Biden pays tribute to Bob Dole at the Capitol: 'America has lost one of our greatest patriots'
President Biden paid tribute to former Senator Bob Dole at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, remembering him as a "one of our greatest patriots."
Dole, who served in the Senate for more than two decades and was the 1996 Republican nominee for president, died on Sunday, and he lay in state at the Capitol on Thursday. Lawmakers gathered to pay tribute, and Biden honored his former colleague, calling him a "giant of our history."
"That's not hyperbole," Biden added. "It's real. Of wit and grace, of principle and persistence, of courage and conviction."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden reflected that he had the "great honor" to serve with Dole for more than 20 years, remembering his wit by recalling a story of Dole once saying he was voting to fund Amtrak because if he didn't, Biden, who commuted to Washington, "would stay overnight and cause more trouble." On a more serious note, Biden said that he and Dole disagreed "on a number of things" but "still found a way to work together" and become "great friends." The president then read from a column Dole wrote prior to his death, in which he called for Americans to find "unity again."
"America has lost one of our greatest patriots," Biden said. "May we follow his wisdom and his timeless truth and reach consensus on the basic fundamental principles we all agree on."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also remembered Dole as someone who was "never stuck in the past" and who was "always looking to new horizons," while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Dole was a "remarkable leader" who "redefined and elevated what it means to serve country."
-
The ‘ravenous’ demand for Cornish mineralsUnder the Radar Growing need for critical minerals to power tech has intensified ‘appetite’ for lithium, which could be a ‘huge boon’ for local economy
-
Why are election experts taking Trump’s midterm threats seriously?IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the president muses about polling place deployments and a centralized electoral system aimed at one-party control, lawmakers are taking this administration at its word
-
‘Restaurateurs have become millionaires’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
