Reaction to Bob Dole's death from US dignitaries, veterans

U.S. dignitaries and subject veterans are mourning former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, a World War II seasoned and erstwhile Republican statesmanlike campaigner who served successful Congress for 36 years. Dole, who had signifier 4 lung cancer, died Sunday astatine property 98, according to his wife, Elizabeth.

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“Bob was an American statesman similar fewer successful our history. A warfare leader and among the top of the Greatest Generation. And to me, helium was besides a person whom I could look to for trusted guidance, oregon a humorous enactment astatine conscionable the close infinitesimal to settee frayed nerves. I volition miss my friend. But I americium grateful for the times we shared, and for the relationship Jill and I and our household person built with Liddy and the full Dole family. ... He had an unerring consciousness of integrity and honor. May God bless him, and whitethorn our federation gully upon his bequest of decency, dignity, bully humor, and patriotism for each time.” — President Joe Biden, who served with Dole successful the Senate.

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“Laura and I are saddened by the passing of a large patriot, Senator Bob Dole. This bully antheral represented the finest of American values. He defended them successful azygous during World War II. He precocious them successful the United States Senate. And helium lived them retired arsenic a father, husband, and friend. Our full household benefitted from that friendship, including my father. I volition ever retrieve Bob’s salute to my precocious dada astatine the Capitol, and present we Bushes salute Bob and springiness acknowledgment for his beingness of principled service." — Former President George W. Bush, speaking of Dole's tribute to erstwhile President George H.W. Bush.

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“Senator Bob Dole was a warfare hero, a governmental leader, and a statesman — with a vocation and demeanor harkening backmost to a time erstwhile members of the Greatest Generation abided by a definite code, putting state implicit party. Our thoughts are with Elizabeth and the Dole family.” — Former President Barack Obama.

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“Bob Dole dedicated his full beingness to serving the American people, from his heroism successful World War II to the 35 years helium spent successful Congress. After each helium gave successful the war, helium didn’t person to springiness more. But helium did. His illustration should animate radical contiguous and for generations to come.” — Former President Bill Clinton.

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“Whatever their politics, anyone who saw Bob Dole successful enactment had to respect his quality and his profound patriotism. Those of america who were fortunate to cognize Bob good ourselves admired him adjacent more. A agleam airy of patriotic bully cheer burned each the mode from Bob’s teenage combat heroics done his full vocation successful Washington done the years since. It inactive shone brightly, undimmed, to his past days. Bob Dole lived the benignant of full, rich, and profoundly honorable American beingness that volition beryllium intolerable for immoderate tribute contiguous to afloat capture." — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

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“America has mislaid an iconic statesman and tireless veterans advocate. Bob Dole distinguished himself successful combat agelong earlier becoming 1 of the astir respected voices successful Congress. His enactment and determination led to the operation and dedication of the National World War II Memorial. America is simply a amended state arsenic a effect of this large patriot’s service. The American Legion was arrogant to contiguous Sen. Dole with our organization’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal successful 1997. Our condolences to his wife, Elizabeth, his household and galore friends.” — American Legion National Commander Paul E. Dillard.

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“Bob Dole was a elephantine of the Senate. I retrieve the ample fig of Republican and Democratic Senators gathering connected the Floor to praise him erstwhile helium stepped down from the Senate. Traveling with him, moving with him and penning authorities with him are among my fondest memories of the Senate.” — Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the longest-serving sitting senator.

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“Senator Bob Dole volition beryllium remembered arsenic a existent American leader and an exemplary statesman — a antheral who chose what was close implicit what was convenient. Whether it was connected the battlefield, successful the halls of Congress, oregon successful his mundane life, Senator Dole’s passionateness and dedication to his chap Kansan and to his state was a dependable reminder that a azygous idiosyncratic tin marque a quality and alteration the world. ... On the level of the United States Senate, I usage Senator Dole’s desk, and I americium regularly reminded of his tireless committedness to Kansas values portion being, archetypal and foremost, a statesman who treated others with respect and kindness." — Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.

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“Over the past respective years, I was fortunate to get to walk respective Saturdays a twelvemonth with Senator Dole. He made it his ngo to greet chap World War II veterans successful Washington, D.C., erstwhile they came to sojourn the World War II Memorial, a memorial that Senator Dole helped marque a reality. When Rhode Island veterans would travel to Washington connected Honor Flights, 1 of their existent highlights was seeing Senator Dole. He was determination to confer respect and grant upon others, and it was genuinely a privilege to beryllium determination astatine his broadside and spot veterans and caregivers alike airy up and link with him. Senator Dole was some a large listener and storyteller and helium ever made definite our veterans knew: This is their memorial. It belongs to them." — Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., president of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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“Senator Dole was galore things -- a warfare hero, a father, a husband, a nationalist servant; and to Kansans, a antheral who embodied everything bully and decent astir Kansas and astir America. ... He was a larger-than-life beingness successful our nation’s authorities and demonstrated a decency, a humility, and a civility that should service arsenic a exemplary for those of america successful nationalist life." — Gov. Laura Kelly, D-Kan.

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“As a nationalist servant, backstage citizen, and existent patriot, Senator Bob Dole showed full dedication to the American experimentation and its deepest ideals, answering liberty’s telephone astatine each turn. A combat hero, champion for those with disabilities, legislature person from Kansas, and statesmanlike candidate, Dole served this federation for 79 years. He lived a beingness of heroism and humor, courageousness and consequence, enactment and bequest that each American should strive for." — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

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“His grounds arsenic the second-longest serving Republican Leader successful the past of the Senate demonstrates the respect helium earned from his broadside of the aisle. But it was his willingness – indeed, his committedness – to scope crossed the aisle that produced specified landmark achievements arsenic redeeming Social Security, strengthening America’s hunger and nutrition programs, and reforming the taxation codification to amended reward hard enactment and investment. Senator Dole’s bipartisan tone is simply a captious portion of his enduring bequest of leadership.” — Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

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“Bob Dole was a soldier, a legislator, & a statesman. He ever stood for what was conscionable & right. I was honored to grant him the Congressional Gold Medal & I’ll ever beryllium grateful for his work to our country." — Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

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