This
week marks 80 years since FDR delivered his “day of infamy” speech to a Joint
Session of Congress.
FDR
told the nation that the United States of America was under attack.
Pearl
Harbor changed the course of history, including the future and fortunes of a
young man from Russell, Kansas.
Today,
I come to the Senate floor with a heavy heart. I’m here to pay tribute to my
best friend in the U.S. Senate.
Yesterday,
Senator Dole passed away at 98 years of age.
For
35 of those years, he served Kansans here in Congress.
He’s
also the second longest serving Senate Republican Leader.
When
Iowans first elected me to serve in the U.S. Senate, Bob Dole took me under his
wing.
I
couldn’t have asked for a better mentor.
He
treated me like a brother.
Even
when we disagreed, he treated me with respect.
We
shared conservative, Midwestern values that steered us to champion fiscal
discipline, American agriculture, rural health care and limited government.
From
humble beginnings, the three-sport athlete at The University of Kansas left his
field of dreams behind to enlist and serve his country.
Near
the end of World War II, he was called to serve on the front lines in the
Northern Mountains of Italy.
From
the Great Depression to the Greatest Generation, Senator Dole was battle-tested
to tackle whatever life threw at him.
During
his presidential campaigns, he got to know my home state of Iowa very well.
Bob
loved Iowa.
He
won the Iowa caucuses twice.
In
1988 and 1996, I was proud to join him on the campaign trail and crisscross the
state, visiting with as many Iowans in as many counties as possible.
He
even earned an honorary nickname: “Iowa’s third Senator.”
On
the campaign trail, it was often my job to introduce Senator Dole.
I
would start off by telling the story about the day he nearly lost his life on
the battlefield.
I
wanted to show how this young solider from the Kansas prairie led a platoon of
mountain troops to flush out the enemy – far, far afield from serving chocolate
malts at Dawson’s Drugstore in Russell, Kansas.
To
illustrate his grit, courage and resiliency, I explained how a then-21-year-old
soldier belly-crawled across a mountain valley under heavy artillery to secure
“Hill 15” or was it “Hill 13?”
That’s
when Senator Dole would chime in with a witty remark.
More
often than not, I flubbed the name of that hill in my introduction.
He
patiently said it was not “Hill 15.”
It
was “Hill 9-1-3.”
Humble
through and through, he didn’t share that his injuries left him paralyzed from
the neck down.
Rather,
he joked that I got the name of the hill wrong.
He
went on to say that what’s important is that we’re in the right state (Iowa) at
the right time, right now.
Senator
Dole’s legacy was secured that day on the Italian mountain side.
As
Second Lieutenant of the Tenth Mountain Division, as he pulled his radio
operator to safety, Bob’s right shoulder was nearly blown away.
The
hit paralyzed him from the neck down.
He
waited for hours in pouring rain, bleeding and in pain before being carried
down the mountain.
Bob
Dole was sent home to Kansas in a body cast.
He
endured years of surgeries, infections and rehabilitation in relentless pursuit
to walk again.
He
learned how to write with his left hand. His right arm remained paralyzed.
Bob
never forgot the people who helped him along the way, a doctor in Chicago or
the medical professionals in Italy.
They
made it possible for him to serve in elected office.
Even
though Senator Dole endured more than his share of hardship, it didn’t take
away his sense of humor.
The
master of witty one-liners could defuse red-hot partisanship with a single
quip.
As
Republican Senate Majority Leader, he finessed thorny policy issues with
no-nonsense charm.
He
was able to find consensus with allies and adversaries alike.
When
Senator Dole became chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, he and House
Speaker Tip O’Neill forged bipartisan consensus to rescue social security.
Less
than ten years later, he helped broker the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 alongside my former colleague
from Iowa, Senator Tom Harkin.
His
compassion for the disadvantaged informed his legislative achievements to
expand Medicaid, school lunches, hospice and food stamps.
Senator
Dole was awarded the World Food Prize in Des Moines with Senator George
McGovern in 2008 for their work to combat hunger, specifically nutrition for
children in poverty.
He
never forgot from where he came, and his legislative record reflects his
compassion for others.
He
was a compassionate conservative because of his instincts and because of who he
was, not as a political gimmick.
Senator
Dole had an uncommon ability to make you feel like you’re the most important
person in the world.
He
was plain-spoken, not a smooth talker.
His
authenticity wasn’t manufactured, it pumped through his bloodstream, shaped by
hardship in the Dust Bowl and sacrifice as a war hero.
His
Midwestern instincts guided his decision on one crucial factor here in the
Senate.
The
looming deadline.
He
knew when to fish or cut bait.
Senator
Dole mastered the art of compromise, embraced transparency and banked trust and
respect of supporters and opponents, alike.
Senator
Dole knew what it took to make the Senate work.
Heaven
knows it’s not easy.
One
former Majority Leader referred to the job as “herding cats.”
Leader
Dole was effective because he was exceptionally skilled at figuring out what
each side needed to claim victory.
You
can’t be an effective leader if you don’t have followers and Dole had a lot of
them.
He
was a war hero and a work horse rolled into one.
A
soldier. A senator. A statesman.
He
led the Tenth Mountain Division to defeat tyranny and championed the Tenth
Amendment to uphold the blessings of freedom and liberty.
When
Senator Dole stepped away from public life, he didn’t stop public service.
He
poured his heart and soul into honoring veterans.
He
was instrumental in getting the National World War II Memorial established,
where for nearly two decades he has greeted veterans at the Memorial
face-to-face to thank them for their service and sacrifice.
Barbara
and I extend our condolences to Elizabeth and the entire Dole family.
So
many are grieving the loss of this extraordinary American here at home and
around the world.
From
his former colleagues, to the corps of loyal staffers who worked with him here
in the U.S. Senate, to legions of volunteers and supporters who worked for him
on the campaign trail, Senator Dole was a widely respected leader on both sides
of the aisle.
Senator
Dole referenced scripture when he resigned from the Senate in 1996 to hit the
presidential campaign trail full speed ahead.
He
said: “To everything, there is a season.”
A
quarter-century has passed since he shared those very words with us in this
chamber.
Today,
the time has come to say farewell to my mentor and brother in Christ, Robert
Joseph Dole.
The
Lord has called home his loyal servant. Until we meet again, enjoy the new
balcony in Eternal paradise.
It’s
got a better view to keep watch over Washington and your beloved Sunflower
State.
It’s
fair to say that “Dole Beach” is now even closer to the sun.
May
you enjoy the warm sunshine upon your face in life everlasting.
And,
may the yoke of hardship born upon your shoulders, worn with grit and grace,
weathered by the ravages of time and war, be taken on now by our Lord God and
Savior.
At
the end of the day on the campaign trail, whether it was getting on an airplane
or in a car to the motel or restaurant, we always heard Dole say, “Free at
last, free at last.”
Well,
Bob Dole is now free at least.
God
speed, my friend.
You
have made a difference in my life.
You
have made a difference for your country.
Your
service and sacrifice will be celebrated for generations to come.
