[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 155 (Monday, October 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6595-S6596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COMMENDING SENATOR BOB DOLE

  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I had the distinct privilege to 
participate in a ceremony recently in Topeka, KS, to honor our dear 
friend and longest serving Republican leader here in this Chamber, 
Senator Bob Dole. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback conceived of the Kansas 
Walk of Honor, located right outside the Kansas Capitol, to commemorate 
and honor important Kansans. It is only fitting that the plaque that 
bears Bob Dole's name is the first to christen the Walk of Honor. 
Senator Dole's contributions and history is interwoven in the hallowed 
halls of the Senate. With that rich history, I ask unanimous consent to 
have printed in the Record his comments, along with mine, from the Walk 
of Honor event.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                     Remarks of Senator Pat Roberts


                          Kansas Walk of Honor

                            (Sept. 30, 2011)

       I am honored and privileged to be here with you today to 
     celebrate the Kansas Walk of Honor and to commemorate my good 
     friend, Kansas Native Son, and WWII hero, Bob Dole. Bob Dole 
     is a living legacy. As a member of the Greatest Generation, 
     his incredible history is well known to fellow Americans 
     nationwide. It is only fitting that he is the first honoree 
     of the Kansas Walk of Honor.
       As a statesman, Bob Dole's reach is far and wide. His 
     legislative achievements are legion and in many cases, 
     unknown and unheralded. On Bob's list of accomplishments are 
     some big ticket items such as, the 1983 Social Security 
     Reforms, the Americans with Disability Act, the Voting Rights 
     Act, just to name a few. He also worked across the aisle with 
     the likes of liberal George McGovern, as seen by their 
     bipartisan work on nutrition programs.
       Bob set the bar high as the longest serving Republican 
     Senate Majority Leader. He was known as a pragmatic 
     Midwesterner who was respected on both sides of the aisle and 
     a master consensus builder. He led by example, encouraging 
     fellow members to express their convictions without hostility 
     and allow for disagreement without declaring war on the floor 
     of the Senate.
       But his work didn't stop there. After his service in public 
     office, Bob served our nation in a different capacity; 
     honoring our nation's veterans. Simply put, the World War II 
     Memorial would not exist were it not for Senator Bob Dole. I 
     was proud to be a part of the ceremony to recognize Bob's 
     tireless support of America's veterans and the World War II 
     Memorial. It is largely through his efforts, advocacy, and 
     fundraising that the World War II Memorial stands proudly on 
     the National Mall.
       The man was and is amazing; his record of public service, 
     this memorial, the Honor Flights and Wounded Warriors 
     programs. The World War II Memorial has become wonderfully 
     unique; a Mecca not really expected or predicted--where 
     veterans whose heroic efforts and sacrifice preserved our 
     freedoms--now come by the thousands.
       Bob, your record is unmatched. We thank you.
       But, hold on, I've got another job to do and that is to 
     move this ceremony along at a fast clip. As we all know, the 
     now Governor Brownback's previous job was riding shotgun with 
     me in the Senate. Sam followed in the footsteps of today's 
     honoree to continue the level of commitment and service to 
     our great state.
       Sam, I remember the first campaign rally we attended 
     together. The featured guest speaker, Senator Phil Gramm of 
     Texas introduced me as one who made significant changes in 
     the House of Representatives and then introduced Sam as: 
     ``One who not only wants to change things but to make the 
     right changes.''
       That remains true as you've taken the reins back here in 
     the heartland. And now it is my pleasure to turn over this 
     lectern to the indomitable Kansas Governor, Sam Brownback.
                                  ____


                      Remarks of Senator Bob Dole


       Kansas Walk of Honor, Kansas State Capitol, Topeka, Kansas

                            (Sept. 30, 2011)

       Over the years I've had all sorts of recognitions but 
     nothing that means as much as this one. Hollywood may have 
     its Walk of Fame, but in Kansas we have a Walk of Honor. That 
     tells you a lot about this place and its values. Fame is 
     fleeting, unsubstantial, first cousin to celebrity. Fame 
     gives you five minutes on the Today Show or maybe--if you're 
     sufficiently mobile--a shot at Dancing with the Stars. I'm 
     still waiting for my invitation. In the mean time I've been 
     telling Elizabeth to work on her Fox Trot.
       Fame comes like a prairie squall, and lasts as long. Honor, 
     on the other hand, is the work of a lifetime--more, it's the 
     seed of character planted in one generation and bearing fruit 
     for as long as there are people who practice the old virtues 
     of decency and self-denial, love of country and the 
     neighbor's concern for those in distress. Sixty years have 
     passed since I first entered this building the greenest of 
     lawmakers--a somewhat banged up 2nd Lieutenant studying law 
     at Washburn and hoping that my hero Dwight Eisenhower could 
     be persuaded to run for president.
       Now there's a definition of honor. In fact, honor is a 
     quality that often goes unrecognized. It exists outside the 
     headlines. It thrives quietly in our classrooms and church 
     pews, on our playing fields, and, yes, in these halls where 
     our democracy plays out--wherever Kansans put service before 
     self, keeping faith with all those who have made this the

[[Page S6596]]

     greatest state in the greatest nation on earth.
       My debt to those Kansans can never be repaid. But it can be 
     honored--every time I try, in some small way, to emulate the 
     compassion and generosity of my friends and neighbors in 
     Russell, multiplied over the years by countless acts of 
     kindness, and culminating today in this ceremony. A long time 
     ago, long before anyone could remotely imagine Bob Dole in a 
     Walk of Honor, I took inspiration from a song called ``You'll 
     Never Walk Alone.'' My whole life, up to and including today, 
     has been a validation of that song. And the greatest honor of 
     my life has been to share that walk with my fellow Kansans--
     the most honorable people I know.

                          ____________________