Kay Bailey Hutchison: “today the Senate will unanimously pass S. 474, a bill I introduced to award a Congressional Gold Medal--the highest…”

“today the Senate will unanimously pass S. 474, a bill I introduced to award a Congressional Gold Medal--the highest civilian award which may be bestowed by the United States Congress--to my dear friend, Dr. Michael DeBakey. I thank my colleagues for joining me in recognizing and honoring Dr. DeBakey for his lifetime of medical achievement and public service. I would especially like to thank my friend and colleague from Louisiana, Senator Mary Landrieu. She joined me in circulating a letter to our Senate colleagues on this bill, and she was very helpful in gathering key co-sponsors needed to pass this legislation today. Dr. DeBakey is currently in Texas recovering from the very type of heart operation he pioneered. At the age of 98, he is the oldest survivor of the operation he developed to repair a damaged aorta, the main artery from the heart. I certainly wish him well as he continues to recover from this major operation. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank him once again for his lifetime of commitment and service not only to the medical community but to the world and strongly encourage my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass this legislation as soon as possible.”