[Senate Document 104-19]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                     S. Doc. 104-19

 
                             Robert J. Dole

                        U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS

                                TRIBUTES

                                     

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF
                           THE UNITED STATES

                                     


                                     

                                     


                                           
                                                           S. Doc. 104-19
                                           
                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress


                                   Robert J. Dole

                              United States Congressman

                                      1961-1969

                                United States Senator

                                      1969-1996

                                          -

                                           
                                           



                           Compiled  under the  direction

                                       of the

                              Secretary of  the  Senate

                                       by the

                            Office of  Printing  Services


                                           
                                      CONTENTS

             Biography.............................................
                                                                     ix
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Prayer by the Senate Chaplain Dr. Lloyd John 
                  Ogilvie..........................................
                                                                      2
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Abraham, Spencer, of Michigan..................
                                                                    104
                    Ashcroft, John, of Missouri....................
                                                                     28
                    Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri..............
                                                                     35
                    Bradley, Bill, of New Jersey...................
                                                                     43
                    Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia..............
                                                                     45
                    Campbell, Ben Nighthorse, of Colorado..........
                                                                     14
                    Chafee, John H., of Rhode Island...............
                                                                     19
                    Coats, Dan, of Indiana.........................
                                                                     84
                    Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
                                                                      3
                    Cohen, William S., of Maine....................
                                                                     79
                    Coverdell, Paul, of Georgia....................
                                                                 2, 103
                    Craig, Larry E., of Idaho......................
                                                                86, 114
                    D'Amato, Alfonse M., of New York...............
                                                                     89
                    Daschle, Thomas A., of South Dakota............
                                                                     48
                    DeWine, Mike, of Ohio..........................
                                                                     97
                    Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico...............
                                                                     30
                    Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota..............
                                                                     44
                    Exon, J. James, of Nebraska....................
                                                                     64
                    Faircloth, Lauch, of North Carolina............
                                                                     37
                    Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin.............
                                                                     77
                    Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
                                                                     38
                    Frist, Bill, of Tennessee......................
                                                                     83
                    Gorton, Slade, of Washington...................
                                                                     27
                    Gramm, Phil, of Texas..........................
                                                                     21
                    Grams, Rod, of Minnesota.......................
                                                                      9
                    Grassley, Charles E., of Iowa..................
                                                                     25
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     66
                    Hatfield, Mark O., of Oregon...................
                                                                    102
                    Heflin, Howell, of Alabama.....................
                                                                      1
                    Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
                                                                     12
                    Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma..................
                                                                     26
                    Jeffords, James M., of Vermont.................
                                                                    117
                    Kassebaum, Nancy Landon, of Kansas.............
                                                                      7
                    Kempthorne, Dirk, of Idaho.....................
                                                                    100
                    Kennedy, Edward M., of Massachusetts...........
                                                                     82
                    Kerry, John F., of Massachusetts...............
                                                                     95
                    Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
                                                                 5, 115
                    Lautenberg, Frank R., of New Jersey............
                                                                    113
                    Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
                                                                    118
                    Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
                                                                     78
                    Lott, Trent, of Mississippi....................
                                                                     62
                    Lugar, Richard D., of Indiana..................
                                                                     81
                    Mack, Connie, of Florida.......................
                                                                     11
                    McCain, John, of Arizona.......................
                                                                     40
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                    107
                    Mikulski, Barbara A., of Maryland..............
                                                                     38
                    Moynihan, Daniel P., of New York...............
                                                                     91
                       From the New York Times, Reagan's Faithful 
                         Allies....................................
                                                                     92
                    Murkowski, Frank H., of Alaska.................
                                                                     73
                    Nickles, Don, of Oklahoma......................
                                                                     50
                       Consideration of S. Res. 258................
                                                                     51
                       Poem, The Measure of a Man..................
                                                                     96
                    Pressler, Larry, of South Dakota...............
                                                                    105
                    Roth, William V., Jr., of Delaware.............
                                                                      5
                    Santorum, Rick of Pennsylvania.................
                                                                     87
                    Shelby, Richard C., of Alabama.................
                                                                     96
                    Simpson, Alan K., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     24
                    Smith, Robert C, of New Hampshire..............
                                                                    108
                    Snowe, Olympia J., of Michigan.................
                                                                     22
                    Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania................
                                                                     32
                    Stevens, Ted, of Alaska........................
                                                                     74
                    Thomas, Craig, of Wyoming......................
                                                                     17
                    Thurmond, Strom, of South Carolina.............
                                                                     70
                    Warner, John W., of Virginia...................
                                                                     45
                    S. Res. 258....................................
                                                                     52
                    Farewell address of Senator Robert J. Dole.....
                                                                     52
                    Order for printing a Senate document...........
                                                                    115
             Proceedings in the House:
                Tributes by Representatives:
                    Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
                                                                    121
                    Fowler, Tillie, of Florida.....................
                                                                    123
                    Tiahrt, Todd, of Kansas........................
                                                                    123
             Newspaper Articles and Editorials:
                Bob Dole's Leadership in the Senate Was One of 
                  Contrasts; and Consensus, Buffalo News...........
                                                                    127
                That Was the Real Bob Dole, Plain Dealer...........
                                                                    128
                As Member of Congress, Bob Dole Has Had Few Equals, 
                  State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL).........
                                                                    130
                The Hard Way, Time Magazine........................
                                                                    131
                Reinventing Bob Dole, U.S. News & World Report.....
                                                                    134
                The Life and Times of Bob J. Dole; His Story Is 
                  Well Worth Telling, Says One Who Knows It Well, 
                  Star Tribune.....................................
                                                                    135
                Dole's Large Legacy Buried in Fine Print; Congress: 
                  His Skills As A Legislator Are Likely To Be Lost 
                  on Future Generations, Los Angeles Times.........
                                                                    137
                Bob Dole, GOP-Builder, Washington Times............
                                                                    141
                Bob Dole's Last Day in the Senate, The Hill........
                                                                    143
                Bob Bids Farewell to Sente; Bipartisan Tributes 
                  Fill Emotional Final Day, Washington Post........
                                                                    145
                Bob Dole--He Keeps His Word, Hartford Courant......
                                                                    147
                Bob Dole's Farewell, Chicago Tribune...............
                                                                    148
                Dole's Parting Reflections Leave Image of the Core 
                  Values of His Career, Washington Post............
                                                                    148
                Bob Dole's Farewell, Washington Times..............
                                                                    150
                Dole Bids Farewell to Capitol Hill; After 35 Years, 
                  Candidate Enters A `New Season', Washington Times
                                                                    154
                Public Servant Dole, Tulsa World...................
                                                                    155
                Dole Departs, Commercial Appeal (Memphis)..........
                                                                    156
                Bob Dole Charts Wise Course, Daily News (New York).
                                                                    157
                Good Citizen Dole, Washington Post.................
                                                                    158
                Dole Deserving of Laudatory Comments, Omaha World-
                  Herald...........................................
                                                                    159
                Dole Did It His Way--The Hard Way, Sunday Gazette 
                  Mail.............................................
                                                                    160
                For Dole, Road To Politics Began At Kansas 
                  Courthouse; GOP: His Days as County Attorney in 
                  '50s Paved Way to Congress, The Ex-Senator Still 
                  Resonates Themes of that Era.....................
                                                                    161
                Dole Braves A Storm, Christian Science Monitor.....
                                                                    164
                Dole Really Witty, Warm Under Mask, Montgomery 
                  Advertiser.......................................
                                                                    165
                Midwest Values and Civility Guide Dole, Dallas 
                  Morning News.....................................
                                                                    165
                Senator Dole vs. Citizen Dole, Indianapolis News...
                                                                    167

                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Robert Dole, Republican, of Russell, Kansas; born in 
             Russell Kansas, July 22, 1923, son of Mr. and Mrs. Doran 
             R. Dole; married Mary Elizabeth Hanford, December 6, 1975; 
             one daughter, Robin, from a previous marriage; graduate of 
             Russell public schools; attended University of Kansas, 
             Lawrence; A.B., Washburn Municipal University, Topeka, 
             1952; LL.B., Washburn, 1952; enlisted, U.S. Army, 1943; 
             served 5\1/2\ years in World War II as 10th Mountain 
             Division platoon leader in Italy; twice wounded and twice 
             decorated for ``heroic achievement''; discharged with rank 
             of captain, 1948; at age 26, elected to Kansas 
             Legislature, 1951-53; elected four terms as Russell County 
             attorney, 1953-61; elected to U.S. House of 
             Representatives, 1960; reelected 1962, 1964, and 1966; 
             elected to U.S. Senate, 1968; reelected 1974, 1980, 1986, 
             and 1992; elected Senate majority leader, November 1984; 
             elected Senate minority leader, January 3, 1987; reelected 
             November 29, 1988, November 13, 1990, and November 3, 
             1992; Republican candidate for Vice President of the 
             United States, 1976; Republican National Committee 
             chairman, 1971-73; adviser, U.S. delegation to United 
             Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Conference, 
             Rome, Italy, 1975; member, Congressional delegation to 
             survey food crisis in India at request of President 
             Johnson, 1966; Congressional delegation to study Arab 
             refugee problem, Middle East, 1967; past president, 
             Washburn Alumni Association and Kansas County Attorneys 
             Association; past lieutenant governor, Kiwanis; member: 
             State and American Bar Associations, 4-H Fair Association, 
             B.P.O.E., Masons, Isis Shrine, Chamber of Commerce, 
             American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled 
             American Veterans; National Board of Sponsors of the 
             American Medical Center, Denver, CO; member of the board 
             for National Society of Autistic Children; member, 
             advisory committee of the National Association for 
             Retarded Children; Advisory Council on Scouting for the 
             Handicapped; Board of Directors, Rehabilitation 
             International, U.S.A.; advisory committee, Kansas Kiwanis 
             Foundation; Kansas Easter Seal Society; member, American 
             Heart Association; Advisory Board, Center for Strategic 
             and International Studies; chairman of the board, Dole 
             Foundation; Finance Committee and Agriculture Committee; 
             reelected in 1992.
                 

                                      TRIBUTES

                                         to

                                   ROBERT J. DOLE
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                                  Friday, June 7, 1996.
               Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, the political world was 
             stunned a few weeks ago when our colleague, Majority 
             Leader Bob Dole, announced his resignation from the U.S. 
             Senate after 36 years of representing his native State of 
             Kansas. In his emotional and moving farewell speech, he 
             said he wanted to campaign for the Presidency ``with 
             nothing to fall back on but the judgment of the people and 
             nowhere to go but the White House or home.''
               Senator Bob Dole was elected to the U.S. House of 
             Representatives in 1960. He came to the Senate in 1968, 
             where he served as the Republican leader for a record 11 
             years. He ran for Vice President with President Gerald 
             Ford in 1976 and ran for the Republican Presidential 
             nomination in 1980 and 1988. He has been a fixture of our 
             National Government for 36 years. Regardless of what we 
             might think of his decision to give up his life's work for 
             an attempt at the White House, we all agree that Bob Dole 
             has been an outstanding Senator and leader. He is a master 
             legislator.
               Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute has 
             called Senator Dole one of the five most significant 
             Senators of the last half of the 20th century. That 
             sentiment has been echoed by the Brookings Institute's 
             Stephen Hess, who labeled him ``somebody who could get 
             things done.'' And in Washington, especially in the 
             unwieldy Senate, this is no small compliment.
               I have had the pleasure of serving with Bob Dole for 
             nearly 18 years and know him to be an excellent legislator 
             with an amazing ability to reach solutions to difficult 
             and controversial issues. He is an honest and forthright 
             man of integrity. Had he and the President been able to 
             negotiate in good faith last fall and winter during the 
             heated budget debate, I have no doubt they could have 
             reached a solution which would have been good for our 
             country and our future. Unfortunately, the House 
             leadership would not agree to such an effort.
               Despite his legislative prowess, his major strengths lie 
             in the force of his personality and his style. His power 
             comes from his knowledge, from hard work, from his humor 
             and from his strong friendships on both sides of the 
             aisle, and from his rare moral authority. He does his own 
             work and does not delegate much.
               He comes from a humble background, the son of a cream 
             and egg station operator in Russell, KS. After serving in 
             the Army during World War II, where he suffered grave and 
             lasting wounds, he spent 8 years as a county attorney 
             dealing with people from all stations in life. He dealt 
             with bankers and country club members, but also with 
             garage mechanics and feed store clerks. He has exhibited a 
             comprehensive understanding of America as a leader for the 
             interests of the average and disadvantaged Americans.
               As Senator Bob Dole--a true giant in the history of the 
             Senate--leaves this body, he holds so dear, to pursue the 
             Nation's highest office, I join my colleagues in saluting 
             him.

                                                 Monday, June 10, 1996.

               Mr. COVERDELL. In closing, Mr. President, one of the 
             speakers a little earlier, I think Senator Bennett of 
             Utah, talked about Senator Dole and this desk. Tomorrow 
             Senator Dole will leave his beloved Senate. And I said 
             after his announcement that I would never look at this 
             desk and not see the distinguished Senator from Kansas.
               So, in closing, I just want to, as a precursor for 
             tomorrow, wish him well, wish him Godspeed, wish him a 
             safe journey, and to be among the millions of Americans to 
             thank him for all that he did for his State, for this 
             Senate, and for the United States of America.

                                                Tuesday, June 11, 1996.

               The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, offered the 
             following prayer:

               Gracious Father, there is no greater joy than to be Your 
             friend. Along with Abraham and Moses, and men and women 
             throughout the ages, we accept the awesome privilege of a 
             friendship with You. To be called a friend of God is a 
             source of strength and courage. When this assurance 
             pervades our minds, hearts, and wills, we can pray for 
             Your guidance and know that You will not only show us the 
             way, but walk with us.
               Thank You for helping us be the kind of friends to 
             others that You have been to us. May we express Your 
             loyalty, faithfulness, and consistency. We are thankful 
             for the lasting friendships established and deepened over 
             the years here in the Senate. These friendships weather 
             the storms of conflict, party differences, and political 
             tensions.
               Today, on behalf of both parties, I express our 
             gratitude to You, Father, for our friend, Bob Dole. Thank 
             You for his commitment to You expressed so faithfully in 
             his leadership and service here in the Senate. He leaves 
             the Senate this afternoon, but You know he can never leave 
             the place he holds in our hearts. Bless him with the 
             knowledge of Your love and our esteem. In the name of 
             Jesus. Amen.

               Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I rise to join all of those 
             in the Senate today to wish Godspeed to our distinguished 
             majority leader and colleague, Bob Dole, as he departs the 
             Senate and embarks upon his campaign for the Presidency of 
             the United States. I do not know of any other event that 
             is more important to all of us or to the country this year 
             than his election as President. I am really glad in one 
             sense to see him concentrate his full energies and 
             attention on that objective.
               When I think about Bob Dole's leaving the Senate, I 
             think about when I came to the Senate he was already 
             established as one of the true legislative leaders of the 
             Senate, although he occupied no elected position of 
             leadership in the Senate. It was my good fortune to serve 
             on two committees with him as a freshman Member of this 
             body--the Agriculture Committee and the Judiciary 
             Committee. He was not intending to serve on the Judiciary 
             Committee that year either, but he was drafted to serve. 
             We did not have enough Members to fill out the ranks on 
             the Republican side. Senator Kennedy from Massachusetts 
             just assumed the chairmanship of that committee. It was a 
             very highly visible committee.
               I recall Senator Dole coming on the committee. Of 
             course, he had been a lawyer, a county attorney in Kansas. 
             He brought to that committee good judgment and experience 
             on a number of issues. I can recall what I would think 
             would be referred to as an obscure bill that year that the 
             committee worked on, which was bankruptcy reform. After a 
             lot of hearings, a lot of effort to resolve issues and to 
             get a bill reported out, it was Senator Dole who, when it 
             appeared there was not going to be any action on that 
             issue, came up with a proposal that turned out to be the 
             centerpiece of bankruptcy reform.
               It was that way on the Agriculture Committee. We would 
             be locked in tough debate, arguments, differences of views 
             based on regional considerations, sometimes party 
             differences. The chairman from Georgia, Senator Talmadge, 
             was trying to get everybody together. Time after time 
             after time it was Bob Dole who ended up being the force 
             and the catalyst that brought the committee to a point 
             where it agreed and reported out legislation. That 
             legislation would ultimately become law.
               Senator Dole, as a member of the Finance Committee--I 
             did not have the good fortune to be a member there--but as 
             chairman of that committee, I can recall his handling 
             legislation on the floor of the Senate into the late hours 
             of the evening with the patience and the calm 
             determination to see the bill through, dealing with the 
             competing interests, the offering of amendments, Democrats 
             and Republicans alike, getting a fair hearing on their 
             proposals of what should be in the bill and what should 
             not be in the bill. And finally, after sometimes days, 
             bringing that bill to a point where it would pass the 
             Senate and then ultimately be enacted into law.
               A legislative leader, in the truest sense of the word, 
             on a wide range of issues, some issues that other Senators 
             did not want to work on, like in the Agriculture 
             Committee, the nutrition issues, working out the 
             difficulties in determining eligibility for food stamps, 
             for School Lunch Program participation, how much would the 
             Federal Government contribute, how much would State and 
             local governments contribute, how much would individuals 
             have to pay for these benefits, and on and on, the 
             minutia, the tough, hard decisions. He was there to help 
             make those decisions and to help shape a consensus of 
             support for legislation on those issues when others could 
             not do it, did not bring the skill and the determination 
             and the capacity to do it that Bob Dole brought to the 
             challenge.
               It was no wonder, when Howard Baker left the Senate in 
             1984, following the elections that year, the Senate turned 
             to Bob Dole and elected him leader.
               He has proven himself over and over again to be a 
             confident, fair, courageous, decisive leader, driven by 
             character, integrity, and the notion of what is good for 
             the public interest, not just what is good for the party 
             interest or partisan consideration, but the general 
             interests that serve the people of our great country. It 
             is with that kind of leadership that we have come to 
             appreciate the genius of Bob Dole and the outstanding way 
             in which he has discharged the responsibilities of leader.
               We are going to have a tough job. I know that some 
             people are talking about the succession, and who is going 
             to replace Bob Dole. The fact is that nobody is going to 
             replace Bob Dole. Nobody has the capacity to do all the 
             things that he has done in the U.S. Senate. It has really 
             been an honor--a great honor--and a wonderful opportunity 
             to have had the privilege of serving on some of the 
             committees he has served on, some he has chaired, and to 
             be a part of this Senate that has been led by Bob Dole, 
             the Senator from Kansas.
               So we wish him all the best and know that he will enjoy 
             many more successes and many more triumphs in the years 
             ahead. We are confident of that, and we bid him a fond 
             farewell.

               Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I would like to join the Senator 
             from Mississippi in paying tribute to the Senator from 
             Kansas, the distinguished majority leader. All of us who 
             have served in this body can tell stories--even those of 
             us who have served a very short period of time, such as 
             myself--that reflect the qualities of Bob Dole's 
             leadership. Those of us who are partisan Republicans can 
             only hope that a majority of American citizens can get to 
             know Bob Dole as well as we know him. If they do, then 
             those of us who would like to see Bob Dole be President 
             know that the American people would choose wisely in that 
             case. We recognize our partisanship in this matter, but I 
             think even those who are on the other side of the aisle 
             would acknowledge that the majority leader is a man of 
             great character, judgment, and leadership skills that, 
             frankly, are greater than most public servants who have 
             the opportunity to represent people in this country.
               So I join with my colleague from Mississippi in paying 
             tribute to the majority leader, and I wish him well in his 
             future endeavors.

               Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, it is difficult, if not 
             impossible, to adequately address the congressional career 
             of our departing majority leader in a 5-minute floor 
             statement. His accomplishments in his 35 years as a 
             Congressman and Senator--his successes achieved while 
             serving 11 years as Republican leader--could fill volumes.
               Indeed, hours could be spent rehearsing Bob Dole's 
             impressive record: His heroism in World War II; his early 
             political career in the Kansas House of Representatives, 
             followed by his successes here in Washington; his efforts 
             in 1964 to secure passage of the Civil Rights Act; his 
             historic work with Senator Moynihan in 1983 to save the 
             Social Security trust fund; his engineering the vote in 
             1991 to authorize U.S. forces to turn back Saddam 
             Hussein's tyranny in the Middle East; his support for 
             Kemp-Roth and the 22-percent reduction in income taxes 
             that ushered America into the longest peacetime economic 
             expansion in history; his staunch stand against President 
             Clinton's 1993 record-setting $241 billion tax increase.
               These are only a few of the milestones in Bob Dole's 
             journey from modest beginnings in America's heartland to 
             his noble objective today. Time will not permit us to go 
             beyond a few random milestones. But then again, Mr. 
             President, the truth is that the greatest leaders need the 
             least amount of praise. They have written their stories in 
             the hearts and minds of the people they serve.
               Senator Bob Dole has done just that.
               His story is one of courage, persistence, character, 
             discipline, and determination--the determination to 
             overcome odds that would have vanquished a lesser 
             individual. He is a man of deep convictions and proven 
             abilities. And everyone who has had the opportunity to 
             serve with him understands that just as solid as his past 
             record, is his vision for the future. He has outlined that 
             vision in absolute terms. And with Bob Dole there are no 
             surprises. As long as I have known him, his words have 
             been exceeded by his deeds.
               I believe that at the center of Bob Dole's vision is his 
             economic message, that we ``deal with the deficit, and . . 
             . couple that with tax cuts.'' Toward this end, Senator 
             Dole is both tenacious and pragmatic. He knows the 
             correlation between low taxes and economic growth, and he 
             has proposed serious tax cuts.
               Bob Dole has been an effective leader during a time when 
             this body addressed some of the most critical issues in 
             history: The need for a balanced budget amendment; the 
             need to strengthen and preserve Medicare; the need to 
             provide effective, portable, and affordable health care 
             coverage for Americans; the need to guarantee the future 
             of Social Security; the need to keep a strong defense--a 
             defense marked by high morale and the best, most effective 
             materiel available. He understands these issues 
             intimately--as well as anyone--and he knows what must be 
             done to see that these need are met.
               Mr. President, I will miss Bob Dole. And though I wish 
             him all the best in his new endeavors, I will miss his 
             daily leadership here on the Senate floor. I will miss his 
             quick wit; his sense of humor. I will miss his deliberate 
             style, and his uncanny ability to turn assertive and 
             aggressively intellectual into a cohesive team.
               On a personal note, I am grateful for the chance I have 
             had to serve with Bob Dole. I am grateful for our 
             friendship, for our years working together on this floor. 
             Like other great majority leaders who have gone before, 
             Senator Dole leaves his mark on this institution. As the 
             Congressional Quarterly recently pointed out, ``. . . as 
             majority leader, [Bob Dole] proved a point that badly 
             needed proving. . . . The Senate could be led.''

               Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I think it is appropriate 
             that Senator Dole, in one of his last acts of the Senate, 
             introduced legislation to provide for security of the 
             Medicare trust fund. It was his strong endorsement and 
             leadership at the beginning of the 1980's that addressed 
             the solvency of the Social Security system. Just 
             yesterday, he was instrumental in bringing a number of us 
             together to address the concerns of health insurance 
             reform. It is my hope we can reach across the aisle and 
             forge with the administration a lasting piece of 
             legislation addressing many of the concerns regarding 
             health insurance reform.
               For nearly 18 years, Mr. President, Senator Dole and I 
             have served as partners in representing Kansas in the U.S. 
             Senate and in working on many other issues. We have not 
             always agreed, but far more often we have agreed. More 
             importantly, Mr. President, we have respected each other's 
             dedication. Today, that partnership ends, at least in its 
             current form.
               This day creates many mixed emotions. Like others in 
             this Chamber, I will miss Bob Dole's steady presentation 
             and his can-do attitude that has helped the Senate through 
             so many rough times. I know Kansans also view his 
             departure with some trepidation.
               At the same time, I believe that Senator Dole has made 
             the right choice by deciding to focus all of his time, 
             energy, and skill on the Presidential campaign. It is a 
             mark of his dedication and commitment that he would give 
             up so much in order to bring his very best to the 
             challenge at hand. It also, I think, marks his confidence.
               In our years together here, Bob Dole and I have created 
             a spirit of cooperation and teamwork in representing our 
             State. There is no one who understands middle America and 
             grassroots sentiment better than Bob Dole. That is where 
             his roots are. We have joined forces many times to see the 
             needs of Kansans were addressed and that the concerns of 
             Kansans were voiced clearly and forcefully. I could not 
             have asked for a better partner in helping me. I hope my 
             support for him in those efforts has been worthwhile as 
             well.
               Our work together has ranged across the spectrum of 
             issues and problems. Countless hours were spent helping 
             farmers get through the credit crunch of the 1980's. No 
             one understood that better than Bob Dole. Today, there are 
             family farms across our State and our Nation who still 
             work their own lands due to Bob Dole's leadership.
               We have gone to bat repeatedly to assist our aviation 
             manufacturers to get fair treatment in world markets. 
             Today, there are thousands of aircraft workers producing 
             airplanes that might never have been sold without Bob 
             Dole's firm hand and persistent efforts. Senator Dole took 
             the lead in the effort to rebuild McConnell Air Force Base 
             in Wichita, KS, after a devastating tornado swept through 
             the outskirts of Wichita. He saw to it that every small 
             town in Kansas had a tornado warning siren to protect its 
             citizens.
               Mr. President, through all of these years, no challenge 
             has been too large and no concern has been too small for 
             Senator Dole. Our State motto is ad astra per aspera, ``to 
             the stars through difficulties.'' I have never known 
             Senator Dole to not look at a challenge and find a way to 
             address it. He has been a tireless champion for our State 
             in every farm bill, every tax bill, every bill of any kind 
             that touched Kansas and, more importantly then, by 
             extension, the Nation. As a direct result of his efforts, 
             our State is a better place to live, to work, and to go 
             for school. His legacy is written not merely in laws but 
             in a better life for every Kansan.
               It is with a mixture of regret and pride that I say 
             goodbye to Senator Dole today. We will miss him deeply. I 
             will miss him most of all. I know that there is other work 
             for him to do now, other challenges to be met, and I have 
             no doubt at all that he will do that job and meet that 
             challenge. Bob Dole is a remarkable man with an 
             extraordinary life story, yet on this day all I can offer 
             him is a heartfelt thank you for all that he has done for 
             me and for Kansas and the Nation.

               Mr. GRAMS. I thank the Senator. Mr. President, I want to 
             pay tribute to a man who, for 20 some years, while in the 
             broadcast news industry, I used for sound bites and 
             sources of information. I have now had the pleasure, over 
             the last 2 years, to work with him in the Senate and am 
             now able to call him a friend.
               Bob Dole's name alone stirs up many images among the 
             American people. Bob Dole--war hero, Congressman, Senator, 
             party chairman, majority leader, Presidential candidate.
               Yet, when I think of Bob Dole, other words come to mind: 
             midwesterner, mentor, colleague, and most of all, friend. 
             I'm sure that all of us in this Chamber feel the same way, 
             and today, we honor Bob Dole, our leader, our 
             distinguished colleague from Kansas, our friend.
               As Bob leaves Washington to return home back to the 
             heartland of our great Nation, I wanted to share some of 
             my thoughts about this man whose life story and 
             distinguished career reflects the very values we cherish 
             most as Americans.
               Bob was born and raised in Russell, KS--living the small 
             town American life about which legends are made. His 
             family was not wealthy; in fact, during the Depression, 
             the Doles, like many families, had to put together just to 
             make ends meet, moving into the basement of their home in 
             order to rent out the rest of their house.
               As a young man, Bob worked as a popular soda jerk at a 
             local drug store, learning early on the lessons of hard 
             work, fiscal responsibility and the value of a hard-earned 
             dollar.
               Growing up in Kansas taught Bob the importance of 
             patriotism and sacrifice. It's not surprising that at the 
             age of 19, Bob answered the call to serve his country by 
             joining the Army to fight in World War II.
               And by now, everyone should be familiar with the story 
             of Bob crawling out of his foxhole during heavy shelling 
             in the hills of Italy to save a wounded colleague, only to 
             be hit by Nazi machinegun fire.
               There are some for whom love of country and self-
             sacrifice are just phrases--words to be used for a holiday 
             speech. For Bob Dole, it is the standard under which he 
             has led his life--a badge of honor he wears even today.
               The 3 years and nine operations it took for Bob to 
             rehabilitate required strength and perseverance, a burden 
             too great for some to carry. But Bob Dole was never one to 
             give up--not even under the most difficult of 
             circumstances.
               His determination to recover and get back on his feet 
             was backed up by the now-legendary support of his friends, 
             family and community, when the people of Russell passed 
             around a cigar box to raise the $1,800 needed to pay Bob's 
             medical bills.
               Bob has never forgotten their generosity. He still keeps 
             that cigar box, the receipts and the love and support they 
             represent in his office, and recalling those days still 
             overwhelms him with heartfelt emotion.
               Upon recovering from his war injuries, Bob wanted to 
             give something back to his community--he chose public 
             service. Since receiving his law degree in 1952, public 
             service has been exactly what Bob Dole's life has been 
             about. Public service has led him all the way to the U.S. 
             Senate, and now, the White House.
               The character traits that Bob Dole learned since his 
             humble beginnings in small town America have been 
             reflected in his everyday work as a Senator.
               Bob has consistently worked for a Government that serves 
             the people but is a accountable to the taxpayers who pay 
             for it, and a society that is based on people helping 
             people without creating a permanent dependency on 
             Government.
               These principles have been apparent in his efforts to 
             balance the Federal budget, return hard-earned tax dollars 
             to the middle class, overhaul the welfare system, and 
             preserve programs like Medicare for generations to come.
               I am proud to say that I had the opportunity to stand at 
             Bob Dole's side during these debates, to have worked with 
             him in making our Nation a better place for our children 
             and grandchildren.
               But Bob has been more than just a colleague--he's been 
             my friend. When I campaigned for my seat in the Senate, 
             Bob came into Minnesota five times. As a fellow 
             Midwesterner, Bob knows my State, its people, and our 
             heritage. Minnesotans like Bob Dole; he is one of us.
               Bob's friendship extends beyond the 1994 campaign. 
             Shortly after arriving in the Senate, I got caught up in 
             one of last year's biggest fights over national policy: 
             whether or not to include tax cuts in the budget. I 
             promised the people of Minnesota that I would not support 
             a budget that did not include tax relief for the middle 
             class.
               Bob understood my pledge, and though he could not, as 
             Senate majority leader, take public sides on the debate, 
             he privately encouraged me to stick to my guns, telling me 
             not to give way on my principles. Sure enough, when the 
             final budget came out, tax cuts were included, thanks in 
             no small part to Bob Dole's support.
               On May 15, I had the opportunity to join many of my 
             colleagues in standing with Bob again as he announced his 
             resignation from the Senate. Like many of those who heard 
             the speech, I was moved by his words, particularly when he 
             said to the American people: ``I will stand before you 
             without office or authority, a private citizen, a Kansan, 
             an American, just a man.''
               I thought to myself about this man--a man who has served 
             his Nation in times of war and peace with honor and 
             integrity, who carries through when he gives his word, who 
             has sacrificed so much of himself for the country he loves 
             so dearly.
               Bob is not a man who learned his political philosophy 
             from a book, but instead, developed it as the result of 
             his life experiences, from the people whose lives he has 
             touched and whose lives touch him, and the commonsense 
             wisdom one can only expect from a son of the Midwest.
               It is with this wisdom and the good feelings of all of 
             us who have known and grown to respect Bob that he closes 
             this chapter of his incredible life story, only to open a 
             new one--full of the promises and hope that have marked 
             his life. And while I am saddened to see him go, I am 
             comforted by the fact that the Senate's loss is the 
             American people's gain.
               I look forward to traveling with Bob across this great 
             country, a country he has served with distinction 
             throughout his life, and introducing to the American 
             people, a man I am honored to call my friend, Bob Dole.

               Mr. MACK. Mr. President, I come to the floor of the U.S. 
             Senate today to bid farewell to a friend, a leader, a 
             colleague, and an authentic American hero. Bob Dole 
             embodies what is right about America. Seasoned by the 
             values and humble atmosphere of small-town America, the 
             experience of war, and perseverance through physical 
             trials, Bob Dole has earned the respect and admiration of 
             us all.
               He is a legendary legislator who is known for his 
             honesty, integrity, and fair-mindedness. Bob Dole is an 
             authentic war hero who stood on the front lines in the 
             fight against tyranny and sacrificed so that others may 
             live in freedom. He understands the commitment and 
             sacrifice necessary to protect and preserve freedom.
               I would like to share a couple of stories with my 
             colleagues, one having to do with a trip to France back in 
             the mid-1980's. I had an opportunity to respond to 
             questions from a French audience for almost 2 hours and at 
             the end of that, had the opportunity to ask them a 
             question. I told them I was going to be returning to 
             America in a few days, and I wanted to know what they 
             would tell me to tell the people of Florida about what 
             they thought of our Nation. The first several people who 
             came and stood up said that we think of America as a 
             great, dynamic, growing country, and one that is providing 
             opportunities for millions of Americans.
               The third person that stood up was a fellow who was 
             probably his late seventies or early eighties, a little 
             bit wobbly, steadying himself with a cane, and looked me 
             square in the eye, and he said, ``When you go back to 
             America, you tell the people of your country that we will 
             never forget that it was the American GI that liberated 
             our little town.''
               The second story is the opportunity that I had, along 
             with some of my other colleagues here on the floor of the 
             U.S. Senate, to be in Italy with Bob Dole at the time he 
             returned to the battlefield where he was wounded and stood 
             on the road as he looked over to the area in which he laid 
             for 9 hours before being rescued. Later, we walked down 
             the street of this little town where Bob Dole laid a 
             wreath at a monument in memory of those individuals who 
             gave their lives in defense of freedom and liberation of 
             Italy. As I stood by his side that day, I truly understood 
             that this was a man who understood the importance of 
             freedom; that freedom is the core of all human progress, 
             and while the price of freedom may be great, there is no 
             price so great as the loss of freedom.
               We can see the mettle of the man in his decision to 
             leave behind leadership of the U.S. Senate to pursue the 
             Presidency. He is doing it because it is simply the right 
             thing to do.
               Bob Dole has so much to give America through his 
             experience and his wisdom. While this is a day of 
             reflection, it is also a day of anticipation. I am 
             confident that Bob Dole is not done serving his country, 
             and America will be better for it.

               Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, today we are saying 
             farewell to our leader in the Senate so that he can become 
             the leader of our Nation and of the free world. This is a 
             remarkable man who can shoulder this great burden. This is 
             a man who has shown that he is worthy of our trust. He has 
             kept his promises to the American people, starting with 
             balancing the budget. For the first time we are on a track 
             to balancing the budget in 7 years due to the leadership 
             of Bob Dole. It is the first time in 40 years that 
             Congress has made the decision that we must not burden our 
             children and grandchildren with the kind of debt that has 
             been built up by Congresses of the past.
               This is a man who can be Commander in Chief of our 
             country. He has respect for our military. He respects the 
             people who have chosen to protect the freedom of America. 
             He understands the need for peace--not through unilateral 
             disarmament, but through strength. And he will not send 
             our troops into harm's way unless there is a U.S. security 
             interest. He has shown that through his leadership on the 
             Senate floor to make sure that we do not commit American 
             lives unless there was a U.S. security interest.
               He has fought for the working American family. He grew 
             up in Russell, KS. He knew poverty. He knew what it was 
             like to struggle to make ends meet. That is why his 
             priority was tax relief for the hard-working families of 
             this country such as the $500-per-child tax credit and 
             homemaker IRA's. It was Senator Dole who led the way for 
             the homemaker to have retirement security, just like those 
             who work outside the home do. And it was Senator Dole who 
             passed that bill in Congress only to have it vetoed by 
             President Clinton. He fought to lower the marriage penalty 
             because he wants the American family to stay strong.
               He has been a leader in the fight for women's health 
             issues. During his time as majority leader, we have 
             increased the spending for research on women's health care 
             concerns. He is trying to make sure that we have a strong 
             health care system--a strong Medicare system that will be 
             there for those who will need it in the future.
               He is fighting for the spirit of entrepreneurship to be 
             kept in this country because he knows it is the small 
             business people that make the economy grow and prosper in 
             America and takes the new people into our system for jobs. 
             He knows that, and that is why he is trying to provide 
             regulatory relief.
               We have passed the free trade agreements, so our small 
             businesses are going to be able to compete for those jobs. 
             Senator Dole knows, and he has led the way for regulatory 
             relief for our small business people so that they will be 
             able to grow.
               He has been a defender of private property rights 
             because he believes in the fifth amendment to the 
             Constitution.
               Finally, Mr. President, he has been good for our border 
             concerns. He is trying to help us deal with the severe 
             problem of illegal immigration. He is doing that by trying 
             to make sure that we have the help we need in the border 
             States to meet these terrible issues that are of such 
             concern to our country right now.
               So we are saying goodbye today to our Senate leader, a 
             man who has proven his mettle time and time and time 
             again; a man who understands what America is all about and 
             who has voluntarily said that he would rather be going out 
             across this great country talking to the people who are 
             working, who know what the problems and concerns are for 
             the heartland of America. He would rather be out there 
             talking to them one on one, listening to their concerns 
             and telling them what he would like to do to make their 
             lives better. He has chosen that over the traffic of 
             Washington, DC.
               He has his priorities straight. He wants to keep the 
             American dream--his dream that every child in this country 
             will have the same opportunities that he did to reach his 
             or her full potential, and he means to make America a 
             place that will allow that to happen.
               So we are saying farewell to a Senate leader today, but 
             we are saying farewell to a leader of this group so that 
             he can take on the greater challenge with his spirit and 
             his integrity of leading our great Nation in the free 
             world.
               We wish him farewell, and we will be with him out in the 
             heartland of America talking to the concerns of the people 
             of this country.

               Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, it is a great honor for me 
             today to join my colleagues in recognizing the outstanding 
             accomplishments of one of the greatest Senators in this 
             great institution: Bob Dole.
               This is a special day in history for those of us 
             gathered here in this Senate Chamber. For on this day in 
             1775, the Continental Congress did something this body has 
             been doing ever since--it appointed a committee. We have 
             come a long way since then. But this committee's job was 
             to write the Declaration of Independence which has 
             protected our freedom and liberty ever since. The 
             committee was composed of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin 
             Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger 
             Sherman. While no congressional committee has ever done a 
             more important job, Bob Dole's service of 36 years in 
             Congress as legislator, Finance Committee chairman, and 
             majority leader has had a profound impact on the course of 
             our Nation.
               Although he has worked on behalf of countless 
             individuals, families and communities, Bob Dole has stood 
             out as a champion of veterans in Congress. Therefore, as a 
             member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I rise today 
             and join with veterans from across the country and 
             throughout this Congress in honoring a lifetime of 
             achievement by my friend--a warrior, a leader, a hero.
               In modern times, the word ``hero'' is often bandied 
             around a great deal. But after much reflection, perhaps 
             Ralph Waldo Emerson's perception of heroism best describes 
             how so many of us feel about Bob Dole. Emerson said: ``The 
             characteristic of heroism is its persistency. The heroic 
             cannot be the common, nor the common heroic.''
               Bob Dole is a man who has risen to uncommon and heroic 
             heights. And, as it is with most heroes, he seldom speaks 
             of his accomplishments.
               He represents, I guess, the best of our country's 
             warriors and heroes. The story of what he went through in 
             1943 while attending Kansas University and joining the 
             U.S. Army is legendary. As a second lieutenant platoon 
             leader, he went into training with the 10th Mountain 
             Division, which was based in my State of Colorado. Perhaps 
             his only mistake at that time was not buying the land 
             around the training site, because that has become what we 
             know as Aspen today. But certainly it was that highly 
             trained infantry of the 10th Mountain Division that began 
             the final attack April 14, 1945, which led to his wounds 
             of World War II. He went off to war to defend the Nation 
             and our freedoms. And, as a result of that wound, of 
             course, he went through nine operations, which several 
             other Senators have told about, and 2 years of recovery.
               I guess, just to talk about wounds and recovery is one 
             thing, but the Germans have a saying. They say, ``He who 
             laughs at scars has suffered no wounds.''
               When we think of the time it cost and the terrible pain 
             Senator Dole must have gone through, through that recovery 
             time, we know there is a difference between talking about 
             it and actually going through it.
               Bob Dole's legacy as a warrior, hero, and statesman 
             reminds us of another outstanding American leader, 
             President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Senator Dole, then a 
             member of the Kansas House of Representatives, first met 
             General Eisenhower on a rain-soaked day in the spring of 
             1952 when the General returned home to Abilene, KS, to 
             officially launch his Presidential campaign. It was most 
             fitting, therefore, when Senator Dole was awarded the 
             Eisenhower Leadership Prize in 1995 by the Eisenhower 
             World Affairs Institute for lifetime accomplishments which 
             reflect Eisenhower's legacy of integrity and leadership.
               As President Eisenhower said 41 years ago:

               Of the nations of today the future will say that there 
             were two kinds: Those that were intelligent, courageous, 
             decisive and tireless in their support of high 
             principles--and those that disappeared from the earth. The 
             true patriots give their best to assure that our country 
             will also be found in the first of these categories.

               Bob Dole clearly stands among the true patriots.
               As a decorated World War II veteran, his service on 
             behalf of our Nation's veterans can be seen in four major 
             areas: benefits, POW/MIA issues, education, and health 
             care.
               Veterans who have served their country deserve and have 
             earned quality benefits. Toward this end, the Dole GI 
             bill, introduced in 1995, revamps the veterans benefit 
             program and brings it up to date and in line with the 
             needs of veterans today.
               He also authored legislation in 1996 to create the 
             Veterans Transition Benefit Commission. Its purpose is to 
             ensure that veterans leaving the military due to 
             downsizing have access to the necessary assistance to 
             return to civilian life in the most productive manner.
               On the difficult POW/MIA issue, Bob Dole has been in the 
             forefront, seeking answers and helping families who do not 
             know the fate of their loved ones. Bob Dole is considered 
             the 1970 founder of the POW/MIA League of Families. Since 
             then, he has continued to assist families to get a full 
             accounting and disclosure of the fate of their loved ones.
               This past Memorial Day over 100,000 veterans converged 
             in D.C. on The Mall, as they do every Memorial Day, angry 
             in their belief that many people in government have 
             abandoned them. Bob Dole has not abandoned them, nor will 
             he ever abandon the veterans of the United States.
               In the area of veterans health, Bob Dole has a special 
             and deeply personal understanding of the importance of 
             quality health care and the power of rehabilitation. He 
             has worked to provide a service-connected presumption for 
             certain diseases, expand the number of disorders for which 
             former POW's could receive disability compensation.
               Although we served in different wars, Senator Dole in 
             World War II and myself in Korea, we share with all 
             veterans a unique perspective on life and country. If war 
             teaches you anything, it is that the world is a mixture of 
             vulnerability and enduring strength, and that it is the 
             job of the human spirit to strike the balance we call 
             peace. Bob Dole has never wavered from the pursuit of 
             peace.
               This courageous leader understands so much about the 
             price of freedom, and as he goes forth from this Chamber, 
             let him know that our hearts, our prayers, and the hopes 
             of all America's veterans go with him.

               Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I rise today to join in the 
             tribute to Senator Bob Dole. Certainly, his 
             accomplishments extend over many areas, but I want to 
             limit my remarks specifically to health care.
               His record is one that truly demonstrates compassion, 
             dedication and selflessness. This is not a man who simply 
             talks about quality health care. He knows the importance 
             of it firsthand.
               Of course, we all know the story, Bob Dole's valiant 
             service in World War II. He spent 4 agonizing years in a 
             hospital bed. It was this experience that led to his 
             commitment to give each and every American the security of 
             knowing health care is there today and will be there 
             tomorrow.
               Proof of such dedication is reflected, not just in the 
             way he votes on major issues, but also in smaller efforts 
             like helping to keep a 12-bed hospital in rural Kansas 
             open, or creating employment opportunities for persons 
             with disabilities. These are little things that do not 
             always receive a lot of fanfare, but over the course of 35 
             years, they build a solid legislative record.
               As the Wyoming State chair for the Senator's 1988 
             Presidential bid, I came to know and understand the person 
             who has so willingly fought the good fight to make 
             insurance more affordable and accessible to all. For 
             instance, during the 1970's, when many policymakers were 
             advocating a nationalized health care system, it was Bob 
             Dole who recognized the flaws of such an approach. Rather 
             than let the Federal Government be in control of 
             individual medical decisions, he coauthored a more simple, 
             practical piece of legislation, the 1979 Dole-Danforth-
             Domenici health insurance bill. The initiative aimed to 
             improve access to health care, but in a manner that did 
             not turn the reins over to Washington, DC. He had the 
             foresight back then to keep reform affordable and free of 
             Federal mandates. This same philosophy continues.
               A few years ago when the Congress considered the Clinton 
             health care plan, it was Bob Dole who warned against the 
             ill effects of federalizing our health care system. As an 
             experienced legislator, he reminded Congress that 
             increased taxes and price controls are not the way to 
             improve coverage for the uninsured.
               But, before I reflect on the Senator's more recent 
             accomplishments, I want to highlight an issue near and 
             dear to the hearts of Wyoming people--rural health care. 
             In the 1980's, hospital closures were plaguing rural 
             America and providers were vacating these communities for 
             urban practices. To be exact, 237 rural hospitals closed 
             during the decade. There would have been more if not for 
             Bob Dole's commitment to a notable package of rural health 
             care reforms. Reforms that improved Medicare reimbursement 
             rates to small hospitals, created primary care centers, 
             and recruited vital family practitioners. These solutions 
             helped to revitalize our communities and gave rural 
             families the same access to quality medical care as their 
             urban counterparts.
               As someone who hails from a town of 500-people, I know 
             the importance of such measures. If a rural hospitals 
             closes, it often devastates a community. Jobs are lost and 
             individuals are left without care during times of a 
             medical emergency.
               Establishing a successful rural health care delivery 
             system can be very difficult. Yet Senator Dole and his 
             staff have helped make that goal more plausible.
               I am sure I speak for many members of the Rural Health 
             Care Caucus when I say, ``Thank you.''
               Mr. President, Bob Dole's commitment to quality health 
             care extends to senior citizens as well. Last year, when 
             Medicare was projected to be bankrupt in 2002, it was our 
             leader who fought to preserve the program well into the 
             next century. His plan provided thoughtful solutions to 
             complex problems while still maintaining spending 
             increases for every senior citizen. Unfortunately, the 
             President rejected the proposal, not because it did not do 
             enough, but because it was politically expedient thing to 
             do.
               Despite the administration's refusal to save Medicare 
             from insolvency, Bob Dole continues to work on behalf of 
             the elderly. Just 1 month ago, before he announced his 
             intention to leave the Senate, he steered passage of an 
             amendment to the Health Insurance Reform Act. The measure 
             helps alleviate the burden of long-term care costs, which 
             is becoming all the more important as nursing home 
             expenses rise.
               Mr. President, these are a few of the many 
             accomplishments of Bob Dole. Unfortunately, time does not 
             permit me to list them all. But the purpose of reciting 
             his achievements is not to boast about our longest serving 
             Republican leader. Rather, it is to provide insight into 
             the man who represents the State of Kansas.
               He has served his State and his country well. He is one 
             of the most effective and wise legislators of our time.
               Great legislators should be measured by their actions, 
             not by their words. Bob Dole's actions on health care 
             clearly state where his priorities are. So my friend, Bob 
             Dole, good luck. It has been a pleasure serving with you 
             and I know you will continue to serve our country in the 
             future.

               Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I wish to comment briefly 
             today upon Bob Dole's record in an area where I have 
             devoted a considerable amount of time, namely the 
             environment. Under Bob Dole's leadership, we have been 
             able to continue the proud tradition, the Republican 
             tradition, of protecting our environment. That is a 
             tradition that dates back to Teddy Roosevelt. It is 
             interesting to note that Bob Dole came to the Senate in 
             1969. Shortly thereafter the modern era of environmental 
             law began to take shape.
               In 1970, he supported President Nixon's creation of the 
             Environmental Protection Agency, and he has supported 
             every major environmental law since he arrived in the 
             Senate; all of which have come about in the past 25 years.
               What are some of these laws? The National Environmental 
             Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the 
             Safe Drinking Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, 
             Superfund, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to 
             control hazardous waste, and on the list goes.
               Mr. President, those bipartisan efforts have brought 
             about an extraordinary, tangible change in our Nation. The 
             successful protection of the environment has been called 
             the greatest social achievement of the United States of 
             the past quarter century. Let us consider briefly the 
             successes we have had under the laws that were enacted 
             with the help and support of Bob Dole.
               In the 15 years 1975 to 1990, automobile miles traveled 
             in the United States increased by 70 percent. They went to 
             2.2 trillion vehicle miles per year in those 5 years--
             increased by 70 percent. But in the same period, 
             hydrocarbon emissions were cut in half. Lead in the air, 
             for example, has a terrible effect on the mental 
             development of children, especially in congested inner 
             cities. Because in the mid-1970's we mandated the use of 
             unleaded gasoline, lead in the air has declined by 98 
             percent. That is an extraordinary achievement.
               EPA has just completed a study showing that the positive 
             effects of air pollution controls have been enormous. The 
             study found that, in 1990, Americans received roughly $20 
             of value in reduced risks of death and illness and other 
             adverse effects, $20 of value for every $1 of expenditure 
             spent on air pollution control.
               What about clean water? In 1970, only one-third of the 
             lakes, rivers and streams in the United States of America 
             were considered fishable and swimmable. Now, not one-third 
             but two-thirds of the lakes, rivers and streams in America 
             are considered fishable and swimmable, and the percentage 
             continues to rise every year.
               Since its enactment in 1973 by a vote of 99 to nothing, 
             the Endangered Species Act has achieved remarkable 
             results. Populations of whooping cranes, brown pelicans, 
             peregrine falcons and many other formerly endangered 
             species have come back from near extinction. So there is a 
             lot of good news out there, and much of that success is 
             due to Bob Dole's leadership in this Senate.
               Senator Dole recognized early on the importance of 
             dealing with the threats to our global environment. Under 
             his leadership, the Senate approved, in 1987, the Montreal 
             protocol, dealing with substances that deplete the ozone 
             layer. Then that was followed by the 1990 London 
             amendments to eliminate the production and use of 
             chlorofluorocarbons, CFC's, and other chemicals that 
             destroy our protective ozone layer.
               Last year, Bob Dole cosponsored a bill that was 
             developed by the Committee on Environment to amend the 
             Safe Drinking Water Act. The result was approval by the 
             Senate in a recorded vote of 99 to nothing, and that is a 
             tribute to Bob Dole's leadership.
               He was a key architect of this year's farm bill which 
             demonstrated his interest and commitment to protecting the 
             environment. The 1996 farm bill produced one of the most 
             significant conservation packages ever enacted into law, 
             and Bob Dole was a key player in every step of that farm 
             bill.
               Bob was a champion of the free-market approach to 
             controlling acid rain in the 1990 Clean Air Act 
             amendments, and that free-market approach is working.
               With his support, we are exploring similar approaches to 
             protecting wetlands through mitigation banking and to 
             create incentives for private landowners to protect 
             endangered species--use the free-market approach.
               Eighty-six years ago, the first of the great 
             environmental Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, said the 
             following:

               Of all the questions which can come before this Nation, 
             short of the actual preservation of its existence in a 
             great war, there is none which compares in importance with 
             the central task of leaving this land even a better land 
             for our descendants than it is for us.

               We have seen from his work in the Senate that those are 
             sentiments that Bob Dole heartily agrees with.
               On a personal note, may I say it has been a joyful 
             experience for me to have been associated with Bob Dole 
             for the past 20 years here in the Senate.
               May success and happiness be in his future, and we wish 
             him Godspeed.

               Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, by his skill and courage, Bob 
             Dole has earned a place in history, alongside the modern 
             giants like Lyndon Johnson and Bob Taft, as one of the 
             greatest leaders in the history of the Senate.
               I think it is fair to say that of all the people who I 
             have worked with in my service in the House and the 
             Senate, Bob Dole is the greatest legislator, and I am very 
             proud to have served with Bob Dole in a period which 
             inevitably will be called in the history books the ``Dole 
             era.''
               Bob Dole has my strong support and my deep affection as 
             he leaves the Senate he loves to fight for the leadership 
             of a nation that he loves even more. I think for many of 
             us here today, this is a sad moment. Bob Dole has been the 
             leader of the Republicans in the Senate every day that I 
             have served in the Senate. My first vote that I cast 12 
             years ago when I came to the Senate was a vote to make Bob 
             Dole the majority leader.
               I have known him as an ally and an adversary. I think I 
             can say I know Bob Dole pretty well. I know that he is a 
             good and great man. I know that as Americans get to know 
             him in the coming months that they are going to conclude 
             that he has the leadership and the convictions that we 
             need to change America.
               So as he leaves us in the Senate, I am delighted that he 
             is leaving us to seek higher service, and I am confident 
             that he is going to get an opportunity to provide that 
             service. I am very proud to join his colleagues today in 
             paying tribute to him, the greatest legislator of his era, 
             as he serves his last day in the Senate.

               Ms. SNOWE. I rise today to join my colleagues in 
             honoring the preeminent Republican leader in the history 
             of the U.S. Senate, Senator Bob Dole. Throughout his 
             distinguished career, Senator Dole has served the people 
             of Kansas, as well as this Nation, with honor, 
             distinction, and integrity.
               We gather on this bittersweet occasion to pay tribute to 
             a remarkable man for his lifelong commitment to America, 
             as well as his unparalleled leadership in this august 
             institution. As President Reagan said so eloquently in 
             describing Senator Dole as a leader, ``It's not just a job 
             description, it's a description of the man.''
               His leadership has touched virtually every aspect of 
             public policy, but I would like to speak specifically on a 
             topic that has been of paramount importance to me 
             throughout my career--an area where Senator Dole has been 
             a champion, an area where he has made a difference, and 
             that is on behalf of America's women.
               Mr. President, Senator Dole's commitment to ensuring 
             fairness and opportunity for America's women is not a 
             newfound phenomenon. In fact, it has always been an 
             integral part of who Bob Dole is. Throughout his career, 
             Senator Dole has fought to make America what Susan B. 
             Anthony called the ``true Republic: men, their rights and 
             nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.''
               In his personal and professional life, Bob Dole has been 
             guided by a singular belief that every individual--
             regardless of gender--has the right to fulfill his or her 
             God-given potential.
               Bob Dole has always known that we cannot have a truly 
             representative democracy unless women are represented at 
             every level of government and society. Not content just to 
             rely on words, he has taken action.
               As chairman of the Republican Party, over two decades 
             ago, he appointed the first woman in the history of the 
             party as deputy chair. As Senate majority leader, he 
             appointed the first woman as Secretary of the Senate. And 
             he was the first Senate leader in history, Republican or 
             Democrat, to select a woman, whom we all have known, the 
             extraordinarily capable and talented Sheila Burke, as his 
             chief of staff.
               It is not just women on the Hill who have benefited from 
             Senator Dole's efforts. The lives of women in small towns, 
             big cities, and everywhere in between in America have been 
             improved as a result of Senator Dole's leadership.
               From his Retirement Equity Act of 1983, which protected 
             women from an arbitrary pension system that left them 
             without a pension after their husbands died before 
             retirement age, to his Sexual Assault Prevention Act, 
             which finally expanded the rights of women after years of 
             taking a back seat to criminals in our justice system, Bob 
             Dole was at the forefront of the fight to guarantee 
             economic opportunity and personal safety.
               Bob Dole recognized that 2.5 million women are battered 
             annually, the single greatest cause of injury to American 
             women, and he saw that as being unconscionable. It was 
             under his leadership that the Violence Against Women Act 
             was fully funded for the first time ever.
               But his leadership did not end there. Senator Dole also 
             recognized that the highest echelons of corporate America 
             did not reflect the true landscape of this Nation. Where 
             others did not or would not, Bob Dole saw barriers which 
             are rarely penetrated by women, and he believed those 
             lines were made for crossing. As Senator Dole himself has 
             said, ``The issues boil down to equal access and equal 
             opportunity.'' Bob Dole knows there is something wrong 
             when women are not represented in the upper levels of 
             management in corporate America, and that is why he 
             authored the Glass Ceiling Commission, the first ever 
             Federal commission that created the most comprehensive 
             report on how business could make full use of our Nation's 
             human capital.
               Senator Dole's commitment to women goes beyond the 
             workplace. Under his leadership, the Senate passed 
             legislation to provide Medicare coverage of a drug that 
             was proven effective in the fight against breast cancer. 
             He created a tax credit for expenses associated with the 
             long-term care of elderly spouses who are sick or family 
             members, especially important for women because they 
             represent 78 percent of our Nation's primary caregivers.
               For those who found themselves in need of a helping 
             hand, Bob Dole has been the driving force behind 
             meaningful, compassionate welfare reform, to transfer 
             welfare into workfare and move people from the welfare 
             rolls to the payrolls. He made sure it was not done on the 
             backs of children by ensuring that we inserted $3 billion 
             in additional child care funding, and this bill passed the 
             Senate with 87 votes.
               In another commitment to women and families, he joined 
             with me in providing for tough child support enforcement 
             provisions to send a message to deadbeat parents that the 
             days of parental irresponsibility are over.
               The bottom line is, Mr. President, the record goes on 
             and on. The record shows that when it comes to America's 
             women, you can count on Bob Dole.
               Finally, on a personal level, I would like to express my 
             deepest appreciation for Senator Dole's friendship and 
             wise counsel over the years, not only here in the U.S. 
             Senate but throughout my years in the House of 
             Representatives. As he takes leave of this institution he 
             loves so much, he and Elizabeth take with them our 
             profound respect, our great admiration, our heartfelt 
             friendship, our deep gratitude and our prayers for 
             Godspeed as he and Elizabeth embark on an exciting and 
             historic new chapter in their lives.
               I am reminded of what Winston Churchill said when the 
             tide had turned in favor of the allies. He said this:

               This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the 
             end. But it is, rather, the end of the beginning.

               Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, it is my great pleasure to 
             comment about my friend Bob Dole. We have heard all of the 
             facts and the extraordinary history of the man's life and 
             his life in the Senate, and it indeed is extraordinary. We 
             all have known that. He is the very best--the very, very 
             best.
               I will be saying much about this man in the next months, 
             for this is a leader, a real leader, not just in the title 
             he held but way down inside, and that is a gift. That is 
             the ability to lead, to engender trust and loyalty and the 
             admiration--even grudging sometimes--of your toughest 
             adversaries, and he has had that and it will serve him 
             well.
               One of the great and singular honors in my life was to 
             serve as his assistant for 10 years. I was his first 
             lieutenant. He was the captain. We had a pretty good 
             platoon, a good company, too, and a good battalion. It was 
             one wonderful run. I must say that some joy of it was 
             lost, was sometimes when we took our work too seriously--
             but we never took ourselves too seriously. When you have a 
             couple of gentlemen with a rather spirited sense of humor, 
             it does spark up and brighten the day. I love those types.
               I learned much from this man. I learned not to judge, to 
             try to make things work, to have ultimate patience. That 
             is what I really have not learned yet. It is out there 
             though. He gave me some good tips. In those times, I found 
             this man to be true, honest, and so natural, a very 
             remarkable gentleman. By taking leave from here in this 
             honorable way, the American people will come to see him as 
             we do, as I do--fair, strong, firm, a man of great 
             resolve.
               With this extraordinary woman Elizabeth at his side, 
             Elizabeth Hanford Dole, they will surely captivate and 
             unite this country in their quest, for she is a person of 
             great personal faith and an inspiration to many of us. And 
             his daughter Robin too, what a fine woman, making a fine 
             impression all over America, as she is deeply involved in 
             the campaign activities. Those are the things we will see 
             the Bob Dole family doing in these months to come.
               A legislator, a listener, a loyalist. No one served 
             President George Bush with more loyalty than Bob Dole. He 
             was always supporting the man who defeated him, supporting 
             him to the hilt. That is class.
               I have no sadness. No, I am excited to know that this 
             man will be out there in America, and that the people of 
             America will see what we here have always seen in this 
             man, a man of deep, personal conviction, a man of deep 
             moral fortitude, guts, always telling the truth, and the 
             strong leadership--a man who can make a decision and stick 
             with it. Bold and courageous are other examples of his 
             leadership--purposeful, direct, and decisive.
               So here we go. He will seek this job in the same way he 
             has sought everything in his life, with that great energy, 
             from that spirit. He has great capability, so very 
             competent, and we will all see this man as a deeply 
             sensitive man, a decent--very decent--and caring man. I 
             think America is longing for that.
               I wish him well, with this magnificent woman of charm 
             and grace at his side. God bless them both for, indeed--he 
             is all the man there is.

               Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today the Senate loses its 
             leader, but our Nation and its people gain a leader. What 
             this country needs at this time is to see a good example 
             coming from its political leaders. What this country needs 
             is moral leadership. It is truly lacking, of course, in 
             the current White House. I have been speaking out on this 
             subject of lack of moral leadership, with several specific 
             examples of that failed leadership by the President and 
             First Lady, since March 19.
               It is not enough to call Bob Dole a friend, a steady 
             presence in the Senate, an ally. It is more important to 
             know his qualities. These qualities are what make Bob Dole 
             a leader. Above all else, Bob Dole has earned respect. You 
             gain respect, Mr. President, by first showing respect for 
             others. He has done so. He has shown respect for his 
             fellow Kansans, for working men and women of America, for 
             America's farmers, for the small business entrepreneur, to 
             his colleagues, for his party, but, most of all, respect 
             for America.
               When you get Bob Dole, you get someone who will do what 
             he says he will do. That means you get a man of integrity. 
             You get a person of accountability. He does not point the 
             finger. The buck stops with Bob Dole. He takes 
             responsibility for his actions. That is important, Mr. 
             President, because this is what America needs and needs 
             right now. At a time when public cynicism is riding a 
             crest, fueled by the actions from current leaders in the 
             White House, we need Bob Dole's tie of leadership, because 
             historically, the best leaders are those who have 
             integrity, who demonstrate fairness, and who have 
             compassion.
               If I have learned nothing else about Bob Dole in my 16 
             years serving with him in the U.S. Senate, it is that he 
             is a person of integrity, a person who treats people 
             fairly, and a person who has and demonstrates compassion. 
             One of the best experiences I have had with Bob Dole was 
             campaigning with him in my State of Iowa. The first time 
             was in 1988. The next time was this year. Whenever I 
             introduced Bob Dole to the people of Iowa, I introduced 
             him as one of us. Iowans knew right away exactly what I 
             meant. It meant that Bob Dole has the same roots as we 
             have--Midwestern, small town, rural, traditional values. 
             He never forgot where he came from and how he got there. 
             That is the mark of a humble public servant. That is what 
             our country so desperately needs today.
               Yes, I will miss Bob Dole as a friend and a political 
             ally. I will miss him more as a leader. I take comfort in 
             the fact that in losing a leader, the country is gaining 
             one. For that, I can only be truly grateful.
               I say to citizen Dole, your new journey of a thousand 
             miles begins with this first step that you are taking 
             today of leaving the Senate, saying goodbye to the 
             people's branch of Government, and going out among the 
             people themselves. I wish you, Bob Dole, great success as 
             our future leader.

               Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, while I was presiding, I 
             listened to the accolades and the very warm remarks that 
             have been aimed toward our leader, Bob Dole, and so richly 
             deserved by Senator Dole. I could think of only two 
             characteristics that have not been brought up yet. They 
             came from two experiences that I had.
               One was back when I was a very fresh, new, freshman 
             Senator. I happened to have been supporting Phil Gramm for 
             President of the United States, who was a primary opponent 
             of Bob Dole's, only to find that he and I had a trip to 
             take together from Washington out to Independence, KS, 
             since we had been active in getting a very significant 
             product liability bill passed that put America back into 
             making airplanes again. I got to thinking of traveling all 
             the way with a guy when I was actually opposing him. I was 
             very uncomfortable about it. I can tell you during the 
             entire trip, you would have thought I was his, Bob Dole's, 
             chairman. I have never seen a person so absolute in his 
             forgiveness and understanding.
               Second, a couple of years ago I can remember when Bob 
             Dole was coming in to do a fundraiser for me at 7:30 in 
             the morning in Tulsa, OK. By coincidence, it happened to 
             be the morning after the night they considered President 
             Clinton's soft-on-crime bill. Bob Dole was really wrapped 
             up in that. That was one of the disappointments he had. He 
             lost it by one vote.
               He got on a plane, it had to be sometime after midnight, 
             came all the way to Oklahoma in a driving rainstorm, and 
             was there at 7:30 in the morning. His staff was exhausted. 
             He looked like he was just showing up for his first prom.
               I have never seen a guy with energy like he has. The two 
             characteristics, boundless energy and compassionate 
             forgiveness, are two characteristics that will serve 
             America in a grander way. What a guy.

               Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, nothing I can say here today 
             can add to the richness or the depth of the picture that 
             has already been presented over the course of the last 2 
             weeks or so by other Members of this body and by those 
             outside of this body with respect to our candidate for 
             President and our retiring majority leader, Senator Bob 
             Dole. All I can do is to take that photograph from a very 
             slightly different angle and, I hope, make it at least a 
             slightly deeper photograph of a great man.
               This is important, however, because the Bob Dole we, who 
             have worked with him for a year or for a decade, know is 
             not the Bob Dole as he has been pictured to our fellow 
             citizens all across the United States. It is exactly for 
             that reason, of course, that he is leaving us and his 
             magnificent and, I believe, rewarding career in this body 
             to share his real character, his real personality with all 
             of the people of the United States in his quest for the 
             Presidency.
               Bob Dole is, I think, first of all, a man of 
             extraordinary patience--perhaps the single most 
             significant requirement for a leader of a body of 99 other 
             Members, all of whom most of the time feel that they are 
             in possession of absolute truth or the precise way in 
             which the Senate should conduct its business.
               Bob Dole seems never to have lost a sunny equanimity, 
             even under the most difficult circumstances. His wit seems 
             never to have deserted him. His willingness to listen to 
             advice and counsel--almost always unsolicited--seems to 
             have been infinite, and at the same time that he has been 
             willing to listen and been willing to consider the views 
             from disparate sectors, he has been possessed by a deep 
             dedication to principle, to direction, and to love of 
             country.
               On the one hand, people in politics are criticized for 
             being too rigid and not understanding and, on the other 
             hand, for being too compromising. Bob Dole is neither. He 
             has that rare combination of a dedication to principle and 
             a willingness to listen and to accommodate the principles 
             and ideas of others, which has made him a great success, 
             has caused him to be the longest-serving leader of this 
             party in the history of the U.S. Senate.
               And so because of those winning traits of personality 
             and those deeper traits of character and principle, each 
             of us who remain here in the Senate will be slightly the 
             lesser by reason of his leaving. He, on the other hand, 
             will be the better for it--for this surprising and 
             principled decision, for his willingness to present 
             himself to the American people without the protection of 
             any office on which to fall back.
               I believe, Mr. President--and I believe firmly--that 
             this open risk-taking, courageous Bob Dole, whom we have 
             known for as long as each of us has been in the Senate, 
             and whom his friends, neighbors, and family have known 
             from his youth, will become increasingly known by, 
             respected by, and loved by the people of the United States 
             as he presents these traits of character and personality 
             to them during the balance of this campaign.
               So we wish him bon voyage, the best of good luck, and we 
             wish to the American people a new President with all of 
             these wonderful characteristics for leadership and for 
             making our country a better and stronger place in which to 
             live.

               Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, when Abraham Lincoln walked 
             onto the battlefield at Gettysburg to commemorate what had 
             been done there, he succinctly encapsulated the 
             understanding that deeds far surpass words in terms of 
             value. He said, ``The world will little note nor long 
             remember what we say here, but it can never forget what 
             they did here.''
               We are not talking this morning just to be talking, to 
             be saying things, but it is a way of helping people 
             understand what Bob Dole has done, who he has been, the 
             depth of his care, and the breadth of his knowledge of how 
             we need to proceed in America. It has been properly said 
             that the world does not care how much you know until they 
             know how much you care. And because Bob Dole has not been 
             a person to sound his own trumpet, to tell people about 
             himself, I think people have mistaken him. They have not 
             understood how much he cared, because Bob Dole has been a 
             person who has answered the call every time the call has 
             come. He has not only answered the call, he has answered 
             the call with everything--everything--at his disposal, the 
             entirety of his existence.
               In 1945, Bob Dole nearly gave up his life--and there 
             would have been those who said it was gone--to the call of 
             duty. And, today, he relinquishes the power and 
             prerogatives of policy development in the Senate because 
             he, similarly, will pursue a call from his country, a call 
             that we are pleased that he hears, a call to shape the 
             tomorrows in which we live, a call to reestablish the 
             fundamental values of American greatness, to align himself 
             with the virtues of the American people, rather than the 
             vices of a system that has really guided us down the wrong 
             path.
               In 1945, Lt. Bob Dole volunteered to lead his company to 
             take out a German machinegun nest. He scrambled out of a 
             shell hole in order to rescue a fallen comrade. The 
             Germans sighted Dole and blew apart the right side of his 
             back. Few people would have had the courage to live as he 
             has lived. He willed himself to recovery, with God's help, 
             and with the help of his neighbors. He willed himself to 
             law school, and he willed himself to run for office.
               Many of the medical experts at the time had given up on 
             Bob Dole. A doctor from Chicago decided to try some things 
             that were virtually experimental and gave his services. 
             The people of Russell, KS, donated their nickels, dimes, 
             quarters, and dollars in the cigar box at the pharmacy 
             down on the corner to cover the expenses.
               Bob Dole made a commitment that he would be an 
             individual of service. We need that kind of determination. 
             We need that kind of grit. We need individuals who have 
             looked the very most serious of all circumstances in the 
             face and have said, ``With God's help, we can overcome, we 
             can prevail.'' And that is Bob Dole.
               Well, America needed Bob Dole when, in 1945, he was 
             willing to give himself totally. They needed him when he 
             went to the U.S. House of Representatives, they needed him 
             when he became a Senator, and it needs him today.
               All of us know the statistics. A child born today will 
             end up paying $187,000 in interest on the national debt if 
             we do not do something about it. Bob Dole has devoted 
             himself not just to a balanced budget--sure, he sent two 
             balanced budgets to the President this year--but to the 
             structure of a balanced budget; that is a balanced budget 
             amendment to the Constitution.
               Bob Dole knows that American families spent about 3 
             percent of their income on taxes in the 1950's, and now we 
             spend almost 40 percent. He understands that Americans 
             have an ability to spend on themselves and to do for 
             themselves, if Government will stand aside. He understands 
             that, for a long time, Washington has acted as if 
             Government were the answer--faith in Government, 
             governmentalism. He knows that is not the solution, that 
             Washington's one-size-fits-all solution is not the way to 
             solve this Nation's problems. He knows that when we placed 
             that faith in Government, instead of ourselves, we injured 
             ourselves.
               Bob Dole really is going to go to the American people 
             and say: You have the quality, the character, and the 
             capacity to do those things that are necessary to shape 
             the next century constructively. I am delighted that he 
             has so much commitment to this responsibility that he 
             would say, ``I walk away from the U.S. Senate in order to 
             offer myself to the American people.''
               When the American people learn about Bob Dole and get to 
             know him the way we in the Senate know him, they will ask 
             and demand that he be President of the United States. It 
             will be a pleasure, as a Member of the U.S. Senate, to 
             remember his outstanding service to the people, not just 
             in the military, in the House and the Senate, but as the 
             leader of this Republic. I am grateful for the opportunity 
             to make these remarks regarding our majority leader.

               Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, fellow Senators, I think 
             what I will do is start with wit. I think everybody 
             remembers Bob Dole for a lot of things. I am going to 
             mention five or six that make him my great friend. But I 
             want to hearken back to a budget debate in 1990 that was a 
             brief moment when we were going to have a shutdown even 
             back then for a very short period of time. And the 
             tourists in the community were all kind of in turmoil 
             because of various things that were going to be closed. 
             And Senator Dole said the following: ``If you are hanging 
             around with nothing to do and the zoo is closed, come over 
             to the Senate. You will get the same kind of feeling, and 
             you will not have to pay for it.''
               Mr. President, nobody should think that a statement like 
             that in any way denigrates this great man.
               I am really at a loss to say goodbye to him. But I am 
             quite convinced that he is leaving as a legend. He leaves 
             a legacy of leadership second to none in the entire 
             history of the U.S. Senate. He leaves a legacy of laws and 
             concerns that are so broad and so deep that I am doubtful 
             whether his story ends in looking over the entire panorama 
             of Senators from the beginning. I am very doubtful that 
             they will find a Senator with such a legacy.
               Let me start with senior citizens. In 1983, Social 
             Security was going bankrupt. Who took the lead in the 
             Senate to make it solvent for 30 to 40 years? Senator Bob 
             Dole. When it comes to the young people of America, some 
             people choose to talk about programs. I choose to say Bob 
             Dole's deep and abiding concern for our young people is 
             epitomized by his constant fight to live within our means 
             so that we do not have to have our children and 
             grandchildren pay our bills. Everything, from seniors to 
             children and everything in between, has received the 
             attention of this great man.
               In fact, I will find it difficult. I think my feet will 
             find me walking down that hall and my feet will find me 
             going into that office because I have done that so many 
             times when we needed leadership.
               The legacy of leadership that he leaves will be sorely 
             missed, and only history will indicate its true depth. 
             Besides having wit, without which it is tough to run the 
             Senate, he had courage. Can anyone forget the night when 
             we wheeled Pete Wilson in? He had an appendectomy. We 
             brought him in here from the hospital bed so we could get 
             the vote, and so that Vice President Bush voting from the 
             Chair could assure us of what would have been a balanced 
             budget long before today that failed not because of Bob 
             Dole's leadership but because of something else.
               So anybody following him better know that they better be 
             honest; they better tell the Senate the truth for he knew 
             no other way.
               As he leaves, there is a bit of sorrow and even sadness, 
             at least in my heart. But in a very real sense I am very, 
             very happy because I think the American people now have a 
             chance to meet, to know, and to understand the Bob Dole 
             that we know. If they get that chance, he will be the next 
             President. He will be the next President of this great 
             land where the same leadership that he gave to us will be 
             there for everyone.

               Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I join my many colleagues in 
             expressing my congratulations to Senator Dole for a 
             historic career in the Congress of the United States, 
             which ended with his resignation today, and I also express 
             my regrets that we will no longer have Robert J. Dole as 
             our majority leader and as our Republican leader.
               I speak for both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which 
             I represent, and in a sense, also for Russell, KS, because 
             Senator Dole and I both grew up in Russell, KS. I moved to 
             Russell from Wichita when I was 12 years old, so I have 
             known Senator Dole for a good many years. My father, Harry 
             Specter, was a friend of his father, Doran Dole. My dad 
             was in the junk business, and the only scale big enough at 
             the time to weigh the junk yard truck was the Dole scale 
             and elevator run by Bob Dole's father. Our brothers, Kenny 
             Dole and Morton Specter, both passed away at the same 
             time, approximately 3 years ago.
               Senator Dole's story is a story like Horatio Alger, 
             except that Bob Dole's story, compared to Horatio Alger, 
             looks like Horatio Alger was born with a silver spoon in 
             his mouth. Both the Doles and the Specters, figuratively, 
             lived on the wrong side of the tracks. It is a true story 
             that the Dole family, during the depression, moved out of 
             the first floor of their home to live in the basement to 
             help defray expenses at a very tough time when Kansas was 
             a dust bowl. Bob Dole grew up and worked at Dawson Drugs 
             at the soda fountain. There is sort of a legendary and 
             famous story about how he would flip the ice cream and 
             catch it behind his back. I recounted that story not long 
             ago on a campaign appearance for the Presidency in 
             Delaware County. Bob added that sometimes when the ice 
             cream fell to the floor, it became a chocolate shake. He 
             went to college--a tough thing to do in the early 1940's. 
             Russell High School had the State debating championship, 
             but Bob Dole chose not to be a debater. He was a renowned 
             high school athlete.
               And then we all know of his heroics during World War II, 
             and of his injuries and how he laid his life on the line. 
             He did not suffer loss of life but did suffer loss of 
             limb, and came back with a phenomenal rehabilitation. So 
             he has a real understanding of what it is like to pull 
             yourself up by your bootstraps when you have neither 
             bootstraps nor arms to pull yourself up by; and has a real 
             feeling for the disabled; and a real understanding of the 
             need for medical care; and a real understanding of what it 
             is like to be an underdog. That historic, monumental 
             rehabilitation has been recounted on many occasions.
               Then he became a State legislator while going to law 
             school. He came back and was county attorney, in Russell, 
             KS. He told the story today about how his parents had been 
             Democrats and how he became a Republican, checking the 
             local registrations. I originally heard the story in 
             Russell, about how he was courted by both parties to 
             become their nominee for county attorney and then checked 
             the registration in Russell County and found it was 2 to 1 
             Republican. And as Senator Dole has said previously, as a 
             matter of conscience he instantly became a Republican. And 
             then so much of the rest is history: Elected to the House 
             of Representatives in 1960 serving four terms, and then to 
             the U.S. Senate in 1969.
               I have had the privilege of serving with him in this 
             body for the last 15\1/2\ years. I watched him, as the 
             chairman of the Finance Committee, and he did a really 
             extraordinary job in that capacity. It was in that 
             capacity that I think Senator Dole earned the confidence 
             of his colleagues for the leadership position that he 
             sought in 1984.
               I recall the 1982 tax bill, when Senator Baker, then the 
             majority leader, stood at the leadership position, and at 
             11:45 p.m. on that complex bill said that there were 63 
             amendments pending, amendments like mushrooms grew 
             overnight, and that we were going to plow ahead. Standing 
             beside him was Senator Dole, the chairman of the Finance 
             Committee. Senator Baker said Senator Dole thought we 
             ought to persevere. We worked through the night, as it was 
             Senator Baker's custom to do on occasion. There were, 
             perhaps, half a dozen rollcall votes, many more voice 
             votes, many amendments dropped. At 6:30 a.m. we walked out 
             of the Chamber having finished an extraordinary bill, 
             which showed Bob Dole's leadership.
               Then we had the extraordinary election for majority 
             leader in 1984, contested by Senator Ted Stevens and 
             Senator Pete Domenici and Senator Dick Lugar and Senator 
             Jim McClure. We had to have a series of ballots. First one 
             dropped and then the next and then the next. And finally--
             and I happened to be sitting next to Senator Dole on the 
             left-hand side of the Chamber in the rear of the whole 
             Senate when Senator Dole won by a narrow margin of 28 to 
             25; two votes changed and Senator Dole went on to be the 
             leader. I was in the photo in the scene when Senator Dole 
             shook hands.
               He was an extraordinary leader in many, many ways. 
             Always a conciliator, always with a velvet touch. Some of 
             us were not too easy to lead, in terms of the votes. But 
             never a demand, never a ruffled feeling, never a sense of 
             pressure or, certainly, not undue pressure.
               I recall legislation changing the Grove City decision by 
             the Supreme Court of the United States, as illustrative of 
             what Senator Dole would do. Senator Packwood and Senator 
             Hatch were on opposite ends of the issue. Suddenly Senator 
             Dole came up with compromise language. In unison, Bob 
             Packwood and Orrin Hatch said, ``But that is 
             unsatisfactory because it will leave the issue open to 
             controversy as to what it means.'' Senator Dole smiled and 
             said, ``That's the perfect solution.'' It wasn't quite 
             that language, but Senator Dole got it worked out.
               Today's speech by Senator Dole, I think, was historic. I 
             hope he can continue to speak with the same easygoing 
             manner, the same light touch, the same sense of substance, 
             and at the same time, the same sense of humor. Because I 
             think if Senator Dole does that, he will really establish 
             a rapport with the American people for his next challenge.
               In a sense, Senator Dole's farewell address to the 
             Senate has significant similarity to George Washington's 
             farewell address. It was a different time, a different 
             tempo, different tenor, but I think it was a historic 
             farewell address. This Chamber was filled with respect and 
             admiration, and, really, love.
               I do not know, if on prior Senate occasions, there has 
             been a recording of the time sequence for the length of 
             applause, but that event speaks for itself as Senator Dole 
             moved from one part of the Chamber to the other, 
             surrounded by his colleagues, both Democrats and 
             Republicans; many of the colleagues expressing themselves 
             on more than one occasion.
               Then a few of us who were privileged to be his fellow 
             Republicans in the Republican caucus had an opportunity to 
             hear Senator Dole's last speech in the Mansfield Room. The 
             balcony, now named for Senator Dole, as we have paid 
             tribute to a few of our colleagues by memorializing their 
             presence, became that accolade.
               Then, at 3 or a little after 3, a number of us were 
             waiting outside in the boiling Sun to watch him walk down 
             the Senate steps for the last time, at least the last time 
             on the day of his resignation. The steps were filled with 
             well-wishers, staff, and citizens from all walks of life. 
             He came down and it was a symbolic transition from the 
             U.S. Senate, where he had achieved such heights, walking 
             out as citizen Dole, to see the people of America.
               When he finished saying goodbye to his colleagues on the 
             steps, he moved across the yard to greet Americans who 
             were waiting to see him, smell him, touch him. From there 
             he moved over to the large crowd that was assembled 
             between the two chambers. I think it was a very, very 
             significant and a symbolic move, as he has left the U.S. 
             Senate in his quest for the Presidency of the United 
             States.
               It was obviously not an easy decision for Robert J. Dole 
             to make, to leave the embellishments and accouterments of 
             office, as majority leader, one of the loftiest positions 
             in the Government of the United States or in the world. 
             But he did so in his quest for what he saw as a higher 
             calling.
               In the contemporaneous time period with his departure, 
             he addressed one of the toughest issues in America, the 
             issue of abortion, which has been the most divisive issue 
             facing America since the Civil War, with his 
             characteristic and traditional Solomon-like judgment. It 
             is a political issue, but worthy of a moment or two, 
             leaving the Republican platform intact to accommodate one 
             segment of the party and offering the olive branch, the 
             spirit of tolerance and the big tent to another segment of 
             the party. Almost, in a sense, squaring the circle and 
             accommodating almost seemingly irreconcilable differences. 
             But that has been the life of Senator Dole. That has been 
             his tradition as a young man growing up on the plains of 
             Kansas where he learned, really, fundamental American 
             values--accountability, integrity, honor, and trust, 
             serving his Nation so well in war and serving his Nation 
             so well in peace.
               Seeing him go is a tough thing for all of us who have 
             known him, in many ways over the years. We wish him the 
             very best as he continues in his quest to serve America.

               Mr. BOND. Mr. President, today we pay tribute to a man 
             who has served his country ably and well for well over 50 
             years, and who will be remembered for his leadership of an 
             institution that is not easily led.
               From his humble beginnings in the town of Russell, KS, 
             Bob Dole has taken seriously, and has exercised 
             responsibly, his call to serve. While those of us who have 
             served with him in this institution are disappointed to 
             see him go, and will miss him, he has greater challenges 
             and rewards ahead. I believe Bob Dole will go on to engage 
             this Nation in a critical debate over the next few months 
             about where America is headed as we approach the turn of 
             the century. The United States, and the office of the 
             Presidency, need Bob Dole's leadership desperately. The 
             words ``noble'' and ``man of integrity'' are not often 
             used to describe the current occupant of the White House. 
             Yet they are words that come to mind immediately to 
             describe Bob Dole.
               Bob Dole did not shirk his responsibility to fight for 
             his country during World War II. He accepted it, fought 
             bravely in Italy, and nearly paid the ultimate price--his 
             life, for his country. Bob Dole is now willing to 
             sacrifice his political career in order to meet the 
             challenge of defeating Bill Clinton, restoring fiscal 
             sanity to American Government, and restoring honor to the 
             office of the Presidency.
               Bob Dole has been well prepared through 27 years of 
             Senate service to assume the Presidency. He has led 
             Republicans through long years in the minority, and has 
             more recently led us to some significant accomplishments 
             in our effort to roll back Government and ever-increasing 
             Government spending.
               Bob Dole's skills are not well known to most Americans, 
             because many Americans are unfamiliar with what it takes 
             to make this side of Congress work. The Founding Fathers 
             set up the U.S. Senate as an institution to protect the 
             rights of the minority. This is a place where, in fact, a 
             Senator adhering to minority viewpoint has much greater 
             power in many ways than a Senator whose view reflects the 
             will of the majority party. One Senator can hold up 
             landmark legislation simply by taking to the floor and 
             refusing to relinquish it. A significant minority, 41 
             Senators of 100, can thwart the will of the majority party 
             simply by refusing to cut off debate.
               Bob Dole understands these challenges. As minority 
             leader for many of the 9 years I have been in the Senate, 
             he used the rules effectively to protect the rights of a 
             significant minority. This was referred to in the media as 
             gridlock, but it is really the way the institution was 
             designed, to protect the Nation from the passions of the 
             moment and to provide for reasoned, reflective debate.
               Since assuming the role of majority leader, he has 
             managed to overcome challenges raised by the Democratic 
             minority, and hold his troops together to pass significant 
             legislation. Under his watch, the Senate has passed and 
             sent to the President the first balanced budget in a 
             generation, meaningful welfare reform, the Congressional 
             Accountability Act, legislation preventing unfunded 
             mandates on State and local entities, and regulatory 
             relief. The President has vetoed the two most significant 
             of these initiatives: namely a balanced budget and welfare 
             reform.
               The speeches we give today in honor of Bob Dole sound a 
             lot like eulogies, but they are in reality reminiscences 
             of a stage in Bob Dole's life. He will go on to do even 
             greater things. He will continue his long and 
             distinguished career of service to country by holding its 
             highest office, and will restore to that office the 
             respect and honor of the American people.

               Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Mr. President, as we all know, Bob Dole 
             will resign from the Senate to run for the Presidency 
             today.
               It was a courageous decision--but also a sad one for the 
             Senate.
               I am personally proud of Senator Dole. I think it is the 
             right decision.
               I strongly believe that when the American people are 
             given the chance to know Senator Dole and his wife 
             Elizabeth better--the polls will change dramatically--and 
             he will be elected President.
               Senator Dole was raised in an era in America when hard 
             work and strong values were rewarded. This is an era that 
             we can have once again in America, if Bob Dole is elected 
             President.
               When Senator Dole's country called on him to serve--he 
             went, and almost gave his life. He didn't flee the country 
             and protest against it from overseas.
               When his family struggled in the depression--they didn't 
             seek a Government handout--instead they rented their own 
             home and lived in the basement to get by.
               He didn't allow his war injuries to sideline him in a 
             hospital for the remainder of his life--instead he picked 
             himself up and rose to one of the highest positions in the 
             Government and became a candidate for Vice President and 
             now a candidate for President.
               Bob Dole will bring to the Office of President the 
             values of his upbringing. He will not spend the taxpayers' 
             money irresponsibly. He will not put this country further 
             into debt. He will not coddle criminals that threaten our 
             communities. He will not tolerate drug use in the White 
             House or tolerate a disrespect for our Armed Forces.
               This is the Bob Dole that has been our majority leader. 
             And, I am confident this is the man that American people 
             will want to be their President.

               Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I want to echo my 
             colleagues' gratitude to a remarkable Senator and majority 
             leader, Bob Dole. Few Members of Congress can boast 
             similar years of commitment to our country. In fact, 
             Senator Dole's entire life has been dedicated to public 
             service; from his brave service in World War II, to his 
             service in the Kansas State Legislature, the U.S. House, 
             and for the past 27 years our U.S. Senate. He has devoted 
             his life to serving the people of Kansas and our country. 
             I truly admire his agility in handling the people's 
             business in this body, the U.S. Senate.
               It will be difficult to imagine the Senate floor without 
             Bob Dole. We have always had a cordial and collegial 
             working relationship. I have admired his wily way of 
             moving legislation. He often commented on my way with a 
             quip.
               I think it's fair to say that members of both parties 
             have learned from Bob Dole. His mastery of Senate 
             procedure, and his skill at moving legislation, are 
             matched by few in this Chamber.
               I thank Senator Dole for his service in the Senate. In 
             an age when over half of married couples can't stay 
             dedicated to each other for 10 years, it's remarkable for 
             someone to stay dedicated to an institution as tempestuous 
             as the U.S. Senate for 27 years.
               With deep admiration and respect for a trusted 
             colleague, I wish Senator Dole all the best.

               Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, Bob Dole first came to 
             Congress at a time when the world--and he himself--was 
             still recovering from the wounds of war, and America, 
             catapulted into world leadership, was about to enter one 
             of the most difficult periods in our young history as our 
             Nation became bitterly divided over the Vietnam conflict.
               These events shaped the man who came to Washington to 
             represent his home State of Kansas back in 1960. And, from 
             my experience in working with him over the last few years 
             in the U.S. Senate, it is clear that Bob Dole never forgot 
             the values those experiences taught him. He has left an 
             imprint on this body that deserves our recognition and our 
             thanks.
               Having nearly given his life for his country in the 
             battle for freedom, Bob Dole brought strong convictions 
             about honor and public service with him to the U.S. 
             Congress.
               And, having seen this Nation spill blood in battling its 
             own conscience, he understood that--even in the rough and 
             tumble world of politics--we can not afford to forget the 
             warnings of our predecessors: United we stand; divided we 
             fall. Bob Dole's tenure as majority leader reflected these 
             convictions.
               He leaves the Senate having made an indelible mark on 
             this body with his ability as a leader, his skill as a 
             statesman, and his commitment to the service of his 
             country.
               I have not always agreed with Bob Dole, but I have never 
             found his door closed. That, to me, says more about the 
             man than anything else. In my view, the mark of a true 
             statesman is his willingness to listen to all sides of an 
             issue in a search for common ground. But the mark of a 
             leader is the ability to move people forward in spite of 
             our differences in search of progress.
               Although I have not known Bob Dole for very long--I came 
             to this body in 1993 and worked with him, first as 
             minority leader, then as majority leader--I have come to 
             hold high respect for him, and think of him fondly. These 
             are very tumultuous times, and his was no easy task.
               I have been particularly struck, time and again, by his 
             willingness to seek solutions by forging agreements--even 
             in circumstances where he had the votes to win on an issue 
             and did not need to negotiate.
               I remember when the issue of moving the United States 
             Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem arose last year in 
             Congress. Senator Dole had all the votes he needed to pass 
             a resolution supporting the move. And yet, he listened to 
             those of us who had concerns about the impact the wording 
             of this resolution would have on what, at the time, was a 
             very delicate phase of the peace negotiations in the 
             Middle East.
               He did not have to listen. He chose to listen, and he 
             chose to address our concerns. And we passed better 
             legislation as a result. That is leadership.
               I have been struck by his forthrightness as majority 
             leader--his word was his commitment, and his commitment 
             was a matter of honor. These have been difficult times. 
             But, although he and I did not always end up on the same 
             side of an issue, I knew Bob Dole cared more about the 
             integrity of the democratic process than he cared about 
             short term political gain, and that he respected each and 
             every Senator's place in that process--because we 
             represent the America people.
               No, we did not always agree. But even on issues where we 
             disagreed, I always knew where I stood, and I knew I could 
             trust his word.
               Robert Dole will be remembered for his lifetime of 
             service to the American people, and for helping to shape 
             the course of our Nation during some of the most pivotal 
             times.
               He deserves our praise and our thanks, and we wish him 
             and Elizabeth well.

               Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, when Americans came home from 
             World War Two the time reserved for celebrating their hard 
             won victory was of necessity brief. Joyous though those 
             celebrations were, they had to give way quickly to the 
             hard work of repairing the damage done to families and 
             communities by the long separations and tragic losses 
             which war visits on the victors as well as the vanquished.
               But Americans, having defeated the Axis Powers, were 
             upon the moment of that success obliged to assume the new 
             responsibility of leading the free world's resistance to 
             the imperial ambitions of our former ally, the Soviet 
             Union. By so doing, they undertook a mission of immense 
             proportions and difficulty, but great historic 
             significance and nobility.
               For it was the Americans who fought so valiantly from 
             Guadalcanal to Normandy who would then devote their lives 
             to ensuring that the second half of this century not 
             collapse into the bloody calamities or succumb to the 
             aggression of freedom's adversaries that made this century 
             one of the most violent and tragic times in recorded human 
             history. At both the mid point and the end of the 20th 
             century, these Americans ranked among the greatest 
             generations of our countrymen. They are accorded that 
             distinction for their dedication to their country's cause 
             and humanity's hope, and for the dimensions of the 
             victories won by their devotion, selflessness, ingenuity 
             and courage.
               Even in this distinguished company, Bob Dole stands out. 
             When he returned from war he could not, as many of his 
             comrades could, immediately pursue the veteran's dream of 
             building a peaceful and prosperous life. He had to first 
             rebuild himself. The exemplary courage and determination 
             he brought to his own recovery is the stuff legends are 
             made of. And they are also America's good fortune for they 
             are the same virtues he offered in his subsequent years of 
             service to the advancement of our country.
               In these days when more and more young Americans are 
             attracted to the mores of the detached and indifferent 
             cynic, to the affectations of Hollywood anti-heroes, Bob 
             Dole's life is a rebuke to those corrupting influences on 
             our popular culture. When I am asked by anxious parents: 
             where are today's American heroes by whose example I can 
             instruct my children?; the list of such Americans I can 
             offer in response is still a long one. But I can identify 
             no better example than the man to whom we wish good luck 
             today. Bob Dole is what an American hero is supposed to 
             be.
               His sacrifice in war and his hard road to recovery 
             earned Bob Dole the peace and quiet to live a life of 
             personal pursuits, of individual attainment and success. 
             But he chose instead to chase his country's dreams. And in 
             America's historical mission to contain and defeat Soviet 
             imperialism and to wrench from this violent century some 
             greater hope for humanity's progress in the next. Bob Dole 
             brought the patriotic optimism of the young soldier off to 
             war, but he brought also the veteran's appreciation for 
             the dimension and seriousness of the task before us. He 
             enlisted again in the war against totalitarians, and again 
             he is in the front ranks of those who earned the victory.
               Bob Dole's Senate leadership was essential to the 
             efforts of Presidents Reagan and Bush to win the cold war. 
             He built majority coalitions for the defense build up of 
             the 1980's, helping to restore the readiness and 
             modernization of our Armed Forces which had been so badly 
             neglected in the previous decade.
               He has been a consistent and skillful advocate for 
             ballistic missile defense beginning in 1973 with his 
             support for the Sam-D, the predecessor to the Patriot 
             missile, continuing with his support for SDI and ending 
             most recently with his sponsorship of the Defend America 
             Act. In his determination to provide Americans with an 
             affordable and adequate defense from the greatest danger 
             facing our country, Bob Dole has shown the vision and the 
             will required to meet the security threats that will 
             confront policymakers in the 21st century.
               Senator Dole organized congressional support for Reagan 
             Doctrine policies which gave critical assistance to 
             freedom fighters confronting Soviet aggression from 
             Nicaragua to Afghanistan. Together with his support for 
             our defense build up and a strategic defense system, 
             Senator Dole's commitment to sustaining the front line 
             resistance to Soviet imperialism hastened the collapse of 
             the Soviet Union, and made possible the liberation of 
             millions whose rights had long been denied them as 
             citizens of captive nations.
               As cracks in the Soviet empire became the breech that 
             brought down the Berlin Wall, Bob Dole hastened the final 
             dissolution of the Soviet Union by sponsoring the Direct 
             Aid to the Republics Act which provided direct assistance 
             and trade relations to the Soviet Republics, bypassing 
             Moscow, and further weakening the Kremlin's control over 
             its subject peoples.
               In the first crisis of the post-cold-war world, Iraq's 
             invasion of Kuwait, Bob Dole cautioned President Bush to 
             seek congressional authority for Operation Desert Storm, 
             and then employed his peerless legislative skills to win 
             majority support for authorization over a very determined 
             opposition, sending a message of American unity to Saddam 
             Hussein.
               More recently, Bob Dole's consistent, principled support 
             for the legitimate Government of Bosnia and the strong 
             Senate majority he built for his position forced our own 
             Government and our allies to replace their previous 
             indecision and indifference with the resolve to enable the 
             Bosnian people to resist aggression, and determine for 
             themselves their nation's fate.
               Mr. President, my time is nearly up, and the brevity of 
             this tribute his required me to offer only an abbreviated, 
             very incomplete list of Bob Dole's many important 
             contributions to the security of the United States. 
             Suffice it to say, that Bob Dole is a statesman who has 
             worked tirelessly and effectively to protect other 
             Americans from having to pay as a high a price for love of 
             country as he was once asked to pay.
               Before I close, Mr. President, I would like to offer a 
             personal expression of gratitude to my leader.
               I have had the honor in my life of being commanded by a 
             great many brave, resourceful, and decent leaders, but 
             none more so than our friend, Bob Dole. A long time ago, 
             in another walk of life, I lived for a period of time 
             without liberty. I and a great many men whose courage and 
             honor enabled me to endure that experience wanted nothing 
             more than to keep faith with our country and for our 
             country to keep faith with us. When well-intentioned 
             Members of this institution unwittingly attempted to break 
             faith with us by denying support for the war necessary to 
             ensure our eventual liberation, Bob Dole led the 
             opposition to that effort. For 7 weeks he forcefully 
             debated a cutoff of funding while so many of America's 
             sons remained the prisoners of our enemies. All the while 
             he waged that debate, Bob Dole wore a bracelet that bore 
             my name. I have never properly thanked him for the great 
             honor he did me. I wish to do so now. For myself, for my 
             comrades who came home with me, and for the many thousands 
             who did not, thank you, Bob, for the honor of your concern 
             and support for us. We fought in different wars, but we 
             kept the same faith.
               Bob Dole leaves the Senate now, and all of us, Democrat 
             and Republican alike, know in our hearts we will not soon 
             see his like again in our ranks. But he leaves only to 
             continue his service to America from another office. I 
             take considerable comfort from that. For I know that the 
             tasks that confront us as we consolidate our cold war 
             victories and make for our children and our children's 
             children another, better world than the one in which we 
             lived most of our lives require the service of an American 
             who appreciates from his experience and from his heart the 
             indispensability of American leadership. This is a 
             daunting responsibility, which is shared by all of us. But 
             I am reassured that we will not be found wanting in our 
             assignment by my confidence that Bob Dole will soon be our 
             leader again and that our Nation will still benefit from 
             the service of this honorable man.

               Mr. BRADLEY. Mr. President, today Bob Dole will leave 
             the Senate. I have served with him for nearly 18 years, 
             during which time, at different times, he has been the 
             ranking member and chairman of the Finance Committee, 
             minority leader, and majority leader.
               Over the years I have disagreed with him often, but I 
             have also worked with him on many things, from one of my 
             first amendments in the Senate on the strategic petroleum 
             reserve to closing tax loopholes in 1982 to tax reform in 
             1986 to maternal and child health care issues to GATT 
             agreements to aid to the Bosnian Moslems and countless 
             other issues.
               Bob Dole is a good man and an extraordinary legislator. 
             Although he is personally shy, he knows how to build a 
             political consensus, use power, make things happen. He 
             keeps his word, which is an essential ingredient in 
             building trust. He listens well, a trait of the very best 
             legislators.
               Any time you are trying to build a bipartisan majority, 
             which is more the way it used to be in the Senate than the 
             way it is now, you have to be able to listen. You have to 
             understand intuitively where someone's bottom line is. And 
             when an agreement will not be reached, you cannot view the 
             other person as flawed, corrupt, and stupid, and expect 
             that tomorrow they will forget your attitude. I do not 
             remember Bob Dole ever acting out of a grudge or perhaps 
             even harboring one. He never burned his bridges.
               One afternoon in my office more than a few years ago, 
             Senator Dole and I visited with a Russian politician named 
             Boris Yeltsin whose visit I was sponsoring. Yeltsin had 
             been over an hour late and we were 25 minutes into our 
             discussion when one of his aides informed him he was an 
             hour late for a meeting with
               Secretary of State Baker, to which Yeltsin responded by 
             saying, ``Humph, who cares about an appointed minister 
             when I am meeting with those who are elected by the 
             people.''
               To which Dole responded, ``He's got his priorities 
             right.''
               That was the voice of Bob Dole, the democrat, the man 
             who has a deep and abiding respect for the will of the 
             people. Time and time again the people of Kansas gave him 
             their votes. Although Senator Dole has given his life to 
             public service, I sense he would be one of the first in 
             this body to admit that a legislator's accomplishments are 
             like sand castles built at the edge of the ocean surf--
             short-lived and often forgotten.
               Therefore, the only thing that any of us as Senators 
             have is whether those who worked with us gave us their 
             respect, and those who elected us felt well-served. In 
             Senator Dole's case, I think the answer to each is yes.

               Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, last year I indicated to my 
             colleague from West Virginia, Senator Byrd, that one of 
             the real privileges of my being able to serve in the U.S. 
             Senate was to serve here while he served in the U.S. 
             Senate. I told Senator Byrd that. I was thinking last 
             evening that I feel the same way about Senator Dole. It 
             has been an enormous privilege to serve in the Senate at 
             the same time that Senator Dole has served in this Senate. 
             He has demonstrated an enduring commitment to public 
             service that represents the kind of public service that we 
             owe a substantial debt for in our country. He is truly the 
             Cal Ripken of public service in the Senate year after year 
             after year, doing his job and doing it the way the 
             American people hope public servants will do their jobs.
               I am here today only to say I wish Senator Robert Dole 
             well. The Senate will miss him. Those of us who have had 
             the privilege of working with him honor his commitment to 
             public service.

               Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, from his earliest days on the 
             sports fields through his military career to his days in 
             the Senate, Bob Dole's destiny was and is leadership. How 
             greatly has he enriched the lives of all of us here in the 
             U.S. Senate. Like my good friend, Senator Bradley, I was 
             there on the Yeltsin trip. I remember that. I also 
             remember accompanying Senator Dole to a hilltop in Italy, 
             near the small village where he was struck down by enemy 
             fire. But the hand of destiny reached down, the hand of 
             Providence, and brought him back to serve this great 
             Nation, to serve the world, and to become a great leader.
               He will take his place--modestly, he might not 
             acknowledge this--but he will take his place with Everett 
             Dirksen, with whom our distinguished senior colleague, Mr. 
             Byrd, served; with Howard Baker and with Hugh Scott. In 
             that row of great Republican leaders, he has earned his 
             spot.
               Commander in Chief, a position to which he aspires, and 
             a position in the Constitution of the United States he has 
             fought to preserve on the floor of this Senate from the 
             first day that he stepped entered this Chamber, 
             irrespective of who has been in that office. He has been a 
             staunch defender of the prerogatives of the Commander in 
             Chief. I was proud to join with him on January 12, 1991, 
             when we stood together for the Persian Gulf resolution, to 
             give the Commander in Chief the authority to use force in 
             the gulf. That was a hard-fought battle, a debate ending 
             in a vote of 52 to 47.
               Most recently, in my own endeavors, he stood beside me. 
             He did not have to do it. He stood beside one of his 
             colleagues in the name of friendship and he said, ``It's 
             not all politics. It's friendship.''
               Mr. President, I close by reading a brief quotation that 
             I carry with me at all times. It relates to Bob Dole. 
             Thomas Jefferson once said:

               I had laid it down as law to myself, to take no notice 
             of the thousands of insults issued against me but to trust 
             my character to my own conduct and to the good sense and 
             candor of my fellow citizens.

               Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I rise to say farewell to my 
             friend and longstanding colleague, the able Senator from 
             Kansas, the Senate majority leader, Bob Dole. Bob Dole has 
             responded to the call of duty throughout all of his adult 
             life, and we are all the richer for his dedication and his 
             work. His life and his service have made a difference.
               American politics is a rough and tumble occupation, and 
             we in this Chamber are all too familiar with the savagery, 
             the criticism, the negativity that have so infected 
             political life in our day. But there are times when 
             politics must be put aside, and the honest, heartfelt 
             contributions that we each and all make as servants of the 
             people must be acknowledged.
               I congratulate the majority leader on his long and 
             distinguished service in the Senate, and before that in 
             the House of Representatives, and before that, in the 
             Kansas Legislature, to which he was elected at the young 
             age of 26. As one of his fellow Americans, I thank him for 
             his service and his bravery during World War II.
               It has been a privilege and it has been a pleasure to 
             work with Senator Dole in the leadership positions given 
             to both of us by our colleagues, first when he was 
             majority leader and I was minority leader, and then when 
             our roles were reversed.
               Senator Dole and I are the only floor leaders in Senate 
             history to move from majority leader to minority leader 
             and then back again to majority leader. I guess it is a 
             classic case of what comes around goes around; or what 
             goes around, comes around. Often, I have pondered this 
             turning of the Senate wheel, a continuing rotation of 
             individuals of different temperaments and talents, of 
             opposing beliefs and varied backgrounds.
               I have been honored to serve in the Congress of the 
             United States for almost 44 years. I have witnessed the 
             comings and I have witnessed the goings of many fine men 
             and women. Some were extraordinary leaders, like Joe 
             Martin, of Massachusetts; Sam Rayburn, of Texas; Lyndon 
             Johnson, of Texas; Everett Dirksen, of Illinois; Hugh 
             Scott, of Pennsylvania; and Howard Baker, of Tennessee; 
             and Mike Mansfield, of Montana; who served as Senate 
             majority leader for 16 years. Many made outstanding 
             contributions to their country and were considered 
             irreplaceable in their time. And yet our brief appearance 
             upon the Senate stage is only temporary. It is applauded, 
             remarked upon and then forgotten, washed away like 
             footprints in the sand by the next turn of the wheel and 
             the next wave of events.
               But through it all, the Senate endures and goes on like 
             Tennyson's brook--forever. It is far, far greater than the 
             sum of its 100 parts.
               Senator Dole, in his four terms in the House and five in 
             the Senate, has been a serious and successful legislator. 
             He was the 1,645th person to have taken the oath of U.S. 
             Senator. He has served as leader of his party in the 
             Senate longer than any other Republican--10 years, 11 
             months and 20 days, today. Bob Dole has served longer as a 
             Republican in Congress--35 years, 5 months and 8 days--
             than any other current Republican Member of the Senate and 
             House. Additionally, he is the only Kansas Senator to have 
             chaired the Senate Finance Committee.
               He has earned the respect of his colleagues. He has been 
             a hands-on leader, often working personally with other 
             Senators and staff to craft legislative compromises and 
             solutions to difficult national questions.
               As Republican leader, both when he served as majority 
             leader and as minority leader, he was always available to 
             work on solutions to problems of both a national and 
             international nature. He gave his time, including the 
             hours spent away from the Chamber and the Hill, wrestling 
             with those solutions.
               I have fond memories of the time that we worked together 
             in the 100th Congress, when I served as majority leader 
             and he was the minority leader, and we succeeded in 
             crafting important legislation, including the landmark 
             Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Together, 
             we developed a new trade tool for the United States called 
             ``the super 301 law,'' which required annual reviews of 
             foreign trade practices, the identification of priority 
             foreign country practices against American products, and 
             the triggering of automatic investigations against such 
             countries' practices.
               Senator Dole has been particularly attentive and active 
             in the foreign policy and national security areas. While 
             we have not always agreed on specific policies, he has 
             been a major contributor to our Nation's policies 
             regarding the Soviet Union before its collapse, arms 
             control, Bosnia, and the Gulf war with Iraq, to name a few 
             important examples.
               When he was majority leader in 1985 and I was minority 
             leader, together we created the arms control observer 
             group to monitor arms control negotiations and treaties 
             with the Soviet Union. Together, we led a Senate 
             delegation to the opening of United States-Soviet arms 
             control negotiations in Geneva that year. We also traveled 
             together at the request of President Reagan to Moscow to 
             celebrate the historic exchange of instruments by 
             Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev ratifying the INF treaty.
               In the order of domestic policy, Senator Dole has been a 
             long-time central figure on farm legislation. He has 
             amassed an impressive record of service on behalf of the 
             disabled and the handicapped. He has particularly advanced 
             the cause of handicapped children.
               While I have enjoyed working together with Bob Dole, and 
             sometimes have equally enjoyed working at odds with him on 
             various issues, I am saddened that he is leaving the 
             Senate. He will cast a long shadow as he goes.

                   It isn't enough to say in our hearts
                   That we like a man for his ways;
                   It isn't enough that we fill our minds
                   With psalms of silent praise;
                   Nor is it enough that we honor a man
                   As our confidence upward mounts;
                   It's going right up to the man himself
                   And telling him so that counts.
                   So when a man does a deed that you really admire,
                   Don't leave a kind word unsaid.
                   In fear to do so will make him vain
                   And cause him to lose his head.
                   But reach out your hand and tell him, ``Well done,''
                   And see how his gratitude swells.
                   It isn't the flowers we strew on the grave,
                   It's the word to the living that tells.
                   And so I say to my friend, Bob Dole, ``Well done.''

               Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, let me begin by 
             complimenting the distinguished Senator from West Virginia 
             for his eloquence. Following his words is a very difficult 
             task.
               Senator Dole has said that he wants to be judged now as 
             just a man. But I think history will judge him as 
             something more--a good leader, a good Senator, a good 
             American. When you are from a small State in the Midwest, 
             there seems to be a sense of pride in someone who makes it 
             to the top the hard way, with hard work, with fairness, 
             with adherence to principle.
               Regardless of politics, religion or education, when 
             someone starts at the lower rung and makes it all the way 
             up, there is a pervasive feeling of ownership, of affinity 
             that he is one of our own, a Midwestern sense of self-
             respect that he is like us, and now just look at where he 
             is, what he has done and how he has done it. That is 
             especially true when adversity hits. When someone rises 
             above adversity to make it against the odds, the 
             admiration grows greater. The greater the adversity, the 
             greater the adherence to principle and decency, the 
             greater the admiration.
               Maybe that is why someone from South Dakota, someone of 
             different politics, different religion, different 
             education can reflect on the admiration that I hold for 
             Bob Dole with the sincerity that I do now.
               I have had the good fortune to work closely with the 
             majority leader now for 18 months. The conditions for a 
             good working relationship could not have been much worse. 
             We had just lost the majority. He was the likely nominee 
             to run against a Democratic President, and the House 
             Republican leadership, now also in the majority, had 
             proposed a Contract With America. Of course, the events 
             over the past year and a half could easily have led to 
             bitterness and personal animosity of major consequence. I 
             have no doubt that in virtually any other set of 
             circumstances, there would have been no other result.
               The fact that it did not occur, and in spite of it all 
             we remained friendly, is due to Bob Dole and who he is. 
             His civility, his pragmatism, his quick wit, his self-
             effacing humor have not only served him well these past 45 
             years of public life, but have served his colleagues and 
             his country well, too. His sense of fairness and decency 
             is a standard by which all people in public life should be 
             held. He believes in the institutions of democracy and has 
             helped guide his party and this body in a way that has 
             enhanced them, too.
               While our philosophical differences are great, his 
             willingness to do what is difficult has been a source of 
             admiration and respect for us all. His courage in standing 
             for principle has been evident from the start.
               It was there when he broke ranks with his party to 
             support the landmark civil rights measures of the 1960's, 
             most notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting 
             Rights Acts of 1965 and 1982.
               It was there when he championed landmark nutrition 
             programs with a visionary leader and a giant from South 
             Dakota whose name was George McGovern.
               It was there in 1991 when he and our colleague, Tom 
             Harkin, arguably did more for the disabled than anyone in 
             our Nation's history.
               And it was there in this Congress when, against all 
             political advice, he fashioned a resolution on Bosnia that 
             led to broad support for our troops being stationed there.
               I am grateful to Senator Dole for that leadership, for 
             the decency and fairness he has demonstrated to me over 
             these past 18 months. I have learned from him. It has been 
             an invaluable education.
               It has always impressed me that Bob Dole would come to 
             my office for a meeting--the seasoned leader coming to the 
             newcomer, the majority leader, coming to the minority 
             leader's office. I thought it was yet another 
             demonstration of Bob Dole's grace and demeanor. I know now 
             that it was. I also learned that in doing so, this man, 
             with the experience of thousands of such meetings, could 
             always be the one to determine when the meeting was over.
               I regret that we did not accomplish more together in 
             these last 2 years. Obviously, bad timing was a factor. 
             Our accomplishments have been eclipsed by our partisanship 
             in the eyes of the American people. Still, nothing should 
             cloud America's view of just a man from Kansas who began 
             with little, who in fighting for this country lost almost 
             all that he had, who came back to help lead his party and 
             his country with courage and civility, who leaves this 
             place with the gratitude of us all.
               While I cannot wish him ultimate success at his next 
             political venture, Linda and I wish Elizabeth and Bob Dole 
             well in their new life ahead. May it be filled with good 
             health and much happiness. I yield the floor.

               Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I rise on behalf of all my 
             colleagues in the Senate, Democrat and Republican, to say 
             thank you to Senator Dole for his years of service in 
             Congress, House and Senate, but especially the Senate, 
             especially for his leadership, for his willingness to 
             really embody what leadership is all about.
               The man from Russell, KS, has indeed done very well. The 
             man from Russell, KS, has overcome a lot of difficulties, 
             and truly been a national hero. I was with Senator Warner, 
             Senator Mack, and Senator Dole in Italy where Senator Dole 
             nearly lost his life in Castel Diano, and I realized what 
             real leadership was all about, that a young man from 
             Russell, KS, risked his life, almost gave his life, to 
             reestablish freedom in a faraway land. I saw the love and 
             respect that the people had in northern Italy for Senator 
             Dole, and my respect and admiration for him only grew. It 
             has grown as we have shared many fine years in serving 
             together, and I thought about this, most of our colleagues 
             here have only known Senator Dole as the leader or 
             minority leader. Some have had the pleasure of serving 
             with Senator Baker and Senator Byrd, as majority leader, 
             but to our leader, we want to say thank you for your 
             service not only to Kansas but to our country, for 
             reaching out in bipartisan fashion and making great 
             changes for this country.
               I remember when you were elected chairman of the Finance 
             Committee, tax rates were 70 percent. When you were 
             finished, they were 28 percent. The economy really grew. 
             You forged bipartisan working relationships with everyone. 
             You are well liked by every Member in this body.
               To our leader, I say that you embody what we think is 
             great about a leader. That is character. That is 
             integrity. That is loyalty. You have earned the respect 
             not only of your colleagues, you have earned the respect 
             of all Americans.
               To our leader, again, a man from Russell, KS, you are 
             our friend. You will always be our friend. We wish you and 
             Elizabeth every success this year.

               Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the Senate proceed to immediate consideration of Senate 
             Resolution 258 that I now send to the desk.

               The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
               The clerk will report.
               The Assistant Secretary of the Senate read as follows:

               A resolution (S. Res. 258) to designate the balcony 
             adjacent to rooms S-230 and S-231 of the United States 
             Capitol Building as the ``Robert J. Dole Balcony.''

               The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the 
             immediate consideration of the resolution?
               There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to 
             consider the resolution.

               Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, the resolution that I now 
             send to the desk on behalf of myself and Senator Daschle 
             is a resolution that follows a great tradition in the 
             Senate where we name rooms, sometimes buildings, after our 
             colleagues. We have buildings--the Russell Building, Hart, 
             and Dirksen, all named after outstanding Senators.
               On the first floor of this building we have the Hugh 
             Scott Room named after a former Republican leader, and 
             down the hall the Mansfield Room, another great leader who 
             served the longest as Senate majority leader, and we also 
             have the Howard Baker Room that is now the Office of 
             Senator Dole. All these honors were a very fine and noble 
             tribute.
               But the tribute we name today, or the one we are making 
             today is naming the balcony adjacent to the Office of the 
             Republican Leader as the Robert J. Dole Balcony. It was 
             Senator Dole who asked this balcony be made accessible to 
             legislators and to the leaders. I can tell you that there 
             has been a lot of good legislative work done on that 
             balcony. I can also tell you that sometimes the balcony is 
             called ``the Dole Beach.''
               To our leader, we wanted to have a lasting remembrance, 
             because you are part of this Capitol. You are part of this 
             institution. You are one of the reasons why this 
             institution is greatly respected, because of the respect 
             we have for you.
               Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
             resolution be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be 
             laid upon the table.

               The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
               The resolution (S. Res. 258) was agreed to, as follows:

                                     S. Res. 258
               Resolved, That the balcony adjacent to rooms S-230 and 
             S-231 of the United States Capitol Building is hereby 
             designated as, and shall hereafter be known as, the 
             ``Robert J. Dole Balcony''.

               The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The able majority leader, 
             Senator Dole of Kansas, is recognized.

               Mr. DOLE. I appreciate very much the resolution just 
             passed. Will it be in big letters or neon? I know it 
             cannot have any political advertising on it. Just have the 
             name out there in lights the next few months. I thank all 
             of my colleagues.
                     FAREWELL ADDRESS OF SENATOR ROBERT J. DOLE
               Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I want to go back 136 years ago 
             this summer. A committee arrived in Springfield, IL--
             Senator Simon probably knows the story--and it formally 
             notified Abraham Lincoln that the Republican Party had 
             nominated him to run for President. History records that 
             Lincoln's formal reply to the news was just two sentences 
             long. And then as he surveyed the crowd of friends 
             gathered outside his home, as I survey the crowd of 
             friends here in the galleries and on the floor, he said, 
             ``Now I will no longer defer the pleasure of taking each 
             of you by the hand.'' So I guess, as Lincoln said then, 
             136 years ago, if all of us who are leaving this year--and 
             I am only one, and I know we have the same thoughts and 
             the same emotions--if we can all go out and shake hands 
             with all the people who were responsible for us being 
             here, it would take a long time.
               You begin with your family. You, obviously, begin with 
             your parents, your brothers, your sisters, and you think 
             about all the support they have provided and all the good 
             things that happened. And you think about the Senate. You 
             think about your family, your remarkable, wonderful wife 
             and daughter, who have seen victories and seen defeats and 
             have put up with, as all our spouses and children do 
             around here, with late hours, not being home on weekends, 
             and all the demands that go with serving in the Senate.
               So I am very honored to have my wife Elizabeth and my 
             daughter Robin in the gallery today.
               [Applause.]
               I know they join me in expressing our deep appreciation 
             to everyone here and the people of Kansas. As all of us go 
             back who are leaving this year, thinking about leaving in 
             a couple of years, or whatever, you think about the people 
             who sent you here
               and the people who tried not to send you here--once you 
             are here, you forget about those. [Laughter.]
               And they are all your constituents, whether Democrats, 
             Republicans, or Independents. And four times, my friends 
             in Kansas, Republicans and Democrats and Independents, I 
             believe, gave me their votes for the House of 
             Representatives and five times they have given me their 
             votes to the U.S. Senate. I think to all of us, such trust 
             is perhaps the greatest gift that can come to any citizen 
             in our democracy, and I know I will be forever grateful, 
             as everyone here will be forever grateful, to our friends 
             and our supporters who never gave up on us, who never lost 
             their confidence in us. Maybe they did not like some of 
             our votes, or maybe they did not like other things, but 
             when the chips were down, they were there. We all think of 
             all the phone calls and all the letters and all the visits 
             of people who come to your office with big problems and 
             small. Or you think about the town meetings you have 
             attended. I have attended, as have some others here, town 
             meetings all over America. They are pretty much the same. 
             They are good people, they have real questions, and they 
             like real answers.
               I always thought that differences were a healthy thing 
             and that is why we are all so healthy, because we have a 
             lot of differences in this Chamber. I have never seen a 
             healthier group in my life. [Laughter.]
               And then there are those on our staff. Sometimes we 
             forget to say thank you. I have had one member of my staff 
             for 30 years, and others for 19, and so on. They have been 
             great, and they have been loyal, and they have been 
             enthusiastic. Their idealism and intelligence and loyalty 
             have certainly meant a lot to me, and I think a lot to 
             other people in this body, and other staff members, and 
             the people they work with on a daily basis. Many are on 
             the Senate floor or in the gallery today. I just say, 
             thank you very much. We have had a little fun along the 
             way, too. It gets kind of dull around here from time to 
             time, so you have to have a little fun. When you really 
             want to have fun to get away, you can go out to the 
             beach--which is now my ``beach,'' and I will try to pack 
             it up this afternoon. All of those who served in the 
             Senate--and I see some of my former colleagues here 
             today--and all those who serve the Senate, whether the 
             Parliamentarian or the page, I thank you for all of us for 
             your tireless service.
               I do not want my friends in the press gallery to fall 
             out of their seats in shock. But let me add in 
             acknowledgment of those who have worked here in this 
             building I also salute you. I think it is fair to say that 
             we do not always agree with everything you said or wrote, 
             but I know that what you do off this floor is as vital to 
             American democracy as anything we do on it. And we have to 
             keep that in mind.
               So I say that it has been a great ride. There have been 
             a few bumps along the way. I have learned a lot from 
             people in this room. I have even gone to Senator Byrd when 
             I was the majority leader to ask his advice on how to 
             defeat him on an issue. If you know Robert Byrd as I do, 
             he gave me the answer. But it was not easy. I mean, this 
             man is determined. I know that in his first book, his 
             great works about the Senate, he writes about when I 
             became the majority leader. He very candidly writes in his 
             book that he had his doubts about this Bob Dole because I 
             might be too partisan, or I might not work with the 
             minority leader. But I have heard him say a number of 
             times since that I demonstrated that I was not that 
             partisan. And if I understood one thing, as my successor 
             will understand, it is that unless the two leaders are 
             working together, nothing is going to happen in this 
             place. We have to trust each other, as Senator Daschle and 
             I have, as Senator Mitchell and I have, as Senator Byrd 
             and I have. And I also have great respect for Senator 
             Mansfield and Senator Baker, though I did not have the 
             privilege of being in the leadership at that time.
               I say to all those who have been in the leadership 
             positions, it is a difficult life. After 2 o'clock today 
             when somebody calls me about bringing up their amendment, 
             I will say that it is all right with me; bring it up any 
             time you want, and I will not stand in your way. [Laughter 
             and Applause.]
               I am looking at one of the giants in the Senate right 
             now, Senator Thurmond. And I looked at others on the way 
             in, like Senator Byrd. I thought about Senators Baker, 
             Dirksen, Russell, and many, many more, Democrats and 
             Republicans, who love this place, who have made it work. I 
             repeat frequently the statement of Senator Dirksen--and I 
             do not know whether he made it on the floor--who said, ``A 
             billion here, a billion there, and soon it will add up to 
             real money.'' If only he could come back today, it would 
             be ``a trillion here and a trillion there.''
               Then there was Hubert Humphrey. Nobody ever understood 
             how Bob Dole and Hubert Humphrey could be such good 
             friends. We did not have a problem at all. And he used to 
             say of his own speeches, ``I never thought they were too 
             long. I enjoyed every minute.'' [Laughter.]
               I remember we were in the hallway one day talking about 
             the talk shows. And, of course, I was only watching them 
             in those days, but he was on one every Sunday. It used to 
             be issues and answers for the normal guest. But for Hubert 
             it was issue and answer--then the time was up.
               And then there was Senator Mansfield in just the 
             reverse. When he was on a Sunday talk show, it was 
             ``yep,'' ``nope,'' ``maybe.'' Ten minutes into the 
             program, they were out of questions. [Laughter.]
               I remember Russell Long. I remember during the Reagan 
             landslide, I was going to be chairman of the Finance 
             Committee. I did not know how to tell Russell--and I did 
             not. I said, ``Who is going to tell Russell?'' Nobody was 
             going to tell Russell. Dave Durenberger was there, and I 
             remember the first vote we had. I got to sit in the chair, 
             but when they called the roll, they called the minority 
             side first and then the other side. They said, ``Mr. 
             Chairman,''--this was my first time--and he voted ``aye.''
               It is a true story. Then there is Phil Hart and Dan 
             Inouye. We all met in Battle Creek, MI, at the Percy Jones 
             General Hospital--Lieutenant Colonel Hart, Lieutenant 
             Inouye, and Lieutenant Dole. We were all patriots. The 
             best bridge player at Percy Jones Hospital was Dan Inouye. 
             Probably one of the best men I ever knew was Phil Hart. He 
             had a flesh wound in his right elbow area, and from 
             morning to night he spent his time running errands or 
             getting tickets for patients to the Detroit Tigers games. 
             His wife was Jane Briggs. It was Briggs Stadium--Briggs 
             owned the Tigers at that time. There was not anything that 
             Phil Hart would not do--not only there but when he came to 
             the U.S. Senate. So I left my proxy with the last of the 
             Percy Jones General Hospital caucus, with Dan Inouye. I 
             wrote him a letter today, I said you've got my proxy. If 
             anything comes up regarding Percy Jones General Hospital, 
             which is closed----
               [Laughter.]
               vote me present.
               [Laughter.]
               I could go on and on. I am not like Senator Byrd because 
             nobody can do it the way Senator Byrd does it.
               But I think of all of these people who have come and 
             gone and of all of the new bright stars that are here 
             today on both sides of the aisle, and there is one thing 
             that you do know for certain. This is a great institution.
               I have learned another thing that we have all learned in 
             this Chamber and this town. Your word is your bond. If you 
             do not keep your word around here, it does not make much 
             difference what your amendment may be, or whatever it may 
             be. And it is important to all of us. As far as I know 
             everybody that I know on either side observed that rule. 
             It is true in any business or in any profession. It is 
             more true in politics because the American people are 
             looking at us, and they want us to tell the truth. It does 
             not mean that we have to agree. It does not mean we cannot 
             have different motivations. I learned that leadership is a 
             combination of background and backbone. I learned a lot 
             about that from the likes of Senator Byrd and others that 
             I watched and watched.
               I know that Senator Warner is the first person to ever 
             mention to me--one day we were at the same place having 
             lunch. He said, ``You ought to think about running for 
             leader.'' I said, ``Me?'' So I thought about it. 
             [Laughter.]
               I thought Ted Stevens was going to be the leader. Where 
             is Ted? Something happened on the way to the vote. 
             [Laughter.]
               I walked out of there surprised. When Howard Greene held 
             up his hand, I knew that I must be the leader.
               So I would just say that we all know how the political 
             process works. Some people are cynical. Some people think 
             it is awful. Some people do not trust us. But the people 
             who watch this thing day in and day out have a better 
             understanding.
               Some people ask me. I remember the Speaker--the Speaker 
             is present--telling me just 10 minutes ago, he really 
             understands now more about the Senate. We have different 
             rules. I love the House of Representatives. I never wanted 
             to be in the House of Representatives. I wanted to be in 
             the Senate. I wanted to be in the Senate where you can 
             have unlimited debate, where any Senator on either side on 
             any issue can stand up and talk until they drop.
               The record is held by the Presiding Officer, Senator 
             Thurmond.

               The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Twenty-four hours and 
             eighteen minutes. [Laughter and Applause.]

               Mr. DOLE. That is why you are seldom asked to be an 
             after dinner speaker. [Laughter.]
               Mr. President, I think sometimes around here we think we 
             have to have everything. ``We have to have total victory. 
             I will not settle for less. It has to be my way, or no 
             way.'' Well, Ronald Reagan said once, ``If I can get 90 
             percent of what I want, I would call that a pretty good 
             deal.'' Ninety percent is not bad. You can get the other 
             10 percent later. It is a small amendment then. 
             [Laughter.]
               Better understand that--take the 90 and then work on the 
             10.
               I want to say, too, that I read that my resignation and 
             my decision to leave caused astonishment in some quarters, 
             and I do not begrudge anyone their surprise. But I would 
             just want to disabuse anybody about the Senate. This is 
             the great opportunity, and there are hundreds and hundreds 
             and thousands and thousands of people who would give 
             anything they had to be a Member of this body. That is the 
             way it should be. It is very competitive.
               So I have said the truth is that I would no more 
             distance myself from the Senate than I would from the 
             United States itself. This is a body that is the 
             reflection of America. It is what America is all about. We 
             come from different States and different backgrounds with 
             different opportunities and different challenges in our 
             lives. And, yes, the institution has its imperfections and 
             occasional inefficiencies. We are like America; we are 
             still a work in progress in the U.S. Senate.
               So I would say to my colleagues that I remember way back 
             when I ran for the Kansas Legislature. We had a Democratic 
             law librarian who thought young people ought to get 
             involved in politics. She found two Republicans and two 
             Democrats, and talked us into running for the State 
             legislature. We did not know anything about politics. We 
             did not know what party we were in. We were students; 
             veterans going to school under the GI bill. I thought 
             about which party to belong to. I have said in jest, from 
             time to time I went back to my hometown and went up to the 
             courthouse and found out there were more Republicans than 
             Democrats. And I became a committed Republican. 
             [Laughter.]
               It is not quite accurate. But my parents were Democrats.
               I remember the first time I was ever approached by a 
             reporter. Here I was a brand new law student, a brand new 
             legislator. I did not know anything about anything. They 
             said, ``Well, what are you going to do now for your 
             district?'' Or something of that case. I said, ``I am 
             going to sit around and watch for a couple of days, and 
             then stand up for what is right.''
               Well, that is what we all do around here. I hope I have 
             done it over the years.
               I will take a minute or two to indulge in some of the 
             things that we all have different interests in. I have 
             been deeply involved in agriculture, as many of you have 
             here, because Kansas is a farm State. When I came to 
             Congress, I was on the House Agriculture Committee. I have 
             been on the Senate Agriculture Committee ever since. So I 
             am proud of having served the farm families of Kansas and 
             around America who make a lot of sacrifices.
               This year we did not have a wheat crop, hardly at all, 
             in Kansas because of the drought. I am advised by Senator 
             Dorgan that they are not going to have much of one because 
             of the rains and the water.
               So farmers make a lot of sacrifices. I remember back 
             during the Vietnam debate. Some of us were here. Some were 
             on each side of the issue. The so-called Cooper-Church 
             amendment that went on and on and on, week after week 
             after week on whether we ought to withdraw our troops, or 
             shut off funding, which I thought was wrong. As I look 
             back on it, I think I was right because we had courageous 
             men like Bob Kerrey, John McCain, and others in this 
             Chamber who were risking their lives, and they deserved 
             our support. That was a big debate at the time.
               I have also been proud to be involved in nutrition 
             programs. Somebody mentioned that earlier today. I 
             remember working with Senator McGovern on that, and there 
             was a conservative article saying I cannot be a 
             conservative because I know George McGovern. I think 
             George McGovern is a gentleman and has always been a 
             gentleman. But we worked together on food stamps. I will 
             confess, when I made my first tour with George McGovern, I 
             said, ``This guy is running for President.'' I was not 
             convinced. There were a lot of skeptics in this Chamber; 
             probably some on each side. You cannot have truer motives. 
             It is always something political. But after being on that 
             trip about 2 or 3 days, I changed my mind. Senator 
             Hollings from South Carolina was in the forefront of that 
             effort. He remembers how bad it was.
               So we worked together on food stamps, the WIC Program, 
             and the School Lunch Program, particularly when it 
             affected poorer Americans. I think, as I look at it, that 
             no first-class democracy would treat its people like 
             second-class citizens.
               I remember standing on this floor managing the Martin 
             Luther King holiday bill. We had the majority. It was a 
             proud day for me. It is now a national holiday.
               The first speech I ever made on the floor was April 14, 
             1969, about disabled Americans.
               There are a lot of people in this room who have worked 
             on this program. I know Senator Kennedy and Senator Harkin 
             and Senator Durenberger, when he was here, and Senator 
             Jennings Randolph before--maybe before many of you came--
             was in the forefront. We stood with many who could not 
             stand on their own, and the highlight was passing the 
             Americans With Disabilities Act. Forty-three million 
             Americans--they are not all seriously disabled, but there 
             are many in wheelchairs, many who cannot even sit up. It 
             was a very impressive sight to be at the White House the 
             day that bill was signed by President Bush, and I am 
             forever grateful. I know Senator Kennedy and Senator 
             Harkin are. Have you ever seen so many wheelchairs at the 
             White House at a signing ceremony? Never. And now more and 
             more Americans with disabilities are full participants in 
             the process. They are in the mainstream.
               So, I remember in 1983--I know Pat Moynihan remembers--
             we were standing right over in this aisle. We had a 
             bipartisan commission on Social Security. We had met week 
             after week, month after month. It was about to go down the 
             drain. We had about given up. Everybody was disgusted. We 
             were getting short-tempered. We were Democrats and 
             Republicans. At the time the late John Heinz was a member 
             of the commission. As member of the Finance Committee, I 
             was a member. Senator Moynihan was a member. And Senator 
             Moynihan--I think just by chance or fate or whatever--and 
             I happened to meet in this aisle on my right. We said we 
             have to try one more time to rescue Social Security--one 
             more time.
               It was not a partisan issue. And we did. That afternoon 
             we convened three more people, we had five of the 
             commission, and it was not long until we were back on 
             track. We finally made it happen, and 37 million people 
             have gotten their checks on time.
               I think I read in the Washington Post just this weekend, 
             Social Security is going to be in pretty good shape until 
             the year 2029. So that is a pretty good fix. Maybe, as I 
             said earlier in the day, that is a pattern we can follow 
             for Medicare for the long-term solution: Take it out of 
             politics as we did on Social Security, make it work, make 
             it solvent. And the people who get the credit are the 
             people who get the checks--37 million of them. So, we 
             reached across partisan lines.
               So, I worry a little about the future. I worry about our 
             defenses. I know there are a lot of very talented people 
             here who are going to continue to do that. I am not here 
             to make a partisan speech or even a partisan reference, 
             but I would hope that we would keep in mind there are 
             still threats around the world and also keep in mind that 
             we are the envy of the world.
               I learned, meeting with a lot of leaders, foreign 
             leaders, as leaders get to do in this business--the 
             chairmen of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senators 
             Helms and Pell and others, Senator Lugar when he was 
             chairman--I remember when the Berlin Wall came down and 
             the Soviet empire collapsed, a lot of people started 
             coming to America. They were leaders. They were young and 
             they were old and they were men and they were women, and 
             they did not come for foreign aid. The cynics said, ``Oh, 
             they are coming after more of our money.'' They knew we 
             did not have any. But for the first time in 70 years, in 
             some cases, they had a right to travel. They could get on 
             an airplane without checking with the government and 
             waiting for a year or 2 years or 3 years. They could go to 
             church, they could vote--all these basic rights that we 
             take for granted. And they came to America.
               Some are now Presidents, like Lech Walesa, some are 
             leaders of their party. As they came to our offices, and I 
             am certain it was true in every other office, they did not 
             ask for money. They wanted to come to America to see 
             America. They wanted to take a look at America. And I can 
             recall almost everyone who left my office, sometimes with 
             tears streaming down their cheeks, saying, ``We want to be 
             like America.''
               We are the envy of the world. That is why so many people 
             want to be like we are.
               So, we have lit Liberty's torch with a glow that can 
             truly light the world. That is what America is all about. 
             We are much more than a place on a map. We are the United 
             States, and we are a beacon of hope. We are a magnet for 
             the oppressed and a shield against those who would put the 
             soul itself in bondage.
               I think we did that in Kuwait, and we may be called on 
             to do it again. But I would guess one thing. I would hope, 
             when they catalog all the amendments and all the bills and 
             do all the commentaries, whenever it is all over for us 
             here, that we have left our children something other than 
             a legacy of debt. Our children are important. None of us 
             have a perfect solution, but there has to be some solution 
             here where we can come together, Republicans and 
             Democrats, because everybody loves their children. 
             Everybody loves their grandchildren. We have all these 
             young pages here. We have an example every day of young 
             people who want to get ahead, who are willing to work. 
             They just want the opportunity.
               I think, if I could hope that anything might happen, it 
             probably will not happen today, but this year or next 
             year--I felt strongly about the balanced budget, but not 
             enough people did. But that will be around.
               So I would close with, again, thanking all of my 
             colleagues. I do not believe--I am just trying to think 
             back--I do not believe we have ever had any real 
             disagreements. I remember one time, I remind the 
             Democratic leader, that I offered an amendment that you 
             thought you were going to offer, and I made a mistake. I 
             was not trying to one-up the Senator from South Dakota. So 
             I withdraw my amendment. Then he offered the amendment. I 
             think that is called civility.
               So, I would close with the words of my hero, Dwight 
             Eisenhower, because he was our supreme commander. He also 
             came from Abilene, KS; born in Texas but quickly moved to 
             Kansas. He was only 2 years old. It took a while. But, in 
             any event--this is his quote.

               As we peer into society's future, we--you and I--and our 
             Government--must avoid the impulse to live only for today, 
             plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious 
             resources of tomorrow.

               We cannot mortgage the material assets of our 
             grandchildren without risking the loss of their political 
             and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for 
             all generations to come, not to become the insolvent 
             phantom of tomorrow.
               I think those words are just as good today as they were 
             35 years ago when President Eisenhower spoke them. We can 
             lead or we can mislead as the people's Representatives, 
             but whatever we do, we will be held responsible. We are 
             going to be held responsible and accountable. I am not 
             talking about 1996. I am talking about any time over the 
             next century.
               So the Bible tells us that to everything there is a 
             season, and I think my season in the Senate is about to 
             come to an end. But the new season makes this moment far 
             less the closing of one chapter than the opening of 
             another. We all take pride in the past, but we all live 
             for the future.
               I agree with prairie poet Carl Sandburg, who told us:

                   Yesterday is wind gone down,
                   a sun dropped in the West.
                   I tell you that there is nothing in the world,
                   Only an ocean of tomorrows,
                   A sky of tomorrows.

               Like everybody here, I am an optimist. I believe our 
             best tomorrows are yet to be lived. So I, again, thank 
             you.
               God bless America, and God bless the U.S. Senate.
               [Applause, Senators rising.]

               Mr. LOTT. Madam President, there is no question that 
             some of the most eloquent speeches I have heard since I 
             have been in the Senate were presented this morning by 
             Senators on both sides of the aisle as a tribute to our 
             good friend and majority leader, Bob Dole. They really 
             were very impressive in terms of the relationship that 
             Senators have had with Senator Dole and their love for him 
             and for this institution. Many Senators have enjoyed 
             working with Senator Dole and have learned a great deal 
             from him. Certainly, I am one of those that has been 
             studying at the feet of Bob Dole. It has been something to 
             behold. He is truly a master of how to get things done. We 
             can all learn from that. I hope that I am one that has 
             learned and will remember those lessons.
               I served in the House for a number of years after having 
             worked for a Democratic Congressman named Bill Colmer, the 
             chairman of the Rules Committee. Until this very day, when 
             I remember the lessons I should have learned from that old 
             gentleman, I do well. When I forget those lessons, I 
             usually get in trouble. So I think that as we go through 
             life and as we go through political life, as we work in 
             Government, and as we go through our daily activities in 
             the Senate, there are certain giants like Bob Dole that we 
             can and should all learn from.
               Madam President, there is a little known custom, I 
             guess, in the Senate for Members to carve their names in 
             the drawers of their desks. In fact, when constituents 
             come on the floor when we are not in session, that is one 
             of the things they find most interesting. They pull the 
             drawers out and see who signed these desks.
               When you look into some of these desks, you find the 
             great--and sometimes not so great--names of the past. They 
             are a veritable rollcall of our country's history.
               In 28 years in the Senate, Bob Dole did more than make 
             his mark upon a congressional desk. He made his mark upon 
             this institution, not just its legislation, but more 
             importantly, its character.
               He devoted most of his career to the Senate, but not 
             because this Chamber and its business were an end in 
             itself. For Bob Dole, serving the Senate was serving his 
             country.
               That service took precedence over most other 
             considerations in his life.
               Indeed, it took precedence over his Presidential 
             campaign--until today.
               The reason Bob Dole will not be with us on the Senate 
             floor after today is no great secret.
               The reason is that he was convinced he would better 
             serve his country by restoring leadership to its 
             Presidency than by handling the day to day affairs of the 
             Congress.
               We all know it was hard for him to leave, and it was 
             hard for us to see him leave. It affected us all, and it 
             reminded us once again who we are and what we are about in 
             this institution. Those who really know Bob Dole know that 
             he is leaving not out of ambition for higher rank, but out 
             of determination to finish the fight and be in a position 
             to do all that he can do for his country.
               That fight, in terms of his country's future, is every 
             bit as important as the fight which gravely injured the 
             young Bob Dole in 1944.
               There are some who think of duty as a burden, heavy to 
             bear and best shrugged off onto someone else.
               There are others who embrace duty, and carry it proudly, 
             and do not put it down until the journey is done.
               In walking out of this Chamber today, Bob Dole carries 
             with him a lifetime of duty.
               As we saw him exit this door, we all felt an emotional 
             surge, and every Member of this Senate knows he will not 
             put that responsibility and duty down.
               No one would understand better than Bob that not every 
             Senator wants him to succeed in his present mission. 
             Indeed, a goodly part of this body will move Heaven and 
             Earth to prevent that success.
               That is not perfidy. It is democracy.
               It is something Bob Dole went to war to defend, and 
             something he still can appreciate more than most of us.
               But I dare say, despite the political and partisan 
             divisions on this Senate floor, as we quite often 
             experience, all of us understand something historic is 
             happening here today.
               Something none of us will soon forget.
               It brings to my mind two other reluctant departures in 
             our Nation's past.
               The first would be Washington's reluctant leaving of 
             Mount Vernon to assume a position he did not seek, but 
             which his countrymen insisted he take.
               The second would be Lee's agonized departure from his 
             post of military honor to fulfill what he considered a 
             higher duty.
               Were he here, Bob Dole would modestly dismiss any 
             comparison with Washington or Lee--or any other of 
             American's great statesmen of the past.
               He would rather let the future judge such things, and so 
             should we.
               Whatever the outcome of this year, whatever the course 
             of its conflicts and controversies, the future holds a 
             place for Bob Dole as a giant of the Senate, a man set 
             apart from most by a quiet passion for his country that we 
             are only now beginning to understand.
               But Lord willing, we will benefit from it for years to 
             come.

               Mr. EXON. I just want to say a few words about my friend 
             Bob Dole. I suspect my feelings are not significantly 
             different by what has been thought and what has been said 
             by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. So aside from 
             the Bob Dole that we all know so very, very well, I just 
             want to say that I was pleased to be here and to hear that 
             excellent speech that Senator Dole gave as his farewell 
             address in the U.S. Senate. It was sad in lots of ways, 
             and yet it was so reassuring to see someone of the 
             integrity, the ability, the character, and the good nature 
             of Bob Dole spelled out in that speech so very, very well. 
             I hope that many, many people in the United States heard 
             that speech by my friend and colleague, the man from 
             Kansas.
               I have worked with him so very, very long on so many 
             issues. Many times we have been on the same side, but on 
             many of the items we have been on opposite sides. But 
             never, as Senator Dole mentioned in his speech this 
             morning, has he ever, to my knowledge, violated that 
             cardinal rule of the U.S. Senate--unwritten, which is just 
             as effective: A man's word or a woman's word is their 
             bond. In all of these nearly 18 years that I have had the 
             pleasure of my association with Bob Dole, I have never 
             known Bob even to give a hint of breaking his word, 
             because if there was ever a man in the U.S. Senate for 
             whom we all know his word is his bond, that is Bob Dole.
               On a personal note, I just want to say when I saw Bob 
             walk out after his address, it took me back to times in 
             all of our lives when there have been breakups. I suppose 
             the first was when we graduated from grade school and that 
             old gang of ours broke up and went on through our 
             educational process. And certainly it is true. When you 
             left the service of the United States of America, that old 
             gang was broken up. That old gang that Bob Dole was with 
             was suddenly broken up when he nearly gave his life in 
             combat, in defense of the national security interests of 
             the United States of America and the free world. But I 
             thought of that breakup when I saw Bob walk out that door 
             an hour or so ago.
               Bob Dole meant so much to me because, despite our 
             differences from time to time, we always had an excellent 
             personal working relationship. He came into Nebraska on 
             two or three occasions to support my opponent in one of my 
             races. But never did Bob Dole say anything bad about Jim 
             Exon, even though he could have probably found some 
             legitimate things that he could and maybe should have 
             said. But that was not Bob's way. Bob came into Nebraska, 
             and he campaigned for my Republican opponent--not against 
             Jim Exon. I think that is the mark of not only a great 
             statesman but a very effective leader, which he was of his 
             party as majority leader on that side, but also someone 
             that you could be truly proud of and call your friend.
               Little known outside the Senate, I suspect, was Bob's 
             strongest characteristic, and that was his sense of humor. 
             I am not sure that the public at large has understood 
             that. But I have had an ongoing relationship--very 
             friendly--with Bob Dole on many, many occasions. In fact, 
             this year when he was running for President of the United 
             States, I suggested to him--and he knew it was facetious--
             that I might consider a draft to be his Vice Presidential 
             running mate, if he was interested in that. Bob knows that 
             I am a Democrat--always have been and always will be, and 
             we had lots of jokes about that. But over the years of 
             friendship, over the years of serving on very tough 
             issues, sometimes we were maybe at sword's point, one 
             would think, when we were debating a measure of some 
             importance on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Bob Dole never 
             lost his sense of humor. He never forgot his sense of 
             humor. And I think that is what helped carry him through 
             probably that life-threatening wound that he received in 
             battle and probably through some of the more heated 
             debates that have taken place here on the Senate floor. I 
             have never seen Bob Dole do anything but smile when 
             someone said something or told him something that he 
             thought was humor.
               So I am saddened by the fact that a coworker for whom I 
             have great respect, has made a choice that I think was the 
             right choice for him to make, especially with regard to 
             the heavy responsibility that he carries for his party, 
             and he will carry in the Presidential election this year. 
             In that regard, maybe I can sum up my feelings, 
             friendship, and understanding with Bob Dole by a statement 
             that I made to him in one of our more humorous 
             conversations maybe 6 months ago right in the heat of 
             those very tough Republican primaries for President of the 
             United States. I said to Bob Dole, ``You know, Bob, if we 
             have to have a Republican President''--then I repeated 
             it--``if we have to have a Republican President, I hope it 
             is you.'' People that do not understand humor might think 
             that was a cutting thing for Jim Exon to say, but Bob Dole 
             knew what I was saying. Bob Dole knows that myself and 
             all, likely, on both sides of the aisle respect not only 
             the man's talent but the man's sense of responsibility and 
             his sense of humor which has endeared him to those of us 
             on both sides of the aisle.
               Godspeed, Bob Dole, to you and your wonderful wife, 
             Elizabeth. You are a great couple. And whatever the future 
             holds, we will always hold you in high esteem.

               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from 
             Nebraska for his kind remarks about our friend Bob Dole, 
             which were very eloquent. I think he expressed it 
             beautifully for a lot of Democrats. I think everyone in 
             this body has tremendous esteem and affection and love for 
             Bob Dole. He is one of the all-time great Senators. There 
             is no question about it. He will go down in history as one 
             of the all-time great Senators.
               Mr. President, 20 years ago, when I was first sworn in 
             as the junior Senator from Utah, Bob Dole was among the 
             first of my Republican colleagues to come up and put his 
             arm around me, and helped guide me and helped me to learn 
             the ropes.
               I rise today to thank him for that, and for his 
             extraordinary leadership in the years since. When the 
             citizens from Kansas elected Bob Dole as their Senator, 
             they chose a man who epitomizes the qualities of 
             mainstream America, a team player, a war hero who 
             demonstrated tremendous courage and perseverance both on 
             the battlefield and afterward, a hard worker and an honest 
             and decent man, a man whom all Americans can look up to.
               By now, most of us are aware of the wounds Lieutenant 
             Dole suffered on that April morning in 1945. That was 
             about the same time that my brother was killed in the 
             Second World War. Bob Dole could have been killed too, and 
             almost was.
               We have also heard about his amazing and long recovery. 
             But less is known about how Bob Dole was injured. Richard 
             Ben Cramer's book, ``What it Takes,'' tells us how:

               Dole got his men down to the low stone wall. Dole could 
             have stayed in the middle [of the platoon]. But he knew 
             his job, and he did it. He was out in front, with the lead 
             squad.
               They were pinned down quick. They were pinned down in 
             the field, when a farmhouse on the left opened fire: a 
             Jerry machine-gun nest . . . the men in the field were 
             hamburger.
               Dole had to get that machine gun. The lead squad was 
             going to have to flank that house and get that nest of 
             Krauts [sic]. Sergeant Carafa assumed he'd be going out 
             with the squad, but Dole said, ``Sergeant, I'll take 
             'em.''

               Bob Dole saw many men die trying to knock out that 
             machine gun. It was that morning, trying to take it out, 
             that he was wounded. Bob Dole could have let someone else 
             go out with the squad. Bob Dole could have stayed behind 
             and provided cover. Bob Dole could have stayed in the 
             middle. Instead, Bob Dole was out in front.
               Bob Dole has been out in front ever since. He became a 
             skillful legislator. He knew how to get things done around 
             here. But he also knew that duty required him to take 
             action when it wasn't always in his own best interest or 
             when he saw public policy going down the wrong path.
               Take, for example, his leadership on addressing the 
             crime issue. Throughout his career, Bob Dole consistently 
             supported legislation to fight crime and help the victims 
             of crime. From the Organized Crime Control Act of 1969 to 
             the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, 
             Bob Dole has fought to bring accountability to the 
             criminal justice system. But, in 1994, Senator Dole stood 
             up for what he thought was right and opposed the so-called 
             Crime Control Act of 1994 because it was a pork-laden, big 
             dollar, Great Society social spending boondoggle. Some of 
             our colleagues thought we had lost our minds when we 
             opposed a so-called crime bill in an election year. But 
             Bob Dole did it because it was the right thing to do.
               He worked tirelessly for comprehensive habeas corpus 
             reform. He worked to crack down on frivolous inmate 
             lawsuits and was at the forefront of reform when, in 1984, 
             he cosponsored the Sentencing Reform Act, which brought 
             truth-in-sentencing to the Federal system.
               Mr. President, Senator Dole has been a leader and a 
             fighter for civil rights from the beginning of his career. 
             Senator Dole knows full well that prejudice and artificial 
             barriers can hold a person down. As a Member of the other 
             body, he voted for landmark legislation including the 
             Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 
             1965. He was a leader in the effort to extend the Voting 
             Rights Act in 1982. In 1967, then Congressman Dole voted 
             for the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. In 1990, 
             Senator Dole supported the expansion and clarification of 
             this law to protect older workers from the loss of their 
             employee benefits.
               Senator Dole led the passage of the Martin Luther King 
             holiday bill. It was a bill I voted against, and I 
             consider it the worst mistake I have made in my 20 years 
             here. I thought that we should not add another holiday due 
             to both the public and private sector costs involved. But, 
             frankly, in hindsight, I made a mistake.
               Bob Dole, however, did what was right, and he brought 
             that bill up and helped to pass it.
               He played a key leadership role in enacting the landmark 
             Americans With Disabilities Act. I worked hard on that 
             bill, and I know what he did. I was in the late night 
             meetings. As the ranking Republican on the Labor and Human 
             Resources Committee, I was in the leadership meetings. I 
             have to tell you, without Bob Dole, that bill would not 
             have passed. The ADA extended civil rights protections and 
             opportunities to millions of Americans with disabilities. 
             I can remember when it passed, he and I had tears in our 
             eyes because it was such a monumental day.
               Yes, Bob Dole has been there for the big fights, let me 
             tell you.
               Bob Dole recognizes that rights inhere in individuals, 
             not groups. In 1995, he introduced the Equal Opportunity 
             Act, which prohibits racial, ethnic, and gender 
             preferences in Federal employment, Federal contacting, and 
             federally administered programs. He sparked a healthy and 
             timely national debate on affirmative action. In his view, 
             every American should be treated with equal rights under 
             the law, without preference based on race, ethnicity, or 
             gender.
               Bob Dole helped build the Republican Party that we have 
             today. He helped build the Republican majority we have 
             today. There were no litmus tests under Bob Dole's 
             leadership. He successfully knit together Senators from 
             Alaska to Virginia to form a working team whose sole 
             purpose was to achieve the goals for America that we all 
             held in common--goals that I personally believe we hold in 
             common with the American people.
               We are going to miss Bob Dole in the U.S. Senate. I 
             suspect even his worthy adversaries on the Democratic side 
             have come to admire his determination, skill, and 
             faithfulness to the people he represents. I believe there 
             is unanimous agreement in this body that Bob Dole served 
             with honor and distinction as one of the greatest Senators 
             in the history of this Federal Republic.
               I have to say something here that I am sure Bob Dole 
             does not know, but I am going to say it publicly because 
             it means so much to me. My brother died shortly before Bob 
             Dole got wounded in the Second World War. My brother was 
             very dear to me. I was only 10 years old when he died. 
             When we received the news, I immediately got a white 
             streak of hair on the right side of my forehead because it 
             was such a shock to me.
               He was killed in the Ploiesti oil raid, which, of 
             course, was the pivotal oil raid of the European war 
             because it knocked out all of the Vienna-Austrian 
             oilfields that Hitler depended on. But Jess' death was a 
             tremendous shock to us.
               When I came to the Senate, Bob Dole put his arm around 
             me. He looked like my brother, to a large degree. My 
             brother had the same color hair, was about the same 
             height, about the same build. My brother was a football 
             player as well. He looked a lot like my brother. I have 
             always considered Bob Dole, for good or bad, to be my 
             brother.
               I have tremendous respect and admiration for this man, 
             this fellow who has given so much to his country and who, 
             if everybody in America knew him--knew him like we do--
             there would be no question that he would be the next 
             President of the United States.
               I have to say I love Bob Dole. Elaine does, too. We love 
             his wife Liddy. She is a tremendous human being. As both 
             chairman and ranking member of the Labor Committee, I 
             worked with Liddy Dole, who served as President Bush's 
             Secretary of Labor. I have to tell you I appreciated those 
             days and appreciated her kindnesses to me and her great 
             work for the country.
               Today, Bob Dole is leaving the Senate to pursue a 
             different calling. Yet it still is the calling of public 
             service. He did not have to leave the Senate. Nobody could 
             have pushed him out of here. It would have been safer to 
             stay. But we have already learned that Bob Dole does not 
             stay safely in the foxholes. That is not what we expect of 
             our leaders, and Bob Dole, in my opinion, has what it 
             takes.
               Whatever the future may hold for Bob and Elizabeth Dole, 
             I just want to wish them both happiness and Godspeed.

               Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, in recent years, many in 
             the media, the public, and even some Members of Congress, 
             have come to regard those who seek positions in the public 
             sector with some amount of contempt and mistrust. Most of 
             us in this Chamber know such characterizations are not 
             only unfair and inaccurate, but do much to harm the 
             sanctity and reputation of a body dedicated to debate and 
             providing for the Nation.
               The large majority of those who become Government 
             officials are honorable individuals, but there are a 
             handful of Senators in particular whose conduct and 
             dedication to service are above reproach, and who stand as 
             living contradictions to those who believe that this is an 
             ineffective and partisan body. These Senators are men and 
             women of principle who are dedicated to the noble cause of 
             working to benefit all the people of the United States. 
             Today, it is with great regret that I mark the departure 
             of a man who sets a standard for service to the Senate and 
             the Nation that is truly unmatched--the majority leader 
             and Senator from Kansas Bob Dole.
               I doubt it came as a surprise to anyone in Russell, KS, 
             when Bob Dole first ran for elected office in 1951. The 
             bright young war veteran and attorney had already 
             established a well-deserved reputation for courage and 
             hard work when he declared his candidacy for a seat in 
             that State's House of Representatives. It was these two 
             simple attributes that not only help Bob Dole to win that 
             election, but have helped to guide him through life of 
             challenges, hardships, and accomplishments.
               The heartlands of the Kansan prairies are where Bob Dole 
             learned about being tough and not giving in when in the 
             same situation the average person might simply give up the 
             fight. While this is a region of simple beauty, kind 
             people, and strong values, during the time of Bob Dole's 
             youth it was also a place that was rife with hardships for 
             those who lived there. It was a place where hard work was 
             not a virtue, it was a necessity for survival, especially 
             during the Nation's most severe economic crisis, the Great 
             Depression.
               In his hometown of Russell, KS, Bob Dole also learned 
             about things such as patriotism and a commitment to 
             serving the Nation. He was taught that these words 
             represented more than mere ideas or ideals, they were part 
             of the responsibilities of citizenship in this great land. 
             During World War II, Bob Dole served his country as an 
             officer in the Army, and when he was ordered to lead an 
             attack on a German-held hill in Italy, Lt. Bob Dole never 
             had any question about his duty. It was this dedication to 
             duty, a commitment to serving the Nation, and pure, 
             unadulterated courage that sent Lieutenant Dole up that 
             hill, and it was those same qualities that not only saved 
             his life after being gravely wounded by hostile fire, but 
             gave his life purpose in the years following his near 
             life-ending injuries.
               As he lay in a hospital bed, it took a man of fortitude, 
             determination, and courage to face 39 months of surgery, 
             convalescence, and rehabilitation. It took courage, 
             fortitude, and determination for Bob Dole to face the fact 
             that his dream of becoming a doctor and helping others had 
             ended. It took courage, fortitude, and determination for 
             him to make the decision to not make his disabilities a 
             handicap, but to force forward with life and to dedicate 
             himself to serving others through public service rather 
             than medicine. It took a man of fortitude, determination, 
             and courage to learn again how to do all the things that 
             you and I take for granted; to go back to school in order 
             to finish his undergraduate degree and earn a law degree; 
             and, to begin his career. Simply put, it took grit to 
             survive what Bob Dole survived and to essentially start 
             life anew.
               Since entering politics and public service, Bob Dole has 
             never looked back and he has never faltered in his duties. 
             He has approached each position he has held with 
             enthusiasm and has earned a reputation for thoroughness, 
             fairness, and honesty. These qualities, along with those 
             outlined earlier, endeared him to his fellow Kansans who 
             sent him on to positions of progressively more importance 
             and responsibility. From the Kansas Legislature, he served 
             as Russell County attorney, and then as a U.S. Congressman 
             for four terms before coming to the U.S. Senate in 1968. 
             It is here that I met Bob Dole and immediately took a 
             liking to this serious-minded fellow veteran who had a 
             pragmatic approach to the issues before the Nation, and a 
             fire in him to serve.
               Over the next 28 years, I became quite fond of Senator 
             Dole as a colleague and a friend. I was pleased to watch 
             him grow into his position as a Senator and to become one 
             of the leading spokesmen for our party not only in this 
             body, but throughout the Nation. His abilities as a public 
             servant did not escape many, including President Gerald 
             Ford, who selected Senator Dole to be his running mate in 
             1976. The longer Bob Dole served in the Senate, the more 
             prominent and critical his role became in the legislative 
             process. His razor sharp mind gave him an encyclopedic 
             familiarity with legislation and legislative procedure, 
             both which he put to good use as he ascended the ladder of 
             Senate leadership. Furthermore, his years of experience as 
             a Member of Congress gave him an insight into the affairs 
             or the Nation that could be matched by a few with whom he 
             served, and made him a valued adviser to fellow Senators, 
             and to Presidents. In short, Bob Dole was, and continues 
             to be, a man of tremendous abilities and background whose 
             experience allows him to have an impact on the governing 
             of the United States that is unique and nothing short of 
             beneficial.
               It seems hard to believe that Bob Dole is leaving the 
             Senate. After almost 30 years of prominent and dedicated 
             service, he seems as much a part of this building as the 
             statute of Armed Freedom which sits atop the Capitol and 
             guards the District and the Nation. More important and 
             significant than merely enduring the rigors and battles of 
             the Senate for almost three decades is that during his 
             life and in his tenure in Congress, Bob Dole has made a 
             difference in the history of the United States. Among 
             other things, he has stood tall for a budget that will not 
             saddle future generations with an unfair debt; he has 
             fought hard to give our men and women in uniform the 
             resources they need to keep America free and safe; he 
             remained firm on the need for drawing the line against the 
             crime and criminals that prey on innocent Americans; he 
             did not flinch in working to contain our former Communist 
             enemies; and, he has worked hard to ensure that the United 
             States maintains the most dynamic economy in the world. 
             Time and time again, Bob Dole has been on the right side 
             of the issues, working to create legislation and policy 
             that is beneficial to the citizens of this Nation, and 
             leading this body toward a vision of an America that is 
             safe, wealthy, and full of opportunity as long as there is 
             a United States. It is with no small regret that I say I 
             will miss my colleague, my leader, and most importantly, 
             my friend, Bob Dole. I wish him well and thank him for his 
             service, and for the example he has set for selflessness, 
             patriotism, and humility.

               Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today a giant in the 
             annals of the U.S. Senate, Senator Robert Dole of Kansas, 
             the Republican leader, has chosen to leave this great 
             institution to pursue and, I believe to win the Presidency 
             of the United States. The Senate will never be quit the 
             same; for Senator Dole has that rare and admired quality 
             of making things happen, getting things done, and moving 
             this tradition-layered institution forward.
               All of Bob Dole's adult life had been spent in service 
             to the American public and today he has not ended that 
             service. He is just entering the final phase of his public 
             service--campaigning for the highest office in the land.
               Mr. President, for the past 16 years, I have been 
             privileged to represent the people of the State of Alaska 
             in the Senate. And throughout my tenure in the Senate, Bob 
             Dole has been a friend to the people of Alaska and a 
             leader who has always been sensitive to the special needs 
             of our young State.
               Bob has traveled extensively in Alaska. And he 
             understands that unlike States that entered the Union in 
             the 18th and 19th centuries, Alaska, which has only been a 
             State since 1959, is far more dependent than other States 
             on decisions made in Washington.
               Almost 70 percent of Alaska is owned by the Federal 
             Government. Fifty-four million acres of Park Service land 
             is in Alaska--68 percent of all Park Service land in the 
             Nation. Fifty-seven million acres of designated wilderness 
             is located in Alaska. That's over 60 percent of all 
             wilderness lands in the country.
               And 76 million acres of Fish and Wildlife Service land 
             is in Alaska--That's 85 percent of all Fish and Wildlife 
             Service land in the United States.
               The purpose in providing these statistics is to 
             reiterate to my fellow Senators that almost any economic 
             activity that is done in Alaska can only get started if 
             the Federal Government does not stand in the way. Bob Dole 
             has always understood that.
               Bob Dole also understands that our natural resources can 
             be developed in a responsible manner using our best 
             technology without harming our environment.
               Bob Dole does not sell America's technology and 
             ingenuity short--he believes that it is better to harvest 
             our abundant resources in an environmentally responsible 
             manner rather than sending our dollars and jobs overseas 
             by importing resources.
               Mr. President, Bob Dole has served as the Republican 
             leader for more than 11 years-longer than any Republican 
             leader in history. He has had to juggle and balance the 
             interests of States as different as Florida and Alaska in 
             order to get legislation from the drawing boards to 
             President's desk.
               Throughout all of the time I have known Bob, he has 
             never sacrificed what is important to Alaska's 600,000 
             citizens in order to get a piece of legislation adopted. 
             In fact, it was Bob Dole's leadership that ensured that 
             for the first time last year, Congress authorized oil 
             exploration in ANWR.
               And when Bob Dole moves to the White House next year. 
             Alaskans can be assured that the roadblock to our economic 
             development will finally be removed. He knows that 
             America's economic security cannot be assured so long as 
             we are dependent on foreign countries for more than 50 
             percent of our energy needs.
               Mr. President, Alaskans will miss Senator Dole's 
             leadership and sensitivity to our State's needs. I will 
             miss him as a person and friend that I have grown 
             accustomed to talking with every day. Bob Dole's destiny 
             will take him to even greater challenges and 
             responsibilities next year. And I know he will always keep 
             Alaska's special needs in mind whenever he makes decisions 
             on economic policy.

               Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we have just said goodbye to 
             the majority leader, who has just retired. He has left the 
             Senate with great support from those of us who have known 
             him and really do have a great love for Bob Dole.
               I have known him since he was a Member of the House. I 
             was not a Member of the House, but I knew he was there in 
             the House. Bob Dole and I came to the Senate at the same 
             time. As he leaves today, I am, as he just said, the sole 
             survivor of the class of 1968. He has been a great friend 
             of mine. I have been on the floor before to say how I felt 
             about Bob Dole.
               I have also remarked about the fact that he has also 
             been a great friend of the State I represent. He assisted 
             us greatly in the passage of the Alaska Native Land Claims 
             Settlement Act, which paved the way for the trans-Alaska 
             pipeline. He assisted me many times in matters pertaining 
             to the oceans--the Fishery Conservation Act, which 
             protects the fisheries off our shores. He voted with us on 
             the Alaska Lands Act, on issues that we tried to change in 
             that bill in 1980. He and Elizabeth Dole were very helpful 
             in assisting us on the Alaska Railroad transfer. As a 
             matter of fact, as I have told many of my friends, their 
             Christmas card that year was the photograph of the 
             Secretary of Transportation and her husband standing at 
             the back of the superintendent's car on the Alaska 
             Railroad. That was Elizabeth's trip to Alaska, and Bob was 
             traveling with his wife in her official capacity. He was 
             of great assistance to me at the time that we had the 
             terrible disaster of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. I could 
             go on and on and talk about things that Bob has done with 
             me.
               What I really want to talk about, though, today is Bob 
             Dole as a leader. As he said to some of us today, he 
             believed that, as the leader, he tried to reach out to 
             those of us here in the Senate who might disagree with 
             him, and reach out to Americans. Recently, we had a report 
             of a poll in my State that showed Bob Dole is more popular 
             than almost any of us who are elected officials in Alaska. 
             He is well known in the north country because they know 
             that he has gone out of the way on the campaign trail to 
             go as far away as Alaska. I am one of those.
               There are not very many of us remaining here now who saw 
             service in World War II. Part of my role has been to work 
             as chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to 
             assure that we keep the mandate we received from the 
             Constitution to provide for the common defense.
               Bob Dole has never, ever voted against those of us who 
             believe in a strong defense. He joined all of us who 
             worked together in the Reagan years to see to it that we 
             could rebuild our national defenses--really our total 
             military capability--at the time that the Soviets were 
             going into an enormous military monolithic Communist 
             dictatorship. He was quite successful in getting the 
             Senate to help President George Bush at the time of the 
             Desert Storm victory. He knows the value of defense. One 
             of the issues he is talking about now, as he leaves us, is 
             our missile defense system.
               He has told us himself today about his role in the 
             Disabilities Act. He has worked with us in child 
             nutrition, and he certainly has been responsible for the 
             family tax credits coming back to where they should be. We 
             hope to really increase those in the future. As was 
             remarked here on the floor by our leader, he has reduced 
             the tax rates in our country from a maximum of 90 percent 
             to a maximum of just over 30 percent--for most Americans, 
             28 percent.
               But I am really full of memories today as we have seen 
             our leader leave us because, as he mentioned in his 
             statement, in 1984, I, too, was a candidate to become the 
             leader of the Senate. After several votes, it came down to 
             a contest between Senator Dole and myself.
               During the counting of the vote, he came over and 
             congratulated me and thought that I had won. To the 
             contrary. He won the election by a narrow vote. At that 
             time, I asked for recognition and asked Senate Republicans 
             to vote unanimously for Senator Dole because it was clear 
             we needed a united Republican group in the Senate to move 
             forward. In retrospect, I think that was probably one of 
             the smartest moves I ever made and one of the best votes I 
             cast--to assure that Bob Dole was elected the leader of 
             the Republican side unanimously. He has shown us what he 
             can do.
               I want the Senate to know how much he demonstrated his 
             philosophy of reaching out. After that election, he asked 
             me to come see him, and he told me that he had some things 
             in mind. For instance, one of the things he wanted to do 
             was have the Senate more involved in the oversight of the 
             arms control negotiations that were going on at that time. 
             He asked me to chair the arms control observers group 
             which he created at that time. He got the support of the 
             minority, and we created a bipartisan group that played, I 
             think, a very successful role in working on arms control 
             negotiations.
               He also came to me--I think this is probably not too 
             well known in the Senate--and said that he was 
             disappointed that the move to bring television to the 
             Senate had failed, and he asked me if I would work with 
             others in the Senate to bring that about. It was at that 
             time a privilege, really, to represent the leader in 
             meeting with Senators from the other side and on our side 
             of the aisle. There were some Senators who changed their 
             positions when they realized that the new leader was very 
             sincere and wanted to have the American public know what 
             was going on in the Senate.
               I think that the Senate has been changed by television 
             coverage in the Senate--some good and some bad, but mostly 
             good. I believe it has demonstrated for the country what 
             is ahead of us if Bob Dole is successful in his new quest, 
             because he does reach out for people. He makes sure that 
             everyone involved around him has a meaningful role and 
             listens. He listens to advice. If there is one thing that 
             I think can be assured in the days ahead, it is that 
             candidate Dole is going to listen to America and America 
             is going to listen to candidate Dole. For myself, I can 
             think of no better thing for the country than to know that 
             we go to the beginning of the new millennium with a new 
             President.
               So I hope, Mr. President, that this day, this decision 
             that my good friend has made to leave this Senate, which 
             he loves and we all love, proves to be the right decision 
             for him and for the country. I know that he has not left 
             our hearts because those of us who know him will be with 
             him all the way along the trail.
               As the statement made by Theodore Roosevelt was read 
             today in our meeting, as we gave him the bust of Teddy 
             Roosevelt, Bob Dole has known both victory and defeat, and 
             he has shown his courage and his ability to stay the 
             course. I believe he has what it takes. I hope he will 
             know victory in the days ahead.

               Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise to salute the 
             energy, intelligence, and personal strength of a man who 
             is leaving a remarkable career in the U.S. Senate, the 
             majority leader, Senator Robert Dole.
               Many of my colleagues have worked with Senator Dole far 
             longer than I, but it didn't take me long after I arrived 
             here in 1993 to develop a healthy respect for his skill as 
             a legislator and for his ability to lead his Republican 
             colleagues. Moreover, it quickly became clear to me that 
             Senator Dole is a man shaped and defined by his ability to 
             meet challenges without flinching and to overcome them.
               He has been accorded well-deserved praise from both 
             sides of the aisle, and his colleagues on the other side 
             have demonstrated their respect for his abilities by 
             making him the longest-serving Republican majority leader 
             in the Senate's history.
               Mr. President, Senator Dole's government career since he 
             joined the Senate in 1968 is widely known and respected. 
             He has played a pivotal role in the passage of several 
             pieces of important legislation, including, for example, 
             the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990.
               For many years, Senator Dole was a supporter of 
             legislation to protect civil rights. For example, his 
             efforts were crucial in the passage of the renewal of the 
             Voting Rights Act in 1982.
               His imprint is also on the Food Stamp Program, on Social 
             Security, and other important measures.
               One legislative achievement that may not get much 
             notice, but which helps some of our Nation's most 
             vulnerable people, is Senator Dole's support for the 
             Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE. 
             Senator Dole and I share an interest in this innovative 
             long-term care program, which is a nationwide effort to 
             integrate services for certain elderly Medicare and 
             Medicaid patients. PACE has managed to provide an 
             extensive array of services while saving money, both 
             laudable goals.
               On another issue--committing United States forces to 
             Bosnia--Senator Dole and I were in disagreement, but even 
             though we were on opposite sides of the final vote to send 
             American troops there, I recognized his efforts to work 
             for bipartisanship and to take a risk to support what he 
             regarded as the necessary action in this area.
               Mr. President, it is unfortunate that, during an 
             election year, the Senate is so often consumed by partisan 
             tensions and maneuvers. Nevertheless, the U.S. Senate is 
             an institution where it is possible to reach across the 
             aisle and find common ground.
               Senator Dole has devoted many, many years to the Senate 
             and to working on issues of enormous public interest. He 
             has earned the respect and admiration of all of his 
             colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike.
               Mr. President, Bob Dole will be long-remembered in the 
             U.S. Senate, and this Chamber will simply not be the same 
             without him.

               Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, today the Senate loses one of 
             its true legislative craftsmen. When I came to the Senate, 
             Bob Dole had already earned a reputation as a legislator, 
             a Republican who could cross the aisle to work with 
             Democrats to solve problems and reach compromise. This is 
             the essence of the Senate. I soon learned that the 
             reputation of the Senator from Kansas was well earned. 
             Over the years my respect for his ability to craft a 
             legislative solution has grown. We will all miss his 
             skill.
               We will also miss Bob Dole for his sense of humor. The 
             Senate can be a place of high drama, high pressure, and 
             sometimes high dudgeon. Bob Dole, who has himself shown a 
             real bite from time to time, and who is a tough fighter 
             for his point of view, more often than not is able to 
             defuse the situation, and sometimes disarm his opponents 
             with a quip or a flash of his wit which leaves them 
             laughing.
               But, most of all, Mr. President, Bob Dole will be 
             remembered in the Senate as a man of his word. There is no 
             greater compliment which one Senator can pay to another.
               In this body, a Senator is only as good, only as 
             reliable, only as effective, as his or her word. Senator 
             Robert Dole has earned the respect of all who have served 
             with him in this Senate.

               Mr. COHEN. Mr. President, there are few true heroes in 
             this country, but one who has lived in our midst for many 
             years is Bob Dole, who has accomplished so much in his 
             life and is going off to accomplish more. He was a hero in 
             war who now and forever will bear the scars of his service 
             to his country. And he is a hero in peace--a man who can 
             maneuver through the legislative trenches with grace and 
             daring, avoiding minefields and pitfalls, running the 
             gauntlet while dodging bomb blasts from his opponents.
               He leaves us today to enter a new battleground, where, I 
             have no doubt, he will prevail with the same creativity 
             and tenacity that had made him such an able Senate leader.
               Bob Dole has the experience, the temperament, and the 
             judgment to be President. He is a man of honor and courage 
             who understands the workings of Government at the highest 
             levels but has never lost his understanding of common men 
             and women. That's because he is a common man, who through 
             the sheer force of his intellect and industry has reached 
             uncommon heights.
               There are, of course, many stories that could be told to 
             illustrate the spirit and fortitude that has brought Bob 
             Dole to such heights, but two of my favorites date to 
             1952, the year he was elected county attorney in Russell, 
             KS, and began his political career.
               One night after Bob was elected, a man named Huck Boyd 
             was driving through Russell after midnight and saw the 
             light still on at the county courthouse. Huck Boyd was 
             editor of a weekly newspaper and thought there might be a 
             break-in, so he pulled over to investigate. It turns out 
             that Bob Dole, the new county attorney, was still working 
             at his desk. And it also turns out that Huck Boyd was 
             Kansas' member of the Republican National Committee, and 
             was so impressed by this hard-working young man that he 
             started talking him up throughout Kansas as a future 
             political superstar.
               But the quote I like best comes from the story of the 
             1952 county attorney election itself. Two young men who 
             had come back from World War II were running--Bob Dole and 
             Dean Ostrum. Dean was a bright young man who had enjoyed 
             many of life's advantages and was the son of perhaps the 
             best lawyer in Russell. Bob Dole didn't have all the 
             advantages of life, had seen more adversity in 29 years 
             than most people see in a lifetime, and was the son of 
             Doran Dole who worked in a local creamery. As the campaign 
             wore on, Bob outthought and outhustled his opponent, won 
             by 200 votes, and launched his political career. The quote 
             I like is from Dean Ostrum years after the campaign was 
             over:
               ``How long was my day? I don't know, but it wasn't as 
             long as Bob Dole's I'm sure of that.''
               Forty-four years later that statement still rings true. 
             No one I know has ever outworked Bob Dole.
               One of the reasons I believe so strongly in Bob Dole's 
             candidacy is because we share common views and values. We 
             believe that consensus and compromise make for good 
             government. We believe that rigid ideas and hardened 
             positions drive people apart and lead to stalemate and 
             paralysis. We believe in Ronald Reagan's theory of the big 
             tent--that the Republican Party is a caring and 
             compassionate organization that welcomes people of all 
             backgrounds, a party that does not demean minorities by 
             ridiculing their ancestry, a party that speaks of hope and 
             promise and does not exploit fears and anxieties.
               We believe in a strong national defense, that America 
             cannot be the world's policeman, but neither can we afford 
             to become a prisoner of world events. Some want to walk 
             away from the world, but Bob Dole knows the world won't 
             walk away from us.
               We believe that the best protection for American 
             industry and workers is to open up our minds through 
             education, training, and competition--not by shutting down 
             our ports. We believe we must prevent illegal immigration 
             but not punish those who seek the blessings of America by 
             complying with our laws.
               Bob Dole, like Ronald Reagan before him, has dedicated 
             his life in public service to tearing walls down around 
             the world and not putting them up around America.
               We also share a common belief that for government to 
             operate most effectively--or in this day and age some 
             might say to operate at all--it is necessary for 
             policymakers to understand that goals cannot always be 
             achieved at once. Progress must often come in small steps. 
             Bob Dole understands that principle better than most and 
             he has the judgment, gleaned from years of experience, to 
             know when those steps can be taken safely--or when one 
             more step will send us hurtling over a dangerous 
             precipice.
               Bob Dole understands that power and responsibility must 
             be returned to the States. We have a $5 trillion debt that 
             is gobbling up our children's economic future, and we know 
             we have to slay this monster or it will surely slay us.
               The man who stood for so many years beside us in the 
             Senate does not appear to be wearing armor. But he is. 
             It's made of a composite stronger than anything that can 
             be manufactured by campaign strategists, pollsters, or 
             spin-meisters. It's made of a belief in God, country, 
             family, honor, and duty.
               I have known Bob Dole for more than 20 years as both a 
             friend and a leader. He is a man of good heart and good 
             humor who calls forth the better angels of our nature.
               As President of the United States, he will make America 
             safe and sound for us and our children. As President of 
             the United States, he will help make the world safe for 
             America.

               Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, as Bob Dole leaves the U.S. 
             Senate today, we are participating in a celebration unlike 
             anything we have witnessed in the Senate for many years, 
             and are unlikely to see again in this century. The 
             abundant flow of affection in the midst of applause and 
             tears are testimony to our recognition of Bob Dole's 
             investment in the Senate, our recognition of the hold his 
             leadership has on our perceptions of the Senate, and the 
             meaning of statesmanship, public service, and patriotism.
               Senator Bob Dole of Kansas was easily reelected to a 
             fifth term in the U.S. Senate. After 8 years of service in 
             the U.S. House of Representatives, he is in his 28th year 
             of Senate service. On most days in the U.S. Senate and in 
             most battles, Bob Dole has been the voice and the very 
             visible, energetic leader of the Republican Party.
               Bob Dole is the personification of hard work, 
             constructive intelligence, personal loyalty and the 
             determination to succeed against all odds.
               His life has been filled with honors and recognition for 
             significant achievements. But perhaps the defining moments 
             of his life were those he spent on a mountainous Italian 
             battlefield.
               The troops he led as an Army infantry lieutenant were 
             exposed to deadly enemy machine gun fire. He led the 
             charge to eliminate the enemy emplacement. He absorbed 
             withering fire which tore his body and almost ended his 
             life.
               His heroism was recognized promptly. But his ability to 
             force feeling and movement into his wounded body, to 
             restore some hope that he could feed himself, dress 
             himself, and function as a working, contributing man, took 
             years of agonizing treatment, therapy, and persistence 
             beyond comprehension.
               Bob Dole is intellectually and physically tough because 
             his very life and being have depended upon that toughness. 
             But those same fateful experiences have undergirded his 
             compassionate championship of all handicapped Americans 
             who have counted upon him to extend a strong hand back to 
             pull them into the fullness of life in America.
               From his early days in Russell, KS, Bob Dole has 
             understood the struggle of many families to keep food on 
             the table. He has been the Senate champion for thoughtful 
             nutrition programs, including comprehensive knowledge 
             about food stamp distribution and a host of food programs 
             for the working poor of our country.
               I first met Bob Dole when he was Chairman of our 
             national party, and later as our Vice Presidential nominee 
             in 1976. In the days following that election, I called Bob 
             Dole to thank him for his leadership and to ask for his 
             help in fulfilling my first Senate campaign pledge, 
             namely, to seek a seat on the Agriculture Committee. Even 
             at a time of his own personal discouragement, he was 
             characteristically helpful to me. I was seated at the end 
             of the minority side of the table as the most junior 
             member. I have witnessed for 20 years the mastery of Bob 
             Dole as a farm legislator.
               His energy level is astonishing. His capacity to 
             entertain new ideas and his generous ability to boost 
             other people have strengthened my enthusiasm for this 
             remarkable Kansan.
               He deserves the opportunity to serve our Nation as its 
             President. The Nation deserves his Presidency, which could 
             be a term of remarkable achievement based on his innate 
             courage and wisdom, and his universal experience with 
             public persons and public issues.
               I will be one who strives to help him realize new 
             dimensions of leadership, because I have witnessed his 
             integrity and I have confidence in his judgment. For the 
             moment, I believe it is most important simply to recognize 
             that to applaud Bob Dole is to applaud the vitally 
             important concept that good people arise in America to 
             assume great responsibilities. Our country is stronger 
             because this Senator always saw his duty and inspired so 
             many Americans to follow him.

               Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I join in wishing the 
             majority leader well--but not too well--as he takes his 
             leave of the Senate.
               He and I have differed on many occasions on many issues 
             during the many years we have served together. But we have 
             also been able to find many opportunities to work well 
             together on many different issues of both foreign and 
             domestic policy, and I have great respect for his ability 
             as a Senator and Senate leader.
               Of course, I liked it better when he was minority leader 
             instead of majority leader.
               In fact, we have worked closely on many significant 
             issues over the years. I think particularly of the 
             Americans With Disabilities Act in recent years. Senator 
             Dole was a strong supporter from the beginning. He stepped 
             in early and often, and prevented many abrasive 
             confrontations on that bill. As a result, it was enacted 
             with broad bipartisan support in Congress, and has become 
             one of Senator Dole's and Congress' most notable 
             achievements.
               Senator Dole and I also worked well together on other 
             civil rights bills, on voting rights bills, on child 
             nutrition legislation, and a range of other issues. In 
             addition, we served together on the Senate Judiciary 
             Committee for 6 years at the end of the 1970's and the 
             beginning of the 1980's, and I was consistently impressed 
             with his day-to-day ability on the issues and his tireless 
             energy and dedication.
               I also have many warm memories of the daily radio 
             debates we did together for 4 years in the 1980's on our 
             program called ``Face Off.'' We were usually, but not 
             always, facing in opposite directions on the issues, but 
             Senator Dole's intelligence and wit always shone through, 
             and helped make the daily analyses both enlightening and 
             enjoyable.
               Often, even in the most contentious debates in the 
             Senate, his excellent sense of humor was particularly 
             effective, and he used it skillfully to defuse the tensest 
             moments.
               Now, Senator Dole leaves the Senate with a record of 
             many accomplishments that have served the Senate well, the 
             Congress well, the State of Kansas well, and the people of 
             America well.
               I join Senators on both sides of the aisle who have 
             found it a great privilege, a great honor, and a great 
             education to work with Senator Dole over the years. We 
             admire his leadership and statesmanship, and we value his 
             friendship. We respect him, and we will miss him very much 
             in the months and years ahead.

               Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today, as have my 
             Senate colleagues, to pay tribute to the distinguished 
             Senate majority leader, Senator Robert Dole of Kansas.
               Mr. President, the great American patriot Henry Clay, 
             who also served as a Member of the House and the Senate, 
             once said, ``Of all the properties which belong to 
             honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of 
             character.''
               He was right. As imperfect beings, we all strive to 
             cultivate virtuous qualities--we endeavor to be kind; we 
             are mindful to be courteous; in trying times, we struggle 
             to maintain a sense of humor, but character, as the fiery 
             turn-of-the-century evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, once so 
             bluntly defined it, ``is what you are in the dark.''
               Character is not something one can put on, like a new 
             set of clothes. It is not something one trots out on 
             special occasions, like courtly manners. It is not 
             something one can pretend to possess. Yet, despite its 
             ethereal quality, character is unmistakably apparent. It 
             is the steady hand in times of crisis, the quiet voice in 
             times of stress. It is courage in the face of adversity, 
             strength of purpose, when all else seems to fail. It is a 
             ``property,'' as Henry Clay put it, whose value is beyond 
             measure, a characteristic no amount of money can buy.
               Mr. President, Robert Dole is a man of character. A man 
             who has remained true to his convictions; a man unafraid 
             to defend his beliefs; a man who says what he thinks, and 
             means what he says. He is a doer, not a talker; a fighter, 
             not an equivocator; a leader not a dodger.
               Today he leaves the U.S. Senate and the battlefield he's 
             loved so well for so many years, the Senate floor. But he 
             goes not gentle into the good night. He leaves on one last 
             mission. He leaves to engage perhaps the most important 
             battle he will ever fight--a battle not just for the heart 
             and soul of America, but--more importantly--for the future 
             of America. A battle that will lose or save America for 
             the next generation; a battle to accomplish what all 
             generations except ours have done before us--leave America 
             a better place for our children and our grandchildren.
               Mr. President, it is a battle that must be fought; a 
             battle that must be won. And I can think of no one better 
             to lead the mission than Bob Dole.

               Mr. COATS. Mr. President, today Senator Dole becomes 
             citizen Dole. He has every right to be proud of that hard, 
             courageous decision. We in the Senate have every reason to 
             be sorry for it.
               Senator Dole leaves a legacy of lasting influence. He 
             led this body to historic accomplishments, including the 
             rescue of Social Security and the first balanced budget in 
             a generation. He led his party, 2 years ago, to historic 
             victory. And now he has accepted one more opportunity to 
             serve--one more chance to lead.
               This is the common thread that runs through an uncommon 
             life--leadership. He has provided a definition of the 
             term.
               Senator Dole has mastered the art of consensus. He knows 
             when a breakthrough depends on one well-placed word. He 
             knows how to cool tempers and emphasize agreement. He 
             knows how to turn the chaos of this process into tangible 
             achievements. These are rare and important qualities.
               But this is only half of the story. I have seen another 
             side of Senator Dole's leadership. He once put it this 
             way:

               I believe there is a place for honest negotiation in 
             politics. It is an essential part of Democracy. Every 
             political movement, and every public official, however, 
             must locate a place where compromise ends--a core of 
             conviction where we keep our conscience. There comes a 
             time when even practical leaders must refuse to bend or 
             yield.

               For Senator Dole that core of conviction is basic and 
             clear, permanent and solid: safe streets, strong families, 
             military strength, fiscal responsibility, a decent public 
             culture. These commitments are nothing new and everything 
             important. They are rooted deeply in the soil of the 
             midwest in the lessons of a small town in his experiences 
             of suffering and service. Bob Dole understands the secret 
             strength of America, because he embodies it.
               Senator Dole understands that Americans value freedom 
             and responsibility, but must still care for one another in 
             times of crisis and need. He understands the fears at the 
             edge of poverty, because he felt them in his youth. He 
             understands the price of liberty, because he paid it 
             himself. He fights strongly, because he believes deeply. 
             We have come to depend on this core of conviction, based 
             on the lessons of a life.
               In his legislative career, Senator Dole has displayed 
             both elements of true leadership: consensus and 
             conscience, flexibility and firmness. He is an example to 
             all of us who work with him--who follow him--who respect 
             him. Leaving the security of the Senate is just another 
             example of the moral courage we have come to know the 
             essence of leadership at the moment of testing.
               T.S. Eliot wrote, ``in my end is my beginning.'' This is 
             the end of a distinguished legislative career. It is the 
             beginning of a new mission. That mission takes Senator 
             Dole beyond this body, and we regret it. But I am 
             convinced it will take him to the White House. Senator 
             Dole--citizen Dole--has only begun his service to this 
             Nation.

               Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise to honor and remember 
             our distinguished majority leader, our colleague, and our 
             friend, Bob Dole, as he prepares to leave the Senate.
               When you work with or around Bob Dole, you soon realize: 
             He has consistent values and an unwavering commitment to 
             them.
               He's been in there fighting for a balanced budget--not 
             because of some green eyeshade interest in the numbers, 
             but because he knows its a moral issue.
               He's been fighting for years, consistently, for a 
             balanced budget constitutional amendment because he 
             understands this is a principle of fundamental fairness, 
             and he understands how the Constitution really works, 
             protecting the basic rights of the people by preventing 
             the Government from abusing its powers.
               I've worked with Bob Dole on other constitutional 
             issues, from protection of second amendment rights to 
             private property rights.
               When Congress passes the 28th amendment--the balanced 
             budget amendment--some time in the near future, even 
             though he will have left the Senate, it will be, in part, 
             a monument to Senator Dole's years of hard work.
               I remember many events, many battles, high points and 
             defeats, as Bob Dole and I have worked together for the 
             balanced budget amendment.
               When I was in the House, in the early 1980s, Charlie 
             Stenholm, a Democrat from Texas, and I started CLUBB--
             Congressional Leaders United for a Balanced Budget.
               Pete Wilson was our Senate Co-Chair and Bob Dole was a 
             charter member.
               When we met with taxpayer groups, and stood on the steps 
             of the Capitol with mail bags full of hundreds of 
             thousands of letters and petitions from Americans 
             everywhere--Bob Dole was always there with us, promoting 
             the balanced budget amendment.
               CLUBB worked with taxpayer groups to schedule Members of 
             Congress around the country to meet with local leaders, 
             State legislatures, and others on behalf of the balanced 
             budget amendment.
               I remember back to 1985-86 and how it impressed me that, 
             here was the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, a man 
             busy with every issue before Congress--and he took the 
             time and effort to travel whenever he could, wherever he 
             could, to bring the balanced budget crusade to Americans 
             everywhere.
               And last year, after our constitutional amendment fell 
             one vote short, and then again this year, he showed that 
             the Senate could break with history and make history, 
             could muster enough courage, under his leadership, to 
             actually produce a balanced budget.
               Citizen, Senator, Majority Leader Bob Dole has worked, 
             fought, and spoken to the Nation for the balanced budget 
             amendment because he cares about the future of our Nation; 
             because he cares about our children, and what kind of 
             opportunity we leave for them; because he cares about 
             having a country that provides for the security of our 
             seniors and the best possible jobs for our working men and 
             women.
               Many, many aspects of Bob Dole's life have demonstrated 
             how much he cares about people, especially the helpless, 
             and about our country.
               Much has been said about his record as a war hero and 
             his war injuries. And, of course, much has been said about 
             his public service.
               Unlike many in politics, he has not just sympathized 
             with people's pain, he has been there.
               Doctors first said he would not live because of his war 
             injuries. Then they said he would never walk again.
               But he did much more than walk--he soared on the wings 
             of self-sacrifice and service to others.
               Because of the values he learned growing up in Russell, 
             KS, because of the lessons of life, he understands people 
             and cares about people.
               This understanding has shown through in his leadership 
             here in the Senate, where he has been perceptive about the 
             strengths of his colleagues and what things are important 
             to them.
               It has particularly struck me how he, as leader, has 
             always looked to match those strengths and interests with 
             the tasks at hand to give his colleagues leadership 
             opportunities, and to accomplish something good for the 
             Nation.
               The Senate will miss his leadership, his dedication, his 
             integrity, and how he cares about people.
               And in the coming months the Nation will learn much more 
             about those qualities, and will call upon him for one more 
             heroic mission.

               Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to join my 
             colleagues in paying tribute to the Senator from Kansas.
               The significance of this day should not be diminished by 
             reference to or discussion of the gentleman's future 
             pursuits. They should more importantly reflect the tenure 
             and service that he has already given his State of Kansas, 
             the office of majority leader, the institution of 
             Congress, and this country as a whole.
               Mr. President, I remember my first direct interaction 
             with Bob Dole in 1993 as we crafted fundamental 
             entitlement reform to the supplemental security income 
             system. I could talk today of our work in shaping the 
             direction of our Nation's social policies, more recently 
             during a very intense debate here last fall on a 
             comprehensive welfare reform package. I was honored to 
             have been of assistance to him in managing the floor 
             discussion, and it was during this debate that Senator 
             Dole's guiding hand was once again exhibited in 
             maneuvering this body through one of the more contentious 
             and important discussions of national policy.
               As the youngest member of this body, however, it is with 
             a different perspective that I would like to focus my 
             remarks today. Many of Bob Dole's most significant 
             experiences, especially his service in defending this 
             country in World War II, largely precede my 38 years. His 
             35 years of service and leadership in Congress roughly 
             bridges the span of my life. And while I have only had the 
             honor to serve under his direct leadership in the Senate 
             for a year and a half, I have indirectly benefited from 
             Bob Dole's sacrifices, courage, and convictions for the 
             better part of my life.
               Today's speeches have been filled with personal 
             reflections, tributes to service, and legislative and 
             policy histories that all have been influenced by the 
             gentleman from Kansas. As moving and genuine as these 
             reflections have been, time and history will truly capture 
             and attest to the magnitude of Senator Dole's service and 
             the importance of his departure.
               Rapid change in the character and makeup of both 
             Chambers has marked my 6-year service in the U.S. 
             Congress. Since my election in 1990, the U.S. Congress has 
             experienced not only one of the largest single year 
             turnovers since the 1974 elections, but has also ushered 
             in a historic change in the majority parties of both 
             houses.
               And in the midst of this profound change, individuals 
             like the Senator from Kansas have remained a stabilizing 
             force to this institution. As it is far too easy to get 
             lost in the direction of our own careers, we must not 
             allow ourselves to lose sense of those who have shaped the 
             institution of Congress and those who have left a lasting 
             imprint on the direction of our Nation. History will 
             undoubtedly record Senator Dole as one of those people.
               As the longest serving majority leader in the U.S. 
             Senate, Senator Dole possesses an instinctive ability to 
             navigate the Senate's process of forced compromise. While 
             at times during this session these abilities have served 
             as a source of personal consternation, I readily 
             acknowledge that these are qualities that a leader must 
             exhibit to carry out the duties and responsibilities of 
             this Chamber. These are qualities that a leader must 
             espouse to bridge the ideological differences that 
             manifest themselves in the direction of our policies.
               Clearly, the history and service of Senator Dole's 35 
             years in Congress is an inspiration to all of us and a 
             challenge as we, in his absence, try to foster and 
             maintain the integrity and direction of the institution of 
             the Senate.
               The hallways of the Senate will long be filled with the 
             images of Senator Dole's presence and the echoes of his 
             trademark late night walks from this Chamber, through the 
             Vice President's lobby, and to the majority leaders office 
             overlooking America's Mall of monuments to this Nation--
             the view across what will now be known as the Bob Dole 
             balcony.
               Mr. President, it is indeed a distinct honor to 
             congratulate and thank the Senator from Kansas for his 
             service to our country. I rise with the distinction of 
             being a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and the honor of 
             being a colleague of the Senator from Kansas. I rise with 
             the privilege of representing 12 million Pennsylvanians in 
             the rich tradition and history of Senators Hugh Scott, 
             John Heinz, and Harris Wofford, who have had the honor to 
             serve with Senator Dole at this very desk before me, and 
             have been enriched by the shared service and experiences. 
             But most importantly, I rise as a personal beneficiary of 
             the Senator's sacrifice, his service, his steadfastness, 
             and his wisdom.
               In closing, Mr. President, I stand today with the 
             privilege of speaking in some small way for those 
             Pennsylvania voices in sharing our blessing for the 
             continued strength, courage, and conviction in life's 
             pursuits for Mr. Dole and his family.

               Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I rise for a final, 
             heartfelt tribute to Senator Dole.
               In another unselfish act on behalf of his country, 
             Senator Dole will leave the Senate where he has so well 
             served the people of Kansas in order to better serve the 
             American people as our next President.
               Mr. President, by any definition, Bob Dole is a great 
             man--a man whose entire life has been dedicated to serving 
             his country with honor, with courage, and with integrity.
               Bob Dole is an American hero. He fought to defend this 
             country during times of war. And throughout his career he 
             has fought for policies to ensure prosperity and security 
             at home and peace around the world.
               Mr. President, Bob Dole has remained dedicated to the 
             same causes and principles that led him into public 
             service over 40 years ago. He is a man certain of his core 
             values, and anchored to his unwavering principles of 
             service to country, honoring individual freedom, and 
             bettering the lives of every American.
               Mr. President, Bob Dole represents what's right about 
             America: integrity, courage, compassion, and patriotism.
               Mr. President, it will be difficult to imagine the 
             Senate without Bob Dole's strong presence and skillful 
             leadership. Bob Dole's monumental legislative 
             achievements--first as a legislator and now as leader--are 
             the direct result of his strongly held convictions, his 
             forceful advocacy, his skill at debate, and his respect 
             and tolerance for other Senators' views, perspectives, and 
             experiences.
               His native State of Kansas and the many noble causes he 
             has championed over the years have benefited from his 
             legislative skills. As his colleagues, we know--and 
             history will record--that he has had an indelible 
             influence on this body, our Government, our people, and 
             our times that will be felt well into the next century. He 
             will leave an imprint deeper and stronger than few 
             Senators in history can rival.
               Mr. President, some personal comments on Senator Dole 
             are unavoidable at this moment. How could a Midwestern-
             Kansas conservative from a rural and agricultural State 
             become friends and have so much in common with an ethnic 
             second-generation Italian from Long Island?
               In Bob Dole's own words:

               Al D'Amato and Bob Dole--at first glance it seems like 
             an unlikely friendship. One was raised on his mother's 
             pasta in the heart of America's largest city. And the 
             other was raised on his mother's fried chicken on the 
             plains of rural Kansas. But when New Yorkers sent Al to 
             the United States Senate in 1980, it didn't take me long 
             to discover that we had a great deal in common.
               Both of us call them like we see them. Both of us 
             believe in the neighborhood values that made America 
             great--values like hard work and personal responsibility. 
             Both of us don't give up without a fight. And both of us 
             have never forgotten from where we came.

               Mr. President, these insightful words are from Bob 
             Dole's introduction to my book. They reveal Bob Dole's 
             basic decency, his solid foundations, and his strong 
             character. These are the qualities that attract people to 
             Bob Dole and the reasons he is so admired.
               Mr. President, as my dear friend, colleague, and leader, 
             Bob Dole, departs the Senate to pursue the Presidency; he 
             leaves with my continued admiration and support. His 
             unique and historic journey has taken an unexpected but 
             necessary turn. With his beloved Elizabeth beside him in 
             his quest for the Presidency, I know my friend has made 
             the right choice.
               Mr. President, the Senate will miss Bob Dole and I will 
             certainly miss my friend.

               Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, one of the stories Bob Dole 
             likes to tell in speeches and interviews has to do with 
             the events in the first 2 weeks of 1983 when, quite 
             literally, the Social Security system was saved. As with 
             many tales told on political campaign trails, it is not 
             one hundred percent accurate. We all recall that opening 
             passage from Huckleberry Finn in which Huck tells us that 
             we will recognize him from the book about Tom Sawyer which 
             was written by Mr. Mark Twain, ``and he told the truth 
             mainly.''
               Which Bob Dole does. The only part of the tale he leaves 
             out is his own role. It could not have happened without 
             him. To the contrary, he made it happen.
               I was there. I so attest. It was January 3, 1983. A new 
             Congress was convening. I had just been sworn in for a 
             second term. This was agreeable enough, indeed, hugely so, 
             but there was a cloud over the occasion. I had gone on to 
             the Finance Committee in 1977 and had worked on the Social 
             Security Amendments of that year, under the superb 
             leadership of Gaylord Nelson. We had realized the 
             actuarial troubles the Social Security Trust Fund would 
             face with the curious demography of the baby boom on the 
             still-distant but recognizable horizon. We put in place a 
             number of F.I.C.A. tax increases to provide for this. And 
             thought our work was done. Then came the second oil shock 
             and the great inflation of the late 1970's. For the first 
             time in our history price increases ran ahead of wage 
             increases. The Trust Funds sank to the point of 
             approaching insolvency. In 1981, the new director of the 
             Office of Management and Budget, David Stockman, warned 
             the country to expect the ``world's largest bankruptcy'' 
             on a date certain in the near future. It wasn't as bad as 
             that, but Robert J. Myers, the former chief actuary, knew 
             it was bad enough and he passed this on. President Reagan 
             called for and Congress created a Commission on Social 
             Security Reform, headed by Alan Greenspan. We met all 
             through 1982, but could come to no agreement on what to 
             do. The year ended, the Commission ended, an 
             inconsequential report was drafted.
               But something had, in fact, happened. Bob Dole, a member 
             of the Commission, had listened. He always listens, as 
             Senators know. But this time he was listening to 
             information quite at odds with all he had ever heard. That 
             Social Security was not a crazy New Deal Ponzi scheme 
             certain to go broke one day. That day being at hand. Which 
             is what so many members of his party were willing to 
             believe. No; he learned, largely from Myers, there were 
             difficulties but they could be resolved and should be 
             resolved.
               On that January 3 morning, Senator Dole had an op-ed 
             article in The New York Times. I ask unanimous consent 
             that it be reprinted in the Record.
               There being no objection, the editorial was ordered to 
             be printed in the Record, as follows:

                     [From the New York Times, January 3, 1983]
                              Reagan's Faithful Allies
                                    (By Bob Dole)
               Washington.--In this city, which makes history but 
             prefers headlines, today's hottest story is President 
             Reagan's problem with his allies on Capitol Hill. But 
             those who believe that they see a divisive split between 
             the President and Congressional Republicans ignore Ronald 
             Reagan's many achievements, misunderstand the role of 
             Congress, and exaggerate the tension between the 
             Presidency and Congress that has naturally existed since 
             the Founding Fathers found room for both in the 
             Constitution.
               It is important to understand that Presidents of both 
             parties have always had differences with their friends on 
             Capitol Hill. Thomas Jefferson had to endure a Speaker of 
             the House who was not only a fellow Democrat but his own 
             son-in-law and who had the irritating habit of publicly 
             charging members of the Jefferson Administration with 
             corrupt land speculation.
               Abraham Lincoln found his military decisions criticized 
             by his own party's select committee on the conduct of the 
             war, and his nascent plans for Reconstruction road blocked 
             by the so-called radical Republicans.
               Theodore Roosevelt's pioneering efforts to regulate 
             commerce and preserve the natural splendors of the West 
             ran counter to the property-loving instincts of Republican 
             legislators.
               Franklin Delano Roosevelt saw the wave of his personal 
             popularity crest in 1937, when disgruntled Democrats shot 
             down his plan to pack the United States Supreme Court.
               Lyndon B. Johnson failed to unite Democrats behind the 
             Vietnam war and, in the end, abdicated. So did Richard M. 
             Nixon when many of his strongest supporters made clear 
             their distaste for his handling of Watergate. Earlier 
             still, Mr. Nixon watched as two Supreme Court nominees 
             were torpedoed by Republican Senators.
               Jimmy Carter's term was rendered all but irrelevant by 
             Democrats of the Kennedy stripe. Now, after two years of 
             remarkable leadership, the equal of anything seen in this 
             city since the heyday of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, 
             it has become fashionable to claim that Ronald Reagan's 
             mastery over Congress has become frayed and that his 
             options for future guidance have narrowed to little more 
             than graceful acquiescence.
               Much of this is the product of journalistic boredom or 
             perhaps, Democratic wishful thinking. Those interested in 
             the sounds of genuine partisan division ought to pitch 
             their hearing to the tunes of Mondale and Glenn and Hart 
             and Hollings and Askew and Cranston.
               What's more, those now debating responsibility for next 
             year's agenda all too easily overlook Ronald Reagan's 
             achievement in setting the decade's agenda. They forget 
             that the President has already engineered a major shift in 
             relations between the individual and his Government. And, 
             in their own preoccupation with current headlines, they 
             obscure a personal history of political resourcefulness 
             and a gift for compromise familiar to anyone who has 
             examined Ronald Reagan's Governorship in California.
               So, before Republicans start believing the fashionable 
             theory of a White House-Capitol Hill split, we ought to 
             remind ourselves that we are led by a persuasive chief 
             executive, that we enjoy strong, experienced leadership in 
             both houses of Congress and that the issues confronting us 
             present as much opportunity as peril.
               Social Security is a case in point. With 116 million 
             workers supporting it and 36 million beneficiaries relying 
             on it, Social Security overwhelms every other domestic 
             priority. Through a combination of relatively modest 
             steps, including some acceleration of already scheduled 
             taxes and some reduction in the rate of future benefit 
             increases, the system can be saved. When it is, much of 
             the credit, rightfully, will belong to this President and 
             his party.
               Similarly, the mashed-potato circuit echoes to the 
             plaintive cries of born-again protectionists who address 
             the symptoms and not the illness plaguing our economy. 
             Whether through local-content legislation or export 
             subsidies, they would scuttle free trade and risk a global 
             war, with tariffs and other trade barriers as lethal 
             weapons. Wrong as they may be in their prescription, these 
             new economic isolationists have struck a responsive chord 
             in a nation deeply worried about present and future 
             employment. Again, the trade issues provide Republicans at 
             both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue with the potential to 
             reach out to working people, to demonstrate not only 
             verbal concern but practical solutions.
               The nation's headline writers like to call President 
             Reagan The Great Communicator. Historians, I'm convinced, 
             will label him the Great Reformer. It is his willingness 
             to question this city's conventional (and costly) wisdom 
             that Republicans must emulate as we tackle priorities too 
             pressing to put off. No one is more eager to extend the 
             Reagan revolution and to avoid political trench warfare in 
             the coming session than Congressional Republicans.
               The atmosphere within which the new Congress convenes 
             will be shaped by perceptions that, in politics, are 
             sometimes the equivalent of reality. And it is as a 
             supporter of the President's objectives that I express 
             concern about perceptions of his program. Clearly, they 
             will not be improved so long as the Congress, public and 
             news media discern an imbalance between human needs and 
             military hardware. When the Constitution mandated the 
             Federal Government to provide for the general welfare, it 
             said nothing about the generals' welfare.
               The problem of perception might also be improved by a 
             closer partnership between the White House and its natural 
             allies on Capitol Hill. A modest but useful first step 
             would be more frequent and constructive give-and-take 
             sessions with G.O.P. leaders. For we, no less than his own 
             department Secretaries and other personnel, belong to the 
             President's official family. And we, no less than they, 
             wish the next two years to be as successful as the last 
             two.
               Certainly, tackling Social Security and trade issues 
             will engender controversy. But the alternative is momentum 
             surrendered and an anxious public disillusioned. This 
             President has always insisted that purely political 
             considerations will not affect his judgment. That is one 
             more reason why he is free to propose and achieve reforms 
             on a historic scale. By doing so, he insures that he will 
             not have to wait for history to express gratitude.
               Those who say that the bloom is off the rose for Ronald 
             Reagan forget that the rose is a perennial. With a little 
             imaginative gardening now, it will blossom handsomely in 
             1984.

               Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, note that paragraph about 
             Social Security. ``. . . The system can be saved.''
               I had read it. I went up to Senator Dole on the floor 
             and said, ``Bob, if you think that, and I think you are 
             right, oughtn't we give it one more try?'' He asked me if 
             I could meet with him the next day. Both of us were 
             planning vacations, but this came first. At 4 o'clock 
             next, Tuesday, January 4, we met in his office. I give you 
             now the events of the next 13 days. They are written from 
             my daily schedule, but think Bob Dole all along.

               Tuesday, January 4, 1983, 4:30 p.m.: Senators Dole and 
             Moynihan meet with Robert J. Myers re Social Security.
               Wednesday, January 5, 2:00 p.m.: Senator Moynihan meets 
             privately with Alan Greenspan, Congressman Conable and 
             Robert J. Myers re Social Security.
               4:30 p.m.: Meeting at James Baker's residence with 
             Senator Dole, Cong. Conable, Robert J. Myers and Alan 
             Greenspan.
               Friday, January 7, 8:30 a.m.: Meeting at Blair House re 
             Social Security.
               2:30 p.m.: Senators Dole and Moynihan meet with Robert 
             J. Myers.
               Saturday, January 8, 9:30 a.m.: All-day confidential 
             meeting at residence of James Baker--also with Richard 
             Darman.
               Tuesday, January 11, 5:15 p.m.: Confidential meeting at 
             Blair House.
               Wednesday, January 12, 3:15 p.m.: Meeting re Social 
             Security at Blair House.
               Friday, January 14, 10:30 a.m.: Meeting with David 
             Stockman, Richard Darman and Robert Myers in Senator 
             Moynihan's office.
               Saturday, January 15, 11:00 a.m.: All-day meeting re 
             Social Security at Blair House--Agreement reached.
               Monday, January 17, 7:10 a.m.: Senators Dole and 
             Moynihan, and James Baker interviewed on ABC ``Good 
             Morning America'' re Social Security.

               Indeed, I have a handwritten note in my Economist Diary, 
             ``Noon Jan. 3, 10:00 p.m., January 15, 13 days.''
               Thirteen days that changed the world for a good many 
             Americans. They were Dole days and should never be 
             forgotten.

               Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, though I cannot join my 
             Republican colleagues in wishing Senator Dole success in 
             his next endeavor, I join with Senator Daschle and all of 
             my colleagues in wishing the distinguished majority leader 
             and his wife and daughter good health and every happiness 
             in the future. To leave his beloved institution after such 
             a long and illustrious public service career--for whatever 
             reason--is, I am sure, difficult, but there is no greater 
             reward than the legacy of honorable public service.
               Though we may not have agreed on many issues in the time 
             we have served together in this body, there is one in 
             particular we agreed on and we worked together to make it 
             happen. The Brockton, MA Little League became a national 
             model for the establishment of a challenge division for 
             little leaguers with disabilities, thanks to the efforts 
             of Senator Dole. He is a fellow veteran and a man of 
             proven personal courage and deep political conviction. He 
             has been an integral part of the history of this 
             institution and he will be missed.
               Whatever our politics, whatever our philosophy of 
             Government, this Nation, the democratic process, and the 
             U.S. Senate are well served by those who have both the 
             courage to survive against the odds in the face of 
             extraordinary personal hardship, and the common sense to 
             seek reasonable compromise for the survival of the Nation. 
             The distinguished majority leader's life has indeed been 
             one of personal courage and political compromise. His 
             record of public service speaks for itself, and as he 
             leaves here today, we wish him well. As colleagues, we 
             must put politics aside for a moment, remember the man and 
             his career, and say to the distinguished major leader: 
             Thank you for the lesson in service and democracy that you 
             have given us.

               Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, today we recognize the 
             departure of a great friend and colleague, Majority Leader 
             Robert Dole, from the U.S. Senate. In honor of his 
             departure, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the 
             Record a poem by Albert Caswell, a longtime guide for the 
             U.S. Capitol, which pays tribute Majority Leader Robert 
             Dole.
               There being no objection, the poem was ordered to be 
             printed in the Record, as follows:
                                The Measure of a Man
                                 (By Albert Caswell)
                   What is the measure of a man?
                   Today, high atop the Senate we sit and understand.
                   What is the measure of a man?
                   It's not power, wealth, or looks, but how we conduct 
             our lives.
                   This alone, is what put us in the record books.
                   What is the measure of a man?
                   In the Senate this day, comes a great leader of 
             character and class,
                   Who climbed every mountain the Lord put in his path.
                   What is the measure of a man?
                   For against all odds, time and again, his back to 
             the wall,
                   One Robert Dole, heart of a lion, has always stood 
             tall.
                   What is the measure of a man?
                   Yet for all his strength and all his glory,
                   His warmth, kindness, and humor tell the story.
                   What is the measure of a man?
                   He walks in, stillness in the gallery, listen 
             closely, hear the silent tears.
                   Historians and friends sadly know, a man of his 
             stature will not come our way for many years.
                   What is the measure of a man?
                   For on this day, June 11, 1996, Robert Dole gives up 
             his greatest love of all,
                   To answer our nation's cry for leadership, he hears 
             the call.
                   Today, we see and understand,
                   What is truly the measure of a man.

               Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, today has been a very 
             interesting day for our former leader, Bob Dole. While the 
             U.S. Senate suffers what I believe is a tremendous loss 
             today with the departure of the majority leader, Senator 
             Robert Dole, I can tell you it is a great day for America. 
             I believe that. For, while Senator Dole leaves behind a 
             legacy of extraordinary leadership and commitment to this 
             institution, his departure promises the American people a 
             much more important commitment to this country. But, 
             perhaps more important, his departure gives the American 
             people a better opportunity to learn more about a man that 
             I and many of my colleagues greatly admire and have come 
             to know. So I would like to spend just a few minutes to 
             describe the man that I have come to know, with whom I 
             have worked, and I hope the American people will come to 
             know over the next few months.
               Bob Dole, Senator Dole, is a man of his word. You can 
             trust him. He is a plain speaker and not one for flowery 
             oratory. He believes in what he says. He means what he 
             says. He does not try to be everything to everybody. He 
             stands for a few important principles--not everything.
               Senator Dole is honest and he is very straightforward. 
             He is loyal. He is a doer and he is not a talker. His 
             values are constant; they do not change from day to day. 
             He knows who he is, where he comes from, where he wants to 
             go, and his word is his honor. He is a man who chose 
             sacrifice over self, finding strength at an age when 
             others sought the leisure of self-expression.
               Briefly, Bob Dole is a man of courage, a man of 
             character, a man of integrity. These measures of the man 
             are what sets Bob Dole apart and what has led his 
             colleagues in the Senate to entrust him with leadership 
             time after time.
               It will be these same characteristics that will 
             distinguish for the American people who they should trust 
             to lead them in the years ahead. While it may be easy for 
             others to constantly change what they stand for in order 
             to distinguish themselves on the issues, character, 
             courage, and integrity are not mantles of convenience. 
             They cannot be adopted at will, converted by choice, or 
             otherwise assumed. They are bedrock principles.
               They are like a fingerprint, intractably a part of you, 
             easy to trace and difficult to fake.
               Over the next few months it will be for the American 
             people to ask the same question that the Senate has, who 
             do they trust to lead this Nation? I believe the answer 
             will be the same ultimately. It will be Senator Dole.

               Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, on behalf of the people of 
             Ohio, I join all my colleagues in paying tribute to a 
             legislative giant who left the stage of the U.S. Senate 
             just a few moments ago.
               The Bob Dole America saw earlier today is a person we 
             all in the Senate know: A man of character, a man of 
             integrity and a man of utter devotion to the future of 
             this country.
               It is strange in politics, it is really an oddity in 
             politics that a person's public image sometimes differs 
             from his or her true qualities. That sometimes is the case 
             with Bob Dole.
               I have watched some of his press conferences earlier in 
             the campaign and particularly read some of the earlier 
             stories and newspaper articles about him. When I did that, 
             I realized there was something missing, that this really 
             was not the Bob Dole that I have seen for the last 18 
             months.
               The Bob Dole that I have seen was the real Bob Dole, the 
             individual, the leader, the war hero, the consensus 
             builder and a man of enormous compassion. In listening to 
             his speech earlier today on this floor, I did see those 
             qualities clearly on public display, as did the American 
             people. This is Bob Dole, many times a man of few words, 
             but a man who shows tremendous character and leadership in 
             his actions.
               Upon joining the Senate a little over a year ago, I 
             became a Bob Dole watcher. I had the opportunity as a 
             Member of the House for 8 years to watch him from afar, 
             but I have had the opportunity now for a little over a 
             year to see him up close and watch how he operates and 
             watch how he gets things done. I have seen him, as we all 
             have, preside over four different meetings at once, moving 
             from room to room to room and never lose track of what is 
             going on.
               Bob Dole is someone who keeps in mind the big picture. I 
             think the majority leader of the U.S. Senate always has to 
             keep the big picture in mind. Yes, he has to understand 
             details, he has to understand the nuances of legislation, 
             how you get bills passed, but he also has to keep in mind 
             the big picture: That you have to ultimately get the job 
             done, that you ultimately have to get the bill passed, 
             that you ultimately have to get things to happen.
               This is the Bob Dole I saw earlier today. Earlier today, 
             Bob Dole told how he and Senator Moynihan and others made 
             the last, brave attempt to reform Social Security in 1983, 
             with the result that Social Security is safe for another 
             generation.
               That leadership ability is still there. I had the 
             opportunity to see that many, many times in the last year, 
             year and a half, but my favorite example that I use to 
             illustrate Bob Dole's leadership is the welfare reform 
             bill that we passed. Unfortunately, the President 
             ultimately vetoed the welfare bill, but the bill we passed 
             in the Senate, Bob Dole was able to get 87 votes for.
               I do not think anyone in this Chamber, anyone in this 
             country, none of the political experts a year ago, a year 
             and a half ago, if we had been talking about welfare 
             reform, would have thought Bob Dole could have brought a 
             welfare reform bill to this Senate and could have gotten 
             87 votes. What an achievement--what an achievement.
               Bob Dole was able to deal with the Governors, trying to 
             put that together, certainly no easy task, and the Senate, 
             equally difficult. And he put together a fair and balanced 
             welfare reform measure. He was able to accomplish this 
             amazing feat, because he never lost sight of the need to 
             ultimately reform a system that has long failed the people 
             it was intended to help.
               Mr. President, here is a man who is capable of making 
             tough decisions and right decisions. As he pointed out in 
             his speech earlier today, the Senate is not like the House 
             of Representatives. The Senate leader has fewer tools to 
             control the Senate than the House Speaker possesses in the 
             House. The Senate leader rules--not rules--really leads by 
             consensus. He cannot dictate, he must lead, and I have 
             seen, as we all have in this Chamber, Bob Dole lead.
               I have been to more than one meeting with Senators, and 
             Senators only, where a Senator complained that he or she 
             had not been consulted on an issue or had some other 
             complaint to the leader, Senator Dole, about how things 
             were going, what he had done, not done. I had seen Bob 
             Dole look at them, as only Bob Dole can, and say, ``Well, 
             if you want someone else to lead, if you want someone else 
             to be a leader, that's fine, but you elected me to lead. 
             As long as I am the leader, I intend to do just that.'' 
             And that was the end of the conversation. That is Bob 
             Dole. That is leadership.
               But, Mr. President, my admiration for Bob Dole goes far 
             beyond his ability as a majority leader. It is personal as 
             well. Bob Dole has the insight born of someone who 
             suffered an enormous and unexpected tragedy. He was a star 
             athlete who went off to war and came back with crippling 
             injuries. This is not campaign hype of anything. Senator 
             Dole would rather downplay, and always has throughout his 
             life, the struggles that he encountered when he came back 
             and what he had to go through when he came back from World 
             War II. He would rather downplay what he struggles with 
             every day, since he was literally blown apart in World War 
             II.
               We all expect in life to lose our parents, even a 
             spouse. Certain things you expect to happen, but there are 
             other defining tragedies that go beyond the normal course 
             of events, that go beyond what we are taught to expect. I 
             have thought about this often since suffering the loss of 
             our daughter, Becky. I, too, am also very reticent to talk 
             about such a deep and personal tragedy, but I cannot help 
             but admire the way Bob Dole has worked through his own 
             suffering. He understands daily pain, and I take great 
             comfort from seeing this in him. He understands that life 
             is not fair. Through dealing with pain, he has learned to 
             understand himself, and these, Mr. President, are not bad 
             qualities to have in a leader or in a President.
               The President who comes to mind who reminds me the most 
             of Bob Dole in some ways is Franklin Roosevelt, who also 
             faced physical disability with silent courage. Like 
             Roosevelt, Bob Dole's identity and his understanding of 
             life were forged by pain. When Senator Dole made the 
             historic announcement last month that he would leave the 
             Senate, the room was very crowded. It was so crowded that 
             where I was, I could not see the expression on his face as 
             he made the speech, but I could hear the emotion in his 
             voice. Bob Dole has the two seemingly opposite qualities 
             of toughness and compassion. He had to be tough to leave 
             the Senate. Most people do not leave voluntarily after 
             spending a lifetime to get here. But he showed his more 
             emotional side, too, when he made his announcement. His 
             voice quivered during his announcement, not an easy public 
             display for him, and he was even more emotional when he 
             broke up during an earlier private meeting with us.
               But as difficult as this decision was for him, I believe 
             he will find it liberating to have left the Senate. I 
             recall my own decision to make a second run for the Senate 
             after losing the first time. I realized at that point that 
             if I lost the second bid that my political career was 
             over. If I lose this race, what happens? The same is now 
             true for Bob Dole who said he has ``nowhere to go but the 
             White House or home.''
               Bob Dole had fixed in his own mind that his time as 
             majority leader had passed and that the time had come for 
             another challenge. Once he made the mental leap from the 
             Senate Chamber, it was time to act.
               This is the real Bob Dole. And as he said goodbye to us 
             then and again today, his friends and coworkers, Bob Dole 
             looked like a leader. He looked like a President.
               Mr. President, I, like the rest of my colleagues, will 
             always remember the demeanor and courage of this great 
             statesman as he said farewell to the U.S. Senate.

               Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, 15 months ago I told Bob 
             Dole I would enthusiastically support his quest for the 
             Presidency of the United States. We see in his quest for 
             the Presidency that he now has left the Senate of the 
             United States. I think all of us have so many emotions 
             that we are feeling today. I know the Nation, the Senate, 
             and I would regret the day when the clerk would call the 
             roll and the name of Bob Dole would no longer be called. 
             That day has now arrived.
               It would be easy to dwell on the truth that the Senate 
             will lose a man that history will hold in a place of great 
             honor. Rather, I think it is more important that we 
             celebrate Bob Dole's victories, his leadership, his humor, 
             and his ability to get things done.
               Mr. President, I want to discuss for a moment, then, a 
             personal experience that I had with Senator Dole. It was 
             with great pride and honor when Senator Dole designated my 
             legislation to stop unfunded Federal mandates, S. 1. As we 
             all know, the significance, of course, is that this 
             denotes a majority leader's stamp of approval in his 
             priority on legislation. A majority leader does not want 
             his bill that he has designated ``No. 1'' to fail.
               Having said that, it is all the more remarkable that he 
             chose my legislation because I had only been here 2 years. 
             I had no track record. It would have been far safer for 
             Senator Dole to choose some of the seasoned veteran 
             Senators, such as Senator Domenici, Senator Roth, or 
             Senator Hatfield, to carry this type of legislation. Not 
             only did he choose my legislation, but he then designated 
             me to be the floor manager, a responsibility I had never, 
             ever done before.
               I say this not in any way to somehow bring attention to 
             myself, because I say this with all humility, to make it 
             clear that Bob Dole was not taking the normal course of 
             action. It was indicative of his leadership of reaching 
             out to others who may not have had all of the credentials, 
             all of the experience, but who do have a passion to get 
             something positive done.
               He transfers his belief in a person so that that person 
             will not ever want to let Bob Dole down. I believe that is 
             what he will do for all of America. He will tap that 
             spirit in others and help them to reach new heights. It is 
             one thing to have the ability to do something yourself, as 
             Bob Dole has that great ability, but it is a greater 
             achievement to instill in others that same can-do spirit 
             and then go and do it. But you must have someone who 
             believes in you.
               Bob Dole believes in people. Bob Dole believes in 
             America. He instills in others that desire to reach within 
             yourself and to do something great. It is a high honor to 
             be elected by your fellow citizens to serve in the U.S. 
             Senate. To then have been able to serve while Bob Dole was 
             here magnifies that honor.
               When we had the debate on Senate bill 1, Senator Robert 
             C. Byrd described the new majority leader, Bob Dole, to 
             his Democratic colleagues by saying, ``The leader over 
             there is tough. Wait and see. He will use the rules on me, 
             and I respect that, and I admire that.''
               Well, yes, Bob Dole is tough. He is tough, but he is 
             also wise. When duty calls for him to be bipartisan, the 
             man knows how to be bipartisan. But he also knows when it 
             is time to be partisan, and he can be partisan. He is 
             tireless. How many times have we been here on the floor of 
             the U.S. Senate at midnight, and many of us are starting 
             to find that our energies are sagging, and there is Bob 
             Dole, crisp, with his humor that props us up, keeps us 
             going. There is Bob Dole, who has a solution.
               I am going to miss hearing Bob Dole telling Senators to 
             work it out, work it out, work it out. If it could not be 
             worked out, he would always say, ``Do you have the votes? 
             Let us vote.'' For my part, Bob Dole taught me the 
             importance of working with and listening to all Senators 
             and of seeking solutions that do not abandon principle. I 
             want my children, Heather and Jeff, to learn from Bob Dole 
             that they can overcome any adversity--any adversity that 
             comes their way. I cannot think of a more honorable man 
             that I would entrust the future of my children to.
               Finally, a word to Elizabeth and Bob Dole. I hope you 
             leave the Senate with a deep and abiding satisfaction of 
             mission accomplished, job well done. My wife Patricia and 
             I will keep you in our prayers in the coming months, and 
             we will ask for God's peace and protection for your 
             family. We look forward to working with you--you, who I 
             believe will be the next President and First Lady of this 
             great country.

               Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I join my colleagues today 
             in wishing our majority leader a senatorial farewell. His 
             contributions are well known, his integrity is 
             unquestioned, and his service has been an example for each 
             one of us on both sides of the aisle.
               I want to just comment about the service factor in his 
             life and how we are all drawn to those who serve--whether 
             it is a Boy Scout who walks a hobbling grandmother across 
             the street, or a community clothing drive, raising money 
             for charity, or a PTA member spending hours at local 
             meetings. Service we admire, service we respect, and 
             service from our elected officials we always expect.
               Majority Leader Dole is no exception. Kansans expect him 
             to represent their interests. Republicans expect him to 
             lead the party, and Senators--well, we expect him to guide 
             us through the joys and trials of partisan politics. So, 
             as a U.S. Senator, I have often expected him to serve me 
             as well. Long before leaving this Senate, Bob Dole had my 
             admiration. Long before he led this Senate, he had my 
             respect, and I am led to believe that long before he was 
             decorated as a war hero, I would have wanted Bob Dole as 
             my friend.
               The issues we debate during the 104th Congress we have 
             debated before. Like a pendulum, important issues swing 
             away from us, and eventually they swing back. Every so 
             often, we see a leader who is able to stop the pendulum, 
             who is able to lead us into a solution that gives the 
             pendulum a bit of a rest. For the causes of the 
             disadvantaged and disabled Americans, Senator Dole has 
             proven to be such a leader. And for the need to reduce our 
             deficit, he has few equals.
               As chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I have seen 
             the work that he has done. I have seen the money come in 
             and, with greater detail, I have seen the money go out. 
             Senator Dole's legacy is his willingness to fight for the 
             welfare of today while just as eagerly vying for the 
             welfare of our children and our grandchildren for the 
             future.
               So, in 1968, he joined the ranks of this body, and in 
             1996 he leaves. I shall not wish him a happy retirement, 
             for no matter what lies ahead, he will not retire. I 
             expect his service will always continue. I wish him well. 
             Antoinette and I both pray that Bob and Elizabeth's future 
             will be strewn with God's blessing.

               Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, not far from the Capitol, 
             on Constitution, across from the Navy Memorial, is a 
             building that houses the Declaration of Independence and 
             the Constitution of the United States and other major 
             artifacts of our beginning. On the outside of the 
             building, it says, ``The Past is Prolog.''
               As I have heard the eloquent statements throughout the 
             day and throughout the past several weeks about our 
             majority leader, this has come to mind, because the future 
             is always guided and shaped by the past.
               Bob Dole is a man of this century. Bob Dole's life 
             experience is that of a giant figure in American history. 
             The experiences of his life are immeasurable. The 
             knowledge that has been accomplished by it would be hard 
             to calculate. The capacity that it represents has a far 
             and long reach. So when the Senator from Kansas came at 
             midday and gave us his farewell address, you could measure 
             some of the energy and reach and capacity of this world 
             figure, of this American figure, by the response that he 
             received on both sides of the aisle, and throughout 
             America, I am sure.
               I have always said that whenever I think of Bob Dole, I 
             think of the heart and soul of America. I think we saw 
             that expressed over these last several days. He truly is 
             the embodiment of everything that we have come to think of 
             as America--the fortitude to overcome adversity, 
             perseverance, patience, strength, agility, 
             entrepreneurship, problem solving, getting things done. He 
             leaves with the love of his family of colleagues, all who 
             have wished him a safe and secure journey. He 
             characterizes what is yet before him as ``one more 
             mission.'' I think that statement properly casts what lies 
             before him, but it also reminds us of what he has endured. 
             He is a man who has endured and built the American 
             mission. He brings to his task, as I have said, 
             immeasurable resources.
               I believe, as Senator Simpson alluded, that as Americans 
             come to know him as his colleagues do, they will readily 
             embrace this man and his mission and his love for America. 
             I loved it when he gave that famous address as he 
             announced that he would retire from the Senate. He said, 
             with no disrespect to the Congress, that his life had not 
             been about the Congress. He said, ``My life has been about 
             America.'' Gratefully, it still is. So I join those in 
             wishing him a safe journey and Godspeed.

               Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise at this time to speak 
             in concert with so many others who have spoken today about 
             the career of Senator Bob Dole who today moved on to a new 
             role and new responsibilities and left behind a legacy 
             that is virtually unsurpassed in the history of the 
             Senate. Obviously, the accomplishments that Bob Dole 
             achieved, both as a leader in the Senate as well, in his 
             earlier career, as a Member of the House of 
             Representatives, have been chronicled pretty thoroughly 
             both by the media as well as by Senator Dole himself 
             today. It is a legislative record that any of us would be, 
             I think, immensely proud to have at the end of our careers 
             here in this institution.
               So, what I thought I might do instead was to just spend 
             a minute or two talking about the personal side of Bob 
             Dole, the side that many of us here in the Senate know but 
             which is maybe not as well known to the American people.
               I have certainly come to know Bob Dole as a friend. He 
             is somebody who, from the very day that I arrived in the 
             Senate, had a door that was open to me, and I know it was 
             open to others in the freshman class that makes up this 
             104th Congress. He is a man who did not view himself as a 
             senior Member and we as, somehow, junior Members not to be 
             on the same playing field, but somebody who viewed us all 
             as Members of this institution, as equals, who treated us 
             that way, as he treats everybody.
               He is a man of great compassion, a person who, through 
             his own life's experiences, I think, probably cares about 
             and sympathizes and understands the problems that his 
             fellow citizens have more than virtually anybody else in 
             national leadership. He is a person who, I think, 
             personifies the words trust and honesty and integrity more 
             than anybody I have ever worked with in the political 
             process or in the private sector. I have never known 
             anybody who has served with Bob Dole who has not said that 
             his word was good, that his word was always one that you 
             could count on. That is clearly a reason why he is held in 
             such high esteem on both sides of the political aisle.
               These qualities, his capacity to be a good friend, his 
             compassion for his fellow citizens, the honesty, the trust 
             and the integrity that he brought to his service here in 
             the Congress of the United States, make him a giant, in my 
             opinion, a giant who will be remembered far beyond the 
             balcony which today was named after him. But he will be 
             remembered along with the names of Webster and Clay, 
             Johnson, Mansfield, and others who have served and who are 
             remembered as the important ingredients in the formation 
             of our democracy and its continuation.
               I would just say this. Although my tenure in the Senate 
             has lasted only a year and a half, I am extraordinarily 
             proud that I had the chance for that year and a half to 
             serve with Bob Dole. I happen to be one of those who 
             believes that his career in public service is not coming 
             to an end today but that in just a few months he will be 
             back in a different role, working together with us. But I 
             am proud that I had the chance to serve as a fellow Member 
             of the U.S. Senate with him.
               Some people come to this Chamber and perhaps never are 
             given the opportunity to work closely with one of the 
             giants of our Nation's history and of the Senate's 
             history. I feel very lucky and fortunate to have had that 
             chance, even if it was only for a year and a half.
               I wish him and his family great good fortune as they 
             move on to a new challenge in this political campaign, and 
             the best of luck and best wishes for the future.

               Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to 
             our friend, Bob Dole. It has been my pleasure over the 
             years to hold over 30 joint meetings with him in my State, 
             in my time as a Congressman and as a Senator and when he 
             was running for South Dakota's early primary. There were 
             at least 30 meetings. I learned a great deal from Bob's 
             service, and I learned that his tireless energy was always 
             an inspiration to me. In fact, he would always shake hands 
             with everybody at the end of those meetings, regardless of 
             how long it took. But he offered a great deal of substance 
             when somebody asked him a complicated question. He would 
             give the full Senate answer, so to speak. I believe that 
             he will go down as one of the great Members of this 
             Chamber, in terms of legislative accomplishments and 
             contributions.
               I was one of the first Senators to commit to him for 
             majority leader or minority leader--whichever was the 
             case, because at the time we did not know for sure. I was 
             one of the first Senators to endorse him for President. I 
             think his career in the Senate represents the best of 
             Senate life. I guess everybody knows about his wit and his 
             determination. I could never believe or comprehend how he 
             had so much energy. He literally went 7 days a week. He 
             would be as energetic on Sunday night when he was coming 
             back to Washington.
               I also visited at least 15 States with him during the 
             time he was a Presidential candidate or chairman of the 
             party or when I was a Congressman, and he did the same 
             thing there, too. He was not a golfer or a tennis player. 
             He just worked all the time. I have never seen anything 
             like it. He would fill up the whole weekend with work and 
             visits. To him, it was service. I just would not have that 
             much energy because I need a day off now and then. I pay 
             tribute to him because he is one of the great Members of 
             this Chamber that I have served with, and it has been my 
             pleasure to work side by side with him.
               I have a number of other reminiscences, which I will 
             place in the Record. During this short time, let me also 
             say that I have felt a great deal of friendship and still 
             feel a great deal of friendship with Bob Dole. He is a 
             person with whom I could always talk to if I was 
             struggling in some of my campaigns, or whatever. He would 
             always be there to help. Just recently, he invited me 
             along on four stops in several States with him. His energy 
             is as great as it has ever been.
               Bob Dole is a great man. He will be a great President, 
             and I will miss him very much here in the Senate. It feels 
             lonely around here without him already, without his quips, 
             and so forth. I came in a little late at lunch today and 
             he said, ``You are late, Pressler. We are going to count 
             you late.'' He was full of quips all the time. I pay 
             tribute to my friend, Bob Dole, a great U.S. Senator, who 
             will be a great President.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we witnessed today the 
             departure from the Senate of one of the giants of American 
             history. On a day like this, obviously, all of your 
             memories come back to you. I remember the first time I met 
             Bob Dole. It was in this room in the early part of 1969. I 
             was a fuzzy-cheeked staffer back here on what was then 
             these big stuffed couches. Bob Dole was a freshman 
             Senator. Since desks on the floor of the Senate were 
             assigned on the basis of seniority, he sat near the back. 
             I remember him as being the most popular of the freshman 
             Republicans with the staff. Why? Because he was nice to 
             us. This is a place where, as many know, some Senators are 
             a little full of themselves and frequently are not all 
             that nice to staff. Bob Dole was not only nice to us, his 
             humor was often practiced on us before he related some of 
             it on the floor.
               In short, you could sense from the beginning, from the 
             day Bob Dole walked in here, that he was something 
             special, that he was not going to be just your average 
             Senator. So like everybody else, I watched his development 
             over the years. I left as a staffer and went back home to 
             do my own thing. My next recollection of Bob Dole was in 
             1980, his first campaign for President, which was not 
             conspicuously successful. I remember picking him up one 
             day in Kentucky and taking him to a meeting and watching 
             him tirelessly work the crowd. He had to have a sense that 
             his campaign was failing. But as Woody Allen said, 
             ``Eighty percent of life is showing up.'' Bob Dole was 
             driven. He always showed up. He continued to push.
               The next time I saw him was in 1984, 3 days before the 
             Senate race in Kentucky. All of a sudden, the word had 
             spread around that this challenger in the Senate race in 
             Kentucky might have a shot. Bob and Elizabeth Dole came 
             in, and we wheeled around the State in their plane, and 
             they gave me the boost I needed at the end to get over the 
             finish line.
               In short, like everybody else here, I have had a number 
             of reminiscences of this great American. On a day like 
             this, they all come back. It seems like there is a giant 
             sort of gap here in the Senate with his departure. Today 
             was a bittersweet day for all of us. I think it is kind of 
             a mixture of exhilaration for him that he goes out on this 
             new challenge, undeterred by all of the restraints that 
             are obvious here, but at the same time he regretted his 
             departure. I only add: Godspeed, Bob Dole. I think we will 
             be seeing you in Government once again.

               Mr. SMITH. Madam President, today I rise to join so many 
             of my colleagues in a tribute to my friend and my leader, 
             Senator Bob Dole, who, as we all know, is leaving the 
             Senate today, June 11, 1996.
               As a former history teacher, I could not help but sense 
             the historical significance of this day. It really was a 
             flashback to the old days of the great oratory that took 
             place on the Senate floor, with the likes of Calhoun and 
             Clay and others, when Bob Dole took the podium that he so 
             many times has stood at and addressed the U.S. Senate. You 
             could hear a pin drop in the Chamber and in the gallery, 
             not always the case here on the Senate floor, with a lot 
             of hustling and bustling and talking and people not paying 
             attention.
               That was not the case today. Senator Bob Dole took that 
             podium, addressed the country, the Chair, his colleagues 
             and friends, many, many staff in the galleries, and the 
             Chamber was hushed and quiet and everybody was listening--
             as well they should, Madam President, because when the 
             history books are written, they will write about the great 
             Senators who have occupied this Chamber: Henry Clay, John 
             C. Calhoun, Bob La Follette, Robert Taft and, yes, Daniel 
             Webster. Daniel Webster used this very desk, Madam 
             President, that I now have the privilege of speaking from.
               It reminds me that we are just a brief blip on the radar 
             screen of time; here for only an instant. But Bob Dole is 
             one of the great ones, and he will be remembered as one of 
             the great ones.
               As a history student, I tried to catch a sense of what 
             was happening. I looked at faces, watched people in this 
             Chamber, as I watched, at the same time, Senator Dole. 
             Without singling anybody out by name, I could not help but 
             notice one page, a young lady, standing here on the floor 
             of the Chamber during that speech and after the speech 
             with tears running down her cheeks. It really was a very 
             moving tribute to the kind of person Bob Dole is, because 
             he commands the respect of not only his colleagues but 
             every single man, woman, youngster, page. He could talk to 
             a page as easily as he could talk to a President or world 
             leader. That is what makes him such a great man.
               Today, he left the Senate to move on to other things. I 
             remember many emotional private goodbyes that he shared 
             with his colleagues. I remember when we had the meeting 
             when he told us he was leaving. Most of us did not expect 
             him to do it. If we were honest, we would say we did not 
             expect him to say that. We thought he might leave the 
             leadership post but not the Senate. But when he did it, 
             and the way he told us, we knew it was the right thing. We 
             knew it was right, because he needed to be out there 
             debating, not other Senators on the floor of the Senate, 
             but the President of the United States for the Presidency. 
             We all knew that.
               Today, I think you saw with the type of speech that Bob 
             Dole gave the kind of person he is: humble, gracious, and 
             humorous, that great sense of humor. In all the tough 
             battles we have here, he still finds that humor, which has 
             always been a remarkable characteristic.
               So he is leaving the Senate. But he left today after 
             that speech with the longest applause that I have ever 
             seen given anyone in this Chamber or in the House Chamber. 
             I have seen Presidents when we have gone to the State of 
             the Union--great Presidents--receive a lot of ovations. I 
             have never seen anybody receive a longer ovation than Bob 
             Dole received here today, and that is a tribute to this 
             great man who was elected to the House of Representatives 
             where, Madam President, you and I both served together. He 
             was elected in 1960 and served four terms in the House 
             before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, which really has 
             come to be, the past 27 years, his home.
               But he gave nearly 36 years of service to the State of 
             Kansas and to the people of the United States of America. 
             When you think about that many years of public service and 
             reflect on the fact there is not one word or taint of 
             scandal in any way, shape, or form, an unblemished, 
             perfect political record, it is remarkable.
               He served his country and the Senate and the people with 
             humor, with humility, and we will never forget him.
               His wife, Elizabeth, who has been by his side for so 
             many years, is such a gracious woman and such an asset to 
             Bob Dole. Those who serve here know how important the 
             support of your family is as you put in the long, long 
             hours that we have to endure in the Senate.
               Bob Dole said today in his remarks, ``My word is my 
             bond.'' That is what it is all about. It is character. It 
             is integrity and character. If you leave here, the legacy 
             you leave, if no one says anything about you other than 
             when he gave his word he kept it, you cannot do any better 
             than that.
               I tried to think about what I might say here as my 
             tribute in my own way, because so many people have so many 
             wonderful things to say about this great man. I just want 
             to share a couple of personal things, because they are 
             important to me and I think it captures my feeling about 
             Bob Dole.
               I come from a military family. My father served in World 
             War II as a naval aviator and was killed at the end of the 
             war, leaving my mother as a widow to raise my brother and 
             me. She did that alone. I lost my dad, as I say, in World 
             War II, and Bob Dole nearly lost his life in that same 
             war. Severely injured, he had to fight his way back, not 
             only from the brink of death but after that, paralysis, 
             and became a U.S. Senator.
               But we, the sons and daughters of that generation, those 
             of us who had parents who were in that war, World War II, 
             we know, we are grateful. Perhaps we know and are a little 
             bit more grateful than others for what they did and the 
             sacrifices they made and how important they were to save 
             the world from tyranny. It took heroes like Bob Dole--and 
             he was a hero, he is a hero --it took heroes like Bob Dole 
             to make that happen. We owe him, and thousands of others 
             like him, a huge debt of gratitude for their service and 
             their sacrifice to our country, because when the call 
             came, they stepped up and they stopped tyranny.
               So Bob Dole did not get here the easy way. We hear a lot 
             of stories about how everybody in the Senate is rich and 
             everybody gets here the easy way and you live this great 
             life, but Bob Dole made it the hard way. You cannot help 
             but admire and respect a man like that.
               I turned to him in 1993 to be a part of one of the most 
             personal and meaningful experiences of my entire life, and 
             I want to share that with my colleagues and with the 
             American people.
               When my father died in 1945, it was 2 days before my 
             fourth birthday, so I only have two memories of my dad. My 
             brother has no memories of our dad, because he was less 
             than a year old. I had always wanted to have my father 
             buried at Arlington, but I never wanted to bring that 
             subject up with my mother because he was not buried at 
             Arlington and I did not want to put my mother through that 
             experience of having his remains moved from where he was 
             buried in New Jersey to come here to Arlington where I 
             believe he would have liked to have been laid to rest. So 
             I put it off.
               Then in May 1993, my mother passed away. She used to say 
             she was a one-man woman, and she was. She never remarried 
             after she lost my dad. But she always would go by the 
             cemetery and she would say, ``Put me there with him so 
             that we can be together forever.''
               When I made the decision to bury my parents--both of 
             them--at Arlington National Cemetery in May 1993, I asked 
             Senator Dole if he would have the time to come and give a 
             few remarks at that service. Within a matter of minutes, 
             the response came back: ``Of course.''
               I asked Bob Dole to say just a few words. I listened as 
             this man made connections to my parents that I just could 
             not believe anyone could do so spontaneously. He did not 
             know my mother. He did not know my father. But I listened 
             to Bob Dole say very movingly of how my father had stood 
             guard in the night and how he had made the ultimate 
             sacrifice. I listened as he spoke of how my mother had 
             stood guard here at home when my father went away to war. 
             I listened, Madam President, and I knew how proud my 
             father and mother were, looking down from Heaven to see 
             this American hero, Bob Dole, speaking at their memorial 
             service in Arlington National Cemetery.
               He even made the connection my dad served on the U.S.S. 
             Wichita. He said, ``Any man who would serve on the U.S.S. 
             Wichita, named after a city in Kansas, had to be a great 
             man.'' He made that ceremony so personal that many of my 
             relatives came up to me afterwards and said, ``Did Senator 
             Dole know your parents?'' I said, ``I think he did. I 
             really think he did.''
               So holding Bob Dole in the esteem I do, I was honored 
             that only 8 months into my first term in the Senate, 
             Senator Dole selected me to be vice chairman of the Senate 
             Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. It was a great honor 
             for me to serve in that capacity. I shall always be 
             grateful to Bob Dole for giving me that opportunity. Of 
             course, he also selected me for the Ethics Committee, and 
             I may hold that against him for a little while.
               But, Madam President, in 1994, I had another moving 
             experience. I attended the 50th anniversary commemoration 
             of D-Day at Normandy. I saw there a sight that I will 
             never ever forget. My wife Mary Jo and I went, and Bob 
             Dole went as well. He retraced his steps in Italy. To see 
             him there back with those people who helped to save his 
             life, and to walk those hills where he was wounded, and 
             then to go to Normandy after he left Italy, to the beaches 
             of Normandy with those rows and rows and rows of crosses, 
             and to think of the sacrifices, and men in wheelchairs, 
             men with lost limbs, hugging, saluting this man--it was a 
             great honor just to be there for the celebration of 
             Normandy, but to be there in the company of Bob Dole, I 
             shall always be grateful to Senator Dole for giving me 
             that opportunity. I have never seen such admiration, 
             gratitude, respect, and love as there was for that man. 
             They loved him. They absolutely loved him.
               Another just little thing, but last summer I had two 
             young interns, just college kids, Jennifer Kilgus and Greg 
             Annis. They were walking down the corridor of the Capitol, 
             just taking a walk. They decided to stop in to the 
             majority leader's office just to say they went in there, 
             hoping maybe they might have the chance to meet Bob Dole.
               Not only did he agree to see them with no appointment, 
             but in the midst of a very busy schedule he spent 15 
             minutes talking to them, two young interns in his office, 
             giving them the thrill of their lives. That is the kind of 
             man Bob Dole is. That is why there were tears in the eyes 
             of that page when Bob Dole said he was leaving.
               Finally, Madam President, as the senior Senator from New 
             Hampshire, I cannot help but note that somehow Bob Dole 
             has managed to spend quite a bit of time in New Hampshire 
             over the past few years. He lost a tough primary in New 
             Hampshire but went across the Nation with a stunning 
             series of smashing primary victories as he won the 
             Republican nomination for President. Gracious in defeat 
             and gracious in victory.
               He has been to New Hampshire just to enjoy its beautiful 
             lakes and mountains and countrysides. Perhaps, Madam 
             President, you never know, there might even be a summer 
             White House in New Hampshire someplace.
               Final anecdote. I remember Senator Dole, I believe 2 
             years ago, saying to me, ``You know, my Elizabeth would 
             really like to go water-skiing. But we would really not 
             like to have a crowd around. Could you arrange that so 
             that we didn't have to have a bunch of people with cameras 
             so she could relax and enjoy herself?'' And we did. She is 
             a great water-skier, too.
               So, Madam President, I join my colleagues in saying 
             farewell, but not goodbye, to Bob Dole. The last thing I 
             said to Senator Bob Dole on the floor of the Senate, as I 
             shook his hand after his remarks, was, ``I'll see you at 
             your swearing in for President on the West Front of the 
             Capitol on January 20, 1997.'' He said, ``I'll be there.'' 
             I said, ``I know you will, Mr. President.'' I have been 
             proud to serve with Bob Dole in the U.S. Senate. I will be 
             prouder still next year to fight as a Senator to help 
             President Bob Dole pass the agenda that he dreams about 
             for America.

               Mr. LAUTENBERG. Madam President, I will take just a 
             couple of minutes beyond that which was allocated to me by 
             the Senator from Nebraska to say that I, too, listened 
             very intently to Senator Dole's remarks today. I was 
             touched and moved by them.
               I will not go into his record, and I will not go to any 
             length, but I want to say that Bob Dole is someone whom I 
             have admired over the years, with whom I have worked very 
             smoothly. When he said it, he meant it. When he meant it, 
             he said it. That is the way he operated.
               He is part of a generation, of which I also am, and that 
             is the generation of World War II veterans, a dwindling 
             group, I regret to say. This year we will see several 
             leave because, in addition to Senator Bob Dole, Senator 
             Hatfield, and Senator Heflin will leave, and the group 
             tightens and shrinks. It is not a very pleasant prospect 
             to contemplate. But, nevertheless, it is a decided loss to 
             take away the experience, the knowledge, the reflection of 
             those who served in World War II at a time when America 
             was a much different place, at a time when the values were 
             established by tightly knit families, by those who worried 
             about the loss of a loved one or the injury of a family 
             member in the war. It was a huge war with somewhere around 
             14, 15 million people from our country in uniform. It 
             touched every family in America. There was not a family 
             that did not have close contact with that war.
               We were also the generation that benefited enormously--
             enormously--from an educational program called the GI bill 
             that was afforded to people like me and many others who 
             serve here, where it changed our lives. The military 
             experience was one thing. I served in World War II, not 
             under the same level of danger that Senator Dole or 
             Senator Inouye served, but people in my unit were killed. 
             It changed our lives because of the experience of the war, 
             the fear, the danger, the detachment from family. When I 
             enlisted in World War II, my father was already on his 
             death bed, a man of just 43 years of age. And a family of 
             four became a family of two virtually overnight.
               But the experience of serving my country, the 
             opportunity to do so, the opportunity to get an education, 
             is something that ought to be firmly implanted in 
             everybody's mind in this place and in this country, where 
             an education can change one's life, as it did, I know for 
             so many of my colleagues. Certainly, it did for me.
               Without giving a personal biography, that is not my 
             intent, just to say that we will miss Bob Dole. We will 
             miss his experience and we will miss his wisdom. I wish 
             him well--not quite as well as the Senator from New 
             Hampshire, but that is in terms of the upcoming 
             Presidential election--I wish him, personally, well and I 
             wish him and his family many good years of enjoyment and 
             good health.

               Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, I will not keep us long in 
             the closing hours of the U.S. Senate in what will 
             certainly be recognized and reported as a historic day.
               Madam President, this evening I want to add to my 
             earlier remarks two thoughts that I think are appropriate 
             as many of our colleagues have come to the floor today to 
             express their sadness, their reminiscent thoughts, and in 
             some instances our joy that Bob Dole is now free to lead 
             our party, my party, the Republican Party, in his quest 
             for the Presidency.
               Over the last 2 years I have had the privilege of 
             developing a unique relationship with leader Bob Dole. I 
             chair the steering committee here in the Senate, better 
             known as the conservatives, or a group of conservatives, 
             and there have been many occasions when I have been 
             instructed by that group to go sit down with our leader 
             and express our concern over a given issue.
               It has been over the course of that time that I have 
             gotten to know Bob Dole for the person that so many have 
             spoken to today: a man whose leadership, and his concern 
             about our country and this institution, the Senate, was 
             always foremost. He did so in style and dignity. Bob Dole 
             is one of those people who could tell you no with as much 
             sincerity as he could tell you yes; that he would take 
             your issue and carry it forward, or that he did not 
             believe what you were discussing with him was appropriate 
             at the time and that sometime in the future it might fit. 
             That was the kind of person who I have grown to know and 
             respect in my first term here in the U.S. Senate.
               Another issue that Bob Dole has been more than fair to 
             this Senator on is the issue of my leadership on the 
             balanced budget amendment. I had started that effort in 
             the House in the 1980's, but it was some years after Bob 
             Dole had already presented the idea here in the U.S. 
             Senate. I, along with the Presiding Officer at this 
             moment, had felt the importance of this issue and had 
             worked hard to make it a national issue.
               When I arrived here in the Senate in 1990 as the 
             citizens of Idaho chose me as one of their U.S. Senators, 
             Bob Dole was very quick to say, ``Larry, that is your 
             issue, and we want you to lead.'' As our committee 
             meetings went forward, or as there were press conferences, 
             or as there were other gatherings in behalf of a balanced 
             budget amendment, Bob Dole attended them religiously. But 
             with his seniority and with his prestige, he was always 
             willing to step back and say to people like myself, or 
             Orrin Hatch, or others, or Paul Simon, ``This is your 
             issue. You lead with it. You carry it.''
               When we convened the historic 104th session, as Bob Dole 
             become the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, he was very 
             quick to say to me and others, ``This is an issue that 
             will be one of our lead issues this year, and I want you, 
             Larry Craig, or Orrin Hatch, or Paul Simon, to lead me.''
               What I am saying is that in all of the opportunities 
             that Bob Dole had to be in the forefront, there were many 
             occasions when he was very willing to step back and let 
             others lead, and I think that is the sign of a leader. I 
             think that is the expression of the confidence that he had 
             in himself, but at the same time the willingness to share 
             that with all of us as he saw the importance of broadening 
             our base and carrying these issues forward.
               I, along with every Senator in this body, will miss Bob 
             Dole as our majority leader.
               But I say that I am excited about the future. And I am 
             excited about the opportunity someday, as I believe I will 
             have that opportunity, to say to Bob Dole, ``Mr. 
             President, it is my pleasure to serve you.''

                        ORDER FOR PRINTING A SENATE DOCUMENT
               Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the tributes to Senator Dole be printed as a Senate 
             document.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.

                                              Wednesday, June 12, 1996.

               Mr. KYL. Bob Dole's statement upon announcing he would 
             give up his Senate seat to run for the Presidency--that he 
             is ``just a man''--packs a lot in a simple string of 
             words, as is his habit. This phrase captures the modesty, 
             the simplicity, and above all the straightforwardness and 
             honesty of the Senator from Kansas. Men like Bob Dole 
             achieve great things because they go at them directly, 
             with no ifs, ands, or buts asking a lot of themselves and 
             taking responsibility for the bottom line.
               Senator Dole's more than 35 years of service to the 
             Congress of the United States have been filled with great 
             accomplishments because he never let up, he brought people 
             of different views together to hammer out legislation, and 
             he was an honest broker trusted by everyone. My father, 
             Congressman John Kyl of Iowa, served with then-Congressman 
             Dole in the House of Representatives in the 1960's and 
             knew him to be a man of leadership and utter integrity. As 
             Congressman Dole, and later Senator Dole, learned his job 
             as a legislator, he never lost that sense of being ``just 
             a man'' from Russell, KS. He is not one to be dazzled by 
             the bright lights, the pomp, and the power of Washington. 
             He came armed with the simple virtues of his Kansas 
             constituents, and those same virtues are evident in him 
             today. He remains the embodiment of the heartland of 
             America--a place much maligned by sophisticates, perhaps, 
             but a place that still has the moral strengths that we 
             Americans define ourselves by: dedication to duty, plain 
             but honest speech, and an awareness that limited 
             government requires of office holders that they never take 
             their power for granted. When Bob Dole says that he is 
             grateful to have served his fellow citizens, those are not 
             empty words. We believe him.
               In his parting statement today, he hold us that ``there 
             are some issues that transcend politics . . . and result 
             in legislation that makes a real and lasting difference.'' 
             Whether it is a matter of supporting civil rights, 
             doggedly backing our military troops in an unpopular 
             conflict in Indochina during the 1960's and 1970's, or 
             ensuring access to public places for disabled Americans in 
             the 1990's, he has often put aside partisanship and laid 
             it on the line for the things he believes in. His 
             statesmanship, his ability to come to closure for the sake 
             of the common good, is well known to those of us who have 
             worked with him inside this institution. But perhaps few 
             outside of the Congress are aware of it. If everyone could 
             know him as we do, they would see a man with an 
             extraordinary capacity to see beyond the heated conflicts 
             of the moment, to keep the big picture in mind, and to 
             reach a consensus that yields practical results. If 
             everyone knew him as well as his colleagues do, they would 
             see that Bob Dole has everything it takes to be President 
             of this country.
               Of the Senate he now says, on the day of his departure, 
             ``It is a place that I have loved.'' Again, no rhetorical 
             flourishes, just simple words of emotion, and all the more 
             powerful for being unadorned. He reached the pinnacle of 
             leadership among Senate Republicans, and for all too short 
             a time has been leader of the Chamber itself. But he has 
             walked away, and in characteristic style. Bob Dole is at 
             the peak of his powers. But he moves on, ready to take on 
             the biggest challenge in a life full of challenges. He has 
             demonstrated--and in a remarkably dramatic way--that he is 
             not one to rest on his laurels; instead, he is the kind of 
             man who does honor to every contest he enters.

               Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to Senator Robert J. Dole of Russell, KS for his 35 years 
             of service in the U.S. Congress. Tuesday was a sad day for 
             the U.S. Senate, for we lost one of our great leaders. It 
             was also a sad day for me personally, for I lost a trusted 
             colleague and a valued friend in the Senate. As the 
             Republican leader in the Senate for 11 years, Senator Dole 
             has left his fingerprints on every piece of legislation 
             that has passed the Congress. His legacy will be 
             remembered forever as one of vast legislative achievement.
               I got my first glimpse of Senator Dole's legislative 
             abilities when I came to Congress in 1975. In the wake of 
             Watergate, and the massive congressional turnover that 
             ensued, I was secured the position of ranking member of 
             the House Agriculture Subcommittee with jurisdiction over 
             the dairy industry. As a member of the Senate Agriculture 
             Committee, Senator Dole and I worked closely together on 
             many issues. I remember well the bonds we formed as 
             conferees together on farm bills and working together to 
             pass legislation for food stamps and child nutrition.
               Later, as I gained seniority on the House Education and 
             Labor Committee, we worked together again on disability 
             policy. Senator Dole's commitment and determination to the 
             passage of legislation ensuring that all Americans, 
             regardless of physical disability, had equal opportunity 
             was inspirational.
               In 1989 when I became a member of the U.S. Senate, I had 
             the privilege of seeing Senator Dole's leadership 
             abilities first-hand everyday. I have watched with 
             amazement his ability to pull legislative initiatives out 
             of the fire, and prevail on issues from civil rights to 
             Social Security reform. In Vermont there's a saying, ``You 
             can't get there from here.'' Well, Senator Dole proved 
             that adage wrong time and time again as he has moved 
             legislation through the Senate.
               In an institution where you are only as good as your 
             word, Senator Dole prospered. His ability to build 
             coalitions and form consensus on some of this Nation's 
             most pressing issues is a testament to his integrity and 
             character. In a world that has become ever more crude and 
             impertinent, Senator Dole has defined ``the word'' 
             civility.
               Tuesday was a bittersweet day, for although I'm sad 
             Senator Dole has left us in the Senate, I know he'll be 
             close by as he seeks higher aspirations. I only hope that 
             he knows that this is one Senator who feels that the U.S. 
             Senate will never be the same without him.

                                                 Monday, June 24, 1996.

               Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, in my 22 years here in the 
             Senate, I have had a chance to witness many historic 
             events in this Chamber. When I leave the Senate, I hope to 
             write a book about some of these.
               One of the truly historic events was a speech given by 
             our former majority leader, the senior Senator from 
             Kansas, Senator Dole. I think, Mr. President, that there 
             will be historians who read the Record of that event; but 
             in reading the Record they will read only the words. They 
             will not really see the event. I would like to add, for 
             those historians who may read that, that at the time 
             Senator Dole gave his speech, most of the Republicans and 
             most of the Democrats were on the floor.
               As the Presiding Officer knows, when Senators speak, 
             even though we may all be on the floor, oftentimes we do 
             not listen. This was an exception. Every single Senator on 
             the floor listened, and listened carefully. They heard a 
             speech that was vintage Bob Dole--plain to the point, with 
             flashes of the humor that we know so well. Even when he 
             was corrected by the then distinguished Presiding Officer, 
             the President pro tempore, when the President pro tempore 
             spoke of his around-the-clock filibuster, Senator Dole ad 
             libbed. ``And that is why you are not often invited to be 
             an after dinner speaker.''
               There is far more than just humor in that there is real 
             affection from Senators of both parties--affection for a 
             man who earned it. He earned it as one of the finest 
             Senators I have had a chance to serve with. I have been 
             here with great majority leaders, such as Senator 
             Mansfield, Senator Byrd, Senator Baker, Senator Mitchell 
             and, of course, Senator Dole. I was thinking how good it 
             was to be in a Senate led by Senator Dole on the 
             Republican side and Senator Daschle on the Democratic 
             side. It is not just his leadership, but his role as a 
             U.S. Senator that earned him respect and affection from 
             both sides of the aisle.
               I began serving on the same committee with Bob Dole when 
             I came here as a junior member of the Agriculture 
             Committee. I watched how he worked with Hubert Humphrey 
             and George McGovern, as well as key members on the 
             Republican side, on nutrition matters--school lunch, 
             school breakfast, and food stamps. After Senator McGovern 
             and Senator Humphrey were gone, it fell on me to pick up 
             our side of the aisle on that.
               Throughout the years, there were a number of Dole-Leahy 
             and Leahy-Dole amendments on nutrition that passed. I have 
             worked with him on major farm bills. This last one was the 
             Dole-Leahy-Lugar farm bill in the Senate.
               When Senator Dole was ready to leave the Senate, I went 
             to see him, and I spoke to him and told him that it had 
             been a privilege to work with him and that there were an 
             awful lot of people who were fed--hungry Americans--
             because of legislation we were able to work on together.
               It certainly was not just me, by any means. I think of 
             another giant in the Senate, Pat Moynihan, who stood in 
             the well of the Senate, with Senators milling around, and 
             had a conversation with Senator Dole. It was in the early 
             1980's when we thought the reform of Social Security was 
             dead. Senator Moynihan said to Senator Dole, ``Let us try 
             one more time.'' And because the two of them worked first 
             on what was best for the country--not necessarily what was 
             best for each other's political future or the future of 
             the parties--and they worked in a nonpartisan fashion, 
             they saved Social Security. It required two Senators of 
             that stature, with respect on both sides of the aisle, to 
             do it, and Senators who were willing to put everything 
             else aside.
               So much will be written during this year, and each of 
             our parties will support our nominee for President. No 
             matter which was the Presidential election comes out, the 
             country should understand that it benefited by Senator 
             Dole being in the Senate. I say this as a Member of the 
             other party. I hope that all Senators, Republicans and 
             Democrats, will realize that the Senate itself is bigger 
             than any one of us. We owe a duty not just to our 
             political fortunes, but to the U.S. Senate and to help be 
             the conscience of this great Nation. We have to work 
             together, first and foremost, for what is best for the 
             Nation, not each other.
               I salute the good Senator, my good friend, Senator Bob 
             Dole, and I will miss him here in the Senate.
                              Proceedings in the House
                                                Tuesday, June 11, 1996.
               Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, today is the day of the ``great 
             escape.'' The presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, 
             Robert Dole, is leaving the U.S. Senate after 35 years of 
             service on Capitol Hill.
               As a loyal Democrat, let me first salute Mr. Dole. His 
             service to his country, both in World War II and since, 
             has been exemplary. He has been a legislative leader, one 
             that is virtually unparalleled in terms of his own party's 
             leadership, and he has been at the table when many of the 
             most important legislative achievements of the last 
             several generations have been enacted, and I salute him 
             for that.
               But I certainly do understand why he wants to escape 
             from the 104th Congress, the Congress which the gentleman 
             from Georgia [Mr. Gingrich] called his ``revolution.''
               Take a look at what Mr. Dole is leaving behind as he 
             leaves Washington, DC. First, the failure of this 104th 
             Republican Congress to enact meaningful health insurance 
             reform. Families that I speak to across the State of 
             Illinois and around the country are justifiably concerned 
             about the availability and cost of health insurance. There 
             is a bipartisan bill, the Kennedy-Kassebaum bill, that is 
             languishing now between the House and the Senate waiting 
             for enactment. Mr. Dole will be leaving Washington without 
             the enactment of this important health insurance reform 
             legislation to help working families.
               Second, Mr. Dole is leaving town without a minimum-wage 
             increase. That is something that is long overdue. 
             Fortunately, 30 or 40 Republicans broke from Speaker 
             Gingrich here in the House of Representatives and joined 
             the Democrats in passing minimum-wage increase legislation 
             just a few weeks ago, but Mr. Dole will be leaving town 
             without this bill being enacted into law.
               He came into Chicago a few weeks ago and took off his 
             tie, and put on a sports coat and said, ``I'm just a plain 
             individual out here running for President, just one of the 
             people.'' I hope he gets a chance in that capacity to meet 
             some minimum-wage workers, and I hope they get a chance to 
             ask Mr. Dole why he left town without helping them and 
             their families cope with the increasing cost of raising 
             their families and providing for a sound future.
               He will be leaving town without a balanced budget, and 
             that is something which could have been achieved with 
             bipartisan cooperation.
               Mr. Dole will be leaving Washington without this 104th 
             Congress having acted to expand access to educational 
             opportunity. Instead, the Gingrich-Dole agenda cut back on 
             college student loans for kids from working families. I do 
             not understand that. I would not be standing here today if 
             it were not for a college student loan through the Federal 
             Government. My story has been repeated millions of times 
             over in the United States: kids from working families who 
             could not afford college tuition turn to the Government 
             for a helping hand. Instead of providing that hand, the 
             Gingrich-Dole Congress has basically cut off educational 
             opportunity for so many kids, not only at the college 
             level but also at the lower levels.
               There has been no real welfare reform when there should 
             have been. We ought to be able to agree that this welfare 
             system can be reformed meaningfully, that we can, in fact, 
             have provisions that are tough on work but not tough on 
             kids, and unfortunately the Gingrich-Dole proposal was not 
             one that really would reform welfare and help people come 
             off of welfare and become taxpayers.
               There are no tax cuts for working families that Mr. Dole 
             can point to from the 104th Congress. The Gingrich-Dole 
             Republicans have wanted to make tax cuts for the wealthy, 
             to cut Medicare to come up with money to give to wealthy 
             individuals.
               But what the President has proposed is much more 
             sensible: Let us give working families a helping hand to 
             pay for the college education of their kids. Now, that is 
             something that families all over America can identify 
             with. People, when they have a new baby in the family, go 
             over and greet the new baby and congratulate the new 
             parents, and after a few minutes inevitably the 
             conversation turns to, well, we better start saving some 
             money for this little boy or this little girl and their 
             college education.
               President Clinton has a proposal to give working 
             families a helping hand, a tax deduction or a tax credit 
             to pay for college education expenses. Mr. Gingrich and 
             Mr. Dole will hear nothing of this, and, as a consequence, 
             Mr. Dole will leave Washington without having done 
             anything in the 104th Congress to help expand that 
             opportunity.
               There have been no improvements in pension security. A 
             lot of workers across America are paying into pension 
             funds wondering if the time comes when they retire that 
             the money will be there. The gentleman from Georgia 
             [Gingrich] has provided in his own bill opportunities for 
             corporations to raid these pension funds. The people that 
             I speak to, the workers I speak to, want security in those 
             pension funds. It is a shame that Mr. Dole is leaving 
             Washington without the 104th Congress having addressed 
             that.
               And, finally, no improvements in environmental 
             protection. In fact, the Republican budget that Mr. 
             Gingrich and Mr. Dole worked on would cut the number of 
             Superfund sites that will be eradicated in this country.
               It is understandable that Mr. Dole is leaving 
             Washington. Certainly we can understand why a presidential 
             candidate would want to leave the scene of this political 
             accident known as the 104th Congress.

                                              Wednesday, June 12, 1996.

               Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, yesterday Senate majority 
             leader Robert J. Dole became a private citizen. He left us 
             in Congress a legacy of integrity, honesty and character. 
             Character is something that you develop when no one is 
             around, as Senator Dole did in his service to his country 
             during World War II and the 39 months that followed as he 
             struggled to regain his ability to walk. Honesty is 
             something that he has provided to the American public even 
             when it was unpopular. Integrity is something Senator Dole 
             has undergone with three decades of public scrutiny and 
             three presidential campaigns. He has worked hard 
             throughout that time to do the right thing.
               Mr. Speaker, we will miss Senator Dole on the Hill, but 
             we will welcome him with open arms as he moves into 1600 
             Pennsylvania Avenue.

               Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, as I stood on the 
             floor of the other body watching my friend Bob Dole say 
             farewell, I was impressed, as always, by his remarks--
             which were delivered with his trademark sincerity and 
             self-depreciating humor. But I was just as impressed with 
             the response he got from the crowd, which ran the gamut 
             from Senators and House Members to capitol tour guides, 
             pages, and Senate staff.
               It was clear to me that everyone present, regardless of 
             party affiliation, age or importance, held this man in 
             high regard. There was a palpable sense of affection and 
             respect in that room--the kind of affection and respect 
             that is only given to someone who has earned it over the 
             years.
               I would venture to say that although most Americans know 
             about Bob Dole's leadership; his record of service; his 
             keen intellect, and his commitment to making a difference 
             for America, many of them do not know what the crowd in 
             the Senate Chamber knew--that Bob Dole is a man with 
             tremendous heart, and that he has served the American 
             people, and the institution of the Senate for many years 
             with everything he had to give.
               Bob is known around here as one of the kindest, most 
             generous people in Washington--the man who knows everyone 
             in the Capitol, from the plumbers and the carpenters to 
             the Senators and the reporters--and treats everyone the 
             same. He is known as a leader of great skill, vision, and 
             rock-solid integrity, and he is known as a man with heart.
               It was Bob's heart that led him to serve our Nation 
             during war, and that gave him the strength to recover from 
             injuries that would have killed many men.
               It is his heart that makes him someone who is 
             consistently rated as a favorite by Capitol employees, and 
             who has gone out of his way time and again to help me 
             since I came to Washington. It is his heartfelt belief in 
             the American ideals of hard work, individual 
             responsibility and helping others that has led him to work 
             night and day to make a difference for this Nation.
               Bob Dole is a proven leader and a true American hero. He 
             has the character, the courage, the compassion--and the 
             heart--to lead this Nation into the next century, and I 
             join with all his other friends, and colleagues in wishing 
             him well as he departs Capitol Hill to move on to his next 
             challenge.
                 

                               ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS
                                           

                                           
                        [From the Buffalo News, May 18, 1996]
             Bob Dole's Leadership in the Senate Was One of Contrasts; 
                                    and Consensus
                                (By Elaine S. Povich)
               In 1983, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole played a 
             pivotal role in bailing out the Social Security system.
               But in a bold budget-cutting move 2 years later, the 
             Kansas Republican pressured the Senate to vote for a 
             reduction in the Social Security cost-of-living raise--
             only to see then-President Reagan and the right wing of 
             his own party abandon him and contribute to the loss of 
             his Senate majority.
               In 1981, Dole engineered Reagan's tax cut, but he spent 
             the next several years passing tax-increase bills, with 
             acronyms like TEFRA and DEFRA, trying to make up the 
             revenue that was lost.
               Dole was instrumental in bringing together unlikely 
             coalitions to pass bills like the Americans With 
             Disabilities Act and to secure aid to the Nicaraguan 
             Contras. His 27-year Senate career, while notable for its 
             achievements, is a study in such contradictions, capped 
             off by his decision to leave at a time when the body is in 
             disarray and desperate for the kind of leadership Dole 
             provided so well in the past.
               The current Republican effort to roll back the 1993 
             gasoline tax and the Democratic effort to increase the 
             minimum wage are in limbo, the budget is not passed and 
             health care legislation is mired in controversy.
               Even the race to succeed him is up in the air. Majority 
             Whip Trent Lott (R-MS), is poised to move up to the top 
             job but could face challenges from fellow Mississippian 
             Thad Cochran as well as Senator Don Nickles (R-OK), or 
             possibly Pete Domenici (R-NM).
               Nonetheless, Dole will be remembered in the Senate for 
             using strong-arm tactics when necessary or patiently 
             outlasting rivals to shepherd controversial legislation. 
             He almost always looked lively and awake, even during 
             legislative sessions that lasted all night.
               ``I think Bob Dole will go down in the history of the 
             Senate alongside the modern greats such as Lyndon Johnson 
             and Robert Taft,'' said Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX), who has 
             been a rival of Dole both in this year's Presidential 
             campaign and in the Senate. ``He is a great leader and a 
             great legislator. ``Dole is a consensus builder, and 
             that's the basic glue that holds the Senate together,'' 
             said Gramm, who earlier in this year's Presidential 
             campaign had criticized Dole for putting consensus over 
             conviction.
               Even his Democratic rivals respected his skill.
               After the Super Tuesday primaries in March when Dole had 
             all but clinched the Republican nomination and returned to 
             Senate business, Minority Leader Thomas Daschle (D-SD), 
             told reporters, ``Look at this week; Bob Dole came back 
             and things got done.'' That week, the Congress struggled 
             out of a budget stalemate and passed several other pieces 
             of legislation.
               Wednesday, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, who like 
             Dole has served as both majority and minority leader, 
             called his colleague ``a tireless workhorse of a 
             legislator.'' And Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey, who heads 
             the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, said that while 
             he disagrees with Dole ``on many of the major issues, I 
             still find it easy to admire and respect the man and what 
             he has done for the Nation.''
               When Dole made a bad decision, even a whopper, he 
             usually dismissed it with a quip and went on to the next 
             thing. As part of a 1982 tax-increase bill, Dole supported 
             automatic tax withholding of 10 percent of interest and 
             dividends. The outcry that followed implementation of that 
             legislation was so strong that Congress repealed it the 
             next year.
               ``We made a little mistake,'' Dole commented wryly to 
             reporters at the time.
               According to Senators, it was Dole who first realized 
             how to put together a Republican coalition to stop 
             President Clinton's health care overhaul plan 2 years ago.
               Ideological rivals such as Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-
             MA), respect him in the old-style way that allows them to 
             be congenial after hours. But there's no question that 
             recent Democratic efforts to stymie legislation led to 
             Dole's increasing frustration and his inability to use the 
             Senate as a platform from which to run for President.
               Earlier in his career, working with Reagan, Dole was 
             able to gain approval of the aid to the Contras, something 
             Reagan wanted. But Dole also passed through the Senate 
             sanctions against the government of South Africa in the 
             1980s--something the Senate wanted but Reagan did not.
               And while he seems to be able to mold his positions on 
             many issues in extraordinary deal-cutting ability, he has 
             a couple issues that are heartfelt, including helping the 
             disabled and aiding agricultural interests.
               Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican who became a 
             close Dole adviser after Gramm dropped out of the race, 
             said in an interview Wednesday that Dole had another key 
             quality--his ``dedication to the office of President of 
             the United States.''
               McCain also noted that Dole had the deep respect of both 
             sides of the aisle.
               ``If there was a secret ballot for President among the 
             Members of the Senate,'' McCain said, ``the vote would be 
             100 to zero.''
                                          a
                        [From the Plain Dealer, May 21, 1996]
                             That Was the Real Bob Dole
                              (By Senator Mike DeWine)
               The Bob Dole I know is the person the country saw when 
             he bid farewell to a 35-year career in the U.S. Senate to 
             run for President.
               In politics, one's image quite often differs from one's 
             true qualities, and that certainly is the case with Bob 
             Dole. I watched his earlier press conferences and read the 
             stories in the newspapers about him and realized something 
             was missing. That something was the real Bob Dole, the 
             individual, the leader, the war hero, the consensus 
             builder and the man of enormous compassion.
               Listening to his farewell speech, I saw those qualities 
             on public display when he used concise words to carry a 
             larger message: that he has not just made up his mind to 
             run for President but he intends to win. Bob Dole is a man 
             of few words, but he shows tremendous character and 
             leadership in his actions.
               Upon joining the Senate a little more than a year ago, I 
             became a Dole watcher because of my fascination with how 
             he got things done. I've seen him preside over four 
             meetings at the same time without losing sight of the big 
             picture. He did not get bogged down in petty details, as 
             some critics have claimed, but rather was able to do just 
             the opposite by understanding what needed to be done.
               As an example of his leadership ability, he pulled 
             together a broad coalition to reach a consensus on welfare 
             reform that passed the Senate by a whopping 87 votes 
             (though unfortunately it didn't get past the President's 
             desk). But Dole was able to deal with the governors, no 
             easy task, and the Senate, equally difficult, and put 
             together a fair and balanced welfare reform measure. He 
             was able to accomplish this amazing feat because he never 
             lost sight of the need to reform a system that has long 
             failed the people it was intended to help.
               During his farewell speech, the majority leader showed 
             what was so evident to those who have worked with him--he 
             can make the tough and right decision. What few people 
             recognize is that the Senate leader has fewer tools to 
             control the Senate than the Speaker has in the House. The 
             Senate leader rules by consensus of 100 of the biggest 
             egos in the world.
               I've been to more than one meeting where a Senator 
             complained that he or she had not been consulted on an 
             issue. The Senator's ego was bruised. Dole would answer 
             those complaints by saying, ``If you don't want me to be 
             the leader, then I won't be the leader. But someone has to 
             make the decision.''
               My admiration for Bob Dole goes beyond his ability as 
             the majority leader. It is personal, too. He has the 
             insight of someone who suffered an enormous and unexpected 
             tragedy. He was a star athlete who went off to war and 
             came back with crippling injuries. This is not campaign 
             hype; if anything, he would rather downplay what he 
             struggles with every day since he was blown apart in World 
             War II.
               We all expect in life to lose our parents, even a 
             spouse, but there are defining tragedies that go beyond 
             the normal course of events. I've thought about this since 
             suffering the loss of my daughter, Becky. I, too, am 
             reticent to talk about such a deep and personal tragedy 
             but I cannot help but admire the way Dole has worked 
             through his own suffering. He understands daily pain, and 
             I take great comfort from seeing this in him.
               He understands that life is not fair. He has learned to 
             understand himself through dealing with pain. These are 
             not bad qualities to have in a President. The President 
             who comes to mind, who reminds me the most of Bob Dole, is 
             Franklin D. Roosevelt, who also faced physical disability 
             with silent courage. Like Roosevelt, Bob Dole's identity--
             and his understanding of life--were forged by pain.
               Because the room was so crowded last Wednesday, I could 
             not see the expression on Bob Dole's face during his 
             speech, but I could hear the emotion in his voice. He has 
             the two seemingly opposite qualities of toughness and 
             compassion. That was true last week. He had to be tough to 
             leave the Senate; most people do not leave voluntarily 
             after spending a lifetime to get there. But his more 
             emotional side was shown too. His voice quivered during 
             his announcement, not an easy public display for him, and 
             he was even more emotional when he broke up during an 
             earlier private meeting with us.
               As difficult as this decision was for him, I believe Bob 
             Dole will find it liberating to leave the Senate. I recall 
             my decision to make a second run for the Senate after 
             losing the first time. I realized that if I lost this 
             second bid, my political career would be over. I thought, 
             ``If I lose this race, then what happens?'' The same is 
             now true for Bob Dole, who said he has ``nowhere to go but 
             the White House or home.''
               More than ever, I am convinced he will go to the White 
             House. He is convinced that he will win or he would not 
             have made the decision to leave the Senate. It was not a 
             question of whether he could run for President and lead 
             the Senate at the same time. What Bob Dole needed to fix 
             in his own mind was that his time as majority leader had 
             passed and the time had come to be President. Once he made 
             the mental leap from Senator to President, it was time to 
             act.
               This is the real Bob Dole. He looked presidential as he 
             bid us goodbye. I will always remember his demeanor and 
             courage during his farewell to the Senate.
                                          a
              [From the State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL), May 
                                      24, 1996]
                 As Member of Congress, Bob Dole Has Had Few Equals
                                (By Robert W. Merry)
               The stunning nature of Bob Dole's Senate exit and the 
             political ramifications of his remarkable decision served 
             to obscure an important element of the Dole story last 
             week: the man's legislative brilliance.
               Whatever the outcome of the Kansas Republican's 
             Presidential quest, his Senatorial record now stands as a 
             life's work, complete unto itself. And it rises to a level 
             of greatness with few equals in our era.
               Not since Robert A. Taft of Ohio has the Congress 
             produced a Republican legislator of Dole's skill, finesse 
             and force. Among Senators in the postwar era, one could 
             argue, Dole stands in a select circle that includes only 
             himself, Taft and Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas. 
             Others might add Illinois Republican Everett Dirksen and 
             Montana Democrat Mike Mansfield.
               Either way, Dole is destined to bask in the soft glow of 
             congressional history.
               The Taft analogy seems most apt as the nation 
             contemplates the Dole legacy.
               Like Taft, Dole toiled for most of his leadership days 
             in the minority, yet left a large stamp on multitudinous 
             pieces of legislation. Like Taft, Dole sometimes revealed 
             himself as a man of slashing partisanship, yet tossed 
             party impulses aside when it came time to divide up the 
             pie. Like Taft, Dole stood aloof from his colleagues, yet 
             seemed devoid of pettiness.
               And like Taft, Dole loved the Senate, yet found it too 
             small for the hungers of ambition that gnawed within. 
             Thrice did each man seek his party's Presidential 
             nomination. Taft never got it; Dole finally did.
               There is another parallel. Both Taft and Dole 
             demonstrated their legislative acumen as committee 
             chairmen--Taft at Labor and Public Welfare, Dole at 
             Finance.
               Dole's early work as Finance Committee chairman is 
             illustrative. He took over in January 1981 as Ronald 
             Reagan ascended to the White House, and the first order of 
             business was the new President's tax-cut measure. Dole's 
             initial approach was to reveal no discernible approach.
               He said little. Nobody knew where he stood or where he 
             intended to go. It drove administration officials crazy.
               That was precisely what Dole wanted, for he was caught 
             between the President and his own troops. Reagan wanted a 
             ``clean bill'' that included only two bold initiatives, 
             for individuals and businesses. But members of Congress 
             were clamoring for a host of favored tax provisions, and 
             Dole had to respond to those desires.
               Through weeks of mumbling punctuated by perfectly timed 
             maneuvers, public and private, Dole sent two signals to 
             the White House: If they wanted a bill, they would have to 
             negotiate only with him; and they would have to 
             compromise. In the spring, when Dole finally unveiled his 
             compromise plan, it quickly became the basis for the 
             Reagan approach. And when the plan finally cleared 
             Congress in August, Reagan got the credit; but the man 
             with the greatest impact on the final product was Dole.
               Dole dominated the legislative maneuvering that produced 
             the big 1982 tax-increase bill, the 1982 Voting Rights Act 
             extension, the 1983 Social Security overhaul and a 1984 
             effort to produce a deficit-reduction ``down payment.''
               Those successes led to his 1985 election as the Senate's 
             Republican leader.
               Though his victory was a narrow one, Dole moved quickly 
             to inject some discipline into GOP ranks and bring a sense 
             of purpose to the chamber.
               Dole likes to call himself a conservative, but he really 
             isn't one. His views and political passions are eclectic 
             and don't fit into any coherent public philosophy. Dole is 
             motivated first and foremost by the thrill of the 
             legislative game, the challenge of turning bills into 
             laws, the complex and delicate task of piecing together 
             coalitions for action.
               He dislikes true believers and ideologues, for they 
             stand athwart his purposes. Soaring rhetoric leaves him 
             cold, for it so often gets in the way of legislating.
               And yet soaring rhetoric is what fuels a Presidential 
             campaign and gives it coherence. It's what turns the 
             curious into the committed and draws the committed to the 
             cause.
               We'll see now whether Bob Dole, unfettered from his 
             beloved Senate, can muster the tools of Presidential 
             politics and mount a serious challenge to President 
             Clinton. We may even get a chance to see whether his 
             particular mix of political skills and impulses can guide 
             a Presidency to success.
                                          a
                         [From Time Magazine, May 27, 1996]
                                    The Hard Way
                                (By Richard Stengel)
             dole springs a surprise--he wants to be president so much 
                      he's leaving his beloved senate to do so
               It was time to go and he knew it. Not just because he 
             was faltering in the polls (although that played no small 
             part), not only because he was getting trampled in the 
             battle of Pennsylvania Avenue (a skirmish in which he 
             seemed to shrink rather than grow), but because every 
             morning when Bob Dole walked into the well of his beloved 
             Senate, he could lose himself in the mechanics of 
             legislation, forget for a while that he had a greater task 
             remaining before him than cobbling together a Republican 
             majority for a cloture vote.
               Bob Dole had to quit as both majority leader and Senator 
             in order to make the Presidential race real to himself. 
             Only by surrendering something he loved could he prove to 
             himself--and to the voters and to Beltway know-it-alls--
             that there was something he valued even more. Only by 
             giving up everything could he show he was willing to risk 
             everything. As the song goes, now he had nothing left to 
             lose.
               In a low-ceiling room in the Hart Senate Office Building 
             that was as dreary as his speech was soaring, Bob Dole, 
             his prairie voice thick with emotion, said, ``I will seek 
             the Presidency with nothing to fall back on but the 
             judgment of the people and nowhere to go but the White 
             House or home.'' In front of his Senate colleagues, with 
             whom he is far more comfortable trading quips about 
             subcommittee chairmen, he sounded positively Reaganesque. 
             While his colleagues looked on in sadness, Dole announced 
             that he would resign on or before June 11, ``and I will 
             then stand before you without office or authority, a 
             private citizen, a Kansan, an American, just a man.'' He 
             said he would do it his way, the hard way. ``For little 
             has come to me except in the hard way, which is good 
             because we have a hard task ahead of us.''
               Official Washington was caught off guard by the 
             announcement, not only because few had thought the crusty 
             majority leader would give up the perquisites of office 
             but also because even fewer had believed that Dole had 
             such a bold stroke in him. They were surprised that Bob 
             Dole could surprise them. The announcement came just as 
             various Republican muckamucks around town were talking 
             about doing something radical, but none counseled anything 
             quite as radical as what Dole himself concocted. In the 
             past when Dole campaigns flagged, he fired staff members. 
             This time he fired himself. Noted former Senate aide 
             Lawrence O'Donnell: ``Psychologically, Dole could never 
             take walking out on the Senate floor as a mere Senator. He 
             had it in him to resign but not to take a demotion.''
               In the latest TIME/CNN poll, conducted in the 48 hours 
             after Dole's speech, the soon-to-be-ex-Senator's 
             favorability rating jumped from 43 percent to 51 percent. 
             But while a majority of Americans approved of Dole's 
             action, more than three-quarters of registered voters said 
             it would not affect how they would vote in November. Yes, 
             they cotton to the old campaigner a little more now, but 
             still not enough to vote for him. Bill Clinton held a 
             formidable 22 percent lead over Senator Dole, a margin 
             that suggests Dole was not exaggerating when he said he 
             had a hard task ahead.
               Dole's reconfiguration of that task began about 4 weeks 
             ago while he was refurbishing his tan at his Florida 
             retreat. It was there he resolved that he needed to shake 
             things up dramatically, perhaps make a clean break with 
             the Senate. When he returned to Washington, he discussed 
             in a vague way the pros and cons of such a move with 
             campaign chief Scott Reed. Then on April 23, the day of a 
             desultory telephone conference call to the G.O.P.'s ``Team 
             100'' fund raisers, Dole sat in the sun outside his office 
             with novelist and Wall Street Journal contributor Mark 
             Helprin, whose writings on Dole had made an impression on 
             the Senator. Helprin broached the idea of Dole's quitting 
             everything--and realized that Dole was a step ahead of 
             him. ``When I raised it,'' Helprin recalls, ``he was 
             looking out over the Mall. His eye seemed to be fixed on a 
             vector between the Washington Monument and the 
             Smithsonian.'' As though talking to himself, Dole said, 
             ``If I'm going to run for President, I'm going to have to 
             run for President.''
               The following day Dole conferred with Reed in his Senate 
             office and without preamble said he was going to resign. 
             From the majority leadership? Reed asked. No, the whole 
             shooting match, Dole replied. Reed recognized the 
             ``transformational'' power of such a move and encouraged 
             Dole to go with his own instinct. As a candidate 
             unencumbered by office, he could follow his own version of 
             triangulation, distancing himself from Newt and attacking 
             Beltway Bill.
               That same day Helprin was meeting with John Buckley, the 
             new communications adviser, at Union Station, when Buckley 
             got a message for Helprin to phone Dole. Helprin called 
             from a pay phone, and Dole asked him to take a shot at 
             writing a resignation statement. For the next few weeks 
             the two talked every couple of days, with Helprin faxing 
             Dole versions of the speech. Helprin came up with the 
             allusion to Antaeus, the giant in Greek mythology whose 
             strength was replenished when he touched ground. Dole 
             liked that. But there was much he didn't like. They went 
             over the speech word by word at least a dozen times. 
             Editor Dole, Helprin says, had ``the compression of age.''
               But matters slowed after that. One brake on the strategy 
             was Elizabeth Dole. At the outset she was concerned that 
             her husband would be diminished without the mantle of 
             majority leader and that he would be forsaking the 
             limelight of the Senate for the uncertainties of private 
             citizenship. But she was coaxed onto the bandwagon.
               By early May, however, party leaders were losing 
             patience with Dole, who seemed to be getting trapped in a 
             legislative spider web of the Democrats' making. Internal 
             Republican polls showed independents tilting dangerously 
             Democratic (only 28 percent of registered independents 
             said they backed Dole in a recent TIME/CNN poll). Even 
             voters who were disappointed with Clinton were not moving 
             to Dole but shifting to undecided. In a series of private 
             meetings and at various dinners, Republican National 
             Committee chairman Haley Barbour declared that Dole had to 
             focus on the Presidential campaign ``to the exclusion of 
             all else,'' a phrase he repeated so often it became a 
             mantra.
               On May 4, Dole took Barbour aside and told him he was 
             going to resign both jobs. Barbour was as relieved as he 
             was astounded. Reed pushed Dole to make the announcement 
             on May 7, but Senate business intervened. Instead, May 15 
             was chosen. Dole, Reed and Helprin all agreed that the 
             speech should be short and poignant. Dole discussed with 
             them whether to include a section contrasting himself with 
             Clinton, but then demurred. Although he was resigning, he 
             had come to praise, not to bury.
               The morning after the speech, Dole opened the Senate 
             (old habits die hard), then lit out for the territory--
             first stop, Chicago. He boarded the plane in his Senate 
             uniform, dark suit, starched white shirt, sober tie, and 
             then--Honey, get me wardrobe!--emerged in Chicago in 
             khakis and open-neck shirt. ``Quick-change artist,'' Dole 
             quipped. Clothes make the new man. It was Bob Dole, 
             Unplugged and Untied.
               In Chicago, Dole gave a reprise of his ``what I did for 
             love'' speech (choking up at the same points) in front of 
             an audience of 500. But it was not just an elegy; he also 
             attacked Bill Clinton as ``the champion of the Great 
             Society status quo'' and defended the 104th Congress--``We 
             kept our promises. He vetoed them.'' The event was one of 
             the last pure Dole campaign events paid for with campaign 
             funds. Dole is down to his last $200,000, and from here on 
             out, he will go almost exclusively to State and local fund 
             raisers so that his travel tab can be picked up by those 
             groups. Dole will piggyback on the R.N.C. wherever he can 
             and worry about spending violations when the campaign is 
             over.
               Bill Clinton hadn't believed Dole was resigning until he 
             heard it himself from Dole by phone. The official White 
             House response was muted, gracious; Clinton advisers 
             treated it as a bittersweet retirement party for a 
             distinguished elder statesman. Behind the scenes, however, 
             they cast it as an act of desperation by the loser in the 
             battle for Pennsylvania Avenue. ``It affects our plans not 
             a whit,'' says senior adviser George Stephanopoulos. They 
             know Dole will get a bump in the polls and a push from the 
             press. ``The press will be determined to give Dole this 
             moment to tighten up the race,'' press secretary Mike 
             McCurry says slyly, ``because they're so pathetically 
             bored right now.''
               Voters don't cast ballots because of a single speech--or 
             a change in wardrobe--but a speech can make people sit up 
             and take notice, give a guy another chance. That's what 
             Dole's speech accomplished, at least with fellow 
             Republicans and Washington pundits who were already 
             planning their post-November career moves. But when voters 
             give Dole another look, they must see more than a quick-
             change artist. Dole's defining moment will instantly 
             become a nonevent if he does not live up to his rhetoric. 
             ``Once we had a 73-year-old majority leader with no 
             message. It won't work if in a month we just have a 73-
             year-old ex-majority leader with no message,'' says 
             Republican strategist Bill Kristol. His message cannot be: 
             I've quit the job I really love, so give me a better one.
               Dole's transformation represents the third ``new'' Bob 
             Dole of this campaign year. After New Hampshire there was 
             Battlin' Bob Dole fighting for the soul of the Republican 
             Party. Of late there has been Bob Dole, a Doer not a 
             Talker, and now we have Bob Dole, Just a Guy Without a 
             Tie. But Bob Dole, Citizen, may be the real thing, 
             suggests Dole biographer Richard Ben Cramer, author of 
             What It Takes. ``His resignation,'' Cramer says, ``puts 
             him in touch with the younger Bob Dole, the Dole of the 
             Russell High basketball team who would go and pat 
             everybody on the backside when they were losing in the 
             fourth quarter, the never-give-up guy.''
               It will take more than just the doffing of a tie to make 
             voters see Bob Dole, Kansan, instead of Bob Dole, Capitol 
             Kingpin. But there is consolation if they don't. Now that 
             he has, as he put it so eloquently, left ``behind all the 
             trappings of power, all comfort and all security,'' he can 
             ascend to what Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter 
             called the highest office in a democracy, above even that 
             of the Presidency: citizen.
                                          a
                    [From U.S. News & World Report, May 27, 1996]
                                Reinventing Bob Dole
               (By Jerelyn Eddings; Steven V. Roberts, Gloria Borger, 
               Kenneth T. Walsh, Bruce B. Auster, David Bowermaster, 
                                    Linda Kulman)
               the senate leader takes off his tie, turns his back on 
                      congress and bets it all on his campaign
               For one brief moment, the Nation's Capital was stunned 
             into uncharacteristic silence. After 35 years on Capitol 
             Hill and a long career as the ultimate insider, Senate 
             Majority Leader Bob Dole cast off Washington, took off his 
             tie and set out to remake his image and restart his 
             stalled Presidential campaign. Known for his mordant wit 
             and taciturn style, Dole had kept his own counsel for at 
             least a month, conferring only with his wife and campaign 
             manager, and had waited until the last minute to tell even 
             his closest friends in Congress of his decision to leave 
             the Senate. At the end, they crowded in around him, solemn 
             and teary eyed, obscuring the view of Dole's beloved 
             Capitol much as they had obscured the message he had been 
             trying to deliver to America. Surrounded by his allies and 
             rivals, Dole stood alone. Henceforth, he said, he was no 
             longer a man of Congress but a private citizen ``without 
             office or authority'' seeking the highest job in the land.
               Dole's big gamble was described as brilliant by friends 
             and desperate by foes, but it was at once 
             uncharacteristically bold and quintessentially Dole. He 
             had listened to advice, assessed the situation, made his 
             own decision in his own time and then done what he decided 
             he had to do in order to reach his goal.
               That goal, of course, is the White House, but Dole's 
             immediate aim was to breathe new life into a campaign that 
             was coming under increasing criticism even from within the 
             Republican Party. His bold stroke did that, at least 
             temporarily: It silenced his critics, energized his 
             supporters, caught the opposition off guard, won the 
             attention of an unfocused Nation and severed Dole's 
             connection to the Congress that had been his home and was 
             supposed to be his launching pad but instead had become a 
             ball and chain.
               ``It was like taking a 100-pound weight off his back,'' 
             says former Senator Warren Rudman, a Dole adviser. With 
             Republicans bickering and Democrats throwing daily 
             obstacles in his path, Dole had to escape in order to have 
             any chance to reverse the polls and the campaign momentum 
             in time to catch and overtake President Clinton's agile 
             reelection team. ``It was like an NBA team down 20 points 
             as they approach the end of the first half,'' says 
             congressional expert Norman Ornstein of the American 
             Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think 
             tank. ``They have to do something dramatic to close the 
             gap to 10 points so they can come out in the second half 
             and still have a chance to win.''
               Dole's announcement was clearly dramatic, but his 
             sacrifice, though real, was less immense than it seemed. 
             He had told friends that if he didn't win the White House 
             this year he would not seek reelection at the end of his 
             term in 1998, when he would be 75 years old. ``He had 
             already made up his mind that in the best of times, he had 
             only 2 years left,'' said Senator Robert Bennett of Utah. 
             ``Now I guess he's made up his mind that if he doesn't win 
             the Presidency, what value is there in hanging on those 
             last 2 years?''
               Dole must distinguish himself from the President on two 
             fronts: personal and political. Although both men started 
             out in American backwaters, Dole's up-from-the-Dust Bowl 
             life story, punctuated by a German machine gun that took 
             his right arm and nearly his life in Italy, contrasts 
             sharply with the President's march through Georgetown, 
             Oxford and Yale Law School, punctuated by efforts to avoid 
             the Vietnam War draft. But Clinton is a Nineties kind of 
             guy, comfortable showing his emotions and adept at 
             exposing his humanity. Dole is a Forties kind of guy, 
             embarrassed by public displays of emotion and given to 
             talking about himself, awkwardly, in the third person. 
             Still, during his brief resignation speech last week, the 
             new Dole's passing reference to his wartime sacrifice was 
             more eloquent than previous attempts by his campaign staff 
             to showcase his human and heroic side.
                                          a
                        [From the Star Tribune, May 30, 1996]
             The Life and Times of Bob J. Dole; His Story Is Well Worth 
                         Telling, Says One Who Knows It Well
                                   (By David Dahl)
               To hear biographer Richard Ben Cramer tell it, we here 
             in Washington have gotten Bob Dole all wrong. This author 
             who has studied him for more than a decade says that, at 
             the core, Dole is not the Washington insider, the snarling 
             partisan or the worldly pol that are staples of his 
             profile.
               Rather, Cramer makes the very argument circulating among 
             many of Dole's own advisers--that this guy has a 
             compelling story to tell, one that has given his life in 
             Washington reason beyond just a lust for power.
               It is a story, says Cramer, with a foundation in 
             Russell, Kansas, where the burdens of debt led a young Bob 
             Dole's neighbors to commit suicide, where dust storms were 
             so thick they caused pneumonia and where a basketball star 
             with dreams of becoming a doctor left for the war and came 
             back crippled.
               ``He knows what hardship is, he knows what debt is, he 
             knows what it can do to people,'' says Cramer, author of a 
             brief biography of Dole and an epic tale of the 1988 
             campaign called ``What it Takes.''
               Naive as it may sound to Washington's Dole-watchers, 
             Cramer goes so far as to say that Dole has a soft, 
             vulnerable center. Dole, he says, doesn't hate the 
             government--it saved his life after his devastating war 
             injury--yet he's disgusted when its excesses do more 
             damage than good.
               ``If he tells that story and lets people know why the 
             one overriding thread of steel that has run through his 
             political career has been the budget and debt, people will 
             understand. They'll know why he is doing it. He's not 
             doing it because it's a hot-button issue in some poll.''
                                the conventional view
               Cramer's observations run hard against the conventional 
             wisdom in Washington: Dole is a soulless legislative 
             mechanic who can't speak to the common folk nor adjust 
             himself to the high-energy campaigning that will be 
             required of him in the coming months.
               Yet what gives Cramer standing is that he brings a 
             biographer's eye to his analysis. His point is that the 
             most successful politicians are the ones who have honestly 
             chosen issues that have roots in their own backgrounds. He 
             calls these successful candidacies ``the sums of a long 
             life's doing.''
                                 leaving the senate
               While America watched Oprah, Dole watched the Senate--
             and it shows. Dole often falls into a staccato of 
             parliamentary jargon, snapshots of issues and inside jokes 
             that must be very difficult to decode back in Russell.
               So deeply ingrained is the Washington portion of Dole's 
             life that even his biographer says he was shocked when the 
             news came that the Senator was leaving the place where he 
             had served for 35 years. Cramer initially thought the news 
             wires had made a mistake.
               One of the reasons Dole left the Senate was that the 
             polls--the boy from Russell reads 'em, too--showed few 
             voters knew his story and instead saw him as another 
             inside-the-beltway politician.
               The Dole who has slowly emerged in the days since shows 
             flashes of what Cramer is talking about, but he is not a 
             natural. Cramer points out that Dole comes from a 
             generation where you simply didn't talk openly about your 
             personal life, much less brazenly try to turn it into an 
             asset.
               Cramer, a 45-year-old Maryland resident who was brought 
             up as a Democrat, argues that his own contemporaries are 
             seeing the World War II generation in a better light these 
             days. Cramer calls it a ``generation of certainties,'' 
             when Dole had no choice but to survive the depression, 
             fight a war and build the modern economy.
               One of the great challenges for Dole in the coming weeks 
             is whether he can take what Cramer calls the ``great 
             American story'' and turn it into a message for the 
             future.
               ``It is a story that he has to extend to our future as 
             well as our past and so far he's learned only to tell the 
             story about the past and not to carry it forth,'' Cramer 
             says. ``When he does, I think he will be a formidable 
             candidate and I think Clinton may be in trouble.''
                                          a
                     [From the Los Angeles Times, June 9, 1996]
              Dole's Large Legacy Buried in Fine Print; Congress: His 
               Skills As A Legislator Are Likely To Be Lost on Future 
                                     Generations
                               (By Richard T. Cooper)
               He came to Congress during the same cold, snowy January 
             that John F. Kennedy came to the White House. So long ago 
             that Jimmy Carter was still a peanut farmer, Ronald Reagan 
             was nominally a Democrat--still giving speeches for 
             General Electric--and George Bush was just another Texas 
             oilman.
               There had been no civil rights revolution, no Great 
             Society, no Vietnam War. Federal Government outlays 
             totaled a mere $92 billion annually, about what it spends 
             every 2 weeks now, and the budget showed a $300-million 
             surplus.
               Thirty-five years later, as Bob Dole prepares to retire 
             as majority leader and senior Senator from Kansas, 
             historians can record that he played a part in almost 
             every significant Washington decision made during an era 
             of profound change for the Government and the country. As 
             Congressman, Senator and party leader, Dole had a hand in 
             every battle over taxes and the budget, Medicare and 
             welfare, defense and foreign policy, peace and war.
               Ironically, however, unless his current bid for the 
             White House succeeds, Dole's place in history may be 
             cloaked in shadows: well-regarded by specialists in 
             Congressional leadership but little remembered by the 
             wider audience of future generations. He may rank no 
             higher than a Joe Robinson or a James G. Blaine--earlier 
             masters of the legislative game who forged the compromises 
             and moved the ball forward but created no lasting 
             monuments.
               ``It is significant that there is no major piece of 
             legislation known as the Dole Act,'' said Rutgers 
             University political scientist Ross Baker. ``It tells you 
             what kind of leader he's been. His mark can be found on so 
             much, but his influence was extensive, not intensive. He 
             became a kind of legislative virtuoso, a master of the 
             process, not a visionary or a high-concept man.''
               Said Ron Peters, a specialist in congressional history 
             at the Carl Albert Center of the University of Oklahoma: 
             ``Dole's going to be remembered by historians who write 
             about the Congress. He's going to be very well regarded as 
             a legislator and as a majority leader, as a Republican 
             leader. He's going to go down among the best.''
               But on the larger canvas, he acknowledged, ``it's when 
             you rise to the Presidential level that you get 
             remembered.''
                                  20,000-plus votes
               Dole's legislative record by now is immense. As he once 
             told a group of New Hampshire voters: ``You take a look at 
             my record. You'll probably find some votes you don't like. 
             I've voted 11,000 times. There's some I don't like.'' That 
             was in 1987; by now the number of votes Dole has cast in 
             Congress probably exceeds 20,000.
               Three strands form the rope of the legislative career 
             that Dole plans to bring to a close Tuesday:
               First, he was an intensely partisan battler, reflecting 
             both his temperament and the status of the GOP in Congress 
             for much of his career.
               As a junior Member of Congress during the '60s, when 
             Congressional Republicans appeared likely to be a 
             permanent minority, lambasting the opposition pleased 
             Dole's overwhelmingly Republican constituents back home 
             and offered an avenue for advancement within his party 
             nationally. And that partisan bent has remained.
               ``You don't elect nonpartisan leaders,'' he said in an 
             interview with The Times last year.
               Second, despite the sometimes cutting intensity of his 
             partisanship, Dole became an increasingly savvy player of 
             the inside game on Capitol Hill. This element in Dole's 
             record blossomed and flourished during the long period of 
             divided Government in the 1970s and 1980s, when, except 
             for the 4 years of Jimmy Carter's Presidency, neither 
             Democrats nor Republicans ever commanded both Congress and 
             the White House.
               ``I think I've learned over the years,'' he said. ``We 
             do have our debates and we do get mad and we do scream at 
             each other, but then we have to go ahead and do our 
             work.''
               Third, in establishing his positions on major policy 
             issues, he has followed the evolutionary path of 
             traditional Republicans, instinctively opposing liberal 
             innovations the first time around but gradually accepting 
             them within some bounds as time wore on.
               Thus Dole, who is 72, opposed the creation of Medicare, 
             Medicaid and almost all the other liberal social programs 
             of the Kennedy-Johnson period; but years later he blunted 
             the slashing attacks on those programs by radical 
             ideologies in his own party.
               In keeping with traditional conservative economic 
             principles, he also was the prime mover behind the massive 
             1982 tax increase, the biggest ever relative to the size 
             of the economy, which ended the Reagan administration's 
             romance with supply-side economics.
                                pro-civil rights act
               To be sure, Dole has sometimes been among the vanguard. 
             As a young Congressman, he voted for the Civil Rights Act 
             of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965; he was also a 
             co-sponsor of the legislation making the Reverend Martin 
             Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. Repeatedly, 
             Dole has argued that the GOP should do more to open its 
             ranks to minorities.
               Dole also played a crucial role in expanding food stamps 
             and other Federal nutrition programs for the poor during 
             the mid-1970s--programs that, of course, also benefited 
             farmers from places like Kansas who grew the food. As 
             thoroughgoing a liberal Democrat as former South Dakota 
             Senator George S. McGovern, the prime mover on such 
             legislation, still speaks admiringly of Dole's steadfast 
             help in lining up Senate majorities to support greater 
             Government effort.
               And Dole took a leading role in passage of Federal 
             legislation for the disabled. He supported the Americans 
             with Disabilities Act in 1990 even though many business 
             people and others considered its provisions costly and 
             intrusive.
               One chapter in that legislative battle offers a 
             fascinating glimpse of the apparent pull and tug inside 
             Dole: a seeming ambivalence over where to position himself 
             politically and personally on sensitive policy issues, 
             especially those on which society's attitudes changed 
             significantly over the course of his long life.
               During the struggle over the Americans with Disabilities 
             Act, which broadly prohibits discrimination against the 
             disabled in the workplace and elsewhere, Senator Jesse 
             Helms (R-NC) offered an amendment permitting employers to 
             bar people who tested positive for HIV from food-handling 
             jobs.
               Dole initially supported the controversial amendment. 
             When groups representing the disabled expressed shock that 
             a Senator who had lost the use of his right arm in World 
             War II should take such a position, he snapped: ``They 
             don't own me. Just because you have a handicap doesn't 
             mean you have to be for every screwball thing.''
               Later Dole reversed himself and helped kill the 
             provision, saying: ``Public ignorance has never been a 
             valid excuse for discrimination.''
                               republican fund-raiser
               From the beginning of his career in Washington, Dole 
             made it clear that he did not intend to be an anonymous 
             backbencher. He was elected President of his freshman 
             class and served 4 terms in the House, from 1961 through 
             1968.
               While in the House, Dole began traveling all over the 
             country to help fellow Republicans campaign or raise 
             money. The ceaseless campaigning contributed to the demise 
             of his first marriage, to Phyllis Holden, a nurse he had 
             met while recuperating from his devastating war wounds. 
             But it also built a network of contacts and obligations 
             that would prove invaluable in Congress and help finance 
             his bids for the GOP Presidential nomination in 1980 and 
             1988 as well as in 1996.
               In 1968, encouraged by GOP Presidential candidate 
             Richard Nixon, he sought and won the Senate seat vacated 
             by retiring Republican Senator Frank Carlson.
               As something of a Nixon protege, Dole defended the 
             administration's policies in Vietnam, excoriating antiwar 
             Democrats and Republicans alike. He remained loyal to 
             Nixon during Watergate, though a bruising turn as 
             Republican National Chairman during the 1972 election had 
             left him with no illusions about the imperious, stop-at-
             nothing character of the Nixon White House staff.
               On most bread-and-butter issues, Dole was a down-the-
             line Midwestern Republican, supporting programs that 
             benefited his predominantly rural constituents even if 
             that meant voting for Government subsidies. But his 
             devotion to reducing the deficit did once lead him to 
             offer to accept cutbacks in farm programs if other 
             Senators would swallow reductions in programs dear to 
             their hearts.
               The proposal added materially to Dole's difficulties in 
             winning reelection to the Senate, without making any 
             noticeable difference in the size of the deficit, but it 
             was an early indication of how seriously he took the 
             deficit issue.
               He won appointment to the Senate Finance Committee in 
             1973 and plunged into what are among the most sensitive 
             and far-reaching decisions made by any government: the 
             writing and rewriting of tax laws. Probably nowhere else 
             in Government does so much money hang on the smallest 
             change of word or phrase; nowhere else is the lobbying 
             more intricate or intense.
               And Dole, though in the minority until the Reagan 
             landslide of 1980, became a player.
               Critics point out that on more than one occasion, he 
             proposed or supported obscure bits of legislation designed 
             to benefit important businesses or individuals--including 
             Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., an agribusiness giant, and the 
             winemaking Gallo family.
               Such narrowly focused policymaking has a long history in 
             America, of course, and opinions differ on whether it is 
             all bad. At least so far as current evidence is concerned, 
             the most that can probably be said about Dole is that he 
             played the game as he found it.
               On larger issues, much the same is true: He was a loyal 
             Republican soldier most of the time, fought for partisan 
             advantage where he could and, at the end of the day, often 
             looked across the aisle for compromise.
               Dole notes proudly that he helped bail out the Social 
             Security system in the early 1980s, though it meant 
             working closely with then-House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' 
             O'Neill Jr. (D-MA) and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-
             NY) to find a bipartisan solution.
               ``He's a guy that sort of adapts himself to 
             circumstances, but in a principled way,'' the University 
             of Oklahoma's Peters said. ``He's a guy who figures out 
             how to respond in the circumstances that surround him.''
               Probably nothing illustrates Dole's melding of 
             principles and pragmatism more than his handling of the 
             1982 tax legislation.
               As Finance Committee chairman, he had loyally helped 
             pass the massive tax-reduction program that was the 
             hallmark of Reagan's first year in the White House.
               In theory, the huge cuts in corporate and personal tax 
             rates were to stimulate such an economic acceleration that 
             Washington would get more revenue, not less. In fact, 
             Federal revenue sagged and expenditures soared as the 
             country slipped into the recession of 1982-83, and the 
             deficit began to scale the heights.
               Supply-siders still insist that their strategy was not 
             given a fair and thorough test. To Dole and other 
             traditional Senate Republicans, however, the situation was 
             alarming--a threat both to the country and to the GOP.
               Democrats, who controlled the House, refused to take the 
             lead on raising taxes. Why should they rescue a Republican 
             President from his own folly, especially when he was sure 
             to attack them for it?
               Dole and other Senate Republicans, including Budget 
             Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, stepped 
             forward. They not only had to satisfy Republicans and 
             Democrats and swarms of powerful lobbyists, they had to 
             contend with a White House that was basically 
             unsympathetic to the whole idea.
               With Reagan adamant that his basic program of cutting 
             tax rates go forward, Dole took the lead in searching for 
             other ways to raise more money. Initially hoping to do it 
             with a small number of high-yield provisions, he found 
             that approach politically impractical.
               Instead, he and others patiently rounded up votes for a 
             huge bundle of relatively inconspicuous changes and 
             loophole closings that eventually added up to $98.3 
             billion over 3 years, the largest revenue-enhancement 
             package in U.S. history.
               It took every bit of his legislative cunning to keep the 
             bill on track. One provision required restaurant owners to 
             take steps to help the Government collect more taxes on 
             waiters' tips. Restaurant owners lobbied furiously against 
             it and, shortly before the Senate's final 4:30 a.m. vote 
             on the package, an amendment slipped through deleting the 
             provision.
               Dole quickly countered by pushing through an amendment 
             allowing businesses to claim tax deductions on only half 
             the cost of business lunches--the ``1\1/2\ martini 
             lunch,'' it was called. As Dole had expected, the 
             restaurant industry was so horrified at that prospect that 
             it readily agreed to restore the tips provision.
               The eventual success of the Tax Equity and Fiscal 
             Responsibility Act may rank as the crowning achievement of 
             Dole's legislative career. ``The real locus of 
             responsibility, the real grown-ups in all that, were 
             Domenici and Dole and the leaders of the Republican 
             Senate,'' Peters said.
               ``I think it was at that period of time . . . that Dole 
             began to establish himself not just as a real player, a 
             guy who could move legislation and broker compromise and 
             all that, but beyond that as sort of a responsible person, 
             a person who was willing to make hard choices; and I think 
             that reputation then carried forward when he became 
             majority leader.''
               Emblematic of his success, Dole succeeded Howard H. 
             Baker Jr. as Republican leader in the Senate in 1985, a 
             step upward that was also a step deeper into the 
             overshadowing forest of the legislative process.
               As a result, Dole, like 19th century Republican leader 
             Blaine before him, is in danger of being remembered by 
             most people more for what he failed to do than for what he 
             did.
               Blaine sought and failed to win the Republican 
             Presidential nomination in 1876 and 1880. When he finally 
             captured the nomination in 1884, he lost the general 
             election to Democrat Grover Cleveland.
               His popular epitaph is a derisive campaign chant that 
             referred to his brush with a railroad bribery scandal: 
             ``Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine. Continental liar from 
             the state of Maine.''
               Only scholars recall that Blaine served as Secretary of 
             State under three Presidents, helped found the modern-day 
             Republican Party and, as a highly partisan speaker of the 
             House from 1869 to 1875, substantially strengthened its 
             institutional leadership.
               ``The great parliamentarians tend not to be 
             remembered,'' said professor Baker. ``Their fate, 
             unfortunately, tends to be submerged.''
                                          a
                     [From the Washington Times, June 11, 1996]
                                Bob Dole, GOP-Builder
                              (By James P. Lucier Jr.)
               Long ago there was a time when Harry Truman could call 
             the Republicans a ``me too'' party and win a Presidential 
             election largely on the basis of this taunt. But now it is 
             the Democrats who have been relegated to ``me too''status, 
             and the Republicans who are poised to gain control of the 
             White House in addition to their steady hold on both 
             Houses of Congress, two-thirds of all governorships, and a 
             majority of seats in state legislatures across the Nation.
               Clearly, something has changed. And as Senate Majority 
             Leader Robert Dole leaves the Senate today to campaign for 
             the Presidency as Citizen Dole, it is he above all others 
             who deserves the credit for this historic transformation. 
             The 1950s party of Midwestern farmers and the ``Main 
             Street'' business interests of small town America has 
             grown vastly larger, more powerful and more complex as the 
             ``Leave Us Alone'' coalition of the 1990s--a broadly 
             inclusive alliance of all those opposed to higher taxes 
             and intrusive government with a positive vision of growth, 
             prosperity, community institutions and private initiative. 
             The 1990s Republican coalition is now arguably the 
             natural, permanent governing coalition of the United 
             States.
               Conservatives should welcome and urgently strive for Mr. 
             Dole's election to the presidency as the next logical step 
             in a political career that parallels the growth of the 
             modern conservative movement and the institutional GOP. 
             With each step forward by Mr. Dole, the movement and party 
             have advanced as well. The power and sophistication of 
             today's conservative movement and Republican clout at the 
             ballot box owe much to Mr. Dole's leadership along the 
             way.
               In 1960, Bob Dole was elected to Congress as a freshman 
             classmate of Ohio Republican John Ashbrook, a co-founder 
             of the American Conservative Union. Where Mr. Ashbrook 
             chose to work on ideas, Mr. Dole chose to work on 
             institutions, particularly those of the GOP--but he chose 
             to build party institutions by working with the ideas of 
             John Ashbrook and others. In the same year, Barry 
             Goldwater called for ``a choice, not an echo'' in 
             Republican politics. By 1964, Phyllis Schlafly had turned 
             Mr. Goldwater's slogan into a best-selling, book-length 
             manifesto, Mr. Goldwater was a candidate for President, 
             and Mr. Dole was among the first and most committed 
             Republican elected officials who took to the road 
             campaigning for the Arizona Senator.
               Representative Dole became Senator Dole in the 1968 
             election that swept Richard Nixon to power. Then from 1971 
             to 1973, Mr. Dole served as Chairman of the Republican 
             National Committee, laying the groundwork for the 1972 
             Nixon landslide that confirmed the GOP as the Nation's 
             Presidential Party and which first turned the South and 
             West into Republican strongholds at the Presidential 
             level. Also in 1972, Republican control of governorships 
             and State legislatures was near an all-time high, not to 
             be surpassed for 20 years after the devastating setback of 
             1974.
               Renewal came in the late 1970s as the pro-life and pro-
             family movements, religious conservatives and anti-tax 
             activists began to organize vocal constituencies. Ronald 
             Reagan was elected in 1980, and Mr. Dole was the Senate 
             Finance Committee Chairman who secured passage of Mr. 
             Reagan's tax cuts in the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 
             1981. On the one hand, Mr. Dole worked tirelessly to 
             advance Republican candidates. Yet on the other, he 
             increasingly took on the role of advancing Republican and 
             conservative ideas through legislation.
               For instance, in 1981, Mr. Dole founded his path-
             breaking political action committee, Campaign America, 
             which quickly moved to fund candidates at the State as 
             well as Federal levels. Campaign America strongly 
             supported such candidates as George Allen and Mike Farris 
             for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in Virginia in 1993. 
             In 1994, his was the first PAC to support Ollie North in 
             his race for the Senate in Virginia and was coincidentally 
             second only to the Teamsters Union PAC in total 
             contributions. But whereas the Teamsters supported 
             incumbents, Mr. Dole helped bring new voices into the GOP.
               More significantly, though, beginning as Senate majority 
             leader in 1985, continuing as Republican Leader from 1987 
             to 1994, and as majority leader again from 1994 to today, 
             Mr. Dole played a critical formative role as integrator 
             and architect of the emerging ``Leave Us Alone'' 
             Coalition. During the Bush and Clinton administrations, as 
             taxes and regulation slowly took their toll on the 
             economic prospects of ordinary citizens, group after group 
             with distinct identities emerged from what had been the 
             Republican and ``Reagan Democrat'' coalitions of the 
             1980s. Among them were home schoolers, term-limits 
             supporters, gun owners, property rights advocates and 
             newly radicalized, anti-government small business owners, 
             a great and increasing proportion of whom were women.
               Significantly, as each new element of the coalition came 
             to the fore and began to articulate a policy vision, Mr. 
             Dole helped give the vision concrete expression in 
             legislative language that 80 percent to 90 percent of all 
             Republicans would routinely support as a matter of course 
             when whenever it came up in the future.
               Confounding all predictions, Mr. Dole successfully 
             passed tax cuts, regulatory relief, a balanced budget, a 
             ban on unfunded mandates, and most other Contract with 
             America pledges through the Senate. What Bill Gates and 
             Microsoft did for the IBM personal computer, Mr. Dole did 
             for Republican policies: he created a vast library of 
             tested, debated, drafted, and previously passed 
             legislation that could be enacted like a ready-to-go 
             software application as soon as a Republican President was 
             there to throw the switch.
               Mr. Dole's work as majority leader is done--complete and 
             triumphant. He has spelled out his vision for America's 
             future in far more detail than Ronald Reagan ever did--and 
             what's more, he has the bills ready to go and already 
             endorsed by the party at large. Winning the White House is 
             the one thing left to do.
                                          a
                           [From The Hill, June 12, 1996]
                          Bob Dole's Last Day in the Senate
                                  (By Jamie Stiehm)
               At 6:30 Monday night, the senior Senator from Kansas 
             turned off the lights and shut the Senate for the night, 
             pushing the button that rang the closing bells.
               ``Mr. President, it's the last time I will close the 
             Senate,'' said Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS), to a 
             chamber that was empty of other Senators save for the 
             Presiding Senator, James Inhofe (R-OK). In his 
             characteristic shorthand, the Kansan called his 28-year 
             Senate career ``a good ride.'' He crisply summed up the 
             approach he has applied to politics as he described a 
             possible compromise on the Kennedy-Kassebaum bill: ``Not 
             everything they wanted. Not everything we wanted. That's 
             the way it works.''
               A Sergeant-at-Arms employee held the door for Dole as he 
             left the darkened chamber and walked into the early 
             evening sunshine, a sensation Dole described as ``kind of 
             a shock.'' Earlier in the day he enjoyed a homemade ice 
             cream party with his staff and pages in his Capitol 
             office, the same room where British soldiers set fire to 
             the Capitol during the War of 1812. When Dole found out 
             that only Republican pages were present, he sent them to 
             fetch their Democratic fellows.
               Meanwhile, in Dole's office, phones rang with good 
             wishes from VIPs. ``There's not a person I haven't heard 
             from yet,'' said Press Aide Jeremy Wallison. Clarkson 
             Hine, Dole's dapper press secretary, had a rare clothing 
             mishap when he discovered he left his evening tuxedo shirt 
             at home, while his deputy, Joyce Campbell, looked as if 
             she were ready to go to the Oscars.
               Then off the majority leader went to a black-tie gala at 
             the Washington Convention Center, where the tables were 
             set for a steak dinner for 4,000 Republicans. He greeted 
             House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), whom Dole said, ``made 
             the revolution work.'' In a speech that stressed his 
             ``Just a Man'' the theme from his resignation speech in 
             May, Dole referred to his father, a lifelong Democrat, as 
             someone who ``wore overalls every day and was proud of 
             it.'' He went on to say that the biggest disappointment of 
             his career was not passing the balanced budget 
             constitutional amendment. In giving thanks to those who 
             came, he added, ``even those who didn't pay.''
               Dole concluded by conjuring up a vision of himself as 
             taking the Presidential oath of office at noon next 
             January 20, even saying the words, ``so help me God.''
               Then the entertainment started, with Representative 
             Sonny Bono (R-CA), singing ``The Beat Goes On,'' which 
             even got Gingrich and a staffer dancing.
               Dole briefly looked back to the moment of closing the 
             chamber earlier, saying he wanted to keep the Senate doors 
             open all night: ``It is a place that I have loved.''
               On his last morning in the Senate, he went to his Hart 
             Building office to say good-bye to his staff. But on his 
             way into the Capitol subway, he couldn't resist the urge 
             to stump for a few more votes.
               ``Hi, how are you doing?'' Dole asked as he paused for a 
             photo with Jackie Orr from Clearwater, FL, and her three 
             daughters. When they told the majority leader that they 
             had problems getting tickets to the gallery to hear his 
             upcoming farewell address, Dole said, ``If you go over to 
             S-230 and talk to them, they'll get you a pass.''
               ``This is the most exciting thing,'' the elder Orr said, 
             ``I think I'm going to cry.''
               In the Hart Building office, Dole paused for a moment to 
             make a telephone call to Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Howard 
             Greene. ``Everything coming along here fine?'' he asked, 
             adding, ``Well, it won't be long now.'' Then, pausing to 
             look at the political souvenirs collected over a career in 
             the Senate, Dole said, ``I don't know how you're going to 
             get rid of all this stuff.''
               At noon Tuesday, on his way to the Senate chamber with 
             Gingrich, Dole was asked, ``When did you decide what you 
             are going to say?''
               ``Oh, about a minute ago,'' Dole quipped over his 
             shoulder as he passed through the doors to a rare standing 
             ovation from his fellow Senators as his wife Elizabeth 
             watched from a packed balcony and top aide Sheila Burke 
             sat by his side.
               The first order of business was a resolution declaring 
             that the balcony Dole uses and calls ``The Beach'' will 
             henceforth be named ``The Robert J. Dole balcony.
               In a speech that combined lightning-like moments of wit 
             with graceful remembrances and tributes, Dole noted that 
             political differences are healthy. Looking at the other 99 
             Senators, he said, ``I've never seen a healthier group in 
             my life.''
               With Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC), sitting in the 
             chair, Dole asked him how long he had held the floor 
             filibuster record. ``That's why you're seldom asked to be 
             an after-dinner speaker.'' He singled out Senator Robert 
             Byrd (D-WV), as a Senate giant and recalled playing bridge 
             with Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), when both were army 
             lieutenants hospitalized with war wounds in Battle Creek, 
             MI.
               For a man who uses words sparingly, Dole evoked the 
             country as a ``torch that lights the world.'' In a phrase 
             that he uses often, he concluded, ``That's what America is 
             all about.'' Finally, said the man from Kansas, ``I think 
             my season in the Senate is about to come to an end,'' his 
             voice breaking before he made his last exit off a floor 
             flooded with lights, applause and affection.
               Even if he does become President, he will always be 
             something else too. ``That's my baby,'' said a Capitol 
             policewoman.
               ``That's my baby.''
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, June 12, 1996]
               Dole Bids Farewell to Senate; Bipartisan Tributes Fill 
                                 Emotional Final Day
                                  (By Helen Dewar)
               Robert J. Dole yesterday bade a loving farewell to the 
             Senate, struggling to keep his emotions in check as he 
             concluded a ``great ride'' of 35 years on Capitol Hill to 
             devote himself fully to his uphill bid for the Presidency.
               Rising to speak for the last time as the longest-serving 
             Republican leader in Senate history, Dole shared 
             reminiscences that transcended partisan differences, 
             stressing values of civility and compromise that marked 
             his 11 years as the party's leader in the Senate.
               All in all, despite ``a few bumps along the way,'' he 
             said, ``it's been a great ride.''
               In his recollections, he spoke fondly of Democrats as 
             well as Republicans--from Hubert H. Humphrey and George S. 
             McGovern to the current Democratic leader, Thomas A. 
             Daschle (D-SD), in an old-fashioned kind of senatorial 
             collegiality that stands in contrast with the already 
             bitter tone of his campaign against President Clinton.
               The accomplishments he cited with particular pride--
             expanding nutrition programs, bailing out the Social 
             Security system, extending civil rights protections to the 
             disabled--were those he achieved in concert with 
             Democrats. They were issues that appeal to moderates of 
             both parties rather than the polarizing issues he has 
             stressed so far in the campaign.
               ``We were Democrats and Republicans'' working across 
             party lines for a common solution, he said, suggesting a 
             similar approach for dealing with the Medicare program's 
             solvency problems.
               After a morning filled with tributes from both sides of 
             the partisan aisle, Dole strode into the Senate chamber 
             shortly after noon, bringing his colleagues to their feet 
             in unison as they broke into loud and sustained applause.
               His wife, Elizabeth Hanford Dole, and daughter, Robin, 
             watched from the public galleries, along with hundreds of 
             other well-wishers. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), 
             came across the Capitol, taking his place among Senate 
             aides in the rear of the chamber. Former Senator Howard M. 
             Metzenbaum (D-OH), with whom Dole tangled on numerous 
             occasions, joined a small group of longtime colleagues who 
             came out of retirement to say their goodbyes.
               Senators--Democratic and Republican alike--sat in 
             hushed, almost reverential attention as Dole began to 
             speak, getting only a few words into his remarks before 
             his emotions caught up with him and he had to pause to 
             collect himself. Sheila Burke, his longtime chief of 
             staff, sat at his side, weeping. Several colleagues also 
             appeared to be struggling with their emotions.
               As he concluded his 37-minute address, his voice broke 
             again. ``The Bible tells us, `To everything there is a 
             season,' and I think my season in the Senate is about to 
             come to an end,'' he told his colleagues. ``But the new 
             season before me makes this moment far less the closing of 
             one chapter than the opening of another.''
               Then the Senate and its galleries erupted in another 
             long standing ovation in buoyant violation of Senate rules 
             banning demonstrations in the chamber, which no one cared 
             to enforce.
               Just over an hour later, Dole's resignation became 
             effective and, as a former Senator exercising his 
             visitation rights, he returned to the floor to join 
             Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-KS), in swearing in his 
             successor, Sheila Frahm, the former Lieutenant Governor of 
             Kansas. Frahm brings the number of women in the Senate to 
             nine, a new record.
               By 3:30 p.m., after hosting a reception for Frahm, Dole 
             descended the steps from the Senate chamber, accompanied 
             by his wife and daughter. They were greeted by more well-
             wishers before being whisked away by car to the Dole 
             campaign headquarters eight blocks from the Capitol.
               Just before his speech, the Senate voted by unanimous 
             consent--a rarity in the partisan climate that has seized 
             the chamber in recent months--to name the balcony outside 
             the GOP leader's office in honor of Dole. Dole used it so 
             often to enjoy the sun and to wilt his colleagues during 
             haggling over legislation that it became known as ``Dole 
             beach.''
               Dole accepted the tribute in his traditional style, 
             suggesting it should have a sign on it.
               ``Will it be in big letters or neon?'' he asked. ``I 
             know it can't have any political advertising on it, but 
             just having the name out there in lights the next few 
             months might be helpful,'' he said. He did get a sign, but 
             it was a discreetly painted wood sign on the inside of the 
             balcony door.
               Earlier Dole had opened the Senate in a deceptively 
             routine fashion, winning unanimous approval for about 30 
             nominations to a variety of Federal posts. As he did in 
             his first speech to the Senate 27 years ago, Dole who 
             bears the scars of wounds from World War II, spoke on 
             behalf of programs for the disabled. Then he introduced 
             two bills dealing with some of the unfinished business of 
             his tenure, calling for blue-ribbon commissions to propose 
             ways to keep Medicare from going broke and to recommend 
             reforms in congressional campaign financing laws.
               Dole's successor as majority leader will be chosen today 
             by Senate Republicans, and Majority Whip Trent Lott (R-
             MS), is the strong favorite to win the post. Lott's only 
             rival is Republican Conference Chairman Thad Cochran (R-
             MS).
               While many of the tributes to Dole sounded like campaign 
             speeches, stressing his commitment to causes from women's 
             health issues to the environment, others were more 
             personal.
               Senator John McCain (R-AZ), noted that while he was a 
             prisoner of war in North Vietnam, Dole wore a POW-MIA 
             bracelet bearing his name and opposed cutting off funds 
             for the war. ``I never thanked him before, I do so now,'' 
             McCain said. ``We fought in different wars. We kept the 
             same faith.''
               Kassebaum said Dole rose to big challenges but also was 
             drawn to small ones, noting his efforts to assure that 
             every Kansas county had a tornado warning siren.
               But few were more eloquent in their tributes than a 
             Democrat, Bill Bradley (D-NJ). ``Bob Dole is a good man 
             and an extraordinary legislator,'' Bradley said. 
             ``Although he is personally shy, he knows how to build a 
             political consensus, use power, make things happen. He 
             keeps his word, which is an essential ingredient to 
             building trust. . . . He listens well. . . . He never 
             burns bridges.''
               Daschle noted that he became Democratic leader 18 months 
             ago at a time when relations between the parties ``could 
             not have been worse.'' But because of Dole's ``civility, 
             pragmatism . . . and self-effacing humor,'' they would up 
             as friends, Daschle said.
               In his speech, Dole urged that the Senate leadership 
             continue to work together and warned his colleagues 
             against seeking ``total victory,'' quoting President 
             Ronald Reagan as saying that ``90 percent of what I want'' 
             can be a ``pretty good deal.''
               He also returned his colleagues' tributes, noting how he 
             once had to consult former Democratic leader Robert C. 
             Byrd (D-WV), the Senate's rules expert, on ``how to defeat 
             him on an issue.'' It ``wasn't easy,'' but Byrd told him 
             what he needed to know, Dole recalled.
               As for the Senate itself, he said, ``It's what America 
             is about. We come from different States and different 
             backgrounds, different opportunities, different challenges 
             in our lives. And, yes, the institution has its 
             imperfections. . . . We're still a work in progress.''

                                          a

                     [From the Hartford Courant, June 12, 1996]
                             Bob Dole--He Keeps His Word
                                     (Editorial)
               You don't have to agree with Bob Dole, or even like him, 
             to respect him.
               The man who served as the Republican leader in the U.S. 
             Senate longer than anyone else in history formally 
             resigned Tuesday to campaign full time for President. 
             Republicans gave him a grand send-off, which was 
             predictable. But Democrats, from Edward Kennedy of 
             Massachusetts to Tom Daschle of South Dakota, were 
             effusive in their praise.
               President Clinton was no less statesmanlike. ``Even 
             though I am about to begin a rather vigorous campaign with 
             Senator Dole,'' he told a college audience in California, 
             ``I would like to ask all of you, including those of you 
             who are my supporters, to just take a moment and wish him 
             well. I think we ought to give him a hand.''
               This was a grand moment in politics, for civility 
             doesn't often dominate public discourse in the age of 
             negative campaigning.
               Indeed, Americans of all political stripes ought to give 
             Mr. Dole a hand for his 45 years of public service that 
             began with his election to the Kansas House in 1951. He 
             has been in Congress for 35 years, since 1968 as a 
             Senator.
               Friends and critics agree that what distinguished Mr. 
             Dole was his integrity. ``He keeps his word,'' many of his 
             colleagues said in reminiscing about the World War II hero 
             from Russell, Kansas, who knew when to fight and when to 
             conciliate. To him, compromise was not synonymous with 
             copout but a requisite to the functioning of democratic 
             government.
               Mr. Dole has been a model of the tough and principled 
             conservative who wouldn't be intimidated by the right-wing 
             warriors.
               Some have complained about his dour persona and caustic 
             ways. But no one would deny that Mr. Dole is as no-
             nonsense and trustworthy a leader as they come. He earned 
             his place as majority leader in 1985 and again in 1995 
             through hard work and strong leadership.
               Whether or not Mr. Dole makes it to the White House, he 
             will be remembered as one of the most enduring and 
             successful politicians of the past three decades.
                      [From the Chicago Tribune, June 12, 1996]
                                 Bob Dole's Farewell
                                     (Editorial)
               Once in a great while the piercing partisanship of 
             modern American politics takes a brief hiatus, and we're 
             reminded that the people entrusted with the stewardship of 
             this country appreciate their solemn responsibility.
               Such a moment happened Tuesday when Bob Dole bid 
             farewell to the U.S. Senate with as touching an address as 
             one will ever hear.
               Dole, who choked back tears even before he finished his 
             first sentence, reminded us that the Senate is the fulcrum 
             of inspirational and heartfelt debate, the gathering place 
             of all the States and their peoples in spirit of 
             furthering the cause of a great Nation.
               ``The American people are looking at us, and they want 
             us to tell the truth,'' Dole said. ``It doesn't mean we 
             have to agree, doesn't mean we can't have different 
             motivations.''
               Dole offered credit to Republicans and Democrats for the 
             accomplishments of his 27 years in the Senate, 
             accomplishments such as protecting the economic security 
             of the elderly, feeding the hungry and assisting the 
             handicapped. ``No first-class democracy can treat its 
             people like second-class citizens,'' he said. He paid 
             homage to his own party's leaders, but he also spoke in 
             tribute to Democrats, friends, such as George McGovern, 
             Hubert Humphrey and Robert Byrd.
               It's sad that such public utterances of bipartisan 
             friendship and comity seem to come only in eulogies and 
             farewell speeches. When they are offered so infrequently, 
             they are easily lost and forgotten in the everyday 
             pettiness of politics.
               On Tuesday, Congress basked in the gentle humor and warm 
             words of Bob Dole upon his departure. On Wednesday, those 
             who remain will in all likelihood pick up with the dreary 
             business of their political search-and-destroy missions. 
             This is an election year, after all.
               Yet, they might take a lasting message from Dole's 
             address. If they want to restore the people's trust in 
             government and leaders, they will have to preach the same 
             message as Bob Dole, right now, every day. They will have 
             to preach a message of respect for the nation's 
             institutions and of tolerance and friendship for those who 
             hold a different political viewpoint. They will have to 
             acknowledge that those with whom they disagree 
             nevertheless share their motivation, to do what they 
             believe is best for their country.
               ``You think of all these people who have come and gone, 
             and all the new bright stars that are here today on both 
             sides of the aisle, and one thing you know for certain, 
             it's a great institution,'' Dole said.
               Yes, it is. Would that those in whom its care is 
             entrusted, by their words and deeds, reminded us of that 
             more often.
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, June 12, 1996]
             Dole's Parting Reflections Leave Image of the Core Values 
                                    of His Career
                                    (By Dan Balz)
               Memory is revealing as much as it is selective, and in 
             his farewell address to the Senate yesterday, Robert J. 
             Dole sketched a portrait of himself and his career that 
             was far from the revolutionary fervor of the new 
             Republican Party.
               Dole's valedictory speech was shorn of partisan 
             rhetoric, as befit the moment. But it also was largely 
             shorn of conservative ideology. He recalled helping to 
             save Social Security, not his work in passing Ronald 
             Reagan's 1981 tax cuts. He spoke of his support for food 
             stamps and nutrition programs, not money spent on defense. 
             He remembered all the wheelchairs at the White House when 
             then-President George Bush signed the Americans with 
             Disabilities Act, not the more contemporary battles to 
             shrink the government, pare back Federal regulation and 
             reduce Washington's reach.
               This was hardly a speech Dole's Presidential campaign 
             would have written, for his resignation from the Senate 
             represents to his political advisers a moment of 
             liberation that will allow him to define his ideological 
             differences with President Clinton. Perhaps that will come 
             in the days ahead, but for one last moment, not as 
             candidate Dole but as a life-long legislator, Dole reveled 
             in and recalled the moments of bipartisanship, friendship 
             and accomplishment that, in the past at least, made the 
             Senate into a club.
               Dole is nothing if not a role-player. When the times or 
             the situation have required it, he has played the angry 
             partisan with such relish that the image remains grafted 
             to his persona no matter how much he smiles. To win his 
             party's nomination this year, Dole felt obliged to embrace 
             a conservatism that never quite suited him--and that still 
             pinches like a too-tight collar. Politics requires such 
             adjustments, and Dole, the most professional of 
             politicians, willingly makes them. From this day forward, 
             he will play the role of Republican Presidential nominee 
             with the same kind of determination. No quarter asked or 
             given.
               But afforded one last opportunity to address his 
             colleagues, one moment to set a tone for his departure to 
             civilian life and the campaign trail ahead, he was witty, 
             self-deprecating, nostalgic and centrist in his 
             conservatism. One young Republican who watched the speech 
             on television said it brought tears to his eyes. It was, 
             he said, like a great-uncle spinning wonderful stories of 
             times and people past.
               Dole's recollections of old battles and beloved 
             colleagues may contribute to the perception among some 
             voters that he is a figure from and of the past. Many of 
             those he recalled are little known to today's generations, 
             except perhaps by the buildings that bear their names. But 
             in Dole's scrapbook, they evoke what he thinks is best 
             about an institution that has fallen into public disfavor.
               This was Dole the legislator, and it revealed some of 
             his core values. In the stories he told, he emerged as a 
             politician who reveled in solving problems, who believed 
             in the power of government to help the needy, who 
             admired--and worked comfortably with--many of the most 
             liberal Senators in the chamber.
               His rendering of the past was hardly comprehensive, 
             those he singled out for mention represent a fraction of 
             those who could have made the honor roll. But it was 
             striking how many Democrats were on his mind yesterday, 
             and the warmth with which he described them. He called 
             Hubert H. Humphrey ``my friend'' and George S. McGovern 
             ``a gentleman.'' He remembered being at the signing 
             ceremony for the disabilities act with Senators Edward M. 
             Kennedy (D-MA), and Tom Harkin (D-IA). The man who chaired 
             the Senate Finance Committee before becoming Republican 
             leader recalled his role in managing the bill that made 
             the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday into a 
             national holiday.
               Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour 
             issued a statement yesterday afternoon praising Dole on 
             the end of his long legislative career. It read: ``Bob 
             Dole led the fight in the Senate for a balanced budget 
             amendment, the fight for lower taxes and higher incomes, 
             the fight for replacing welfare with work, the fight for 
             tougher anti-crime measures and the fight for putting an 
             end to wasteful Washington spending.''
               That was not quite how Dole chose to remember his 
             career. He mentioned the balanced budget amendment in 
             passing, but his real message was not focused on GOP 
             talking points for the campaign ahead. Instead it was on 
             the camaraderie of the legislative life and the civility 
             required to get things done; it was on keeping your word 
             and trusting your colleagues. ``None of us has a perfect 
             solution,'' he told his colleagues. ``But there's got to 
             be some solution of where we can come together.''
               Dole's farewell may not translate into compelling 
             campaign rhetoric. He has struggled all year to make the 
             transition. But yesterday's address may tell the voters as 
             much about the Dole who seeks the White House as all the 
             other speeches he will give.
                                          a
                     [From the Washington Times, June 12, 1996]
                                 Bob Dole's Farewell
                        (By Sean Piccoli and Laurie Kellman)
             dole leaves legacy as a doer; senate leader never wavered 
                      from honesty and integrity, admirers say
               In a chamber full of movers and shakers, Bob Dole was a 
             mover.
               Like the gifted athlete he was in high school, the 
             Senate majority leader spent his adult life in politics 
             perfecting the art of forward motion, reaching goals he 
             set for himself, his party and his Congress--time and 
             again, on bill after bill--over a steady course of 35 
             years.
               Known to colleagues as a skilled maneuverer, a savvy 
             parliamentarian, a consensus-builder, the Kansas 
             Republican carved out a reputation in Congress not for 
             visionary thinking or eloquence, or partisan saber-
             rattling, but for getting things done--as promised.
               And that is fine by him.
               ``Probably as important as legislation is the fact that 
             you've kept your word to yourself and your colleagues,'' 
             Mr. Dole, 72, said in an interview last week. ``It's 
             keeping your word. Plus what you do for your 
             constituents.''
               He ended his congressional career yesterday and will now 
             campaign full time for the one goal that has twice eluded 
             him: the White House. He leaves a body of work whose 
             impact on policy and national life has been felt for years 
             and will now be left for historians and congressional 
             scholars to debate.
               Admirers say honesty and integrity have been bywords for 
             Mr. Dole. Those qualities are often compromised in 
             Congress, and few lawmakers hold to them for as long as 
             Mr. Dole has. After all, 52 percent of America was born, 
             according to the latest census, after Mr. Dole was elected 
             to the House in 1960. Along the way, he cast 12,781 
             votes--11,496 of them in the Senate, to which he was 
             elected in 1968.
               ``His word of honor was as good as gold,'' President 
             Bush once said in an interview.
               He was, to many, a source of quiet strength in the 
             Senate.
               ``He could manage consensus without brute force or 
             partisan disintegration, and it's just an incredible gift 
             he displayed over time,'' said former Senator David 
             Durenburger, Minnesota Republican. ``I've been in the 
             middle of one hell of a lot of situations where Bob had to 
             find a consensus that represented a good part of the 
             caucus though it didn't represent the right or the left.''
               Few dispute his skill at getting bills passed.
               ``He was a very effective legislation partner,'' said 
             retired Senator George S. McGovern, South Dakota Democrat. 
             ``I think any Senator who was there during the '70s 
             remembers his work. . . . I guess the overall legacy he 
             has is respect from members on both sides of the aisle as 
             a legislative craftsman.''
               But others thought these talents were too often 
             misplaced.
               ``He could unravel the knot that often tied the Senate 
             up better than most,'' said former Senator Malcolm Wallop, 
             Wyoming Republican. ``He was not what I would have called 
             a strategist. Bob was a practical sort of politician, and 
             often as not, was interested in getting a result more than 
             he was in the form and structure of the result.''
               The willingness to cut non-partisan deals ``used to 
             drive some of his conservative compatriots nuts,'' Mr. 
             Wallop said, ``because the thing that often distinguished 
             us from the Democrats was lost in the result.''
               ``But there's this to say: The Senate worked under Bob 
             Dole,'' he added. ``Some of us just wished it worked a 
             different way.''
               The desire for consensus over conservative principle 
             also troubles some current Republican Senators, who said 
             privately last week they will bid good riddance to the era 
             of the Great Compromiser.
               So it is no surprise, perhaps, that some of the warmest 
             testimonials come from across the aisle.
               ``He was a superb Senator,'' said retired Senator 
             William Proxmire, Wisconsin Democrat, now at the Library 
             of Congress. . . . ``I think he's had a remarkably 
             productive and enviable life.''
               ``Usually it takes a perspective to really appreciate 
             it,'' Mr. Proxmire added, ``but I think as time goes on, 
             he will be looked at as someone of very great stature and 
             one of our best Senators. And I say that as one who voted 
             enthusiastically for Clinton.''
               Mr. Dole started his climb through Congress in 1961, 16 
             years after suffering combat wounds in World War II that 
             nearly killed him and cost him the use of his right arm.
               As Kansas' 1st District Congressman, he cast his first 
             vote on January 3, 1961, for Charles A. Halleck, Indiana 
             Republican, who lost the speakership to Representative Sam 
             Rayburn, Texas Democrat.
               Eight years later, Mr. Dole made his first speech in the 
             Senate, urging the private sector and the Government to 
             contribute more money and research for the disabled.
               In the 1970s, working with Mr. McGovern, he oversaw the 
             dramatic growth of farm-subsidy and nutrition programs.
               ``Almost anything we wanted, we got through the 
             Congress,'' Mr. McGovern recalled.
               The new Republican Congress overhauled much of that 
             farm-subsidy regime to put it on a path toward a less 
             costly, and more market-driven system.
               As majority leader, Mr. Dole marshaled forces for the 
             passage of President Reagan's historic 1981 tax cut, which 
             unleashed record economic growth. Because Congress was 
             unwilling to control entitlement spending, the Federal 
             deficit grew rapidly as well, saddling the nation with an 
             additional $3 trillion in debt during the Reagan and Bush 
             years.
               Mr. Dole was a trusted adviser to Presidents Reagan and 
             Bush even though he lost campaigns against both for the 
             party's presidential nomination.
               ``I had my battles with Senator Dole 8 years ago,'' said 
             Mr. Bush, recalling a televised interview during the 1988 
             Presidential Campaign in which Mr. Dole told his opponent 
             to ``stop lying about my record.''
               ``But out of this once-adversarial relationship came 
             respect and, most important to me, a true and genuine 
             friendship,'' Mr. Bush said.
               Mr. Dole arrived in Congress before television and talk 
             radio had become the pervasive presence they are today.
               Like many of the politicians of his era, Mr. Dole's 
             demeanor and speaking style have not always translated 
             well on television. And he agrees with many in his 
             generation that television coverage of Congress via C-SPAN 
             has been a mixed blessing.
               ``It has set the stage for some demagoguery,'' Mr. Dole 
             said. ``But I think the American people have been able to 
             learn more about how Congress works.''
               Mr. Dole's legacy may be complicated by his long, close 
             association with a political system that many Americans 
             have lost confidence in because they view it as 
             ineffective, intrusive and, possibly, corrupt.
               Mr. Dole acknowledged last week that trying to run the 
             Senate and carry out his Presidential Campaign was a major 
             mistake.
               ``Probably was,'' Mr. Dole said. ``I think it worked all 
             right in the primary season. But Clinton's been on a bit 
             of a roll here. Things got pretty feisty.''
               ``It was an impossible situation,'' said former 
             President Gerald R. Ford, who visited him at the Capitol 
             last week. The two ran together in 1976 and narrowly lost 
             to Jimmy Carter.
               ``This was not a pleasant place to be [during the 
             campaign],'' said lobbyist Tom Korologos, one of Mr. 
             Dole's closest friends. ``The night he decided he was 
             going to resign, he slept like a baby.''
               The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has 
             vowed to reintroduce himself to voters as something more 
             than the Nation's legislative strategist and walking piece 
             of American history.
               ``To concentrate upon the campaign, giving all and 
             risking all, I must leave Congress that I have loved and 
             which I have been honored to serve,'' Mr. Dole said in the 
             speech announcing his resignation.
               His departure signals another kind of transition in the 
             Senate, where agenda-setting power shifts from the 
             traditional clique of senior lawmakers to a younger 
             generation less enamored of the traditions of compromise 
             and comity.
               Senate Republicans are expected to elect Majority Whip 
             Trent Lott, 55, as majority leader tomorrow. Senator Don 
             Nickles, 48, of Oklahoma, will replace Mr. Lott as whip.
               Kansas Lt. Governor Sheila Frahm, 51, was sworn in 
             yesterday as Mr. Dole's successor.
               And, just as he promised, Mr. Dole yesterday fulfilled 
             his promise to campaign as ``an ordinary Kansan, just a 
             man.''
               He strolled down the marble stairs of the Capitol and 
             headed for the American heartland to complete the final 
             and most important journey of his political life.
                                    dole's legacy
               Bob Dole resigned after 8 years in the House and 27 in 
             the Senate, with a record 11 years as Senate GOP leader. 
             His stances over the years:
                                    civil rights
               1964: Voted for the Civil Rights Act, which banned 
             discrimination in voting, employment and housing.
               1979 and 1982: Voted to block implementation and 
             enforcement of court-ordered busing as a means of 
             desegregating public schools.
               1982: Authored an amendment to the 1965 Voting Rights 
             Act that led to the 25-year extension of the law 
             guaranteeing minority voting rights.
               1983: Voted to create a Federal Martin Luther King 
             holiday.
               1985: Voted to impose sanctions on South Africa for its 
             system of apartheid. The following year, however, he 
             supported President Reagan's veto of the sanctions.
                                    entitlements
               1965: Voted against the creation of Medicare, the health 
             care program for the elderly.
               1977: Helped defeat a requirement that recipients pay 
             for a portion of their food stamps.
               1983: Senator Pat Moynihan, New York Democratic, 
             spearheaded a presidential commission's $165 billion 
             bailout of Social Security.
               1995: Voted to cut Federal support for Medicaid by $163 
             billion over 7 years and eliminate the guarantee of 
             coverage.
               1996: Voted to show the growth of Medicare spending by 
             $270 billion over 7 years.
                                   foreign policy
               1964: Voted for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 
             authorizing U.S. retaliation against North Vietnam. 
             Consistently supported the military action.
               1985 and 1986: Voted for $114 million in aid to the 
             Nicaraguan Contras rebels.
               1991: Supported President Bush's Operation Desert Storm.
                                   social programs
               1988: Voted against the Family and Medical Leave Act, 
             requiring most employers to provide unpaid, job-protected 
             leave for workers who need to care for newborn children or 
             ailing family members.
                                        taxes
               1981: Voted for Mr. Reagan's tax-cut package, including 
             a 22 percent reduction in income taxes over 3 years.
               1982: Led deficit hawks in passing the Tax Equity and 
             Fiscal Responsibility Act, which raised taxes on 
             cigarettes, travel and telephone calls.
               1993: Voted against President Clinton's deficit package 
             and its 5 year, $241 billion tax increase.
                                          a
                     [From the Washington Times, June 12, 1996]
                Dole Bids Farewell to Capitol Hill; After 35 Years, 
                           Candidate Enters A `New Season'
                                 (By Laurie Kellman)
               Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole yesterday traded his 
             ``great ride'' in Congress for the bumps of the 
             Presidential campaign trail, saying his resignation was 
             not the end of an era, but the dawn of his life as 
             citizen-politician.
               ``The Bible tells us to everything there is a season, 
             and I think my season in the Senate is about to come to an 
             end,'' Mr. Dole said.
               ``But the new season before me makes this moment far 
             less the closing of one chapter than the opening of 
             another,'' he finished. ``Like everybody here, I am an 
             optimist. I believe our best tomorrows are yet to be 
             lived.''
               The 40-minute speech was the centerpiece of the final 
             day of Mr. Dole's 35 years in Congress. He resigned as the 
             longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history.
               Today, Mr. Dole begins his life as a full-time 
             Presidential candidate with a whirlwind three-day tour of 
             7 States in the Midwest and South.
               But on his last day in the Senate, where he served for 
             27 years, Mr. Dole took his time. He followed a quick 
             morning haircut with identical resignation letters to Vice 
             President Al Gore, the President of the Senate, and Kansas 
             Governor Bill Graves.
               ``I hereby resign my office as a United States Senator 
             from Kansas effective June 11, 1996 at 2 p.m. eastern 
             daylight time. Sincerely, Bob Dole.''
               Mr. Dole then introduced his last bills, measures to 
             reauthorize Federal funding for educating the disabled and 
             to establish bipartisan commissions on campaign finance 
             and Medicare reform.
               The final farewell began. Senators of both parties 
             delivered plaudits from the floor, where they hailed Mr. 
             Dole as a man of his word who had evolved from a staunch 
             partisan to a conscientious conciliator.
               Senator Phil Gramm, the Texas Republican who challenged 
             Mr. Dole for the party's Presidential nomination, 
             described the departing majority leader as ``the greatest 
             legislator of his era.''
               Soon after Mr. Dole's retirement became official, Kansas 
             Lt. Governor Sheila Frahm was sworn in to take his place.
               And just as attention turned to today's election for 
             Republican leader, a close ally of Mr. Dole's advised the 
             top contender, Majority Whip Trent Lott of Mississippi, to 
             be good to his word.
               ``Anybody following him better know they better be 
             honest,'' said Senator Pete V. Domenici, New Mexico 
             Republican. ``They better tell the Senate the truth, 
             because he knew no other way.''
               Senator Robert C. Byrd, West Virginia Democrat, 
             described Mr. Dole's departure as the passing of an era.
               ``Bob Dole: Well done,'' he said.
               Mr. Dole took the floor for the last time and cracked 
             jokes about the Senate resolution to immortalize with his 
             name the balcony outside his second-floor Capitol office, 
             where he cut many a legislative deal and worked on his 
             ever-present suntan.
               Mr. Dole then turned to the speech that drew a standing-
             room-only crowd to the floor and the galleries above. He 
             uttered only nine words--``Well, I want to thank all of my 
             colleagues''--before choking up and pressing his 
             forefinger to his lips to suppress the swelling wave of 
             emotion.
               His wife, Elizabeth, clutched a tissue as she watched 
             from the balcony. Sitting immediately to his left, Chief 
             of Staff Sheila Burke openly wept. She offered him a 
             tissue at one point, but he declined.
               Calling himself and the Nation ``a work in progress,'' 
             Mr. Dole proudly proclaimed himself a bipartisan leader 
             who worked well with Democrats, regardless of their 
             differences.
               And he spoke about what he believes is his final legacy 
             to the Senate, ``a great institution.''
               ``The American people are looking at us and they want us 
             to tell the truth,'' he said. ``We can lead and we can 
             mislead. But whatever we do, we will be held 
             responsible.''
               And he defended his willingness over the years to 
             compromise with Democrats in pursuit of the Republican 
             agenda. In an apparent reference to the hard-charging 
             Republican freshmen of the House, Mr. Dole said that there 
             is nothing dishonorable about compromise and that without 
             it Congress cannot function.
               ``Ronald Reagan said once, `If I can get 90 percent of 
             what I want, I'd call that a pretty good deal,' '' Mr. 
             Dole said. ``Some people never understand that. Take the 
             90, then work on the 10.''
               His colleagues gave him a 13-minute standing ovation, 
             and the new era began. Reporters peppered Mrs. Frahm with 
             questions. Other pressing issues immediately took 
             precedence with other Senators. Senator John McCain, 
             Arizona Republican, for example, urged the new majority 
             leader to bring the missile defense bill to the floor.
               Surrounded by Senators and his family, Mr. Dole left his 
             office about 2:30 p.m.
               ``Here we go! This is it,'' Mr. Dole told reporters as 
             he walked out for the last time.
               As thousands of supporters cheered, Mr. Dole descended 
             the Senate's 46 steps and touched ground before a waiting 
             car. He gave a thumbs-up to Miss Burke, who held her 
             daughter in her arms and returned the gesture.
               At that moment, his sunshine-filled Senate suite was 
             silent and empty, except for a maid who cleared soda cans 
             and cookies from a reception table. Mr. Dole's own office 
             looked much the same as it had before his resignation. 
             Portraits of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Pocahontas hung on 
             either side of his desk. Only a painting of Abraham 
             Lincoln reading to his son Tad had been removed.
               On Mr. Dole's desk remained a stack of news clippings 
             and summaries, including what appeared to be a large 
             farewell card, the front of which read:
               ``To Citizen Bob Dole: With gratitude for your many 
             years of service to your country.''
                                          a
                        [From the Tulsa World, June 13, 1996]
                                 Public Servant Dole
                                     (Editorial)
               For a brief shining moment Tuesday, Americans got a look 
             at their government at its very best. Robert Dole, lately 
             of the U.S. Senate, delivered a statesmanlike farewell 
             speech to the body he has served for 27 years and his 
             colleagues on both sides of the aisle responded with 
             respect and affection.
               It was one of those increasingly rare times when members 
             of the most important deliberative body in the world 
             behaved with civility and respect for each other.
               Dole of course is the Republican party's soon-to-be 
             nominee for President of the United States. He is leaving 
             the Senate to devote full time to his campaign, but he 
             never even mentioned the campaign in his remarks to the 
             Senate.
               Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle co-sponsored a 
             resolution naming a balcony outside the majority leader's 
             office after him and offered comments that were almost as 
             laudatory of Dole as those of GOP Senators.
               Even in a Congress in which partisanship is sharper and 
             more petty than most, Bob Dole of Kansas is loved and 
             respected. His fairness and courtesy to everyone he deals 
             with is legendary.
               He was a consummate legislator, always working to 
             accommodate all sides while still moving legislation 
             forward. He has served the country in this role for more 
             than 45 years, first as a member of the Kansas 
             Legislature, then as a member of the U.S. House of 
             Representatives and since 1969 as a Senator.
               He has served two hitches as majority leader and was 
             minority leader for 8 years when his party was out of 
             power. He served in those positions at the pleasure of his 
             fellow Republicans, holding the loyalty of a changing 
             membership for more than a dozen years.
               Oddly enough, Dole's long and distinguished legislative 
             career is out of favor with many in his own party. He is, 
             after all, a ``career politician,'' having been on 
             government payrolls for about a half century. It can be 
             proved that he believes in ``compromise,'' also a dirty 
             word in some GOP circles.
               It perhaps violates the non-partisan spirit of Dole's 
             resignation day to point out that if the term limits 
             pushed by his party had been in effect, the country would 
             never have had the full benefit of the services of Bob 
             Dole.
               Dole's personal traits of intelligence, dedication, hard 
             work and respect for the views of others combined to make 
             him one of the best legislators in history and that in 
             turn is the best reason to elect him to the Presidency.
               To boot, he is old and wise. Yet he is running far 
             behind in the polls.
               Go figure.
                                          a
                [From the Commercial Appeal (Memphis), June 13, 1996]
                                    Dole Departs
                                     (Editorial)
               It hasn't been much noted, and it may seem a relatively 
             small thing, but it strikes us as something important 
             about Bob Dole that, in the hothouse of the U.S. Senate he 
             has now left, he never used profanity.
               Several of his colleagues spoke of the fact to reporters 
             in assessing a leader who seldom lost his temper even in 
             intense negotiations and whose instincts were for 
             conciliation and moderation in fashioning public policies.
               Those seeking fierce ideological passion from the 
             presumptive Republican candidate for President will be 
             disappointed. As his 35-year record in Congress 
             demonstrates, he is a man of self-restraint and balanced 
             views. He is conservative in the nonpolitical sense of 
             respecting tradition and the values of propriety and 
             loyalty.
               Of his own loyalties, three stand out.
               One is for deficit reduction. He understands that there 
             will come a day of reckoning on borrowing money for 
             excessive spending, and he doesn't believe today's 
             children should pay the high cost of their parents' 
             recklessness.
               Another loyalty is for the Senate itself. He is not one 
             of those who scorns a body that has such importance for 
             the future of his country.
               Still one more loyalty is for his political party. He 
             deeply believes that it is only through the party system 
             that the noblest political ends are accomplished. And he 
             is committed to the search for common interests and the 
             compromises that make legislative success possible.
               In his farewell speech Tuesday as he left the Senate to 
             campaign for the Presidency, Dole said the central lesson 
             he learned in his long Senate career was the importance of 
             trustworthiness. He was most proud of the fact, he said, 
             that ``Bob Dole kept his word.''
               Whether all of this--and more, of course--will be enough 
             to get Bob Dole elected President remains to be decided in 
             November. He has a long way to go to catch the public's 
             fancy--and President Clinton's lead.
               But this much, at least, can be said: Dole served well 
             as the Senate's majority leader and in other capacities, 
             and no expletive ever had to be deleted from records of 
             his own words or descriptions of his behavior.
                                          a
                   [From the Daily News (New York), June 13, 1996]
                             Bob Dole Charts Wise Course
                                     (Editorial)
               Yesterday was Bob Dole's first day as a private citizen. 
             A day that saw the right wing of the Republican Party 
             recoiling in horror at Dole's big-tent views on abortion. 
             Not a bad beginning for Citizen Dole.
               He marched into full-time campaigning after Tuesday's 
             emotion-packed speech before his Senate colleagues. For 35 
             distinguished years, Dole worked the corridors of power on 
             Capitol Hill. For the last 11 years, he was the power as 
             the longest serving chief of Senate Republicans. The 
             respect, and a fair amount of affection, displayed on both 
             sides of the aisle are a testament to his skills and 
             personal decency.
               Those same traits have been on public display over the 
             last few weeks. During the primary season, Dole had little 
             tolerance for gun control, affirmative action and 
             abortion. Now, with the nomination secured, he is tacking 
             to the middle on many issues.
               An exercise in pure political calculus? No doubt. A bid 
             to lure Colin Powell to his ticket? Perhaps.
               Either way, the results in Tuesday's GOP Senate primary 
             in Virginia illustrate the wisdom. For despite the fact 
             that the Christian Coalition and Iran-Contra scammer 
             Oliver North supported conservative Jim Miller, the 
             moderate incumbent, Senator John Warner, won in a 
             landslide. If the right wing can't win a primary in 
             Virginia, its threats are idle.
               But Dole's shift toward the middle is most welcome for 
             another, less cynical, reason: It offers a realistic 
             formula for governing should he win the White House. 
             Especially on abortion, perhaps the most divisive issue in 
             America.
               Though he says he supports the GOP platform's call for 
             an amendment outlawing abortion, Dole has shaken the 
             rafters with his urging for a ``declaration of 
             tolerance.'' And he wants a no-wiggle-room statement that 
             ``ought to be right up there where people can see it.''
               Would that all Republicans and Democrats were so 
             tolerant. Neither group can make that claim.
               Dole's ``declaration,'' said Gary Bauer of the 
             conservative Family Research Council, is ``politically 
             dumb.'' Presidential wannabe Pat Buchanan squawked that it 
             was ``morally absurd.''
               Dole gave as good as he got. ``We can't agree on every 
             issue in this party, and we ought to respect the views of 
             others,'' he shot back at Bauer. ``I mean, this a moral 
             issue.''
               Clearly, Dole's liberation from the Senate has not 
             dulled time-honed instincts for moderation. And for 
             respect on matters of conscience. Those traits will serve 
             him well not only in unifying his party, but in trying to 
             appeal to the best in all Americans, whatever their 
             labels.
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, June 13, 1996]
                                  Good Citizen Dole
                                  (By Mary McGrory)
               Yes, I applauded when the retiring Senator Bob Dole 
             saluted the press--after fair warning we'd probably fall 
             out of our seats at what he was about to say. No, none of 
             my colleagues did. Was I unprofessional? Probably. My 
             editor suggests I should be fired, but that's what editors 
             always say. Perhaps I should try to explain.
               I was delighted to hear Dole's kind words because I know 
             he had to come a long way to say them. I am glad whenever 
             any Republican says anything nice about us, because it is 
             well-known that they think we are a bunch of two-faced 
             radicals who exist to misrepresent them and distort their 
             views. I can still hear their primal, hair-raising roar 
             when Dwight Eisenhower fired on ``sensation-seeking 
             columnists and commentators.''
               When I first knew Bob Dole, he was the nastiest man in 
             Washington, Richard Nixon's snarling surrogate, standing 
             in the deserted chamber at day's end, raging against Teddy 
             Kennedy and other critics of the Vietnam War. In the 1976 
             debate with Fritz Mondale, he frightened little children 
             with his baleful references to ``Democrat wars.''
               Why wouldn't I clap when I heard him say, handsomely, to 
             the press gallery in farewell, ``I know that what you do 
             off this floor is as vital to American democracy as 
             anything we do on it, and we have to keep that in mind.''
               You don't necessarily have to be going to vote for him 
             for President to cheer him on at such a moment. He didn't 
             have to say he doesn't always agree with us, we all know 
             that; he let us know in various ways. Like he stopped 
             speaking to me for a while last fall for no reason he 
             cared to state--we never had an interview so there was no 
             way of finding out. Just as mysteriously, he lifted the 
             interdict and resumed joshing with me about Antrim, the 
             town I love in New Hampshire which never votes for him.
               I met another Bob Dole in 1982, courtesy of, of all 
             people, the liberals' liberal, Joseph L. Rauh Jr. It was 
             the dawn of the Reagan administration and the Gipper was 
             genially messing with civil rights. He had proposed a 
             preposterous condition for establishing violation of 
             voting rights: ``Registrars' intent'' to deprive the 
             applicant of his rights would have to be proven. Dole 
             didn't say much, as I remember it; he just went to work to 
             foil the President. He organized the Judiciary Committee, 
             he rallied moderate members. The next thing the White 
             House knew, it was surrounded, outgunned, outmanned. 
             Attorney William French Smith ran up the white flag. I 
             always thought it was sad that Dole belonged to a party 
             which would not let him brag about his finest hour.
               It was all Dole, Joe told me. ``He put in things we 
             didn't dare propose. He would ask `Is it the right thing?' 
             If we said yes, he would say, `Well, let's put it in.' '' 
             I wrote several admiring, unbelieving pieces about this 
             civil libertarian I had never seen before. Dole once 
             muttered to me, with his shy, sly grin, ``Could you take 
             it easy?''
               It was that Dole who spoke at his Senate farewell, in 
             that plain, unadorned, rambling, almost inarticulate 
             language that had nothing like the raptures of his 
             ghostwritten resignation announcement. This one he wrote 
             himself. Afterward, people argued about it. Had he 
             finally, unmistakably revealed ``the real Bob Dole,'' the 
             mensch who is loved by his Senate colleagues and honored 
             for the solid gold of his word? Some thought the 
             ordinariness of the prose and the resolute avoidance of 
             grand themes was unbecoming in a Presidential candidate, 
             an opportunity lost. Some thought the sight of Dole 
             telling of the good things he accomplished with good men, 
             a surprising number of them Democrats, showed a majority 
             leader the country could learn to love as they do. Others 
             thought the minimalist expression gave the affair all the 
             intrinsic drama of the retirement of the head Elk from his 
             lodge.
               For Senate-lovers, it was a festival of lore and 
             laughter about an institution that evokes mostly scorn 
             elsewhere. For Republicans, it may have been an odd hit 
             parade, with any number of personalities they have 
             laboriously demonized over the years being affectionately 
             recalled: George McGovern, ``a gentleman''; Hubert 
             Humphrey, ``we didn't have a problem at all.'' Teddy 
             Kennedy and Tom Harkin and he went to a White House 
             ceremony together. For those to whom Phil Hart is a name 
             on a building, Dole brought the saintly Senator back to 
             life as a young man in a military hospital, who ``from 
             morning to night . . . spent his time running errands'' 
             for the other patients or getting baseball tickets.
               He had a text to which he fitfully referred. And he had 
             a message, although it was obliquely conveyed in that 
             rather glancing, cryptic phrasing he favors. It was to his 
             fellow Republicans, the stomping, club-swinging militants: 
             Be nice.
               I do not apologize for clapping.
                                          a
                    [From the Omaha World-Herald, June 15, 1996]
                        Dole Deserving of Laudatory Comments
                                     (Editorial)
               The gracious and generous manner in which Bob Dole said 
             farewell to the Senate may have puzzled people who have 
             bought into the rhetoric of commentators who paint Dole as 
             an extreme right-winger.
               But it should have surprised no one. Dole was the 
             longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history. He 
             didn't hold onto the job so long through fear, 
             intimidation or back-room conniving. He was a consensus-
             builder and a persuader.
               The esteem in which he is held by his colleagues of both 
             political parties was apparent in what was said about him.
               Despite ``a few bumps along the way,'' he told fellow 
             Senators, ``it's been a great ride.'' He reminisced about 
             friends and friendly opponents such as George McGovern and 
             Senator Tom Daschle, the current Democratic Party leader 
             in the Senate. He told an affectionate story about Hubert 
             Humphrey and the Minnesota Democrat's sometimes long 
             speeches. He recalled his relationships with former 
             Senators Phil Hart of Michigan, Russell Long of Louisiana 
             and Mike Mansfield of Montana. All were Democrats.
               Daschle spoke of Dole's ``civility, pragmatism and self-
             effacing humor,'' saying that he and the Republican had 
             wound up as friends.
               Democrat Bill Bradley of New Jersey spoke eloquently of 
             Dole's abilities as Senate leader, saying: ``Although 
             (Dole) is personally shy, he knows how to build a 
             political consensus, use power, make things happen. He 
             keeps his word, which is an essential ingredient to 
             building trust. He listens well. He never burns bridges.'' 
             Dole listed for his fellow Senators some of the 
             accomplishments of his 35-year career that he looked back 
             on with pride. Expanding child nutrition programs. 
             Establishing the food stamp program. Bailing out the 
             Social Security system. Extending civil rights protection 
             to the disabled with the Americans With Disabilities Act. 
             Establishing Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday. 
             Maintaining a strong national defense. Supporting the war 
             in Vietnam. Hardly the record of a conservative ideologue.
               Nebraska Senator J. James Exon said it well with his 
             farewell to Dole. ``If we have to have a Republican 
             President,'' he said, ``I hope it's you.'' It says much of 
             Dole that he has clearly earned the respect of his 
             colleagues.
                                          a
                    [From the Sunday Gazette Mail, June 16, 1996]
                          Dole Did It His Way--The Hard Way
                                 (By William Safire)
               My informal job title in the Nixon administration was 
             Rejected Counsel. That's because, as a speech writer, I 
             would occasionally put my head into the Oval Office to 
             say: ``Mr. President--Do the popular thing! Take the easy 
             way!'' Nixon would ritualistically throw me out of the 
             office, allowing me to submit a speech draft that would 
             truthfully report: ``Some of my aides have suggested that 
             I do the popular thing, that I should take the easy way. 
             But I have rejected such counsel.''
               This happy memory came to mind as I listened to Bob 
             Dole's eloquent announcement of his departure from the 
             Senate to devote all his time to his Presidential 
             campaign. In that talk, he referred briefly to his 
             difficult travail as a wounded veteran in relearning to 
             walk: ``I trust in the hard way, for little has come to me 
             except in the hard way, which is good because we have a 
             hard task ahead.''
               Later he recalled times of discouragement: ``I have been 
             there before, I have done it the hard way and I will do it 
             the hard way once again.''
               I reached Dole after the speech to ask who wrote it. He 
             was at first reluctant to say because he didn't want the 
             anonymous volunteer to get in trouble with his employer, 
             but when I explained that it would only help the writer's 
             career, and that people now understand that public figures 
             get professional writing help, the Senator replied that 
             drafts had come from Mark Helprin, a novelist who 
             contributes op-ed pieces to The Wall Street Journal.
               Well, then--as a longtime derogator of ``the easy 
             way''--what can I contribute to the rhetorical origin of 
             Dole's the hard way? As the New Deal was rooted in card 
             playing, the hard way is derived from rolling dice. In 
             Damon Runyon's 1931 book, ``Guys and Dolls,'' a character 
             familiar with the world of gambling is quoted: `` 
             `Charley,' he says, `do you make it the hard way?' '' In 
             shooting craps, the hard way means ``the most difficult 
             way'': narrowing the ability to make an even-numbered 
             point by requiring the two dice to come up with a pair of 
             equal numbers totaling the point. What makes it ``harder'' 
             is that the odds of achieving the point that limited way 
             are higher. By extension, the phrase to learn the hard way 
             means ``through bitter experience,'' and to come up the 
             hard way means ``primarily by one's own efforts.''
               In an interview with Newsweek, Helprin recalled Dole's 
             words when making the decision to leave the Senate: ``If 
             I'm going to run for President, then I'm going to have to 
             run for president.''
               This ``if-then'' construction has long been used in the 
             expression of determination and grit. Said the 19th-
             century political economist William Graham Sumner: ``If 
             you ever live in a country run by a committee, be on the 
             committee.'' Said Napoleon Bonaparte to a hesitant 
             general: ``If you're going to take Vienna, take Vienna.''
                                          a
                     [From the Los Angeles Times, June 16, 1996]
               For Dole, Road to Politics Began At Kansas Courthouse; 
               GOP: His Days as County Attorney in '50s Paved Way to 
              Congress. The Ex-Senator Still Resonates Themes of that 
                                         Era
                               (By Richard A. Serrano)
               These were good days, and on good days Bob Dole took the 
             steps two and three at a time. His office was on the 
             northwest corner of the third floor of the Russell County 
             Courthouse. Sometimes life was so good he whistled up the 
             stairs.
               The county back then was tall in wheat and rich in oil. 
             In the town of Russell, there were two movie houses on 
             brick-paved Main Street, two newspapers, a drive-in 
             theater and a combination bowling alley-pool hall. No 
             longer just a wind-blown, flat-iron settlement of Old 
             World immigrants, the community was at the peak of its day 
             when Dole took office in 1953 as the new county attorney.
               Traditionally, the job went to graduates just out of 
             Kansas law schools. They would serve the short 2-year 
             term, then move quickly into private practice around town. 
             In 1953, there wasn't a block on Main Street that didn't 
             boast a law firm.
               But Dole had other plans. For 8 years he trekked up and 
             down those stairs, representing the people of Russell 
             County in the building's single courtroom, hashing out 
             legal problems in his tiny office with the wood paneling, 
             the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and the glass-brick 
             windows.
               Dole was county attorney during the time Bill Clinton 
             was in grade school; the same period Dwight D. Eisenhower 
             served in the White House. When the decade ended, Dole 
             emerged a U.S. Congressman. He moved to Washington; his 
             Russell years were over.
               Forty-six years later he is running for President, 
             running against Clinton with a campaign that resonates 
             Eisenhower themes of American spirit, 1950s-style progress 
             and small-town do-goodism.
               His critics contend that he is lost in a time warp, 
             trapped in an era whose values cannot be pasted onto the 
             complicated and ever-changing global world of today.
               But he persists. At campaign stops, his speeches often 
             travel back to his baptismal days as a lowly civil 
             servant, frequently praising a time when people looked to 
             friends and neighbors, rather than a distant bureaucracy, 
             to solve social problems.
               It was his first taste of government service, his first 
             chance to press the public flesh. It marked his entry into 
             politics. It laid the groundwork for Bob Dole the public 
             man.
               In Russell in the 1950s, Dole often sat alone in his 
             courthouse office, chain-smoking Lucky Strikes and sorting 
             through his community's travails without the help of big 
             Government programs or the hassles of red tape.
               When half a dozen children were taken from their parents 
             because of neglect, he helped local families adopt them. 
             When his grandparents fell on hard times, he helped 
             process their welfare benefits.
               Whenever a lovers' quarrel would erupt between the 
             endlessly bickering couple who owned Red's Chicken House 
             out on South Fossil Road, Dole would be called on to make 
             the peace. Everyone knew Judge Benedict P. Cruise was a 
             staunch Catholic and did not grant divorces. So Dole was 
             endlessly playing the role of conciliator for the battling 
             pair.
               He won 4 consecutive terms. He dined with the Rotary 
             Club and the VFW crowd, and he kissed babies. He shook the 
             hands of farmers, and he seldom missed a chance to beam 
             for photographers with the annual county rodeo queen. 
             Every month, it seemed, another barbershop quartet hit 
             town. Barbershop quartets were a big draw back then. They 
             drew voters. And that drew Bob Dole.
               He was in his 30s, a man on the go when small-town 
             America could still be fashionable. He wore dark blue 
             suits, even in the humid-dipped months of July and August. 
             This was before air conditioning, and still he never 
             loosened his tie or shed his jacket.
               He prosecuted town drunks and nighttime brawlers and, 
             occasionally, rapists and thieves. While many of his cases 
             were plea-bargained, when Dole did take a case to the 
             courtroom, he often as not left the chamber victorious. He 
             wasn't swank and he didn't swagger, but he won.
               People recall that he worked tirelessly--he walked home 
             for lunch and then returned to work, and then walked home 
             for dinner and returned again. The light in his office 
             often burned past midnight, past the time the sound of the 
             Union Pacific train was heard rumbling by Russell's giant 
             grain elevator as it headed for Denver or Kansas City or 
             other places east and west he longed to experience.
               He also was feeling the kick of gut-level politics. In 
             1957, at the behest of the powerful Kansas petroleum 
             industry, he went to the State Supreme Court in Topeka and 
             persuaded the high court to strike down a new severance 
             tax that would have cost the oil and gas men millions of 
             dollars.
               The oil companies responded with campaign money and 
             support that ultimately helped parlay this nondescript 
             county functionary into Kansas' 6th District Congressional 
             Representative and started him on the path to becoming a 
             Washington power broker.
               He touched many lives in such a small town. How do they 
             remember this complex man of the Plains?
               To his courthouse secretary, Juania June Ball, he was a 
             workaholic.
               ``Always long, hard hours all night long,'' she said. 
             ``I had a Dictaphone, and he was talking and I was typing, 
             and you'd lose track of the time until you heard the train 
             go by. He'd say, `Well, there goes the 2 o'clock train. I 
             guess we better go home.' ''
               To retired Sheriff Harry Morgenstern, Dole was someone 
             who quickly learned the politician's gift of dealing with 
             the voting public, and how to know them so they won't 
             forget you.
               ``He was so damn popular,'' Morgenstern said. ``He knew 
             everybody. He'd call everybody by name. There wasn't a 
             stranger to him.''
               To Norbert Dreiling, an attorney who became active in 
             the Democratic Party, Dole always was more politician than 
             lawyer.
               ``He wasn't regarded as a poor lawyer, but he wasn't 
             regarded as a good lawyer either,'' Dreiling said. ``He 
             was using that office to move up the ladder. Kansas was 
             heavily Republican when he came up, and he had everything 
             he needed to pack the house. He was a mean warrior when it 
             came to politics. He was out to win.''
               As for Dole himself, he attempted to get at the essence 
             of what it was like to be county attorney when he wrote in 
             his autobiography:
               ``Politics at the grass-roots level is almost always 
             personal. The smaller the town, the fewer the secrets and 
             the greater the importance placed on personal connections. 
             To many voters, the chief function for the county attorney 
             was springing their friends nabbed on traffic charges.''
               For most of his life, he had been surrounded by Russell 
             friends and Russell neighbors. He was born here, the first 
             son of the man who ran the butter and egg creamery on Main 
             Street. At Russell High School, the girls voted him the 
             ``ideal boy.''
               Dole quietly had dreamed of being a surgeon. But his 
             wounds in a closing battle of World War II cut those hopes 
             short. He spent the next few years in rehabilitation, in 
             and out of hospitals, adopting a stick-to-it determination 
             that someday he would be whole again. He earned a law 
             degree in 1952, and not soon afterward stood up at a 
             community meeting 9 miles out of town. He fought back his 
             shyness and uttered seven words: ``I want to be your 
             county attorney.''
               The next day he purchased a blue suit on credit at 
             Banker's Mercantile, then stepped out on Main Street and 
             began passing out fliers.
               He ran against Dean Ostrum, a Phi Beta Kappa who was the 
             scion of a prominent local attorney. Ostrum was destined 
             for great things; he would move to the East Coast and 
             become a leading counsel for American Telephone & 
             Telegraph. But first he would lose to Bob Dole.
               By all accounts, Ostrum was the better lawyer. But Dole 
             had one thing Ostrum did not--a Purple Heart.
               ``He never made a big thing about it, but you knew it,'' 
             said John Woelk, a lawyer and a Democrat in his 70s who 
             still practices law in Russell. ``He had the handicap for 
             all of us to see. You were immediately aware of it because 
             he shook your hand with his left.''
               Politics, Dole would later write, ``knocking on a 
             stranger's door, looking him in the eye and asking for his 
             vote, was a way to overcome my disability without denying 
             it.''
               He beat Ostrum by less than 200 votes in the GOP 
             primary, then won the general election by more than 2,000.
               The job paid $248 a month, less than what the county 
             janitor made. But there were perks, foremost being that 
             the county attorney was allowed to maintain a private 
             practice on the side, complete with use of a free phone 
             and desk.
               ``He was doing two jobs, really,'' said his first wife, 
             Phyllis. ``But I didn't pay that much attention to his 
             work. Bob did what he wanted to do.''
               Old-timers remember that county business was slow in the 
             1950s, and Dole spent much of his time on his private 
             practice or doing what he liked more: Politicking. His 
             pals down at Dawson's soda fountain tell a story that 
             gives a feel of the time.
               One day, according to owner Bub Dawson, Dole stopped by 
             and mentioned that he had a ``case.'' Dawson rounded up a 
             group of fellows. ``Hey, Bob's got a case,'' he told them. 
             Everybody thought Dole had a case of beer. But no, this 
             time he had a real case.
               Most of it was run-of-the-mill stuff. Drunk driving. 
             Loitering. Carrying a switchblade knife. A murder file 
             never crossed his desk. There were a couple of incidents 
             of gang rape, and a fatal hit-and-run by a youth in a 
             stolen Pontiac. Dole also convicted a traveling carnival 
             worker who kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old girl.
               ``He also had that rather sarcastic wit,'' remembered 
             Marvin Thompson, another young attorney then. ``He could 
             use it to great effect sometimes. . . . But he wasn't 
             going to blow a jury apart with his oratory either.''
               Dole occasionally took on the oil interests. Farmers 
             often complained that the wells caused saltwater poisoning 
             of their fields, and like county attorneys throughout this 
             region known as the nation's breadbasket, Dole would 
             defend the farmer.
               But Dole found himself allied with the oil companies in 
             1957 when he filed a challenge to Kansas' new 1 percent 
             severance tax on production. He took it to the State 
             Supreme Court and won--the tax was struck down because of 
             a technicality he found in the law's title.
               ``Probably my biggest day in court,'' Dole would say 
             later.
               ``After that,'' said Dick Driscoll, a Russell lawyer and 
             Democrat, ``he suddenly had a lot of support from the oil 
             industry. He helped oil, and oil helped him.''
               With money, backing and newly won prestige, the Dole 
             name was becoming known outside Russell. In 1960, he filed 
             as a candidate for Congress. His years as county attorney, 
             he said, his years in local politics had stood him well. 
             Little, in fact, had gotten by him. Even his campaign 
             rallies for Congress were jazzed up with performances by a 
             group of female harmony singers called the ``Dolls for 
             Dole.''
               All those trips to listen to the barbershop quartets had 
             paid off.
                                          a
                 [From the Christian Science Monitor, June 17, 1996]
                                 Dole Braves a Storm
                                     (Editorial)
               Bob Dole bid an emotional farewell last week to the US 
             Senate. He weathered many storms there, but his was 
             usually a sure hand at the tiller.
               Now he steps into a craft, his Presidential campaign, 
             with much trickier steering, and which is currently tossed 
             by a gale of Mr. Dole's own making.
               But there's method in the candidate's willingness to 
             roil the waters after he supposedly smoothed them last 
             week by announcing he favored inclusion of a tolerance 
             statement in the GOP convention platform. Though intended 
             to moderate the party's unequivocal call for a 
             constitutional amendment to ban abortion, the statement 
             was to be innocuously placed in the platform's preamble 
             rather than its text--or so Dole aides and party right-
             wingers thought.
               Their candidate has now made it clear that the tolerance 
             wording should be placed more prominently, preferably 
             right in the abortion plank. That, alas, is heresy to 
             ardent pro-lifers such as Patrick Buchanan. To them, it 
             implies a retreat from the party's stated intolerance of 
             abortion.
               To many other Republicans, however, it's an indication 
             that their man has the courage to brave the right wing's 
             fury on a matter of principle. The principle, says Dole, 
             is a respect for those with differing points of view, even 
             when you strongly disagree.
               If people have trouble with that, the candidate said 
             with senatorial finality, ``that's fine with me.'' It will 
             take continued courage to stick by that stand and risk 
             another Buchanan-stirred tempest at the convention this 
             August.
               But the stand for tolerance is likely to do Dole more 
             good than harm. First, it strikes a chord for moderation 
             that will ring true for most voters and might open the way 
             for a moderate vice-presidential candidate. Second, voters 
             have their eye out for someone with the moral fiber to 
             take a position because it's right, regardless of the 
             political fallout. That's the character issue in a 
             nutshell.
                                          a
                   [From the Montgomery Advertiser, June 18, 1996]
                         Dole Really Witty, Warm Under Mask
                                  (By Edwin Yoder)
               WASHINGTON--Two good things happened to the Republican 
             Party June 11. But whether its elders will draw the right 
             conclusions about them is another question.
               In the U.S. Senate chamber, there was a cordial daylong 
             celebration of the career of the retiring Republican 
             majority leader, Bob Dole, his party's nominee-apparent 
             for the Presidency.
               From both parties there flowed warm appreciations of 
             Dole's record as a consummate Senate insider. Dole 
             reciprocated in a remarkably generous speech that almost 
             gave away one of Washington's better-kept secrets--namely, 
             that the grim, unsmiling Dole produced by his media 
             managers is a campaign-year Halloween mask. Behind that 
             mask lie qualities admired by those who know him best, 
             whatever their views.
               What are those qualities? Wit, warmth and commitment, a 
             nonpartisan temperament fully capable of savoring American 
             political variety and dedicated--at least in private--to 
             the forbearance that distinguishes civilized politics from 
             the cockpit. And, beyond that, a satisfaction in 
             legislative achievements that have little to do with the 
             slimy, fifth-rate ``wedge issues'' that pass for political 
             argument today.
                                          a
                    [From the Dallas Morning News, June 18, 1996]
                       Midwest Values and Civility Guide Dole
                                (By William McKenzie)
               Maybe Bob Dole didn't stay too long in Washington, after 
             all. The habits and manners of the Midwest still seem to 
             shape Kansas' leading son, even after 36 years on Capitol 
             Hill.
               Midwesterners, for example, often speak plainly. Think 
             back to the language of Harry Truman, Robert Taft, Abraham 
             Lincoln, Alf Landon and William Allen White, the legendary 
             Emporia (Kansas) Gazette editor. Their assessments were 
             straightforward, sometimes blunt.
               Mr. Dole's candor shouldn't be confused with eloquence. 
             His sentences often don't complete themselves.
               Still, the simple manner in which he departed the Senate 
             last week stands out, perhaps as Bob Dole at his best. His 
             remarks reveal a man shaped by the Midwest's dominant 
             practicality.
               Surviving brutal winters and hot summers in small farm 
             towns forces people to work together, to search for ways 
             to keep their communities intact.
               Main Street produces a different sort of political 
             figure than, say, Eastern intellectuals like William 
             Buckley and Steve Forbes.
               Their political vocabulary, used to score sharp 
             philosophical points, was shaped by the prep-school, salon 
             environment in which they were raised.
               Last week, however, Mr. Dole spoke movingly about how 
             he, Daniel Inouye and Philip Hart routinely played cards 
             as young men in a Battle Creek, Michigan, veterans 
             hospital. The three young soldiers all were seriously 
             wounded in World War II.
               Coincidentally, however, they later served together as 
             Senators. And, yes, Mr. Inouye and the late Mr. Hart were 
             Democrats. But what ultimate difference did party 
             allegiance make after war tore apart their three bodies?
               That Mr. Dole also left the Senate praising the 
             character of Hubert Humphrey and George McGovern, two 
             liberal Democrats, speaks to how much Capitol Hill has 
             changed. Leading legislators once could disagree and still 
             like one another.
               Today, too many Republican and Democratic leaders throw 
             darts at each other in public while also disdaining the 
             opponent in private. An abundance of White House aides, 
             legislators and their staffers are on an almost idolatrous 
             philosophical mission, sometimes prohibiting themselves 
             from genuinely liking those who disagree with them. Or 
             from understanding that principle and compromise aren't 
             antagonists.
               The new Washington makes Mr. Dole's skill in crafting 
             broad alliances appear almost anachronistic. He proudly 
             told ABC's Peter Jennings last week that he once worked 
             with Democrats and Republicans in sponsoring the Martin 
             Luther King Jr. holiday bill, creating the Americans with 
             Disabilities Act, giving Social Security an extension in 
             1983 and launching the Federal nutrition program for 
             pregnant women and their children.
               The majority leader also said he hoped colleagues would 
             remember him for being fair. Tough? Partisan? Demanding? 
             Yes . .  those things, too, Mr. Dole said. But most of 
             all, he wanted to be remembered for fairness. He was 
             pleased that Democratic Senator Carol Moseley Braun, an 
             African-American, told him that he always dealt fairly 
             with her.
               The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib notes that Kansas 
             editor McDill ``Huck'' Boyd influenced Mr. Dole in his 
             early political years. A Republican, Mr. Boyd recruited 
             Mr. Dole to run for Congress in 1960 and urged him always 
             to maintain an inclusive Republicanism.
               Mr. Dole once recalled how Mr. Boyd wanted to break down 
             barriers and bring in more people. The Kansas editor 
             reminded him, Don't get too far out, don't get too strung 
             out, don't get too harsh. That Midwestern sensibility 
             evidently rubbed off.
               Mr. Boyd's Midwest lives on in Bob Dole's civic 
             Republicanism, too. He isn't driven by philosophical 
             causes, even though deficit reduction is a passion. 
             Instead, the Kansan approaches politics like a Chamber of 
             Commerce leader. Build up America. Spend prudently. Be 
             fair. Use government when necessary, but don't become 
             hooked on it.
               Of course, Mr. Dole occasionally strays from his native 
             Republicanism. He can lash out on campaign trails, playing 
             the divide-'em-up game.
               But he shouldn't move too far from his original 
             influences.
               Editor White, also a devout Republican, wrote, ``Times 
             are made more or less by leadership, but there is the 
             other half of the equation, which is that times develop 
             leaders.'' Bob Dole's early times and place are worth 
             honoring.
                                          a
                     [From the Indianapolis News, June 19, 1996]
                            Senator Dole vs. Citizen Dole
                               (Editorial, Dan Coats)
               Last week, Senator Bob Dole became Citizen Dole. He has 
             every right to be proud of that hard, courageous decision. 
             The U.S. Senate has every reason to be sorry for it.
               Bob Dole leaves a legacy of lasting influence. He led 
             the Congress to historic accomplishments, including the 
             rescue of Social Security and the first balanced budget in 
             a generation. He led the Republican Party, 2 years ago, to 
             historic victory. Now he has accepted one more chance to 
             lead.
               This is the common thread that runs through an uncommon 
             life: leadership. He has provided a definition of the 
             term.
               As a Senator, Bob Dole mastered the art of consensus. He 
             knew when a breakthrough depended on one well-placed word. 
             He knew how to cool tempers and emphasize agreement. He 
             knew how to turn the chaos of Senate procedure into 
             tangible achievements. These are rare and important 
             qualities.
               Yet this is only half of the story. I have seen another 
             side of Bob Dole's leadership. He once put it this way: 
             ``I believe there is a place for honest negotiation in 
             politics. It is an essential part of democracy. Every 
             political movement, and every public official, however, 
             must locate a place where compromise ends--a core of 
             conviction where we keep our conscience. There comes a 
             time when even practical leaders must refuse to bend or 
             yield.''
               For Bob Dole that core of conviction is basic, permanent 
             and solid: safe streets, strong families, military 
             strength, fiscal responsibility and a decent public 
             culture. These commitments are rooted in the soil of the 
             Midwest, in the lessons of a small town and in his own 
             experiences of suffering and service. Bob Dole understands 
             the secret strength of America because he embodies it.
               His politics are balanced, but deeply held. He knows 
             that Americans value freedom and responsibility, but still 
             must care for one another in times of crisis and need. He 
             understands the fears at the edge of poverty because he 
             felt them in his youth. He knows the price of liberty 
             because he paid it himself in combat. In the Senate, we 
             have come to depend on this core of conviction, based on 
             the lessons of a life.
               In his legislative career, Bob Dole has displayed both 
             elements of true leadership: consensus and conscience. He 
             is an example to all of us who work with him and respect 
             him. Leaving the security of the Senate is just another 
             example of the moral courage we have come to know.
               The poet T.S. Eliot wrote, ``In my end is my 
             beginning.'' Bob Dole's distinguished legislative career 
             has ended. It is, however, the beginning of a new mission. 
             That mission takes him beyond the Senate, and we regret 
             it. But I am convinced it will take him to the White 
             House. Citizen Dole has only begun his service to this 
             Nation.
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