[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 210 (Monday, December 6, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8919-S8920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Remembering Robert J. Dole

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I know many Senators will be speaking 
further on this floor about one of the most distinguished Senators, 
certainly, I have had the honor to serve with, and that is Bob Dole, 
the Senator from Kansas, a former majority leader.
  We will hear, as we should, of his bravery, courageous nature in 
World War II, how he overcame the horrific injuries received to go on 
to a life of service--continuous service for the State of Kansas.
  We have so many wonderful memories of him, how he and the Democratic 
leader would meet in person or by phone several times a day, the 
comments they made about each other. You could always take his word. He 
never surprised me. That is the way he was. He was the way a Senator 
should be. He always kept his word.
  But I also think of the personal things. He went to Europe, to Italy, 
to represent President Ronald Reagan on D-Day. President Reagan was 
going to be in Normandy, and he asked Senator Dole to go over and 
represent him in Italy, and there would be several Congressional Medal 
of Honor recipients on board the plane.
  I was honored that he wanted to make it a bipartisan trip, and he 
asked me and my wife Marcelle to join him on the trip to Italy. The 
reason I mention the trip is that these Congressional Medal of Honor 
recipients--all for enormous bravery. They, so typical of Congressional 
Medal of Honor recipients, did not brag about what they did. They were 
just so honored to talk to Senator Dole about what he did.
  Senator Dole tried to be very modest about his exploits. He talked to 
them about those exploits of theirs that brought about the receipt of 
the Congressional Medal of Honor. He would

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brush it off, but they would ask: Senator Dole, what about this and 
what about that? And all the way through, he was great, a sense of 
humor, self-deprecating. Everybody on that plane realized this was a 
true hero of that war.
  I will speak more later on, but he was a good friend.
  I was honored to join Senator Pat Roberts to speak about Senator Dole 
when he received the Congressional Gold Medal. I told him what an honor 
it was that he asked me to speak. Certainly, when I think back on my 
years here in the Senate, that is one of the highest honors I received, 
to have this man whom I admired, I liked, was my friend, to ask me to 
speak for him. I also felt that there were so many others who were 
probably even far better prepared to speak for him. I felt the honor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.