Political Quotes

“I call attention to an historic moment that the Senate experienced today. Twenty-five years ago today--on April 14, 1969--our friend and colleague, the Senate Republican leader, Senator Robert Dole, delivered his maiden speech to the United States Senate. We are living in times, now, when Senators who come to the Senate, the first day they are sworn in, speak. They do not wait. They speak at the drop of a hat. If the hat drops the first day, they go to it. I can remember when Senators who came to the Senate waited for weeks before they made what we referred to as their maiden speech. And the word would go out to the offices that Senator So-and-So was going to make a speech tomorrow, or on a certain day next week. And Senators would come over and listen to that freshman Senator make his speech. They gathered to hear him. It was an event. Those days are gone. But our friend and colleague, Senator Robert Dole, delivered his maiden speech to the United States Senate on April 14, 25 years ago. Not too many of us are still present who were Senators on that day a quarter century ago. And not many Senators throughout the history of the Congress have played as momentous a role in the affairs of the United States Senate-- indeed, in the affairs of the United States itself--as has our esteemed friend and colleague from Kansas. So I congratulate Senator Dole on this informal commemoration of an important milestone in his life.”