Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I just want to finish, before my colleague from Maine sums up this tribute, by thanking the Senator from Maine for doing…”

“I just want to finish, before my colleague from Maine sums up this tribute, by thanking the Senator from Maine for doing something very thoughtful. As we go through our workdays and we do not stop to think of some of the important milestones that happened in the world, in the United States, in the Senate, the Senator from Maine has done something very special, and that is to point out that there are so many women, now, in the Senate that we could take 45 minutes from the business day to pay tribute to the first woman who led the way for us. I think, as we heard the remarks that were made, that each person is following in some way a wonderful lead that was given to us by the great service that Margaret Chase Smith gave to our country; that is, to lead with dignity, with class, with continuity through four terms. I think the tribute today is a wonderful thing to show the first woman, in fact, made it possible for eight women to follow her and to have in our own right a voice at the table on the Armed Services Committee or in our respective States. I think it was wonderful for the Senator from Maine to make this time possible.”