[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 40 (Thursday, April 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                              SENATOR DOLE

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, earlier today there had been a number of 
comments commemorating the 25th anniversary of the speech by Senator 
Dole concerning the issue of disability. I believe reference was made 
to that being his initial speech as a U.S. Senator.
  I wish to add my voice of congratulations to Senator Dole for that 
speech, and more important for his outstanding service as a U.S. 
Senator and before that as a Member of the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and before that as a member of the Kansas Legislature, 
and before that as the county attorney of Russell, KS.
  I have known Senator Dole for many years since moving to Russell in 
1942, so that my association with, friendship with Bob Dole goes back 
some 52 years. Of course I am much younger than Senator Dole. When I 
moved to town he was already a hero of athletics in Russell High 
School, a big man on campus at the University of Kansas, and then 
shortly thereafter he was a war hero. Bob Dole's courageous story as a 
wounded veteran from World War II is well known. His disability was 
extreme. And he fought back from that disability, being hospitalized, 
convalescing over a very long period of time until he regained his 
strength and went on to a brilliant career.
  Bob Dole became the county attorney in Russell, KS. One of the 
stories which Bob Dole tells, and I think he would not mind having it 
repeated, is that both parties sought him to run as the nominee for 
county attorney in the 1950's, very much like Dwight Eisenhower was 
drafted to be President of the United States. He could have taken his 
pick of either party.
  As Bob tells the story, he was somewhat perplexed at the outset until 
he checked the registration and then found he was a Republican. 
Coincidentally, the Republicans had a 2 to 1 majority in Russell 
County, KS.
  Being county attorney in Russell County, a county of some 10,000, a 
city of some 5,000--actually I say Russell is a town of 4,998 people. 
It used to have 5,000 until Dole and I left town. We left our brothers 
there and his brother Kenny Dole and my brother Morton Specter lived 
there for many years. Unfortunately, both passed away just about a year 
ago.
  But Bob went from being county attorney in Russell to the State 
legislature. He went to law school at Washburn Law School, then was 
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1960, served 4 terms, 
and was elected to the Senate in 1968, and has been reelected in 1974, 
1980, 1986, and again in 1992. He has served as the chairman of the 
National Republican Party. He was the Vice Presidential nominee in 
1976, was elected the majority leader in an election held in late 1984, 
served there in 1985 and 1986, and has been the Republican leader since 
1987.
  His work on this floor, and in this body, is legendary. It is better 
referred to in the Congressional Record, where he has made some of the 
most important pronouncements of any political leader in the history of 
the country, or on national television, or in the media.
  His speech on disability has already been heralded as a milestone, 
leading other activists into the field of disability so that the 
disabled have equal opportunity. And we enacted recently the Americans 
with Disabilities Act as a result of leadership by Senator Dole, and it 
was signed into law by President Bush.
  Earlier today I noted the presence in the Senate complex of President 
Clinton, who was here to join Senator Dole in a lunch in Senator Dole's 
office to pay tribute to Senator Dole's outstanding accomplishments.
  I just wanted to take a few minutes of the Senate's time this 
afternoon--I note my colleague, Senator Pell, has come to the floor so 
I shall conclude--just to add my voice in tribute to Robert J. Dole, a 
man whom I have known for many, many years with great respect and 
admiration.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.

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