Former Sen. Bob Dole’s death serves as one more reminder that few members of Congress are credited with historic accomplishments that cause them to be remembered long after their service has ended. Dole was the rare exception. In the many tributes to the late Kansas senator, Dole was lauded for bucking his beloved Republican Party to support passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while serving as a member of the House. As a senator, Dole worked with Democrats Hubert H. Humphrey and George McGovern to launch the school lunch and food stamp programs.
Later, allying himself with another prominent Democrat, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (N.Y.), Dole was key to saving Social Security from bankruptcy in 1983. In the 1990s, Dole was a vital player in making sure the most important legislative accomplishment of the George H. W. Bush administration, The Americans with Disabilities Act, was signed into law. And as a private citizen, Dole was the most important person in getting the National World War II Memorial built. Dole’s modus operandi was simple: Go to Washington, work with members of the opposition party and get things done. In his final words to the American people, Dole said: “[W]e must remember that bipartisanship is the minimum we should expect from ourselves.”
Of the thousands of U.S. senators who have passed their time in that once august body, most have faded into history, their names long forgotten. A few stand out. In 1957, Majority...
BreakingNews Sarma further accused the TMC of allowing cattle smuggling to Bangladesh to continue for vested interests. Published on: Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday ...