[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 14, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S10428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                 REMEMBERING SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

 Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a 
great leader, inspiring public servant and American icon, Senator 
Edward Moore Kennedy.
  I do not need to stand here and talk about what the Kennedy legacy 
has meant and continues to mean to this country. It is, at this point, 
simply a part of the fabric of our country.
  I do not need to recite the resume of Edward Kennedy or extol his 
many accomplishments. His life's work speaks for itself. It will stand 
the test of time and, no doubt, become even more remarkable when viewed 
in hindsight.
  I do not need to reiterate each of the noble causes Senator Kennedy 
fought for with passion and vigor. We know that his pursuit of dignity, 
opportunity and respect for every man and woman will benefit 
generations to come, and inspire so many more to carry on in the cause.
  Yes, there is no doubt that Senator Edward Kennedy will be remembered 
far into the future and that history will treat him well, but I want to 
take some time today to talk about the people here and now that he 
leaves behind that may be the most telling about Ted Kennedy. In those 
moments and for those people, we got a chance to see something very 
special.
  For some people it was very personal moments shared between family 
and friends--the opportunity to know him in a way others could only 
hope to glimpse.
  And some were his arch enemies at the podium while also his dearest, 
most respected partners on causes behind closed doors.
  Some became believers based on passion-filled political speeches 
delivered from his earliest of days in the spotlight to some of his 
last, spectacular moments right here on the Senate floor.
  While others had their lives changed because he was brave enough to 
stand up for them when the cameras were not rolling and the majority 
was not on his side.
  Ted Kennedy, the lion of the Senate, would roar about the need for 
better health care, improved public schools, and providing help to 
working families. He knew how to channel the emotion, the urgency and 
the helplessness he saw in the eyes and heard in the voices of those he 
was fighting for. And he didn't just beam it from the mountain tops--he 
worked on the solutions to these needs day in and day out with astute 
skill.
  There is a Ted Kennedy that will be remembered in the history books 
and he will be great and strong and smart and good, but there is also a 
unique part of Ted Kennedy that will stay with many of us in our own 
special ways.
  A politician. A public servant. A patriot. A prince of Camelot. A 
fighter. A negotiator. A liberal. A brother, husband, father, and 
friend.
  The Lion sleeps. . . .
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in appreciation and 
admiration of Senator Ted Kennedy.
  By the time I took my seat in the Senate, Ted had already held his 
for nearly four decades. He had already established himself as one of 
the most influential members in this body's history. He had already 
introduced hundreds of bills that became laws and shaped thousands of 
others. He had already grown from youngest son to elder statesman and 
become an icon for millions of Americans.
  Before I was ever elected, I respected Ted Kennedy. And after 
becoming his colleague, my respect grew. I was privileged to serve with 
him on the Judiciary Committee and to be ranking member when he chaired 
our Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security. We 
worked together closely, and that experience has made me a more 
effective Senator.
  Ted Kennedy and I often held different principles, but we shared key 
convictions too. We agreed that our immigration laws needed reform. We 
recognized that judicial philosophy mattered. We believed that 
providing advice and consent on appointments to the Federal bench was 
not merely a right of Senators but one of our most solemn 
responsibilities.
  Ted Kennedy understood the power of language. On the Senate floor, he 
used words of passion, calling his colleagues to embrace grand visions 
with great urgency. In bill negotiations, he used words with precision, 
understanding better than anyone how legislative language governs, and 
how to codify his convictions into the law of the land.
  Senator Kennedy and I shared an interest in the history of this body, 
and a special pride in those who held our seats before us. In my case, 
I have long admired Sam Houston, who liberated the people of Texas, 
served as one of our first Senators, and raised his voice against 
secession. In Ted's case, he looked to the great Daniel Webster, who 
also stood for union, and for liberty.
  Ted was drawn in particular to this quote by Webster:

       Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its 
     powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great 
     interests, and see whether we also in our day and generation 
     may not perform something worthy to be remembered.

  All Americans can agree that Ted Kennedy's service in the U.S. Senate 
is something worthy to be remembered. Sandy and I continue to keep his 
wife Vickie in our prayers. And we offer our condolences to all who 
miss him most.

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