[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S71]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING HERB KOHL

  Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
outstanding public servant, my former colleague and friend Senator Herb 
Kohl who passed away on December 27, 2023. Over his 88 years, Herb 
rightfully earned a reputation as a civic-minded champion, whether it 
was in his many business ventures, his ownership of the Milwaukee 
Bucks, or his four terms representing his home State of Wisconsin.
  Herb was the son of immigrants who came to America from Poland and 
Russia and joined in our Nation's entrepreneurial tradition by opening 
their own business: a small grocery store. Along with his parents and 
siblings, he helped grow this one store into a successful regional 
chain. Even with the enormous success of the business, Herb never 
forgot where he came from. Reflecting on his parents later in his life, 
he said that ``[t]hey came with zero . . . None of us [children] ever 
thought we could get by on anything less than a full effort in life.''
  Herb remained deeply and personally involved in the business. He 
would visit dozens of Kohl's stores each week and would personally 
interview every full-time employee from the top on down. Herb knew that 
by focusing on his workers, by making sure they were secure in their 
jobs and able to thrive, that his business would flourish. One of 
Herb's closest friends once said of him, as noted by the University of 
Wisconsin's alumni magazine, ``With any store we walked into, he knew 
every employee by their first name, and he knew all their families . . 
. You could tell his whole heart and soul was into it.''
  In 1985, when the Milwaukee Bucks were on the verge of being sold off 
and moved to another city, Herb stepped forward and bought the team 
with the promise to Bucks fans that the team would never leave. He 
stayed true to his word, even when it came time to sell the franchise 
three decades later, putting up $100 million of his own money to help 
build a new arena to serve as the team's home.
  That kind of generosity and commitment to the community made Herb a 
truly beloved figure in Wisconsin. Four times, voters there turned out 
to send him to the U.S. Senate, each time by wider margins. Just as 
with his business, Herb put his whole heart and soul into serving the 
people of the State. He championed gun safety legislation and nutrition 
programs for children. He worked to support the State's agriculture 
industry, and his office became known as the gold standard for 
constituent service which, given his history, was no surprise. He was 
the embodiment of his campaign slogan, ``Nobody's Senator but Yours.''
  I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to Herb's family and 
to all those who loved him in Wisconsin. Through his work, we know that 
his impact will continue to be felt, and his humility and dedication 
will serve as an inspiration to public servants for years to come.

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