RETIREMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD H. BRYAN -- (Senate - December 14, 2000)
 

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   Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when the 106th Congress finally adjourns sine die in the next several days, it will mark the end of the Senate service of one of this body's most thoughtful and respected members, Senator RICHARD BRYAN.

   DICK BRYAN came to the Senate having already distinguished himself as a 

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popular attorney general for four years and governor for six years in Nevada. In his two terms in the Senate, DICK has fought for the protection of American consumers. His successful legislative battles include the requirement that automobiles sold in the U.S. be equipped with air bags, fair credit reporting and toy labeling legislation. He has been a pioneer in the area of internet privacy protection legislation, including his bill, the Childrens' Online Privacy Protection Act, which passed last year by the Senate.

   DICK BRYAN has earned a reputation as a tenacious defender of the interests of the people of Nevada. Whether attempting to block the storage of federal waste at Yucca Mountain, attempting to ban internet gambling, or fighting for federal projects in Nevada, DICK BRYAN has time and again been a formidable advocate for his constituents.

   DICK BRYAN has also been a strong voice in the Senate for fiscal responsibility. A critic of excessive ``pork-barrel'' spending and wasteful programs, he help lead the fight back to a balanced federal budget.

   I have served with DICK on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, on which he now serves as Vice-Chairman. On that Committee, DICK has led the minority while steadfastly working toward a bipartisan approach to the Committee's critical oversight of the nation's intelligence community.

   Mr. President, I know I speak not only for my wife, Barbara and myself, but for all of us in the Senate family, when I say that we will profoundly miss DICK and Bonnie BRYAN. We wish them, their three children and three grandchildren a healthy and happy future. It was DICK's love of family and his desire for quality time with them and his desire for quality time in his beloved Nevada which takes him from us. While there will be a big hole in our Senate family with his departure, we admire his reasons for leaving, just as we admire and celebrate his contributions to the well being of our nation.

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