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



                       Remembering Robert J. Dole

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, yesterday, our country lost a great 
statesman, and many in this Chamber lost a dear former colleague.
  Senator Bob Dole, who represented Kansas in the Senate for 27 years 
and who served 3 years as Senate majority leader, passed away yesterday 
morning at the age of 98.
  Throughout his life, Bob Dole redefined and elevated what it meant to 
be a public servant. He was born not to wealth but in poverty, a son of 
the Kansas heartland, who grew up beneath the shadow of the Great 
Depression. As a young man, Bob unblinkingly answered the call to serve 
by enlisting in the Army during World War II, where he earned two 
Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
  After his election to the Senate, Senator Dole quickly won the 
admiration of his colleagues with his candor, his sharp wit, and his 
penchant for good-natured ribbing, but beneath all that was an 
unquenchable desire to get things done in this Chamber.
  While he frequently sparred with Democrats, some of his greatest 
achievements were bipartisan endeavors, including his work to pass the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, legislation to strengthen Social 
Security, and revamping Federal nutrition programs. Despite rising to 
the top ranks of his party, Senator Dole always kept close 
relationships with those on the other side of the aisle.
  Senator Dole exemplified the ``greatest generation.'' While I never 
had the pleasure of serving in the Senate with him, I always admired 
his steadfast advocacy for veterans, for Americans with disabilities, 
and his love for his country.
  For the information of all, Senator Dole will lie in state this 
Thursday, under the Capitol Rotunda, where we will pay tribute to his 
life and to his legacy.
  I thank the Speaker and Leader McConnell in helping make this event's 
ceremonies possible.
  For today, I join all my colleagues in mourning the loss of this 
great public servant, and I wish all of Senator Dole's family my 
deepest condolences.