[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9006-S9007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING ROBERT J. DOLE

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, much is grown on Kansas' plains. Crops 
and pastures stretch as far as the eye can see. Grain elevators replace 
city skyscrapers, and the whisper of the wind substitutes the screech 
of sirens and traffic.
  What truly makes the prairie special, however, is the people, the 
people of the plains. Kindness and resilience define Kansans. Churches 
that seem entirely too big for the tiny towns they tower over are 
filled on Sundays; and neighbors are checking on each other, sharing 
food, sharing laughs, maybe sharing a cup of coffee and even a few 
beers.
  And perhaps this is why Senator Bob Dole reminded me every time I saw 
him: Roger, always remember where you are from.
  In every speech I ever heard him give, he always said: Always 
remember where you are from.
  I thought a lot about that this week. What was Senator Dole saying? 
Why was that so important?
  And I think, reflecting, he always wanted to make sure that he 
remembered his Kansas values and that the people of Russell, KS, shaped 
his life, to pay honor to them and respect.
  This week, Kansans lost a great friend and neighbor. Senator Bob 
Dole, a personification of the gentle toughness cultivated in the rural 
Midwest; an advocate for the disabled, the hungry, our veterans and our 
American way of life; a genuine once-in-a-generation, from the 
``greatest generation,'' American hero has been called home.
  It was to these same plains that a young Robert Dole returned from 
war, critically wounded from injuries sustained in 1945 on a 
battlefield in Italy. The people of Russell had chipped in money--
$1,800 to be exact--into a cigar box on the counter of Dawson's Drug 
Store, where a young Bob Dole once worked as a soda jerk. These funds 
were used to help offset the costs of his recovery, and it was a 
grueling recovery. During his 3-year hospital stay, he spent time in a 
body cast. He fought horrible infections that shot his temperature to 
over 109 degrees, which forced the doctors to pack him in ice. He 
literally underwent dozens of surgeries on his shoulder, his arm, and 
even to remove a kidney. Bob Dole was once a strapping, muscular three-
sport varsity athlete at Russell High School, as well as a KU Jayhawk 
athlete.



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S9006, December 8, 2021, the following appears: UK 
Jayhawk athlete
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: KU Jayhawk athlete


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 
    Dole was now paralyzed and his weight had dropped to 122 pounds.
  All the while, during his recovery there in the hospitals, he 
listened to one of his new favorite songs, a source of inspiration, 
``You'll Never Walk Alone.'' I quote from that Rodgers and Hammerstein 
classic:

       Walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk 
     alone.
       Walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk 
     alone.

  Americans know of Bob Dole's record of public service, whether it was 
passing the Reagan agenda through the Senate, saving Social Security 
from bankruptcy, fighting hunger in the United States and abroad, the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, his work for veterans that includes 
the construction of the World War II Memorial, and so, so much more.
  Americans know of his time at the helm at the Republican National 
Committee, the U.S. Senate, and the party's Presidential ticket. They 
may even be aware of when, in 2014, he regained the strength to travel 
and visited all 105 Kansas counties to simply say ``thank you''--thank 
you--for the life they had given him.
  People may also know that most Saturdays of the past decade, Senator 
Dole quietly sat on the south side of the World War II Memorial to 
greet and thank veterans as the Honor Flights came to Washington, DC. 
It was only fitting that Kansans gathered there this morning to pay 
homage and respect and remember our hero. All of this, he did with 
humility, with charm and wit--that famous wit that made him so likable, 
so effective, and so Kansan.
  As we in the Capitol honor Senator Dole, I remember the days that 
followed his famous salute of President George H.W. Bush's casket in 
the Capitol Rotunda--a moment that inspired and captivated the world--
when he, with the help of his caretaker and fellow veteran Nate, stood 
up from his wheelchair and showed his reverence for his once rival and 
friend. He, of course, didn't understand what the big deal was. He just 
wanted to honor a fellow veteran and public servant. It was just a 
reflex for him to show that respect, and his humility in its wake was 
his classic style.
  I remember the morning earlier this spring when Senator Dole called 
me to tell me that he had stage IV lung cancer. He wanted to make sure 
that my wife Laina and I knew before the press did. But all the while, 
what I remember from that conversation was how upbeat he was, how 
positive he was, worried about me and not himself.
  But he, again, beat the odds and spent more quality time with all of 
us. And every time I saw him, even up to just a couple of weeks ago, he 
was always cracking jokes, imparting wisdom, and spending time with all 
of his friends.
  I am so grateful for the blessing of each moment spent with him 
before and after that call. I can't express what I would give for 
another one of those moments, as I know is true for his wife, our 
friend, Senator Elizabeth; and his most steadfast supporter and 
advocate, his daughter Robin.
  The same goes for his devoted staff, who are like family to the 
Doles. Whenever you visited the Doles, that staff were all family 
members. I want to mention Pia, Marion, Mo, Ruth Ann, and so many more. 
We mourn your loss and you are in our prayers.
  There are so many scores of friends from all ages and so many walks 
of life. So many people reached out to me this week to say: We are 
thinking of you, we are praying for you, give the Dole family our 
condolences.
  Now, as his incredible work here is done--and I am going to miss my 
friend--the boots that my fellow Kansas Senator and I have to fill are 
very large, but, fortunately, he left me with some good advice to fill 
those boots.
  It was in 2017, shortly after I had been elected and I was facing my 
first tough vote, and Senator Dole and myself were able to have a late 
morning brunch. I had my notes prepared. I was going to discuss this 
issue in great depth and I was prepared for every one of Senator Dole's 
questions.
  But as I started the conversation, he said: Well, what is going on, 
on the Hill?
  I said: Senator Dole, I have a tough vote tomorrow.
  He took another sip of his lobster bisque and looked at me and said: 
Roger, go back to Kansas. The people of Kansas will tell you the 
answer.
  I know I am going to never measure up to his standard. He set a 
tremendous bar for us to reach. While Senator Dole is done, the lessons 
we can all learn from his life will be lived out and passed on. 
Certainly, the spirit of Bob Dole, the spirit of patriotism, hope, 
loyalty, respect, service, and genuine kindness and concern for others 
will never fade.
  One of the best days of my time in Congress was watching Senator Dole 
receive the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018, in our Nation's Capitol 
Rotunda. It was a special honor. As a freshman Congressman, I had to 
kind of fight my way to the front row or near the front row, and I was 
surrounded by other Members of Congress as well. As the President 
recited Bob Dole's story, one by one they would look at me and nod. You 
know that nod you get, the nod of respect. You don't have to say 
anything. I was so proud to

[[Page S9007]]

be a Kansan. My chest puffed up, full of pride. It just made me so very 
proud to be there with the Kansans to see this is what a Congressman, a 
Senator, is supposed to look like.
  For months, as we led up to that event, his family and friends 
watched as he struggled to regain strength after several more health 
setbacks. I remember the family didn't think he would be able to 
attend, but much like the wounded Bob Dole in the forties, he was able 
to accept that award personally. He miraculously recovered, like he had 
so many times before.
  At that marvelous ceremony where he got to hear the gratitude of a 
nation, the song "You'll Never Walk Alone'' was played. I was close 
enough that I could see him mouth the words to the President: ``This is 
my favorite song.'' And I was close enough that I could hear his 
voice--a voice we were all familiar with--sing along, softly sing these 
lyrics:

     When you walk through a storm
     Hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark
     At the end of the storm there's a golden sky and the sweet 
           silver song of a lark
     Walk on through the wind
     Walk on through the rain
     Though your dreams be tossed and blown
     Walk on
     Walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone
     You'll never walk alone.

  For so many of us--Kansans, veterans, the poor and hungry around the 
world, farmers, the disability community, and more--we never walk 
alone. We thank you, Senator Dole, for walking beside us, always giving 
us hope. We love you, we miss you, and we thank you.
  God bless America.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.

                          ____________________