[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6821-S6822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING KAY HAGAN

  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, Senator Kay Hagan was a great friend and 
a devoted public servant. Her loss has been deeply felt by her many 
friends in this Chamber.
  Kay and I first got to know each other when we were running for the 
Senate in 2008. Throughout that campaign, we would talk periodically, 
and her courage in the face of the attacks she dealt with said so much 
about her character and her strong faith. We were sworn in together as 
freshmen Senators in 2009, and I had the pleasure of serving alongside 
her for 6 years.
  Throughout her time in the Senate, Kay served the people of North 
Carolina with integrity. I knew her to be someone who approached every 
challenge not as a member of a particular political party but as 
someone who wanted to do right by the people of North Carolina, who 
were always her top priority.
  She brought a valuable perspective on financial matters and 
significant experience in that arena to the Senate, having worked in 
the banking sector in North Carolina. During her time on Capitol Hill, 
she was known as a legislator who was always willing to listen to good 
ideas--no matter which side of the aisle they came from. I saw this 
firsthand whenever we collaborated on legislation.
  Through her work Senator Hagan sought to leave behind a better nation 
for our future generations. In our first year in the Senate, we worked 
closely together on the value and innovation amendment package--an 
ambitious set of amendments to encourage innovation and drive down 
costs in healthcare. I was also proud to have worked with her on 
legislation to do things like strengthen America's housing finance 
system and bring jobs back to the United States.
  Born in Shelby, NC, Kay got involved in public service early on, 
working as a Senate intern in the 1970s and eventually going on to work 
on Governor Jim Hunt's campaigns in her home of Guilford County. Before 
being elected to the Senate, she served in the North Carolina State 
Senate for 10 years, where she cochaired the budget committee.
  Senator Hagan blazed the trail as North Carolina's first female 
democratic Senator and as the second woman to ever serve as Senator of 
her State. Championing a number of bills to fund expanded screening for 
newborns, provide medical assistance to families exposed to toxic 
drinking water, and safeguard tuition funding for servicemembers, 
Senator Hagan spent her career fighting for the well-being of North 
Carolina families.
  Senator Hagan will be remembered as a leader within her community and 
as someone who was not afraid to stand for what was right. My heart 
goes out to her husband, Chip; her three children, Jeannette, Tilden 
and Carrie; her beloved grandchildren; and her whole family.

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