[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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