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Salazar pays tribute to Allard
When politicians steps down either because of term limits or other reasons, their peers often pay homage to their outgoing brethren. Today U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., paid tribute to his colleague, Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.
Here is the text of Salazar’s speech:
“Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend and colleague, Wayne Allard, the senior Senator from Colorado. As all of us in the Senate know, Senator Allard will retire from the Senate at the end of this legislative session.
“Senator Allard is a Coloradan through and through. Raised on a ranch in Walden, a small town in the northwest corner of the state, he found his calling in animal medicine. He followed this passion to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. At CSU, Wayne met his future wife, Joan, who was studying microbiology at the time.
“After graduating, Wayne and Joan built the Allard Animal Hospital in Loveland together. They made their home there. They had two daughters, Christi and Cheryl.
“Living and working in Loveland, Wayne developed a passion for public service and politics.
“He began his political career in the Colorado State Senate. He served the people of Weld and Larimer counties in the state legislature for seven years. A strong believer in preserving the idea of citizen legislators, Senator Allard championed a Colorado law that limits legislative sessions to 120 days, a law that is still on the books today. It works to ensure Colorado representatives are able to spend the bulk of their time in their communities as opposed to the corridors of the state Capitol.
“In 1991, the people of the 4th Congressional District elected Senator Allard to the U.S. House of Representatives. Five years later, Coloradans elected him to serve in the U.S. Senate.
“Throughout his career on the federal level, he has been a strong voice for fiscal responsibility and for protecting America at home and abroad. He has used his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to champion priorities important to Colorado, and he has played an active role on the Senate Budget Committee to restore integrity to the government’s use of taxpayer dollars.
“And yet, even as Senator Allard has served in Washington, he has never forgotten where he came from and who he works for. He was always traveling throughout Colorado, engaging his constituents, hearing their hopes and concerns. It is there, in the communities of Colorado, that he feels most at home.
“I have been privileged to work with Senator Allard in the U.S. Senate for the past four years. We fought for clean and safe drinking water for the communities in the Lower Arkansas Valley through the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit. We worked to ensure the Animas La-Plata Water Project in southwest Colorado is fully funded. And, over the past few months, we came together to move judicial nominees for the federal court in Colorado through the often-contentious Senate confirmation process. It has been a productive and fulfilling partnership.
“Now, to be sure, Senator Allard and I have not always seen eye to eye on a number of issues. But in spite of our differences, I have always respected him. He works hard. He is humble. He loves Colorado.
“But more than his love for Colorado and his country, Senator Allard is devoted to Joan, Christi and Cheryl, and his five grandsons. You will never see him smile wider or laugh harder than in their company. I am happy that his return to Colorado will afford him the opportunity to spend more time with them. He deserves it.
“Mr. President, I know Senator Allard is a great admirer of Wayne Aspinall, who was a strong protector of Colorado’s water and a champion for the people of the Western Slope during his 24 year tenure in Congress. Congressman Aspinall once said that, ‘we all have moments when we feel that “the system” is wrong, but that does not entitle us to assume that only we could be right and therefore permit us to secede from our society. We have to learn to live with it — to improve on it if we can — to change it through established procedures if we must, but we must always remember that individually we are only one person and that the views and ideas of others might be equally valid as our own.’
“For the past 25 years, Senator Allard has committed himself and his talents to the people of Colorado in this spirit — a spirit of reform, and of humility. He has served with honor and distinction, and with an unyielding focus on what he thinks is best for our state. I thank him for his service and friendship, and congratulate him on his retirement.
“I yield the floor.”
*Salazar photo from the Associated Press. Allard photo shot by Political Notebook.
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