[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 210 (Monday, December 6, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8924-S8927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Remembering Robert J. Dole

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, it is an honor to be here this afternoon 
to address my colleagues of the U.S. Senate, and it is an honor that 
you sit in the Chair as I do so, as I pay tribute to the Honorable 
Senator Bob Dole.
  I was in church on Sunday. I got out of church--it is Advent; 
Christians are preparing for Christmas--only to learn that during that 
church service, Bob Dole had died. It has been the topic of 
conversation by Kansans ever since--not that kind of curiosity 
conversation that sometimes you have when someone passes away but that 
deep respect, that concern, that care, that appreciation for a life 
well-lived.
  Senator Dole grew up down the road from where I grew up. I remember 
kind of the earliest conversation with my own dad about World War II 
experiences was that Bina Dole, Bob Dole's mother, as well as my 
grandmother were on party lines, and the conversation between my 
grandmother and Mrs. Dole was the terrible circumstance that her son 
Bob Dole had experienced in the battlefields of Italy.
  My dad, who served in World War II and served in northern Africa, 
Italy, was in the neighborhood, and the request of one neighbor to 
another, one party line participant to another: Do you think there is 
any way that Ray could find out how Bob is doing?
  So my earliest recollection, my earliest understanding of the life of 
Bob Dole was as a soldier, a member of the Army, a person who served in 
World War II and was horrifically injured. My view is--and I don't know 
this, but having known Bob Dole and having seen the consequences of his 
life, what I think is true is that that experience, the near-death 
experience, the expectation not to survive, and the long road to 
recovery created in Bob Dole, in his mind and heart, a different 
circumstance and a different result than if that never happened.
  People talk about Bob Dole's life as a Member of Congress. He was 
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1960. I was asked over 
the weekend: When did you meet Bob Dole? And I can't remember the first 
instance, but he was my Congressman. I was engaged in Republican 
politics as a teenager, and Bob Dole was always there at every 
gathering. And so I grew up in politics around him, but never with 
the--other than the sense that this is somebody we really respect.

  In 1968, Congressman Bob Dole became Senator Bob Dole and his life in 
this body and his life in the House of Representatives culminated in 
amazing achievements on the legislative battlefield.
  But when people ask me, ``What do you remember or what made Bob Dole 
Bob Dole?'' my view is his service to America in World War II. I think 
it made him more aware of people who were struggling, people who had 
disabilities. I think he saw the challenges that people from across the 
country faced as a result of their service. He saw the challenges that 
people in foreign countries experienced in World War II.
  And when we look at his legislative achievements, we often think--at 
least I think of three--Americans with Disabilities Act; food aid--what 
I call the

[[Page S8925]]

Dole-McGovern bill, but many people call the McGovern-Dole bill that 
helps feed hungry people, particularly children around the world--and 
his service to other veterans.
  His work on this floor resulted in many Americans and, in fact, many 
citizens of the world having a better shot at life. On my maiden speech 
on the Senate floor, I recognized the circumstance of me, now a U.S. 
Senator, serving in what we would call in Kansas the Dole seat and the 
tremendous challenge that caused for me knowing that those footsteps--
my feet would never fit in those shoes. I sit and work from the Dole 
desk. This drawer has his name sketched in it, and it is a reminder to 
me about those shoes left unfilled.
  When I get frustrated with this place--which is not infrequent--I 
will put on my running shoes and I will walk to the Lincoln Memorial. 
But in the last decade, that allows me not only to go by the Vietnam 
Wall and come back by the Korean War Memorial, but now I can stop and 
pay my respects at the World War II Memorial. That is only because Bob 
Dole cared about those he served with.
  Bob Dole demanded that there be a memorial to those who served in 
World War II. But he did more than demand, did more than insist. He 
helped plan it, he recruited volunteers, he raised the money.
  So today we have the chance--and I assume this week we will be at the 
World War II Memorial paying respects to all World War II veterans, but 
we will emphasize the service of Bob Dole who made that place to pay 
those respects possible.
  I try to visit with every Honor Flight that comes to Washington, DC. 
And in the beginning days of that Honor Flight, almost everyone--
perhaps everyone who came was a World War II veteran. My own dad got to 
see the memorial built in his honor because Bob Dole made it possible. 
My dad came here on an Honor Flight, and Bob Dole was there that day, 
just like he was at almost every circumstance in which veterans were 
coming to Washington, DC, particularly World War II veterans. Bob Dole 
didn't stand there for the glory of his service. He stood there to 
thank others who served in that war. He was there not to take the 
podium, not to be the public official, but to be the fellow soldier who 
served. There are lots of things we can commend and express our 
gratitude for what Bob Dole did, but he saw honoring veterans as a 
lifetime responsibility and opportunity.
  It has only been a few years since veterans coming to the World War 
II Memorial didn't get to shake the hand of Bob Dole. Finally, at the 
age of 96, 95, it became physically impossible to do that. But he was 
there at every opportunity for as long as he could.
  He served 36 years in Congress, 79 of his 98 as a public servant and 
servant of the Nation in the military. And in addition to the 
legislative accomplishments, he was a decent person. He exhibited 
civility. He had warmth. And no elected official--no offense to my 
friend and colleague who knew Senator Dole so well, Senator Roberts, no 
offense to Pat, but no one could compete with Bob Dole's wit.
  My guess is, as an injured soldier spending months in a bed in a VA 
hospital where, incidentally, he shared the hospital with Daniel 
Inouye, who was also gravely injured, and later these two soldiers who 
survived battle and rehabilitation became fast friends--one a 
Republican, one a Democrat. The Republican-Democrat thing didn't mean 
that much. It was the shared service, the sacrifice of these two World 
War II heroes that brought them together and maintained that 
friendship.
  Bob Dole exhibited that wit. In fact, I had so many people after Bob 
Dole's 1996 run for the Presidency--he appeared on shows in the 
evening, late-night talk shows--I don't know, hundreds of times people 
would say: If I had only seen that side of Bob Dole, he probably would 
have been elected President.
  He had the capability of causing people to smile, and it could take 
the edge out of a difficult circumstance because of his wit.
  We are going to spend some time honoring Senator Dole this week. I 
want to make certain that I use my opportunity that Kansans have given 
me to express on their behalf. Not every Kansan--in fact, not very many 
Kansans will be in Washington, DC, and not many people will be able to 
have the public eye and ear to express their thoughts. But even this 
weekend and throughout the time that Bob Dole has been in office and 
the time that Bob Dole was no longer in office, Kansans have held him 
in the highest regard. They have appreciated his service. They respect 
him even in disagreement.

  I have seen disagreements. I have been in rooms where Senator Dole 
was there. He voted for the bill that raised taxes on financial 
institutions and something to do with farmers, and they were there to 
complain. But Bob Dole had such stature that no one could complain very 
long about a vote he cast, especially when he explained that you can't 
get everything you want here, but we can make things better if we give 
a little here to get a lot more there. A lesson--a lesson--for us 
today.
  On behalf of all Kansans, I express their care, their love, and their 
sympathies and condolences to Senator Elizabeth Dole, his wife; to 
Robin, his daughter; to other family members, nieces and nephews.
  I also express my condolences to all those who worked for Senator 
Dole in his office, whether it was his Kansas office or the office of 
the majority or minority leader. There are so many people in 
Washington, DC, today--in fact, I looked to see how many U.S. Senators 
served with Bob Dole during his tenure here that still serve today.
  I heard Senator Leahy on the floor earlier this afternoon; Senator 
Grassley. Senator McConnell, I heard him as well. Senator Shelby, 
Senator Feinstein, Senator Murray, Senator Inhofe, and Senator Wyden 
all had the opportunity to serve with the Kansas Senator--the Senator 
from Kansas, Bob Dole. I can't imagine that doesn't influence the way 
they do their work and the way they look at the U.S. Senate.
  But to those who served in his office as members of his staff--and 
many of them have gone on through nominations and confirmations to 
become hugely important people in agencies, departments, and bureaus 
across this government--his mentorship lives on.
  Another legacy of Bob Dole is all the kids who were interns, all the 
young men and women who worked here for him, all the people who were 
influenced to have a little bit different approach to the rest of the 
world, a little bit different attitude toward people who they might 
disagree with, and a chance to bring the values that Bob Dole exhibited 
in his public life to more people across the Nation.
  I don't know how to sum up, but I assume I will have a few more 
opportunities this week to express the life of Bob Dole, to express the 
value of the life of Bob Dole. This afternoon, it is not a conclusion, 
but it is an ending of these remarks.
  I thank Senator Dole for being a Kansan with a lot of common sense. I 
thank Senator Dole for his willingness to serve our Nation, put on the 
uniform, go through the terrible experience of his injuries and his 
rehabilitation. I thank Kansans who helped him through that experience.
  Most of my life I heard the stories of Bob Dole's hometown of 
Russell, KS. Again, I grew up within 15 miles of Russell. Upon his 
return from the VA hospital to his hometown, the community rallied to 
his survival, his success, his rehabilitation.
  There is the story of cigar boxes in the drugstore where he worked as 
a soda jerk in high school. The businessmen and -women, the people, the 
farmers and laborers, the workers put nickels and dimes, a few dollars 
here and there, into the cigar boxes around town to make sure that Bob 
Dole and his mom and dad had the resources to recover.
  Maybe it takes us back to that value of coming from a small town 
where people know each other and care about each other; where on a 
party line, two worried mothers could have a conversation about their 
sons in service; where a community knows the importance of respecting 
and helping those in need.
  To the people of Russell and to the people across Kansas, thank you 
for the manner in which you have treated and respected a man worthy of 
our respect.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

[[Page S8926]]

  

  Mr. MORAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, this week marks the 80th year since 
FDR delivered his ``Day of Infamy'' speech. That was in a joint session 
of Congress. FDR told the Nation that the United States of America was 
under attack. Besides that attack, Pearl Harbor changed the course of 
history, including the future and fortunes of a young man from Russell, 
KS.
  Today, I come to the floor with a heavy heart. I am here to pay 
tribute to my best friend in the U.S. Senate. Yesterday, Senator Dole 
passed away at 98 years of age.
  For 35 of those years, he served Kansans here in Congress. He also 
was the second longest serving Senate Republican leader. When Iowans 
first elected me to serve in the Senate, Bob Dole took me under his 
wing. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. He treated me like a 
brother. Even when we disagreed, he treated me with respect. We shared 
conservative, Midwestern values. Those values steered us to champion 
fiscal discipline, American agriculture, rural healthcare, and limited 
government.
  From humble beginnings, the three-sport athlete at the University of 
Kansas left his field of dreams. He left them behind to enlist and 
serve his country. Near the end of World War II, he was called to serve 
on the front lines in the northern mountains of Italy.
  From the Great Depression to the ``greatest generation,'' Senator 
Dole was battle-tested to tackle whatever life threw at him. During his 
Presidential campaigns, he got to know my State of Iowa very well, just 
like almost every Presidential candidate does. Bob loved my State of 
Iowa. He won the Iowa caucuses twice. In 1988 and in 1996, I was proud 
to join him on the campaign trail and crisscross the State, visiting as 
many Iowans as possible in as many of our 99 counties as possible. I 
think he earned an honorary nickname as Iowa's third Senator.
  On the campaign trail, it was often my job to introduce Bob Dole, so 
I am going to tell you about some of those introductions and about how, 
maybe, sometimes I screwed them up, but it was all with the intention 
of honoring my friend and fellow Senator, a person who I thought would 
make a very good President of the United States.
  So I would start out these meetings by telling the story about the 
day he nearly lost his life on the battlefield. I wanted to show how 
this young soldier from the Kansas prairie led a platoon of mountain 
troops to flush out the enemy--far, far afield from serving chocolate 
malts at Dawson's Drug Store in Russell, KS.
  To illustrate his grit, his courage, and his resiliency, I explained 
how a then-21-year-old soldier belly-crawled across a mountain valley, 
under heavy artillery, to secure what I thought was Hill 15--or was it 
Hill 13?
  Then Bob Dole would chime in--kind of interrupt me--with some witty 
remark. More often than not, I flubbed the name of that hill in my 
introduction of this Presidential candidate to the voters of Iowa. He 
patiently said to me that it was not Hill 15; it was Hill 913.
  Humble through and through, he didn't share that his injuries left 
him paralyzed from the neck down. Rather, he joked that I got the name 
of the hill wrong. He went on to say that what is important is that we 
are in the right State--meaning Iowa--at the right time, and right now.
  Senator Dole's legacy was secured that day on the Italian 
mountainside. As Second Lieutenant of the 10th Mountain Division, as he 
pulled his radio operator to safety, Bob's right shoulder was nearly 
blown away. The hit paralyzed him from the neck down. He waited for 
hours in the pouring rain, bleeding and in pain, before being carried 
down the mountain.
  Bob Dole was eventually sent home to Kansas in a body cast. He 
endured years of surgery, infections, rehabilitation in his relentless 
pursuit to walk again, and he did walk again. He learned how to write 
with his left hand, his right arm remaining paralyzed. Bob never forgot 
the people who helped him along the way: a doctor in Chicago or the 
medical professionals in Italy. They made it possible for him to serve 
later on in elective office.
  Even though Senator Dole endured more than his share of hardship, it 
surely didn't take away his sense of humor. Anybody who knew him knew 
that there was hardly a speech or a conversation in which something 
witty wasn't said. He was a master of witty one-liners, and he could 
defuse red-hot partisanship with a single quip.
  As Republican Senate majority leader, he finessed thorny policy 
issues with no-nonsense charm. He was able to find consensus with 
allies and adversaries alike. When Senator Dole became chairman of the 
Senate Finance Committee, he and House Speaker Tip O'Neill forged 
bipartisan consensus to rescue Social Security; and here we are, 35 
years later, still rescued but still in need of some help. Less than 10 
years later, he helped to broker the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 of which my colleague from Iowa, Senator Harkin, played a very 
major role.
  His compassion for the disadvantaged informed his legislative 
achievements to expand Medicaid, school lunches, hospice, and food 
stamps. Senator Dole was awarded the World Food Prize in Des Moines 
with Senator George McGovern--a dual honor, that it was. That was the 
year 2008. They got this World Food Prize for their work to combat 
hunger, specifically nutrition for children in poverty.
  He never forgot from where he came, and his legislative record 
reflects his compassion for others. He was a compassionate conservative 
because of his instincts and because of who he was and not as a 
political gimmick. Senator Dole had an uncommon ability to make you 
feel like you were the most important person in the world. He was 
plain-spoken, not a smooth talker. His authenticity wasn't 
manufactured. It pumped through his bloodstream, shaped by the 
hardships in the dust bowl and sacrifice as a war hero.
  His Midwestern instincts guided his decision on one crucial factor 
here in the Senate--the looming deadlines. He knew when to fish or cut 
bait. Senator Dole mastered the art of compromise, embracing 
transparency and banked trust and the respect of supporters and 
opponents alike.
  Senator Dole knew what it took to make the Senate work. We all know 
that it is not so very easy to make the Senate work. One former 
majority leader referred to the job as majority leader as a job of 
``herding cats.''
  Leader Dole was effective because he was exceptionally skilled at 
figuring out what each side needed to claim victory. You can't be an 
effective leader if you don't have followers, and Dole had lots of 
them. He was a war hero and a workhorse rolled into one; a soldier, a 
Senator, a statesman. He led the 10th Mountain Division to defeat 
tyranny and championed the 10th Amendment to uphold the blessings of 
freedom and liberty.
  When Senator Dole stepped away from public life, he didn't stop 
public service. He poured his heart and soul into honoring veterans. He 
was instrumental in getting the National World War II Memorial 
established. For nearly two decades, he went there often to greet 
veterans at the memorial face-to-face, each time thanking them for 
their service and their sacrifice.
  Barbara and I extend our condolences to Elizabeth and the entire Dole 
family. So many are grieving the loss of this extraordinary American 
here at home and also around the world. From his former colleagues to 
the corps of loyal staffers who worked with him here in the U.S. 
Senate, to legions of volunteers and supporters who worked for him on 
the campaign trail, Senator Dole was a widely respected leader on both 
sides of the aisle.
  Senator Dole referenced Scripture when he resigned from the Senate in 
1996 to hit the Presidential campaign trail at full speed. He said:

       To everything there is a season.

  A quarter-century has passed since he shared those very words with us 
here in this Chamber.
  Today, the time has come to say farewell to my mentor and brother in 
Christ, Robert Joseph Dole. The Lord has called him home as a loyal 
servant.

[[Page S8927]]

  Until we meet again, enjoy the new balcony of Eternal Paradise. It 
has got a better view to keep watch over Washington and your beloved 
Sunflower State.
  It is fair to say that ``Dole Beach'' is now even closer to the Sun.
  May you enjoy the warm sunshine upon your face in life everlasting. 
And may the yoke of hardship born upon your shoulders, worn with grit 
and grace, weathered by ravages of time and war, be taken now by our 
Lord God and Savior.
  Always at the end of the day on the campaign trail, whether it was 
getting on an airplane to fly to the next stop or whether it was in a 
car going to the motel or a car going to a restaurant, we always heard 
Dole at the end of a day of maybe four or five campaign stops saying 
``Free at last. Free at last.'' Well, Bob Dole now is free at last.
  Godspeed, my friend. You have made a difference in my life. You have 
made a difference in our country. Your service and sacrifice will be 
celebrated for generations to come.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I know that we are expecting a vote 
shortly. I know the majority leader may come out and make some motions, 
and my colleague wants to speak so we are going to try to just move 
forward.
  I have sent my condolences to the Dole family and thank our colleague 
for his heartfelt comments this afternoon.