Tom Harkin: “with the close of the 112th Congress, our good friend and colleague Senator Herb Kohl is retiring after four terms of…”

“with the close of the 112th Congress, our good friend and colleague Senator Herb Kohl is retiring after four terms of dedicated service to this body, the people of Wisconsin and the United States. As a Senator, Herb Kohl has shown the same dedication and work ethic that previously allowed him to build his family-owned business into a nationally known brand name. Indeed, during his 24 years in this body, he has been a classic workhorse Senator, as opposed to a show horse Senator. Few Senators have been more willing to shun the limelight and share the credit in order to get important things done for the people of this country. Senator Kohl is also a proud and principled progressive. His work in the Senate brings to mind the great words of the late Senator Hubert Humphrey: The moral test of government is how its government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped. Senator Kohl has been respected as a leading advocate on children's issues. For instance, he authored legislation to expand the school breakfast program and has been a strong supporter of child nutrition programs. He also authored legislation requiring that handguns be sold with separate child safety locks.…”