Senator Bob Dole
LOUISVILLE, KY – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today on the passing of former Senator Bob Dole:
"Elaine and I join the nation in mourning Bob Dole, our good friend and a bona fide American hero.
“Bob’s lifetime of service was rooted in a simple mission: looking out for his neighbors. At first that meant serving his customers at a soda fountain in Russell, Kansas. Then it meant heroic, decorated service with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division in World War II; brutal fighting from which Bob barely made it home. And then came a remarkable career in public service, capped off by nearly 30 years in the U.S. Senate and more than a decade as Republican Leader.
“Senate Republicans and the entire Senate were better off for Bob’s stewardship. But more importantly, his beloved Kansas and the entire nation reaped huge rewards from his service. Bob was a steady leader and a legislative master. He unlocked both conservative victories and big bipartisan achievements. His Dust Bowl roots fueled a special commitment to vulnerable Americans, and sure enough, Bob’s work on food security, veterans’ issues, and the rights of disabled Americans have continued to have an especially lasting impact.
“Whatever their politics, anyone who saw Bob Dole in action had to admire his character and his profound patriotism. Those of us who were lucky to know Bob well ourselves admired him even more. A bright light of patriotic good cheer burned all the way from Bob’s teenage combat heroics through his whole career in Washington through the years since. It still shone brightly, undimmed, to his last days.
“Bob Dole lived the kind of full, rich, and deeply honorable American life that will be impossible for any tribute today to fully capture. As we mourn this most distinguished American son, we send our sincerest condolences to Elizabeth, Robin, and the entire Dole family."
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