[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 21047-21048]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I want to speak to the same issue my 
colleague Senator McCain spoke to in a couple minutes. But first I wish 
to make some brief comments about two of our colleagues who will no 
longer be with us--of course, our friend and colleague, Senator 
Kennedy, and Senator Martinez.
  Let me, first of all, speak to Senator Kennedy's departure from this 
body due to his untimely death.

[[Page 21048]]

  During his five decades of public service, Senator Kennedy served 
with diligence, tireless passion, and, of course, vigor--the word that 
immediately evokes the Kennedy spirit.
  Because of who he was, he could have gotten by without a lot of hard 
work. But that was not his way. He believed deeply, so he worked hard--
as hard as any Senator I have known.
  One thing that has been commented on by many who worked with Senator 
Kennedy was his willingness to compromise. I have characterized Senator 
Kennedy as a legislator's legislator, often a results-oriented 
pragmatist, who knew that clashes between the two parties are 
inevitable and, in fact, an integral part of our political system, and 
that it was important to reach across the aisle if you wanted to get 
things done. He believed that people with dramatically different points 
of view could usually find some common ground.
  While Senator Kennedy and I did not share a perspective on very many 
issues, and he was always ready to make an ideological or political 
point, my colleagues and I appreciated his efforts to actually 
legislate as well. His dedication, his hard work, humor, and high 
spirit will always be remembered. My wife Caryll and I extend our 
thoughts and prayers to his family.

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