[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 75 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5736-S5737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SENATOR BOB DOLE

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I am in the Dole seat for Kansas. When 
Senator Dole left, I ran for his seat and was fortunate enough to be 
elected to that seat. I worked with Senator Dole for many years, when I 
was secretary of agriculture for Kansas. I first met him when I was 
Kansas State president of the Junior Farmers of America. I have had a 
wonderful relationship with Senator Dole. He is an outstanding 
American, and he is an outstanding Kansan. He deserves tribute.
  We in the Senate are certainly blessed and honored each time we have 
the opportunity to rise on our feet on this floor and address this 
august body. At this moment, I feel particularly blessed and honored to 
be able to recognize my predecessor, Senator Robert Joseph Dole.
  Today, we rise to mark the decade anniversary of Senator Dole 
announcing his retirement to this body. On June 11, 1996, Senator Dole, 
as the Republican nominee for the Presidency, announced that he would 
resign his seat in the U.S. Senate. And some asked, Why would he retire 
with 2 full years left in his term and only 6 months left in the 
campaign? ``I thought that was what was best for Kansas.'' For while he 
was many things--a legislator, a statesman, a decorated war hero, a 
leader--Senator Dole believed in his State and he believed in service 
to his State and he thought this was the best for his State, and that 
he would run just as a man, an ordinary citizen. It was a tremendous 
tribute to his service and his believing in the service of this body, 
that if you couldn't be here full time to do this work, he thought it 
would be better that he would leave it and bring somebody else in so 
that he could pursue the Presidency full time.
  The motto of our State is ``Ad Astera, per Aspera.'' That is a Latin 
phrase meaning ``to the stars, through difficulty.'' Perhaps, 
considering our State's motto, one could consider it also the motto for 
Bob Dole.
  He was born in 1923 in Russell, KS. Bob Dole was a teenager during 
the worst environmental disaster of my State's history--that was the 
Dust Bowl. He was 11 years old on April 14, 1935, which was referred to 
as ``Black Sunday.'' On that day, a wall of dust covered the prairie of 
western Kansas, turning day into night. Some thought it was the end of 
the world. During those years, childhood friends of Bob Dole recalled 
postponing basketball games in the middle of them, four or five times 
during the game, just to sweep the piling dust off the floor.
  Some fled the dust. Others were withered by it. Bob Dole was formed 
by it. Years later, he would recount that ``growing up on the edge of 
the Depression-era Dust Bowl, I was taught to put my trust in God and 
not government, and never to confuse the two.'' Per Aspera.
  As a young man, Bob Dole rose to meet the greatest challenge his 
great generation would face--World War II. Bob was a second lieutenant 
in the Army's 10th Mountain Division. He served in the mountains of 
Italy, where he and his unit faced some of the fiercest and challenging 
fighting of the war. Bob fought bravely. He was wounded. He fought 
again. He crawled from the security of his foxhole during intense 
fighting to assist a critically wounded radio operator, and in the 
process was shot in the back by a Nazi machine gunner. This time few 
thought he would survive. Bob Dole was hospitalized for a total of 39 
months. He gave up the use of his right arm.
  Ad Astra--to the Stars.
  For his wounds, Bob was awarded two Purple Hearts. For his valor, Bob 
Dole was awarded the Bronze Star with an Oak Cluster.
  Ad Astra--to the Stars.
  Returning to his native Kansas, Bob turned to his family, to his 
neighbors, and to his friends for support. Later, he remarked: ``I was 
sustained by neighbors, who were anything but stingy with their love 
and encouragement. I learned then, if I hadn't already known it, that 
there is no such thing as a wholly self-made man or woman.''
  He picked up where he left off and earned his undergraduate and law 
degrees from Washburn University in Topeka, KS. From there, Bob Dole 
began his political rise to the stars.
  Ad Astra.
  Bob served in the Kansas State House as the Russell County attorney, 
and on January 3, 1961, Bina Dole's little boy was sworn into the 87th 
Congress of the United States. Within a decade, Dole had distinguished 
himself as a legislator and was sent by his fellow Kansans to serve 
here in this body.
  And here in this Chamber, Bob Dole continued to serve the people of 
Kansas and this great Nation. He served them as chairman of the Finance 
Committee. He served them as the minority leader of the Senate. He 
served them as majority leader. He served them for nearly three 
decades, until exactly one decade ago today, when he retired.
  Today, Bob Dole's service is neither over nor forgotten. Having been 
recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom--a civilian honor, to 
match his military honors--he has continued to serve. He served as 
chairman of the International Commission on Missing Persons in the 
former Yugoslavia and the National World War II Memorial. He even gets 
a great deal of constituent casework of people contacting to ask if he 
could help out with this or that--and of course he does. He spearheaded 
the World War II Memorial effort, and what a beautiful memorial to the 
greatest generation it is.
  Also, I believe Bob served as the spokesman for a number of different 
commercial causes which have continued. And his humor continues 
unabated as well.
  I remember when serving as secretary of agriculture in the State of 
Kansas that Senator Dole would address a number of farm audiences--
sometimes from the back of a pickup truck. He would see a number of 
members of that audience who would often loosen up their belts and 
their overalls because they knew they were going to be in for an 
entertaining speech, a lot of times about 30 minutes or 25 minutes of 
jokes and one-liners and 5 minutes of politics. They loved it. He loved 
it. They loved him. He loved them. It was a beautiful symbiotic 
relationship that Bob Dole had with his State, with my State of Kansas.
  He also continues to serve as a trusted adviser and friend to guys 
like me. I have been honored to be able to serve in his seat. It is 
difficult to follow somebody of his legendary status and his ability as 
a legislator, his ability as a leader, and the contribution that he has 
made to this society, to this Nation, and to this world. Yet we try--
and try with his advice.
  He is an important American of distinction. He is someone who truly 
deserves to be recognized. He is one who has touched many lives 
individually and millions of lives collectively. He is the epitome of 
the greatest generation, the generation that served the rest of 
mankind, to be beat off Fascism, Hitler, Communism, and gave us the 
freest world that we have known.
  There are still wars to be fought, still battles to be fought, and we 
pick up the flag and carry it each and every day, but we owe so much in 
tribute to legendary leaders such as Bob Dole.
  Senator Dole, on behalf of our country and our State, certainly from 
me personally, I say, thank you and God bless you.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my colleagues in 
paying tribute to one of our Senate's finest leaders, Senator Bob Dole.
  Ten years ago, after representing his home State of Kansas in the 
House of Representatives for 8 years and in the Senate for over 27 
years, Majority Leader Dole resigned from the Senate. He did so in 
order to engage fully all of his attentions to his Presidential 
campaign. The Senate lost one of our greatest leaders that day, but Bob 
Dole continues to be a national leader to this day.
  I traveled with him a great deal during his campaign, and it was a 
thrill for me. I was given the honor of introducing him at the 1996 
Republican Convention--quite a humbling privilege for someone who 
considers himself far less distinguished than the man I was introducing 
formally to the Nation as

[[Page S5737]]

the Republican candidate for the President. He may not have won that 
election, but he ran an honorable campaign and worked as hard as anyone 
I have ever seen on the campaign trail. Bob helped teach me the meaning 
of dedicating one's live to a cause greater than one's self-interest, 
and for this I will always be thankful.
  Everyone knows that Bob is a decorated veteran through his sacrifice 
in World War II and that he faced a very hard road to recovery upon his 
return--a road that many selfless men and women today are similarly 
facing upon their return from the war in Iran and Afghanistan. Like 
Bob, they, too, are American heroes and they need and deserve to be 
reminded of that fact as often as possible.
  Bob Dole's distinction among his peers could have rested with his 
military service. But instead, he chose to continue serving his country 
and was as effective as he was, in my view, largely because of his 
experience as a war veteran. For example, his Senate leadership was 
essential to the efforts of Presidents Reagan and Bush to win the Cold 
War. He built majority coalitions to help restore the readiness and 
modernization of our Armed Forces, which had been so badly neglected in 
the previous decade. Thanks to his vision, America is better prepared 
to defend herself and others from those who want to cause us harm.
  While Bob may no longer be daily in the public eye as he enjoys life 
in the private sector, he still continues to focus his energy on issues 
of importance to our country. He cochaired the Families of Freedom 
Scholarship Fund with former President Clinton, helping to raise money 
for the families of the victims of 9/11 to pursue secondary educations. 
Bob also continues with his efforts on behalf of the disabled. And, of 
course, since leaving the Senate 10 years ago, he is also now enjoying 
the obligations of a Senator's spouse.
  Bob Dole is an American hero, and I am privileged to call him my 
friend.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority's time has expired.
  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, will you please inform me of the business 
before the Senate.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate is in a period of 
morning business. The minority's time has begun, with 28 minutes 30 
seconds remaining.

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