[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 166 (Wednesday, November 20, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S8352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO NANCY KASSEBAUM

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I read with interest an article this week 
penned by the senior Senator from Maryland, Ms. Mikulski, about a dear 
friend, Senator Nancy Kassebaum. Amidst the partisan gridlock of 
today's Congress, it is hard to remember a time when Members from both 
sides of the aisle routinely came together for the common good, rather 
than for the sake of political ideology. As a daughter of a public 
servant, Nancy Kassebaum had civic duty in her blood and represented 
the State of Kansas for nearly two decades. During her time in the 
Senate, Nancy's leadership, and determination to fight for those who 
needed it most, was exemplary.
  Her ability to put politics aside and work across the aisle has had a 
lasting impact on millions of women and children today. Nancy became 
the first woman to serve as Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and 
Human Resources. Here she worked to create the Office of Women's Health 
Research within the National Institutes of Health, and she fought 
tirelessly alongside Senator Ted Kennedy to protect abused and 
neglected children. Nancy was an invaluable resource as chair of the 
Subcommittee on African Affairs, and a strong champion condemning the 
apartheid atrocities during Nelson Mandela's incarceration. Nancy 
Kassebaum exemplified the determination and leadership it takes to make 
a remarkable legislator and I am equally proud to call her my friend.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Politico article, ``Friendship 
without Ideology'' be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows

                     [From Politico, Nov. 13, 2013]

                      Friendship Without Ideology

                         (By Barbara Mikulski)

       (The following essay is part of a series in which dozens of 
     women will reveal what women they most admire. The series is 
     part of ``Women Rule,'' a unique effort this fall by 
     POLITICO, Google and The Tory Burch Foundation exploring how 
     women are leading change in politics, policy and their 
     communities.)
       Few senators have left such a mark on the Senate as Nancy 
     Kassebaum. She was a dedicated and determined public servant 
     who always put people above politics. In the decade we served 
     together, I saw her advocate every day for her home state of 
     Kansas--whether it was in the committees or on the Senate 
     floor.
       When I was first elected to represent Maryland in the 
     Senate, I was the only Democratic woman and Nancy was the 
     only Republican woman to serve in that chamber. In those 
     days, because there were so few of us, there was pressure for 
     us to act like celebrities instead of senators. Not only did 
     Nancy resist that pressure--it didn't even cross her mind.
       Nancy accomplished tremendous things in her years as a 
     senator. But it wasn't just what she did, it's how she did 
     it. When I became a senator, she was so welcoming to me, 
     offering tips and insights in my early days navigating the 
     Senate. It's a tradition I have tried to honor as Dean of the 
     Senate Women, where I mentor and advise women who currently 
     serve as senators.
       She was an inspiration, teacher, mentor and good friend--
     and she still is.
       The daughter of the governor from Kansas, Nancy came from a 
     family of public servants. In her first campaign, she used 
     the slogan, ``A fresh face, a trusted Kansas name.'' Yet 
     Nancy was a trailblazer in her own right, and a woman of many 
     firsts. She is the first woman to have represented Kansas in 
     the Senate; the first woman to have chaired a full 
     committee--the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, 
     where we served together. We always agreed that it wasn't 
     about gender--it was about having an agenda.
       She was independent minded. But she always voted with her 
     principles, and Kansas, first.
       Nancy was an important leader in foreign affairs. As chair 
     of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, her 
     expertise in African affairs was significant. In the mid-
     1990s, with Nelson Mandela confined in jail, she was an early 
     and outspoken supporter of anti-apartheid measures in South 
     Africa. Above all, she advocated peace around the world, once 
     saying, ``Hatred and anger can destroy a nation, but they 
     cannot build a just and prosperous one.'' Her poignant words 
     still ring true today.
       Yet while she was working to make the world a better place, 
     she never strayed from home.
       As chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human 
     Resources, Nancy championed American families and children. I 
     loved working with Nancy on that committee, alongside 
     legislative legends like Sen. Ted Kennedy. As a social 
     worker, I was proud to serve as partners to make life better 
     for so many. We fought to protect abused and neglected 
     children, to increase the availability of child care for low-
     income families and to preserve child care health and safety 
     standards. Because of her work, our most vulnerable 
     Americans--our children--are safer and healthier. And for 
     millions more, Nancy brought improved access to better health 
     care with the bipartisan Kennedy-Kassebaum Act in 1996. 
     Whatever the bill, she always offered pragmatic, affordable 
     solutions to pressing problems that affect American families. 
     I was proud to join her on many of those issues.
       Together, we fought for groundbreaking research to help 
     understand devastating diseases. We founded the Office of 
     Women's Health Research at the National Institutes of Health, 
     so women could be included in medical research. It led to the 
     historic study on hormone treatment for women, which led to a 
     drop in breast cancer rates by 15 percent. Since then, the 
     Office of Women's Health Research has continued to publish 
     vital findings--on everything from symptoms of heart attacks 
     to the likelihood of osteoporosis. I'm proud to know that the 
     work Nancy and I did together has helped save lives, millions 
     at a time.
       Nancy considered every vote with intellect and integrity. 
     She showed that a woman with voice and volition could be 
     formidable. Above all, she won the heart of Kansans as their 
     down-to-earth, but determined senator.
       In 1996, she won the heart of Sen. Howard Baker as well. I 
     was delighted to be at her wedding to Howard, where Kennedy 
     and I joined them on the dance floor for the ``Bipartisan 
     Boogie.''
       At one time, a Kansas newspaper claimed, ``the only thing 
     more popular than Nancy is wheat.'' For Nancy, it was never 
     about being first. It was about serving the people. And 
     Kansas couldn't have asked for anyone better.
       (Barbara Mikulski is a Democratic senator from Maryland, 
     chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Dean of the 
     Senate Women.)

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