[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2879]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A SENATE GIANT

 Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, while the Senate was in recess last 
week, the senior Senator from Massachusetts became a little bit more 
senior. On February 22, Senator Edward Kennedy celebrated his 76th 
birthday.
  Senator Kennedy has been a special friend over the years and I thank 
him for his fellowship.
  Everyone who knows us knows that Senator Kennedy and I could not have 
come from more different economic and geographic backgrounds--he is the 
son of a wealthy New England family, while I am the son of the 
Appalachian coalfields. And people who know us know that over the 
years, Senator Kennedy and I have had our political differences--at one 
point, our political differences compelled us to challenge each other 
for a Senate leadership position.
  But those who know us both well, also know that we have many things 
in common. We share a love of history, of poetry, and of politics. 
Foremost, we share a love and understanding of the Senate and the 
important role it is intended to play in the life of this Republic.
  Maybe it was our mutual interests that formed the basis of our 
friendship. Perhaps it was admiration. I certainly admire Senator 
Kennedy's career and accomplishments for his State, as well as his keen 
intellect and fierce defense of his views and values. Senator Kennedy 
is a member of the Massachusetts Senate class that has included giants 
of the Senate such as John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Charles 
Sumner, Henry Cabot Lodge, and John F. Kennedy. Senator Edward Kennedy 
has joined this august company for he, too, is a giant of the Senate.
  Senator Kennedy is one of three Senators in the history of this 
institution to have cast more than 15,000 votes.
  He is the third longest serving Senator in U.S. history.
  But, more important than the quantity of his Senate service is the 
quality of his service. Senator Kennedy has been one of the most 
effective national legislators in the history of our Republic. His 
imprint is on a large stack of progressive legislation written during 
the past four decades. The Occupational Safety and Health Act, OSHA; 
the Voting Rights Act; the Age Discrimination Act; the Freedom of 
Information Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act; health care 
reform; increases in the Federal minimum wage--these are but a few of 
Senator Kennedy's legislative monuments.
  As his Senate record demonstrates, Senator Kennedy is a man of 
remarkable compassion, who has labored mightily on behalf of his fellow 
citizens. A child of privilege, educated at Harvard and the University 
of Virginia, he could have taken an easier path in life. But, instead, 
Senator Kennedy has worked tirelessly in the Senate becoming a powerful 
voice for the protection of our environment, the rights of American 
workers, and women's equality. Senator Kennedy is the Senate's Mr. 
Health Care. He is the Senate's Mr. Civil Rights. He is the Senate's 
Mr. Human Rights.
  What has really impressed me is that neither years of age nor years 
of political combat have diminished the idealism and energy of this 
talented, imaginative, and intelligent man. Throughout his career, 
Senator Kennedy has believed in a simple premise: that our society's 
greatness lies in its ability and willingness to provide for its less 
fortunate members. Whether striving to increase the minimum wage, 
ensuring that all children have medical insurance, or securing better 
access to higher education, Senator Kennedy has shown that he cares 
deeply for those whose needs exceed their political clout. Unbowed by 
personal setbacks, or by the terrible sorrows that have fallen upon his 
family, his spirit continues to soar, and he continues to work as hard 
as ever to make his dreams a reality.
  I, personally, will always appreciate the support that Senator 
Kennedy gave me during the years I served as the Senate Democratic 
leader. When times got tough, as they occasionally do for a Senate 
leader, I always knew that I could count on his assistance.
  As the majority leader of the Senate during the incredibly productive 
100th Congress, I worked closely with Senator Kennedy, and he worked 
closely with me. His tenure as Chairman of the Senate Committee on 
Labor and Human Resources during that Congress was extraordinary, both 
in the sheer volume of legislation that he sponsored and in the 
dedication that he displayed to improving the education and health of 
all Americans. Happy birthday to my friend and colleague, Senator Ted 
Kennedy. Because of you, so many millions of Americans are much better 
off.

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