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'We need more statesmen': Burr calls on Congress to reduce divisions, better equip itself for future problems

Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will be replaced by Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd on Jan. 3. The change represents a rightward shift away from a more centrist Burr.

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By
Bryan Anderson
, WRAL state government reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Retiring North Carolina U.S. Sen. Richard Burr delivered his farewell speech Wednesday on the chamber floor, reflecting on lessons learned from the nearly 30 years he spent in Congress and advocating for a more solutions-oriented federal government.

Burr, a businessman who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1994 before moving to the U.S. Senate in 2005, criticized heightened divisions he’s since in recent years. He called on lawmakers to focus more on policy solutions and less on political battles.

“We need more statesmen and fewer politicians,” Burr told his colleagues in a speech.

North Carolina’s senior senator served at a time of deep political divisions and was ready for his time in Congress to come to an end. In 2016, he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2022. Burr choked up Wednesday while talking about his grandchildren and time spent away from his family during his time in the Senate.

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell noted Burr would often threaten to leave Washington, D.C., if no solution appeared forthcoming during prolonged negotiations. The Kentucky senator poked fun at the time Burr climbed out of a window to leave the Russell Senate Office Building to avoid a lengthy walk to the nearest exit during a budget sequestration that closed some of the normal exits due to staffing shortages.

“The day is fast approaching when our colleague will escape from this institution for good, but Richard’s remarkable legacy here will endure,” McConnell said. “Whether that’s meant using his charm and judgment of character to disarm committee witnesses and get to the bottom of complex issues under investigation or using his fluency … to translate key issues for his colleagues.”

Working with the other side

Burr was known for working across the aisle at times, particularly on issues related to military spending, agriculture and public health.

From 2016 to 2020, he served as the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which oversees important military activities.

In recent years, he became exasperated by political gridlock. He notably found himself at odds with many Republicans when voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump for Trump’s role in encouraging people to go to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election. The North Carolina Republican Party censured Burr over his vote to impeach Trump. Burr alluded to his decision and cautioned members of both parties from considering impeachment for purely political motives.

“Nobody wins in impeachments,” Burr said in his speech. “I've lived through three — 75% of all impeachments in the history of the United States of America. Congress should resist the temptation to treat impeachment as just the newest form of political opposition.”

Burr will be replaced in the U.S. Senate by Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, who defeated Democratic former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in November. Budd was endorsed by Trump. His victory represents a rightward shift from a more ideologically-centered Burr.

Tech transformation ahead

Burr on Wednesday highlighted the work he was most proud of, including the creation of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to bolster the nation’s preparedness for bioterrorism threats and passage of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act, which sped up the approval of new pharmaceutical drugs. He said he wishes he could’ve had more measures go through a rigorous debate and get passed.

“If I have any regrets about the operation of the Senate in recent years, it's how much leadership ignored the work of the committees and in many cases ignored the expertise of our staff,” Burr said. “The Senate needs more committee consideration of bills and serious issues and less consolidation of decision-making in the hands of a few.”

While he said he believes the country’s best days are ahead, he also questioned the chamber’s ability to tackle emerging problems.

“During the next two decades, we'll see technology and innovation at a speed that none of us can envision today,” Burr said. “Technology platforms will emerge that change the global economy and at a pace that will be hard for this institution to keep up with. Breakthroughs will transform healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing. Then it'll hit a wall called the federal government with an architecture designed in the 1950s.”

Burr said he looks forward to catching up on time missed with his loved ones. He will be replaced by Budd on Jan. 3.

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