[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 130 (Thursday, July 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE LIFE, LEGACY, AND ENTERTAINMENT CAREER OF TONY 
                                BENNETT

  Mr. SCHUMER. So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 322, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 322) commemorating the life, legacy, 
     and entertainment career of Tony Bennett.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 322) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am really proud today that my 
resolution declaring Tony Bennett's birthday, August 3, as Tony Bennett 
Day has just passed the Senate. I would like to thank Senator Cornyn 
for joining me in this bipartisan resolution, as well as Speaker 
Emerita Pelosi for working on a companion resolution in the House.
  As we all know, we all loved Tony Bennett. Tony is an American icon, 
a son of Astoria, Queens--a New Yorker through and through--and, 
without doubt, one of the most beloved singers of our time. You only 
come across a Tony Bennett once in a lifetime.
  I would like to think Frank Sinatra got it right when he called Tony 
Bennett ``the best singer in the business.''
  Known for his unparalleled talent and his exceptional vocal range, 
Tony spanned generations and genres. He touched the hearts of millions 
around the world.
  It didn't matter if you were young or old or somewhere in between, it 
didn't matter if you were a friend or a fan, just about everyone loved 
Tony, and Tony loved just about everyone.
  And you could feel that he was in it for the right reasons, not for 
the money or the fame, but he just loved making music and having people 
enjoy it. Just to hear him sing a few bars, you knew he cared about the 
song and he wanted to share that caring with everybody. And he cared 
about you, as he sang it to you, just about more than anything.
  And let's not forget, as great a musician as Tony was, he was a very 
good human being. He fought and served our country admirably during 
World War II. This always amazed me: He was a lifelong champion of 
civil rights and marched along Martin Luther King, Jr., in Selma in 
1965, at a time when the agents of most entertainers discouraged them 
from marching in these kinds of things because they might lose some 
fans. But Tony didn't care. He believed in equality.
  And he raised money for great causes, including the very disease he 
was fighting, Alzheimer's.
  If that still wasn't enough, he was an accomplished painter, and he 
drew his inspiration from his little bench in Central Park.
  Tony Bennett's legacy will live on in the hearts of fans, friends, 
and countless artists he inspired along the way. I am proud we could 
come together to pass this resolution honoring an extraordinary man and 
his immeasurable contribution to the arts and our society.

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