March 27, 2025
Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Thune, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Alsobrooks, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Banks, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Booker, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Budd, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Daines, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Fetterman, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Gallego, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Hawley, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Husted, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Justice, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kim, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Lee, Mr. Luján, Mr. Markey, Mr. Marshall, Mr. McConnell, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Moody, Mr. Moran, Mr. Moreno, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Paul, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Risch, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Sheehy, Ms. Slotkin, Ms. Smith, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Warnock, Ms. Warren, Mr. Welch, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Young) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
Honoring the life of the Honorable Alan K. Simpson, former Senator for the State of Wyoming.
Whereas Alan Kooi Simpson (referred to in this preamble as Senator Simpson
) was born in Denver, Colorado, on September 2, 1931, and was raised in Cody, Wyoming;
Whereas Senator Simpson came from a family with a long tradition of public service in Wyoming, which included—
(1)
his father, Milward Simpson, who was a U.S. Senator, the Governor of Wyoming, and a member of the Wyoming State Legislature; and
(2)
his mother, Lorna Kooi Simpson, who served her community as president of the Red Cross in Cody, Wyoming, and on the local planning commission;
Whereas Senator Simpson graduated from Cody High School in Cody, Wyoming, in 1949, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wyoming in 1954, and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1958;
Whereas, after graduating from college, Senator Simpson served as a Second Lieutenant in the Army from 1954 to 1956 , where he was stationed in Germany with the 10th Infantry regiment of the 5th Infantry Division and the 12th Armored Infantry Battalion of the 2nd Armored Division;
Whereas, on June 21, 1954, Senator Simpson married Ann Schroll, whom he met while studying at the University of Wyoming, and together, they—
(1)
built a remarkable partnership of love, devotion, and respect;
(2)
raised their 3 children, Bill, Colin, and Susan; and
(3)
enjoyed spending time, as proud grandparents, with Mackenzie, Nicholas, Eric, Beth, Fiona, and Aidan;
Whereas, after being admitted to the Wyoming bar and the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming in 1958, Senator Simpson—
(1)
served as a Wyoming Assistant Attorney General;
(2)
practiced law with his father, Milward Simpson, and later with Charles G. Kepler, in the law firm of Simpson, Kepler and Simpson in Cody, Wyoming; and
(3)
served as the City Attorney for Cody, Wyoming;
Whereas, starting in 1965, Senator Simpson began a distinguished career of elected public service on behalf of the people of Wyoming, including serving —
(1)
in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1965 to 1978, where he served as majority whip, majority floor leader, and the speaker pro tempore; and
(2)
in the U.S. Senate from 1979 to 1997, where he served as Senate Majority Whip from 1985 to 1987, and Senate Minority Whip from 1987 to 1995;
Whereas, from 1981 to 1985, and from 1995 to 1997, Senator Simpson served as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate;
Whereas, during his time in the U.S. Senate, Senator Simpson was focused on—
(1)
securing United States borders and addressing illegal immigration;
(2)
championing the brave veterans who answered the call and made sacrifices for their country;
(3)
entitlement reform; and
(4)
addressing the soaring national debt;
Whereas Senator Simpson was appointed by President Obama to be co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in 2010, and Senator Simpson and Erskine Bowles were presented the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government for their work on that Commission;
Whereas, in July 2022, Senator Simpson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom;
Whereas Senator Simpson was passionate about—
(1)
the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming;
(2)
the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, including the Mineta-Simpson Institute at Heart Mountain; and
(3)
the University of Wyoming, including the establishment of—
(A)
the Alan K. Simpson Center for Clinical and Experiential Learning at the University of Wyoming College of Law; and
(B)
the Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership at the American Heritage Center;
Whereas Senator Simpson served with integrity, humor, and leadership, and he never wavered in his commitment to his family, the United States, or the State of Wyoming; and
Whereas Senator Simpson was known by many for his courage, quick wit, and legendary storytelling: Now, therefore, be it
That—
(1)
the Senate—
(A)
has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Alan K. Simpson, former Senator for the State of Wyoming; and
(B)
respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate—
(i)
communicate this resolution to the House of Representatives; and
(ii)
transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of the Honorable Alan K. Simpson; and
(2)
when the Senate adjourns on the date of the adoption of this resolution, the Senate stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the Honorable Alan K. Simpson.