Political Quotes

“I rise to speak about the passing of an extraordinary American, a man who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I think he was one of the true leaders in my lifetime when it came to issues related to health care. Of course, I am referring to former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. It is hard to imagine today, as we reflect on all that has happened in the last several decades, the courage it took for Dr. Koop to step up and honestly describe the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the American people. This socially conservative doctor went so far as to make sure there was a mailing to every household in America that described the threat of this disease. There were many who thought that would never happen because of the political environment of the day. But Dr. Koop rose to the challenge and, in doing that, he saved lives in America. And he informed this country in a way that no other Surgeon General has about this looming danger. If only that alone were his legacy, it would be more than enough. But I had a special personal friendship with him that related to our mutual efforts against the scourge of tobacco and the deaths related to that product. We have come a long way in America, and Dr. Koop was part of the progress we made. He was resolute in making it clear that tobacco was the No. 1 avoidable cause of death in America at his time, and is still today. He was helpful in so many ways.…”