british bulldog, once quipped, quote, for bulldog once equippquipped, likn standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by a handle. Many of the most famous lawmakers that serve in the United States senate served on the Senate Finance committee reflecting its prestigious and influential work on matters of public safety. In fact, select committee a select committee chaired in 1959 by then senator john f. Kennedy chose the five most outstanding senators in the United States senate. Those five senators had all served on the finance committee, three of whom also chaired that committee, henry clay, john calhoun, daniel webster, robert taft. Looking back through the lens of history also shows three u. S. President s, eight Vice President s, and nine secretaries of the United States treasury having served on the Senate Finance committee as well. So to my colleagues here this evening, i would suggest that the 28 senators who currently serve on the finance committee have some big shoes to fill. Im glad to be here with my good friend and Ranking Member senator wyden. We have a lot of our legislative bucket full, and we hope to accomplish great things as every chairman and Ranking Member would try to do that. Having served previously as finance chairman a decade ago with another good friend and Ranking Member, senator max baucus, we appreciate, the two of us together, the value importance of cultivating bipartisan working relationships to get the job done. Im also glad to be here with tonights keynote speakers. Both are former members of the committee. You know they are on the agenda. Youll be hearing from them. I consider the years working with senators don nichols and senator Blanche Lincoln to be very favorable very favorable interactions with colleagues. You got me off key. But thats okay. You always did. These two people also appreciate the longstanding tradition of the Senate Finance committee. Sewing a colonel of bipartisanship is the most productive way to achieve lasting results for years to come. As i mentioned, the finance committee manages the legislative business that manages the taxpayers money. If the chairman or Ranking Member of the committee stubbornly work on opposite sides of the fence, we would have a very hard time weeding out our differences. Working together, we can cultivate, consensus and handle items in our legislative bucket. For the p116th congress, the committee on finance is doing heavy lifting to reduce drug prices for american people. Were working to improve access to Affordable Health care and strengthen retirement saving. We want to reclaim some of congresss Constitutional Authority to regulate International Trade. We hope to pass umfca trade issue and secure new Market Access opportunities request european union, japan and if possible and necessary, european union. Were eager to rebalance our trade relationship with china. All they say is a rising tide lifts all boats. When we paddle our oars in bipartisan waters, the Senate Committee on finance has a long history of legislative achievement on behalf of the american people. Im optimistic we will continue that strong tradition in this congress and beyond. So once again, thanks to the capital Historical Society for hosting and honoring the Senate Finance committee tonight. Thank you very much. [ applause ] thank you, mr. Chairman. Now you see what distinguished leadership we have. I also thought it was fascinating when senator nichols and senator lincoln got married, they took senator lincolns name. Just noticing, you know, times are a changin these days. My job is to recognize someone who was not part of that marriage operation but is instead the Ranking Member of this powerful Senate Finance committee, senator ron widen. Hes a distinguished leader. Hes one that we could go on all night but we shant. His constituents describe him as a good listener. Hes one who believes in a town hall and has a town hall in oregon every year. He uses those listening skills to hear arguments on all sides of the issue and try to find common sense. In addition to his post on the committee, senator wyden has the distinction of being the dean of the congressional organization. Senator wyden, please come. Just to put this in perspective, senator grassley has town Hall Meetings in all 99 of his counties. It is described as the full grassl grassley. I came over saying i was going to make sure this is a filibusterfree zone. I see my colleagues who will be very pleased about that. But i think that you may be here a while because a lot of people here tonight, i think, really came because they wanted to talk about upcoming debate about tax extenders. We may probably be here a little bit. I do have a few thank yous. I want to give the Historical Society another round of applause. Shes giving us the chance to look back at history and also a little bit of looking forward. So we thank her for that. Of course, my friend and inimitable partner senator grassley who gets up at the leisurely hour of 4 00 a. M. , and then runs some ungodly number of miles. Doesnt even take time out im on the intelligence committee, i know a lot of details. Chairman roberts headed it. Doesnt even take time out for what he really loves to do, another one of our shared passions, visit the dairy queens. So im really pleased to be able to be here with the chairman. Now, a lot of you may be wondering about this particular picture. This particular picture was from an extremely exciting moment of the Affordable Care act. And when it was taken barbara, you just snuck in. Thank you for coming. Lets give miss grassley a round of applause. [ applause ] were always glad to have barbara in the house. So this picture was taken at a particularly exciting moment during the Affordable Care act debate. When it was taken, and i sent it to senator lincoln, i said, you know, lets call it our honeymooner shot. What you have is Ralph Kramden over here on the left and his wife alice over here, looking as they always did deeply into each others eyes. Not. It will forever be a little bit of the finance committees history, jane, that we call that the honeymooner shot. Im just going to talk for a minute or two seriously. Because as the chairman said and also jane, what an extraordinary honor it is to serve on the Senate Finance committee. Im a first generation jewish kid. My parents couldnt possibly believe that i would have an honor like this. I went to school on a basketball scholarship, dreamed of playboplaying in the nba. 64 was too small, and i made up for it by being really slow. So thats what i wanted to do. To think that someone like myself, with my background, first generation jewish kid, would have this kind of honor just takes your breath away. And it says a lot about america. It says a lot about democracy. What ive been able to do is focus on the things that were closest to my heart. I was director of the oregon gray panthers when i was coming up, had a full head of hair and rugged good looks, and we always focused on the issues the chairman just mentioned, health care and economic security. You want to do that . The place youve got to go is the Senate Finance committee. There isnt any other place where you can do it. And i want to just close by giving you a little snapshot of what is still possible when a lot of people are saying everything is just too polarized. People are fighting all the time. You cant do anything at all. Here is what happened in the last session of congress in the Senate Finance committee. And my friends here, senator grassley, senator roberts, senator cassidy, i saw tom harper floating about somewhere. He may have had to race to the train in delaware. But when nobody said anything could get done, the Senate Finance committee produced a record setting tenyear Childrens Health insurance program. Absolutely impossible. Nobody said you could do anything like that. Came from the Senate Finance committee in the last congress. We put in place an unprecedented set of reforms for foster care. The dream of the Childrens Defense Fund for decades used to be it was either foster care or stay in a home where the environment wasnt too great. We created a third option. Kinship care, help for families. Its really a revolution in foster care. And something im very proud of, i think senator roberts remembers this as well because we talked about it often, we began the transformation to medicare. Now, when i was director of the gray panthers medicare had two parts, part a, you went to the hospital. Part b was the doctor. Thats the ball game. Thats in order medicare today. Its cancer, diabetes, Heart Disease and strokes. Its all chronic illness. If they were going to rename the program, it would be chronic illness program. We started the transformation of this from an acute care program to a Chronic Disease Program or care for folks at home. Pat roberts leading an effort to promote telemedicine, hugely important for rural hospitals, facilities. I know senator cassidy and lincoln and grassley and i are talking about what we could do in addition to rural health care. Those are landmark accomplishments. Tenyear c. H. I. P. Bill, revising Foster Care Program and transforming medicare in a polarized political time when everybody is hanging crepe and saying nothing can be done. Thais the Senate Finance committee with senator grassley and senator hatch and myself and all of the people who have worked so hard to do it. I just wanted to mention that when not much bipartisan legislating has taken place, show up at the Senate Finance committee and see what year trying to do. Jane gave us a chance to look back a little bit. I wanted you to know the best days of the Senate Finance committee are ahead because we are going to lead our way out of this path where so much of the debate seems to be about fighting and bickering and build on some of the historic accomplishments of the last congress. Senator grassley listed a few of them, and they are going to be democrats and republicans working very hard, very hard to find common ground. Jane and Historical Society, thank you so much for giving us a chance to look back a little bit and also look forward. Thanks, everybody. Thank you so very much, senator wyden. It is really the job in many ways of the Historical Society to give the opportunity for perspective, to think about what have we done . What are we trying to do and how do we come together across boundaries to do that. We do that by giving an opportunity for in a bipartisan way having people tell stories about whats happened and what they hope to have happen. We are so grateful, mr. Chairman, mr. Ranking member, that you agreed to convene this body. Part of our tradition is that we ask the chairman and the Ranking Member to select someone who has come before who is not now on the finance committee who can speak completely freely to tell a little bit about what it was like to serve on the committee. So the first person to carry that honor is senator don nickl nickles. He was elected to the senate in 1981 and served for 24 years. In addition to being on the Senate Finance committee, he held several leadership positions beginning as the chair of t of Thee National snarl committee and rising as Senate Majority leader. In 2005 he decided to make a career change, retiring from the senate and establishing a Consulting Group called the nickles group. Senator nickles. [ applause ] jane, thank you very much. I was just thinking if i stayed in the senate, i would be in the Senate Chuck Grassley and i came together in 1980 we were elected. So that was 38 years ago. Maybe in another 10 years i could become chairman of the finance committee. My wife would really get a kick out of that. Hey, babe, stay another 30 years and you can be chairman of the committee. Grassley and hatch just wont go. Its because he had seniority. He served in the congress. He was ranked higher. I was 31 i was the same age as most of the staffers on the committee at the time but i loved the finance committee. I will tell you i did serve, jane, on a lot of committees. At that time back then, they said you want to be either on finance or proppes. It took me 12 years to get on the committee. Ron said it took him nine. Chuck grassley got on in year one. That really irritates me. Blanche lincoln year one. Pat a few years to get on. Bill cassidy gets in in his first term. Not fair. Took me the third time to get on the finance committee. I will tell you, i look back at the other committees, i was on budget 24 years. Thats work. Thats just all work. Energy work. A lot of the committees just work. Finance theres so much positive, so much good. As ron mentioned, you touch health care. You touch all the entitles, medicare, medicaid, trade, tax rates and so on. You make dramatic impact on peoples lives. That is so important. You make history. You really do make history. When chuck and i were elected, it happened to be the same year Ronald Reagan was elected. Maximum tax rate was 70 . Eight years later it was 28 . Wow. Thats real history. Thats changing things. Thats really positive. I thought it was positive. It was bipartisan bill for a lot of that. That was bob dole and bill bradley and a bunch of democrats and republicans working together rewrite the tax code and rewrote it in permanent law. That was a change. Subsequent tax bills i was involved in the later tax bills and a lot of those were for tenyear periods because thats the budget win todowswindows. Permanent law. In 1981 i wasnt on the committee yet, the chairman of the committee was from kansas, senator bob dole who was chairman of the committee. Bob dole became chairman in 81. Russell long was chairman before. Russell long elected to the senate when he was 30 years old. He had been chairman of the finance committee for how many years but for a long time. Bob said im really excited to be chairman of the finance committee but who is going to tell russell hes not the chairman . But the fact is they worked well together. You think those big bills, thats phenomenal. I was a freshman senator. I was 32 at the time when we did the 81 tax bill. I asked bob dole, something i feel very strong about, i wanted to permanently eliminate inheritance tax for surviving spouses. We got that in the bill. In 1981, i was 32 years old. Wow. That was one of the things i really wanted to get done. My father had died years before, and i went through this inheritance battle. So anyway, that was one of the things i was really wound up about. I told somebody once we got it done, it may change the way you do estate planning. I actually put our home in my wifes name so if i died she wouldnt have to pay inheritance tax. Now that we eliminated that penalty, ive been trying to get the house back in my name. So its real life. It makes a difference. Thats what the finance committee its the best committee by far. I love to see the finance committee when youre working together. To get real things done. I look back i was talking about in the early 80s when they made such phenomenal changes. Guess what . The house was never in republican control. So actually did that when the democrats were controlling the house with tip oneill and jim wright and that crew and republicans controlled the senate in the first six years and rewrote the tax code dramatically. Now that you have the house controlled by democrats and senate by republicans surely you can do a rewrite of similar significance. Maybe not. Maybe not. Times are a little different. I long to have some of the good times that we have when we really did have bipartisan work and we really did get monumental legislation done and we really did have markups in committees where every member what a thrill it is to be a member of the finance committee where you can offer any amendment, think about it, on health care or tax code or trade, monumental big things where any member of the senate can offer those amendments to change it. You want a 70 rate or 100 rate, you can offer the amendment in that committee. I hope people have a chance to do that in committee and in the floor. I believe in regular order. Let everybody offer lots of amendments. I love to see the Committee Work its process, work its will. Let everybody offer ideas. Maybe they get voted down, so what, its part of the process and a great process. Blanche, im delighted to know were married and i took your name. I dont know who is going to tell linda about that. We could be in trouble. But i see youre over here with your boyfriend ron. I just want to say thank you. I want to compliment the Historical Society. For whatever reason since i retired from the senate i havent retired but since ive retired from the senate, ive always had an insatiable desire for history. I Love Learning more about our history. I didnt know when i served in the senate you get so busy in the senate that you dont really have a chance to slow down and maybe absorb some of it. I didnt know Jefferson Davis was so involved in building the Capital Building in such premier outstanding classes that it is with its monolithic columns and so on. Its a better building. You can look at all the other federal buildings. The capital is unique, its the best. Jefferson davis probably more than anybody else was responsible for that. Later he became president of the conferr confederacy. He more than any senator was responsible Form Architecture and design. My compliments to the Historical Society for doing a great job. You have a great tore to tell. Its always an honor and privilege to be part of the senate, the capital, and frankly to be a member of the best committee in the congress and thats the finance committee. So thank you all very much. [ applause ] thank you very much, senator nickles. I want to tell you that any time you want to have a good historical tour, our chief tour guide Steve Livengood will take you through the capital. Has he a tenhour tour thats available. When i first came i said, steve, i want to come on one of your tours. He said, do you want the tenhour tour . I said, could we have a shorter version to start out . He does know every background. We are dplelighted to provide tt to current and former members. Theres one other former member i want to acknowledge. Mary landrieu, you know, senator nickles said the Energy Committee was just a bunch of hard work. Imagine working for a person who is the chairman of the Energy Committee. There are stories that we will not tell. Theres one other group i think we need to acknowledge, and that is everyone who is now or has ever been a senate staffer, stand up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I do that before i present to you senator lincoln, because senator lincoln is one of the few people who was a staffer, decided i can do this better than my boss, ran against him and won. Now, this is a unique thing, so yall better be careful. This is not what they put in the script, i just want you to know, for me to present senator lincoln, so i will attempt to behave. Although they say well behaved women rarely make history. Dale bumpers announced his retirement from the senate and immediately Blanche Lincoln jumped into the race. She was elected from arkansas in 1998 and served two distinguished terms. According to a Washington Post article at the time, she lobbied for a position on finance from day one. And she got it. Senator roberts is rolling his head going oh, my goodness. Although she was a democrat, she fit right in with her republican colleagues. She was raised on a farm and like senator grassley and senator nickles, she was an advocate to address the estate tax. Like senator nichols who played himself in the movie traffic she played herself in the documentary fourteen women. Like senator nickles, after life in the senate, she set up a consulting firm. Hers advises on public policy. Senator lincoln. Thank you, jane. Thanks so much again to the Historical Society for doing so many great things. Im probably one of the only members that actually reads your publication that comes in the mail but keep it coming. I have to say this is a wonderful photograph that ron sent me. I cant thank you enough for sharing it with me years ago when it first came out. We were really sitting there going, oh, my god, is there going to be another opening statement. To mr. Chairman, thank you very much for having me tonight. And ron, thank you for asking me. Im very grateful to be here. Don, its been great. Don and i not only served on the committee together, but were so blessed and fortunate to get to Work Together some now. Its a lot of fun and were really doing some good stuff. I appreciate that. Pat roberts, thank you. Just as i wanted from day one to be on the senate house committee, when i served in the house of representatives, i was first elected i came as a staffer in 1982 but won my election in 92 to the house. Of course, the democrats were in the majority and i asked for five committees. Because if you dont ask, you dont get. I didnt get them all. But i did get on ag and on energy and commerce. Being a staffer, just as don mentioned, i fell absolutely in love with the debate and the work of the committee. I felt like it was empowering to not just me but to my constituents, to my family. I used for watch my dad come up and testify before the appropriators for the levee board districts about how much they needed to keep the floodwaters at bay. I thought, how wonderful is that that an american citizen can come up and testify before the committee and really tell them about whats going on. So with that love of committee, i did get a little greedy. I asked for lots of committees. John dingell was a particular favorite of mine. We lost john this year but he was just a wonderful, wonderful chairman. I got on energy and commerce and asked for merchant marine and fishery committee. They said why, nobody wants that. I got on ag, coming from a farm district. If you remember in 1994, there was a switch in the leadership and the republicans took over. With the new revolution, pat took over the house ag committee. As Everybody Knows when you switch, you lose a few numbers on the side that maybe didnt win. So i went to pat and i said, pat, i want to stay on the ag committee. He said, you cant because the numbers arent there, and you were the last person in so youre the first person out. He was real sweet about it but he said no. So i showed up at a few hearings, and i sat out with all of the people that came to the hearing. Pat would look at me like what is she doing out there. Oh, my god, what is she doing out there. I came to thee or four. Finally he looked at me and said, okay, come up here and sit. Youre not on the committee but you can come up here and sit. He was really sweet. I appreciate that. Pat was good to me. I have to say when i did come to the senate, i knew exactly what committee i wanted to be on. I wanted to be on the Senate Finance committee. Im sorry that max baucus is not here because i completely wore him out. He and tom daschle were so amazing. Having been a staffer again, i knew how to go about the committees. In the house it was your regional caucuses. Mike was my secret weapon in the house. When i got to the senate, tom daschle lichd to me. He said it was the first mistake he made listening to me. He and max about both were wonderful to listen to me. Twa us a true honor. As mentioned great luminaries have served there. Daniel webster, chairman grassley mentioned. Thomas benton, john calhoun and ron whiting. Right here in the picture. It was gratifying to work to serve on a committee that had so much power and jurisdiction ranging from taxes to health care. When i served on the committee, we also did trade. Im not sure about handling trade issues these days but im hoping its coming back. I am on the road right now with two former trade Staff Members from the finance committee. Yall will remember i know Angela Hoffman and Carrie Phillips clark who shrink wrapped a motor home and are traveling across the country. I get to pop in every now and then, have a glass of wine and talk about free trade. Its a ton of fun. It doesnt stop here. Particularly when you work hard with staff, it makes a big difference. They still have the same passions just like as don and i know when you leave the senate you still have passions. Thats been a great opportunity for me. To read history of Senate Finance committee is to read the history of our country, the battles over tariffs, National Banks of jackson that was mentioned earlier. The income tax, social security, medicare, those battles were fought in the committee. I remember the battles we fought. Whether Affordable Care act, taxes. When i came to the senate in 1998 i was elected. I was 38 years old. I had twin two year olds. I came to the committee. It was a little different there. As we fought those battles, there were many of them. I frequently had Peanut Butter and jelly on my lapel, sleepless nights. Occasionally my twins were up in my office because they were either sick or it was a snow day and they were out of school. One of those days happened to be a day we were doing welfare reform. And Chuck Grassley was in the chair. And we were talking about child care. Democrats wanted to spend way too much money. The republicans were like, no, we cant spend any money. So i was just sitting there thinking oh, my gosh, my kids are up in my office. I dont know what they are doing. Its crazy out there. I looked over. Everybody started talking. Then somebody said Something Like, i dont know, cant their grandparents take care of them . Chuck grassley looked me in the eye. You looked me in the eye and i looked up. I was like whoa. He looked over at the republicans, and he said, guys, i think we better let her talk because i think her teapot is about to pop. You know, it was wonderful to be able to talk and to come to a conclusion where we actually did increase the funding for child care in the welfare reform bill. Not as much as the democrats wanted but a little more than republicans wanted. Probably somewhere in the middle of where we needed to be. That was because we were working together. We were trying to figure it out. We were learning from each other and talking about what that really meant to our constituents. Theres also just to say theres been nine women who have served on the finance committee. The first, who i never heard of before, but thanks to the Historical Society i discovered was hazel abel of nebraska. She was appointed and served for the last three days. She got three days on the committee. The 1983rd congress in 1952. The second woman to serve on the Senate Finance committee and the first to do so substantively was Carol Moseley brawn of illinois who served on the committee in the 2004 and 2005 congresses. Then guess what . Then came the gals from arkansas and maine of the 107th congress. It was Olympia Snowe and myself. I could not have asked for a more wonderful partner in the committee as a female, Olympia Snowe. She was just phenomenal to work with. Hardworking, thorough and really anxious to do good. That made a difference. So now since olympia was not here tonight and we were in the majority when all that happened, im going to go ahead and say im the third woman on the committee. Olympia is going to be the fourth. Now today, you know, theres been nine women out of 372 members of the Senate Finance committee. There are four on the committee today tying the record of the 111th congress. They are all democrats, unfortunately. Weve got to get some republican women on there. With a little over 12 years under their belts senator cantwell and stabben ow. Im grateful. When i think about what don and i have said about the Committee Work, it is the place where you realize how our government was founded. It was founded on trying to find consensus. Its looking at issues and things that affect our families and our home states in a way also that need to be fixed pannand finding the consensus thats going to do it. Ive also found under the committee system, one of the greatest things that comes out of your time there is the friendship. It is where you get to work with other members and you become friends. You see less of your differences and more of the things that you believe in together. Pat robertson sat on the other side of the dais from me in the Senate Finance committee, and i never will forget, he probably doesnt remember this, one day im sure i looked battered and probably had Peanut Butter and jelly on my shoulder again. You sent a note over to me. And it said its very cute. Im not supposed to say cute, but i do. I must have been dozing off a bit, i think, because pat sent me a note and he said, if you raise your feet off the floor, it will keep you awake. And i wrote him back a note that said, pat, in these chairs, my feet dont touch the ground. So the friendships were built. It was also the things that you learned, not only in the substantive part of it but in that friendship. I dont know if Chuck Grassley remembers this, but one of the best things i learned in the congress, i had a bill on the floor not a bill, an amendment. Ive been raised with a lot of things. My grandmothers rule of law was theres never, ever a good excuse to be rude or dangerous to yourself or to anyone else. The other part of her rule of law was all anybody can say is no, but they cant say no if you dont ask. I knew it was going to be a close vote. I went to chuck and i said, chuck, i really need you to help me on this. I really wish you would. Its not a big deal. I think it can be helpful to you in iowa. I just hope youll consider it. I bugged him again. Then he said, okay, ill tell you what. He says, if it comes down to one vote that you need, he said, ill be with you. Guess what . It came down to one vote. Did i deliver . You did. You voted with me. I was so proud. I dont think you ever knew how proud i was that moment because i saw in the United States senate the kind of integrity and the kind of person that was standing behind their word they had given to me. It made me feel so incredible. It was several days later and i went over and he was wearing his red vest. I went up and said, chuck, you look handsome in the rest vest. I went over and said, i cant thank you enough for the vote. He said, the other women come over and hug me. But the point being is that this country belongs to all of us. We all have worked hard and made a difference. In a Committee Like the Senate Finance committee you can make a difference. When you reach out and work with people, it does make a difference. You solve problems. Russ sullivan moved in here from arkansas will attest to, i do truly believe in my grandmothers saying. All they can say is no but they cant say no if you dont ask. The last time i asked for another amendment, he looked at me and said youve already gotten about 10. No more. Youre cut off. Thank you all for letting me, my former colleagues and my current colleagues and everybody having that opportunity as a young woman, a young mother, with a husband that was he working like crazy to keep our head above water an opportunity to see what it was really about. The Senate Finance committee, here here. Thats what it was. Thank you. Senator nickles come back here for a quick minute. Youve got to get your present. One of the things we have at the capital Historical Society is we have very special merchandise that has special relationship to the capital. So this for you, senator, is a replica. Capital made from marble that is from the capital. Open it this way. Okay. Thank you. For you, senator lincoln . A tie . No. We have a scarf that is made to represent the corridor. Thats lovely. Thank you. So we see that you are a scarf pers person. Spruce it up. Thank you both very much for coming. [ applause ] and of course we dont just give prizes to the folks who have gone from the Senate Senator wyden, senator grassley, please come it is whatever you want it to be. Great. This is a replica also made from marble from the capital of the statue of freedom that stands on top of the capital. When senator nickles talked about the Capital Building, the Capital Building is across the world a symbol of our democracy. Standing on top of that is the statue of freedom. If you go on one of steves tours youll hear the story about the discussion of building it, who should be on top. Because our democracy was different. It was a revolutionary idea. At that time every other country had a king or something, so who would go on the top. Theres some people that said goe George Washington should go on top. No, no, no. We dont want i want to be an individual. We want it to be a symbol. That is who is on the top and we give that to you. Thank you so much. Thank you. For all of you who have come to make this possible, theres one group of people that we havent acknowledged and that is the staff of the Historical Society. Laura, steve, stand up