act, legislation to strengthen social security, and revamping federal nutrition programs. despite rising the top ranks of his party senator dole always kept a close relationship with those on the other side of the aisle. centerville exampled by the greatest generation. why i never had the pleasure of serving the senate with him i alwayswi admired his steadfast advocacy for veterans, for americans with disabilities and his love for his country. for the information of all that are told to align state under the capitol rotunda we believe will pay tribute to his life and his legacy. i think the speaker and leader mcconnell and helping make these ceremonies possible. for today i'd take destroyed all my colleagues in mourning this great sentence i wish all of the family my deepest condolences. >> is hard to believe it is

been 25 years since senator dole took leave of the senate. it is even harder to believe he passed away this past weekend. not become as a shock to say goodbye to an older statesman at age 98 because her colleague was still so energetic, so involved and so forward-looking right through to his final months. if you did not know bob dole, if you just read a summary of his impressive t senate career, his leadership tenure, has presidential campaign he might sound like a man of contrast. on one hand our friend from kansas to preach conservative values, personal

responsibility and fiscal ordiscipline was also a laser focus on caring for the most vulnerable from food insecurities to the rights of the disabled americans. on the one hand senator dole and a republican party, rose to key roles that were necessarily somewhat partisan, first linear senate republican conference for many years, and then leading a presidential ticket. who is also a consensus finding legislature, with deep friendships and working relationships that spanned the aisle. her colleague was ernest on ironic and somewhat serious.

he also wielded a charming sense of humor. whetheras he was cracking one liners off at his own expense or during a joint appearance with this comic impersonator. allow me one example of bob dole's comedic talent. in january of 1997, just after andde won his reelection the president graciously disposed above the presidential bottle of freedom, though they were in mid-january just three days before the bobbitt spent months be re- inaugurated instead was a gracious adjuster in the event all around the time comes for

bob's remarks, walks up to the podium, looks around and he begins, i robert j dole in the crowd is cracking up. do solemnly swear, then a theatrical pause, so sorry wrong speech. once the laughter begins to die down becomes the punchline, i thought i would be of this historic week receiving something from the president, but i thought it would be the front door key. the thing is a madam president there is no contradiction in any of it. no paradox, they were very, very consistent. the virtues and values that led bob dole to raise his right hand, and list in the army and fight bravely until he could not raise that hand

any longer with the same virtues and values that compelled him to raise his left hand for a different oath in the kansas city capitol a few years later. and then across the rotunda at h the u.s. house and then here in the senate. the same virtues and values it animated bob's passion appointed speeches in the 1960s about a citizen's duty, animated's great empathy toward those who needed help. with bob dole what you saw is what you got. to his constituents in kansas, to the whole senate and the entire country, what we got was extraordinary. i cannot summarize in one speech the full life or legacy of our friend bob dole.

there are battlefield heroics, the hospital bed friendships and the best a bridge player dan hanna where there is the policy legacy that endures to this day. these remembrances will take congress this whole week and they will occupy historians for decades to come. bob dole had the same chief hero for his entire adult life. a general and then a a president, dwight eisenhower, bob did not dress like ike, who is a farewell speech in 1996, he saved the second to last quotation for his hero from abilene kansas. he kept his foot personally on the gas pedal for the eisenhower memorial here in washington well into his 90s

but he invoked and praised ike constantly throughout his career. when education is late 1979 an event was held at eisenhower's boyhood home, presidential library and the gravesite in abilene, would have been his 89h birthday. it still happens only a couple weeks later, missing eyes and i away and be laid to rest there as well. on that day that ardell had to explain got lucky, why? more thirsty for leadership returned to a man from kansas, a genuine hero who embodied in his own life the finest qualities of the american people. a man from grassroots america steeped in patriotism and service. a strong man who earned a

strength in a war, yet never forgot the disease of poverty or the scourge of personal suffering. bob was always eloquent in those lines of his certainly did describe ike. now our friends and 98 amazing years have come to a close eisenhower's of the only eisenhower's bowl was a genuine kansas thirst for leadership was steeped in homespun american values, and proud of it who fought with great courage and battle on the battle field that came right with him into the halls

of power i mention eisenhower's is second to last quotation in his farewell remarks w to the senate where he closed 25 years ago, on both his past and his future, our colleagues final quote was from the midwestern poet carl sandburg. yesterday, is a win gone down, a i son dropped in the west. i will tell you, there is nothing in the world, only in ocean for tomorrow's, a sky of tomorrow. now, for our remarkable friend of the son of this world has set at last, we pray in faith he now beholds an even brighter light at the endless

thocean the entire senate since our prayers to elizabethan robin and to so many family friends and staff of senator dole. the whole country standss with you, not only in grief but in gladness, and thanksgiving, for almost a century that was lived so patriotically, so gratefully, and so well. >> a madam president note many centers will be speaking further on this floor about one of the most distinguished senators certainly i have had the honor to serve with and that is bob dole senator from kansas, former majority leader