Peter Visclosky: “I first got to know Senator Birch Bayh through my father, John Visclosky, the former Mayor of Gary, Indiana, following…”

“I first got to know Senator Birch Bayh through my father, John Visclosky, the former Mayor of Gary, Indiana, following his election to the United States Senate in 1962. My father has always had a deep respect and strong feelings towards Senator Bayh. As a Member of Congress, I have always considered Senator Birch Bayh a friend and a mentor. As a citizen, I am grateful that he chose a life of public service, paying constant attention to the needs of working people and those who were not given a fair chance in life. Senator Bayh fought hard for those who wanted an honest days work at a living wage in order to support their families. For instance, he fought hard and was successful in obtaining crucial funding for a railroad track rehabilitation program that put thousands of unemployed workers back on the job. While I am proud that we are naming a federal building after Senator Bayh today, we will forever be served by him through the two changes he authored to the Constitution. I have always believed that the Constitution is one of the two greatest documents ever written by man. To think of Birch Bayh improving it not once but twice is not only breathtaking, but expected from such a unique person. The structure of the Constitution had not been so impacted by a single lawmaker since its creation by the founding fathers. Senator Bayh is a person who developed the talents that God gave him to serve others and a person of deep compassion and caring.”