Senate Proceeding on Sep 9th, 2009 :: 1:12:40 to 1:19:05
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1:12:36 to 1:12:57( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: senate. and so i say to mel martinez and to kitty, godspeed. a senator: mr. proop? the presiding officer: the senator from georgia. mr. chambliss: mr. president, this is one of those days that none of us look particularly

1:12:40 to 1:19:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Saxby Chambliss

1:12:58 to 1:13:18( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: forward to when we have to speak about a dear friend who's leaving the senate. but i'm kitty in a number of ways and very appreciative of great relationship, number one, that we've had from a collegial standpoint and for what mel martinez has provided to

1:13:19 to 1:13:40( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: country over the last several years. our friend lamar alexander, who spoke a little bit earlier, often talks and has got me talking back home to particularly young people about what it really means to be an american. mel martinez has a greater appreciation about what it means to be an american than anybody

1:13:41 to 1:14:01( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: in this body because of the fact that he's the only immigrant that is a member of the united states senate. an become a citizen and that he has a great appreciation for what it means to be an arican. what a great story it is. mel dodging bullets in cuba,

1:14:02 to 1:14:22( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: escaping communism and ultimately coming to the united states, be parents, being somewhat lost in a strange land that he knew something about, but just didn't know any people. and as a 16-year-old young man thrust into that situation, most

1:14:23 to 1:14:44( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: of us would panic, extent. mel never did. and through the raising and orphanages and foster homes and ultimately being reunited with his parents after having his brother ralph come over here and being reunited with him before being reunited with his parents

1:14:45 to 1:15:07( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: is such a great personal story and such a touching story, number one. but all of that served to develop a foundation in mel martinez that america has been the beneficiary of those of us in this body who have come to know mel and kitty are t

1:15:08 to 1:15:29( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: guess the iro read mel's book "a sense of belonging," which i would recommend to anybody listening today. what a great book. it's a short read, but you'll have a lot of fun and be of great interest to you. what you realize is that when mel got here, there were several things that allowed him to transition into american

1:15:30 to 1:15:50( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: society. avenues bright young man and didn't know the english language when he came here. he committed to learn t he did learn t a very affable person back then, just as he is now. he made friends very easy and that helped him make that transition. and thirdly, he was a good

1:15:51 to 1:16:11( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: athlete, maybe even a great athlete. in fact, if he could have hit the curveball, he might representing the miami marlins today instead of the state of florida. but it's a great way to look at the history of america when he look at -- when you look at the

1:16:12 to 1:16:33( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: history of mel martinez and his transition all the way from rural cuba to the united states senate. i guess the most important thing already been alluded assistant majority leader, and that is that mel came to the senate for all the right reasons. he came into public service for

1:16:34 to 1:16:56( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: all the right reasons, and he's leaving for all reasons. i know, because of the many, many conversations he and i have had about our families, what a dedicated husband he is, what a dedicated father he is. and now he has seen his two

1:16:57 to 1:17:18( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: older children, lauren and jack, come up and become very successful in their own right, and now he's got andrew. andrew is a 15-year-old young man who is growing up in orlando and is doing the things that all young men 0 do and, unfortunately, his during the week and is home during the weekend and that's the time when young

1:17:19 to 1:17:39( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: be with their friends and mel is missing a lot of that. and thand that's the reasons going back home. that's the reason all of us can stand up here sand say, wow, i wish i had the courage to do that. i had a very similar experience during my days in the house, en i ran for the house in 1994.

1:17:40 to 1:18:00( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: my son was a senior i school. he played football on what ultimately became a state championship football team. there was no question from my campaign staff as to where i was going to be on friday night. i was there to mel is missing the experience of seeing andrew play on thursday nights because he's up here

1:18:01 to 1:18:22( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: during what he was elected to do and that's serve the people of florida. he's going to now have the toonts to experience with ---to- -- to have the did he with lauren and jack. his service as mayor of orlando or as secret

1:18:23 to 1:18:44( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: service in the senate, but his service to his family is what's important and wow what a public servant he is to his family. so, too, he and his wife kitty, we just say we thank you for the great service that you have provided. we thank you for the great friendships that you have of this by.

1:18:45 to 1:19:10( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: and whatever road you ultimately travel down in the days ahead, we know you're going to continue to be a success. we know that you're going to continue to serve our country in your own special way. but most importantly, you're going to serve our god and you're going to serve your family. so, mel, thanks for everything you've done. thanks for your friendship.