In the early morning of Sunday, December 5, Senator Bob Dole passed away in his sleep. A memorial service was held at the U.S. Capitol followed by a larger service at the National Cathedral the day after. Additionally, I was proud to join some of my colleagues in a tribute to Senator Dole on the floor of the U.S. House.
Bob Dole was a true patriot and friend to all. His lifetime of commitment, dedication and perseverance for this country is unmatched, and his legacy of service and statesmanship will only grow greater through the prism of history.
Highlights of my remarks are below, or you can watch online here.
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“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Senator Bob Dole, one of America's greatest. I have so many different memories over the years, it is hard to know where to start or where to finish...
“A great Kansan from humble roots, Senator Bob Dole answered the call to serve his country – fighting for liberty for 79 years. It wasn't long ago that I got to visit the site where he was so badly injured in Italy. As I looked around the landscape of that area, that spot where he was wounded, so far from home in a foreign land – here was this very young man and so many others like him facing evil head on…
“Through his final years, months, and even until his final days, Senator Dole remained so involved and passionate for the principles that made this country great, while caring for our most vulnerable. The number of veterans and their families he greeted at the World War II Memorial during his final years would be far too many to count, and that is just a tiny glimpse of what he did to support, lift up, and encourage others.
“There is no way to properly measure his impact. Not just in America, but around the world. He was the embodiment of the American spirit and what it means to be a true patriot and statesman.
“His lifetime of commitment dedication and perseverance for this country was and is unmatched. His legacy of service and statesmanship will only grow greater through the prism of history.
“Madam Speaker, there are those special individuals you get to know in life who help you keep it all in perspective. I will always be so appreciative of Bob Dole – the man – and what a giant of a man he was.
“May God's peace and grace embrace his wife Elizabeth and daughter Robin, as well as the rest of his family in the hours, days, and months to come.
“I yield back.”
