Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I was first elected to the Senate in 1993 in a special election to fill the remainder of Lloyd Bentsen's term. Bob Dole…”

“I was first elected to the Senate in 1993 in a special election to fill the remainder of Lloyd Bentsen's term. Bob Dole, like my predecessor Lloyd Bentsen, is a member of the ``Greatest Generation'' --the generation of men who never wavered in answering the call to duty, fighting in distant lands to protect the free world, and returning home to build the greatest Nation on Earth. Bob Dole epitomizes the ``Greatest Generation,'' not only for his heroic service in battle, but also for what he did when he came home, ultimately serving in the U.S. Senate. When I first arrived in Washington, Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas was the only other female Republican Senator. Fortunately, our leader Bob Dole understood the unique and important voice women brought to the Senate. He graciously welcomed me from the first day, and I enjoyed working with him as he ascended from minority leader to majority leader. He was great in both roles, and I appreciate the leadership and support he provided in my early days. One of my first discussions with Bob was committee assignments. I told him I wanted to serve on the Armed Services Committee, as there are more military members serving in Texas than any other State. I hoped to carry on the great tradition of helping our men and women in uniform like so many Texas Senators before me. He understood why this committee assignment was important to me and realized the unique perspective I would bring to the national discussion.…”