[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 173 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6328-S6329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING KAY HAGAN

  Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, today I rise to pay tribute to former 
Senator Kay Hagan, who left us this week, much too early, at the age of 
66. Kay and I entered the Senate together, in 2009. Our class of 
freshman Democratic Senators was very close, and I spent a lot of time 
with Kay. She was warm and vivacious and 100 percent committed to her 
home State of North Carolina.
  Kay was the first woman Democratic Senator elected from North 
Carolina, and she beat a formidable incumbent. By the time she entered 
the Senate, she had already gained a reputation in her State as a 
leader and a fighter, having served in the State senate for 10 years.
  Kay was a woman of great strength, grace, and accomplishment. She was 
a lawyer, a banker, a legislator, a mother of three, and grandmother of 
five. Kay came to the Senate to get things

[[Page S6329]]

done for North Carolina and the Nation. To be effective, she worked 
across the aisle to find solutions to the everyday problems facing 
Americans. When she entered the Senate, she said, ``We have a Congress 
now that is kind of divided, and I want to be one of the ones that 
helps bring people together.''
  Kay was a woman of principle. She was a key vote in support of the 
Affordable Care Act--that resulted in millions of Americans gaining 
access to health care. She stood in favor of choice for women, gay 
marriage, equal pay for women, the Violence Against Women Act, and 
expanding background checks on gun sales.
  She was a fierce defender of military families, of which there are so 
many in North Carolina, and served on the Armed Services Committee. In 
hearings, she pressed the Army on the unexplained deaths of 11 infants 
at Fort Bragg and pushed for full disclosure of documents related to 
contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. And before many others, 
she supported women serving in combat zones. ``Anybody's who qualified 
should be able to serve,'' she said.
  Kay fought for the ``little guy.'' She used her banking expertise to 
fight against payday lending. She wanted a fairer minimum wage, so 
families can support themselves. She supported job creation and small 
business. ``For me in North Carolina, it's jobs, jobs, jobs,'' she 
said.
  She understood that big money in politics was drowning the voice of 
regular Americans and that access to the ballot box is being blocked. 
After her Senate loss, Kay went on to serve as resident fellow at the 
Institute of Politics at Harvard University with a focus on money in 
politics and voting rights, saying, ``We need to encourage young folks 
across the country to go exercise their constitutional right to vote. 
It is something that our Constitution gives us, but not enough people 
exercise it.''
  Kay wanted to inspire young people--especially young women--to vote, 
to be informed, to run for office. Kay did inspire. And she leaves us 
with a legacy of integrity, commitment, and civility. I was proud to be 
her colleague, but I was even more proud to be her friend, and I send 
my heartfelt condolences to her family.
  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, it is with deep sadness that I remember 
and recognize the life of former U.S. Senator Kay Hagan of North 
Carolina.
  I am grateful that I had the privilege to serve with Senator Hagan 
here in the United States Senate. Her approach to her job was something 
we would all do well to learn from. Kay was a model of civility, 
optimism, and selfless service to the State she loved.
  Early in her life, Kay served as a Capitol Hill intern for her uncle, 
Senator Lawton Chiles of Florida. Her duties included operating the 
Senators-only elevator. In time, she would go on to prove that she 
belonged on that elevator, too.
  After 10 years in the North Carolina Senate, she won election to the 
United States Senate and served her home State with dignity. Even in 
the face of one of the most expensive and challenging election 
campaigns in this body's history, Senator Hagan remained focused first 
and foremost on how to find common ground in this Chamber and the ways 
she could deliver for her constituents in North Carolina.
  I am particularly grateful for the model that Senator Hagan set as 
the cochair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. In that role, she 
worked hard to forge bipartisan consensus around a comprehensive 
package of bills to increase public access for hunting and fishing and 
to extend important fish and wildlife conservation programs.
  Julie and I are keeping her husband, Chip; their three children, 
Jeanette, Tilden, and Carrie; and all of their grandchildren in our 
hearts. We will all miss Kay.
  Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I first met Kay Hagan at a People 
magazine photoshoot for the Senate's ``Leading Ladies'' after I was 
elected in 2012. I appreciated how warm and welcoming she was towards 
me. I have fond memories of working with Kay on the Senate Armed 
Services Committee, and we forged a partnership through our leadership 
roles on the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee.
  My deepest sympathies are with her family during this difficult time.

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