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Bob Dole Lies in State at U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired December 09, 2021 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:00:05]

RICHARD NORTON SMITH, FORMER SPEECH WRITER FOR BOB DOLE AND LONGTIME FAMILY FRIEND (voice over): You're judged to success in Washington by what you prevent from getting done.

So, that's something I think we grieve along with the loss of one larger than life member of the Senate, the way of governing that we're burying along with Bob Dole.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM (voice over): He would often say, to note his roots as growing up in poverty in Kansas, that he wasn't born in a blue suit despite all his years on Capitol Hill.

A brief word about what's coming next here. Briefly, we're going to hear from the House chaplain, Margaret Grun Kibben. Later, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Schumer, and then President Biden as well will speak before a benediction by the chaplain.

Also joining us is David Gergen, who served a good number of presidents during his time, and I know encountered the senator in your work.

I wonder in moments like this, it feels like we have a eulogy for the man but also a eulogy for a time in Washington where folks like this were able to speak to each other and work together.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice over): Yes, that's such a good observation. Bob Dole was one of the last warriors of World War II, and that generation, as you know, the World War II generation remains revered through this day as setting the gold standard for how people ought to work with each other across the ail, how we're all Americans, and as the saying goes, we all came in different ships but we're in the same boat now.

ERICA HILL, CNN NEWSROOM (voice over): In the same boat now. And as Jim -- I have to agree with you, David, I think you put it so well, a eulogy for the time that so much has changed.

Just, David, give us some of your observations too of the late Senator Bob Dole, what it was like to engage with him and how others looked at him in those moments. GERGEN (voice over): Well, I had the privilege of seeing him several times since he's been, you know, in his latter years. And he hadn't really changed. He can be quite gruff on the outside, as you know. He had to put up with so much, he had to be so resilient over his life, that he's developed a way to sort of keep reality a little bit away from him.

But I must say to you that in all that, he had a quick wit and he was acerbic, to be sure, it could be sharp but to make a point. But at the end of the day and almost every conversation I ever had with him, it always came back to what's right for the country.

I can't emphasize enough I think he was part of a tradition that we have seen die out in our lifetimes and has caused do much consternation about the health of our own democracy. Because people look back and look at Dole and say, you know, in many ways, he was an ordinary guy but he did extraordinary things because he was in this environment when people were expected to work with each other. And he did that very, very well, right to the end.

SCIUTTO (voice over): To your point about supporting the president, he notably supported Clinton's plan to send American troops to Bosnia, though unpopular with many Republicans, opposed by many Republicans at the time, and he was not particularly supportive of that idea, but he believed a president of either party should be supported once he decided something in the foreign sphere.

You see there -- sorry to interrupt. I was just saying we see Mitch McConnell there, Senator Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, also Kevin McCarthy, the leaders now present. We're a few moments behind the schedule. Here is the vice president, Kamala Harris, her husband, the second gentleman as well. Soon to follow, President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden.

Our Manu Raju is on the Hill. Manu, can you describe -- in fact, I believe we're going to see them entering in just a moment. And, yes, there is President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, entering the rotunda as we await the arrival of the casket containing the late senator, Bob Dole.

Manu Raju, you're there. The order of the day going forward?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Yes. We expect to hear from the congressional leaders who will kick off this event and talk about their experiences. Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, followed by the president, talking about their time overlapping with the late senator, Bob Dole, and talking about the different time that it was. I mean, Bob Dole is coming back to a place that is a much different institution than he left in 1996.

The relations in the House in particular between the two parties is at an all-time low. He was a person when he left in 1996, when he gave his speech on the Senate floor, on his day that he announced his resignation, his farewell speech, it was filled by Republicans and Democrats. It was filled with humor and talking about his relations, working with both sides of the aisle.

[10:05:04] We can expect to hear these tributes pour out of rare bipartisan moment at a time we've seen these relations, particularly in the aftermath of January 6th, hit an all-time low.

Now, in a matter of moments here, we do expect the casket to be brought in and be placed on that Lincoln catafalque, that black platform in the middle of the rotunda. That platform has been used for services ever since 1865 to honor people who have just been monumental figures in history, including Bob Dole. And here we see, Jim, bring in the casket.

SCIUTTO: The casket. Let's listen in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the invocation delivered by House Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben.

MARGARET GRUN KIBBEN, HOUSE CHAPLAIN: Would you pray with me? Holy and eternal God, to this grand hall and from across the country, we come to this moment with deep gratitude for the life and legacy of Senator Robert Joseph Dole.

[10:10:06]

We are grateful that in his selfless devotion to you and to these United States, he has revealed to us what moral and faithful service should be.

As we honor his 79 years of standing up for what's right, we stand before you to offer our heartfelt prayers. We ask of the influence Senator Dole has had on countless people, leaders, neighbors and strangers alike, would not be without long-lasting fruit.

In extolling Senator Dole's unequaled integrity, disarming humor, and deep compassion, may we be inspired to reach into the depths of our own small town virtues or our big city bravado to emulate this plainspoken statesman, this decorated war hero, this, your humble servant. We commend this tribute to you that you will enable us to find just the right words to honor this righteous man, that you would encourage us to imitate this inspiring servant, that you would equip us to carry forth with the faith of this faithful leader.

We pray this in the strength of your name, amen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.

Ladies and gentlemen, the honorable Mitch McConnell, Republican leader of the United States Senate.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): On April 14th, 1969, Senator Bob Dole delivered his first floor speech. He said, quote, the task ahead is monumental, and this was before Bob knew he'd end up leading a conference of 53 senators. Years later, after he had become leader, Bob described his Senate management challenges with his trademark wit. If I'd known, he said, we were going to win control of the Senate, we'd run better candidates. I swear, Bob could have made it as a stand-up comic, but in that maiden speech, Bob was earnest. He was already championing a signature cause helping Americans with disabilities. The task ahead is monumental, he said, but I'm confident that there are forces in America ready and willing to meet the challenge.

Bob Dole himself was certainly proof of that. That maiden speech came 24 years to the day after he sustained his combat wounds in Italy. Bob had already risen to a monumental task. He'd taken the fight to the Nazis, and he'd nearly paid for it with his life.

For all his decades in public service, Bob Dole knew exactly where he came from, a son of dust bowl hardship who was laser-focused on food security and rural issues, a wounded warrior who spent decades carrying fellow veterans and Americans with disabilities on his shoulders. Bob was the last of the greatest generation to run for president, but he was never stuck in the past. His roots ran deep, but he was always looking to new horizons.

From that first speech through his years in leadership, through Bob's incredibly active retirement in name only, he built brighter futures for millions. Bob was blessed with long life to watch this legacy take effect.

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But that was no accident. Bob liked to joke that he planned for longevity by closely studying our most senior colleagues. He had a whole comedy routine about how he had tried to copy Strom Thurmond's eating habits. Strom takes a shrimp. I take a shrimp. If he eats a banana, I eat a banana.

But the real engine behind Bob's 98 remarkable years was his love, his love for Elizabeth and for Robin, for public service, for Kansas, and for America.

Today, we honor the amazing life that love created, and we thank God, the source of all love, both for Bob's incredible journey here in this life and for the fact that he has entered his eternal reward in the next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Charles E. Schumer, majority leader of the United States Senate.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Mr. President, Madam Vice President, Madam Speaker, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, distinguished guests, dear colleagues, and most importantly Senator Elizabeth Dole and Robin, the scriptures say that we should, quote, rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

Today, we pay tribute to a remarkable leader over the course of his life, knew more than his fair share of suffering, who turned that suffering into endurance, whose endurance became central to his character, and whose character, whose essential goodness, leaves us with hope, hope that we will continue to see good men and women in this country like the one to whom we say goodbye today.

To pay tribute to Senator Bob Dole is to honor someone who redefined and elevated what it means to serve country. By 21, Bob had given more of himself than most of us give in a lifetime, and then he kept going for 77 years after that. And my God, it was 77 years well spent. At 27, he was elected to state politics. A decade later, he came to Congress, followed promptly with an election to the Senate. 16 years later, Bob Dole was majority leader, remaining in party leadership until his final run for president in 1966 -- 1996.

The years were well spent, however, not because of his titles but because of what he accomplished. Today, tens of millions of Americans, veterans, the elderly, the disabled, and millions of kids across the country are better off because of Bob Dole. He never lost his roots as a principled, pragmatic Kansas Republican, and Bob never hesitated to work with Democrats to get things done. From joining Senator McGovern on federal nutrition programs, to working with my former colleague, Senator Moynihan, to protect social security, to helping pass the Americans with Disability Act with Senators Kennedy and Harkin.

Bob Dole was a champion of those whose lives were marred by struggle, who came not from citadels of privilege but from humble origins like his own. In his memoir, Senator Dole wrote that supporters were sometimes surprised to hear that of all his accomplishments in the Senate, reforming social security was his greatest pride along with passing the ADA.

I'm sure that surprises a few of us here today, but I doubt those who knew the Bob Dole of Russell, Kansas, the man whose family lived for years in their own basement so they could rent out their house, who as county attorney, had to approve his grandfather's welfare checks each month, whose recovery from war was made possible only after his hometown pooled money to pay for surgery, I imagine that those who knew this side of Bob Dole understood that no matter how he high he climbed up the ranks, he never forgot the reason he entered public service.

[10:20:00]

And, of course, he did it all with unmistakable acerbic wit, honed and refined over the years as he worked as a soda jerk in the local drugstore. Bob and I never worked together in the Senate, but I was not spared his famous ribbing. Don't worry, Bob, it's safe to be between me and the cameras today.

In closing, I want to bring back an enduring image of Bob that took place nine years ago as we said goodbye to another colleague lying in this same rotunda. None of us will ever forget the strength and honor of Bob with Elizabeth at his side standing and saluting Danny Inouye one last time.

Bob used to tell the story of him and Danny recovering from war wounds at Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan. As they recuperated, they discussed their futures with Bob telling Danny he planned to run for local office and eventually the United States Senate. At the time, Danny had a different path in mind for himself, but like Bob's plan, ran for office and eventually was actually elected to the Senate before Bob.

After Danny was sworn in, one of the first things he did was call his old friend and said, Bob, I'm here in the Senate. Where are you? Now, as Bob approaches the pearly gates, let us take comfort he can reunite with his old friend once again.

In the meantime, let the rest of us carry on in thanksgiving and unending celebration of the life of this incredible American statesman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Good morning. Mr. President, it is a sad and official honor to join our colleagues in leadership in welcoming you and, the first lady, and the vice president to the United States Capitol. You come as Senator Dole's longtime colleague, personal friend, and as president as we recognize the life and service of the honorable Robert J. Dole.

Thanks to the leaders and members of our congressional community here with us this morning. We all come to pay tribute, and on their behalf, I extend a special welcome to Senator Dole's loving and dedicated partner in service, Elizabeth -- Senator Elizabeth Dole and his dear daughter, Robin.

It's sad for all of us. As speaker of the House, there's a special source of pride for us in the House that Senator Dole began his congressional career in the House of Representatives. And it is fitting that, as we gather in the Capitol rotunda, home to American heroes memorialized in marble and bronze, to pay tribute to an extraordinary patriot.

Once before we gathered here in the rotunda in his name in 2018, it was my personal and official honor to join our colleagues and the leadership to help bestow upon him the congressional gold medal, the highest honor Congress can bestow. On that day, as we do on this sad day, we recognize Senator Dole among the pantheon of patriots honoring his duty to our nation with courage, dignity and integrity.

As I stand here and see his coffin on the catafalque that was built for Lincoln with that flag draped over it, I'm sure many of you here will agree, it's hard to think of anyone who was more worthy to have a flag draped over his coffin because of his great patriotism to our country.

On both side of the aisle, on both sides of the Capitol, across the country, Senator Dole was widely respected for his legendary service on the battlefields of World War II, his inspiring resilience after recovering from grievous war wounds, his principled leadership in the hallowed halls of Congress, House and Senate, and his tireless advocacy as an elder statesman.

Over the course of his storied career, he earned a reputation as a fighter for hardworking American families, a leader who could be trusted as a man of his word. [10:25:07]

Working in a bipartisan way, Senator Dole addressed hunger in America by expanding food stamps, fought for respect for people with disabilities by enshrining essential protections into the law with the ADA, again, in a bipartisan way. He taught us over time and all the time to respect people for what they can do and not judge them for what they cannot. He advocated for our troops, veterans, and hidden heroes who care for them, especially alongside his beloved wife, Elizabeth. Indeed, the love, partnership, and prayerfulness that Senators Bob and Elizabeth Dole shared was a joy to behold and a blessing to all of us who know them.

In recognition of his legendary career, Senator Dole received the 1997 Presidential Medal of Freedom bestowed upon him by President Clinton, his electoral rival but certainly his fan. Upon receiving this medal, Senator Dole challenged us, in his words, not to question American ideals or replace them but to act worthy of them. Senator Dole lived up to this challenge, devoting his entire life in service to a country he loved and to our cherished national values for which he fought.

I remember when we were gathered here honoring President George Herbert Walker Bush and how moved the whole nation was to see Senator Dole salute President Bush. So generous, he was.

So, as we honor his life this morning, let us resolve to meet his challenge, as he said, to act worthy of our ideals and carry on his mission. When we in Congress gave Senator Dole the congressional gold medal, he brought -- in receiving it, he brought luster to the award, just as his service and sacrifice brought luster to the congress and to the country. May it be a comfort to you, Robin, to Elizabeth, and all who love him, that so many people across the Congress, the country, his beloved state of Kansas, that a grateful nation mourns and are praying for you at this sad time. May Senator Dole rest in the peace that he deserves. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Joseph R. Biden Jr., president of the United States.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, members of Congress, distinguished guests, most importantly, Elizabeth and Robin, I know this is not easy. Thank you for letting us do this.

We meet here in the very heart of American democracy, the Capitol of the United States of America, to receive a hero of that democracy for a final time, Robert Joseph Dole. He belongs here in this place, in this temple of liberty, temple to possibilities.

Bob Dole loved this Capitol. It's where he served the nation, shaped by the figures that surround us. Washington, Jefferson, who set us on our path, Abraham Lincoln, another man who in the heartland of the country from whence he came, Bob's hero, Dwight David Eisenhower, Martin Luther King Jr., who Bob helped pass legislation honoring the great civil rights leader with a federal holiday. Bob stood up and got that done, Gerald Ford, who served here and with whom Bob sought the vice president of the United States.

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