[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 177 (Thursday, November 20, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. RONALD DAVIS

 Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today I honor a truly great man 
and a good friend, Dr. Ronald Davis, who died on November 6, 2008 at 
his home near East Lansing, MI.
  Dr. Davis was an outstanding physician, a great leader, and an 
effective, impassioned advocate for the uninsured. As President of the 
American Medical Association, Ron helped focus our attention on making 
sure health care was available and affordable for all Americans.
  We worked together earlier this year on the Farm Bill--an unusual 
issue for physicians to get involved in--but Ron and I were committed 
to making sure our Federal farm policy promoted health and nutrition. 
With his help, we passed a truly groundbreaking farm bill that 
increased the Federal commitment to fresh fruits and vegetables.
  Last February, Ron was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This cancer, 
which affects over 37,000 Americans each year, is unfortunately one of 
the hardest to treat. But Ron didn't see it that way. He told his 
fellow doctors, ``Never take away someone's hope,'' and he lived by 
those words.
  Even while undergoing painful and difficult cancer treatments, Ron 
was on the front lines, educating the public about support Web sites 
for cancer patients that allow families to stay informed while building 
a support network for the patient.
  A champion for preventative medicine and public health, Dr. Davis was 
a leading advocate for healthier lifestyles. He traveled the country 
urging Americans to quit smoking, exercise more, and eat better.
  He also led the effort for the historic apology by the AMA to 
African-American doctors for the organization's past exclusion of Black 
physicians. He believed that ``by confronting the past we can embrace 
the future,'' and pushed to increase enrollments by minorities in 
medical schools and health professions.
  I want to express my deepest sympathies to his wife Nadine and his 
three sons, Jared, Evan, and Connor. America has lost a great doctor, 
and his family has lost a great man. Ron's extraordinary record of 
community service, dedication, and courage should serve as an 
inspiration to us all.

                          ____________________