Cord Byrd: “I rise to say farewell to my friend and longstanding colleague, the able Senator from Kansas, the Senate majority…”

“I rise to say farewell to my friend and longstanding colleague, the able Senator from Kansas, the Senate majority leader, Bob Dole. Bob Dole has responded to the call of duty throughout all of his adult life, and we are all the richer for his dedication and his work. His life and his service have made a difference. American politics is a rough and tumble occupation, and we in this Chamber are all too familiar with the savagery, the criticism, the negativity that have so infected political life in our day. But there are times when politics must be put aside, and the honest, heartfelt contributions that we each and all make as servants of the people must be acknowledged. I congratulate the majority leader on his long and distinguished service in the Senate, and before that in the House of Representatives, and before that, in the Kansas Legislature, to which he was elected at the young age of 26. As one of his fellow Americans, I thank him for his service and his bravery during World War II. It has been a privilege and it has been a pleasure to work with Senator Dole in the leadership positions given to both of us by our colleagues, first when he was majority leader and I was minority leader, and then when our roles were reversed. Senator Dole and I are the only floor leaders in Senate history to move from majority leader to minority leader and then back again to majority leader.”