[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 173 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING KAY HAGAN

 Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today I rise to honor and pay 
tribute to my good friend Senator Kay Hagan.
  When I think of Kay, I will always think of joy, as reflected by the 
bright colors she used to love wearing. Regardless of how things could 
get at times, her wonderful spirit would make it all seem better.
  You could always count on Kay to look out for people, whether it was 
restoring a program to pay tuition for Active-Duty servicemembers, 
establishing stronger protections for victims of domestic violence, or 
passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to stop pay discrimination.
  Kay made history. She was the first woman Democratic Senator from 
North Carolina and the State's second woman ever elected to the U.S. 
Senate. I have always thought that the women of the Senate work harder, 
work together, and get things done. Kay was definitely one of those 
women.
  In fact Kay, in her inimitable way, summed it up best when she said, 
``There are only two types of senators: those who'd spend all day on 
their hair . . .  and the women senators.''
  Kay loved to swim, and when she arrived as a new Senator in 2009, she 
went down to the Senate pool only to find a sign outside that said 
``Men Only''--a fact that she mentioned during one of her first 
speeches as a Senator without realizing media was present. When the 
press started calling around to various offices asking about the ``men 
only'' Senate pool, some were quick to push back on Kay's claim, so Kay 
asked them to meet her down at the pool to see for themselves. Within a 
day, the sign was changed to ``Co-Ed Aquatic Facility: Please Dress 
Appropriately.'' As it turned out, four male Senators had been swimming 
naked. But because of Kay Hagan, now all Senators can enjoy the pool, 
and everyone wears ``appropriate attire''.
  That is what I loved about working with Kay. She always looked out 
for her colleagues. And so when Kay left the Senate, the women Senators 
had a special farewell party for her next to the pool.
  Kay's drive to get things done came in part from her family. Born in 
Shelby, NC, as the second of three children and the only daughter, Kay 
once remarked ``being the girl in the middle . . . I had to fight for 
everything I got.''
  And fight she did, rising from an internship in the U.S. Capitol in 
the 1970s, where she operated the elevators for U.S. Senators, to 
eventually becoming a Senator herself. In between, Kay served as State 
senator for 10 years and was named as one of North Carolina's ``Ten 
Most Effective Senators'' three terms in a row.
  My friend, former Vice President Walter Mondale, once told me that 
when elected officials gain power, they ``either grow or they swell.'' 
Kay was a Senator who grew.
  Kay was one bright yellow ray of sunshine for everyone she touched--
the Senate, her beloved State of North Carolina, her friends, and her 
family. As she struggled with her illness the last few years, her 
loving husband, Chip, and their family were always at her side. I 
encourage everyone to look up at the Sun and think of Kay.

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