Congresswoman Maxine Waters Pays Tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy
"It was with great sorrow that I learned of the passing of Senator Kennedy. I offer my condolences to his family and friends, and also to his millions of admirers and supporters, and I will keep them all in my thoughts and prayers.
"There was no one else like Senator Kennedy, and there never will be. The causes he championed during almost half of a century of public service are strong proof that he kept the interests of the most vulnerable Americans in his heart and in his mind, and he applied his pen to these causes, authoring and helping to pass some of our nation's most important pieces of legislation.
"He got right to work upon entering the Senate in the early 1960's and was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act – landmark laws that gave minorities a platform on which they could not only stand but from which they could hold their heads high and assert their political strength. Later in his career he helped establish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, wrote the Americans with Disabilities Act and the bill to create the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and pushed legislation to raise the federal minimum wage.
"As a California State Assemblywoman in 1980, I was impressed by Senator Kennedy's legislative record, his idealism, his concern for those in need, and because of his forward-thinking attitude about what our country could be, and therefore I decided to support him as he pursued the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. I was a delegate at the Democratic Convention and I had the great honor of seconding his nomination.
"When Senator Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama for President last year, he said ‘[Obama] is a fighter who cares passionately about the causes he believes in without demonizing those who hold a different view.' Those words could also have been used to describe Senator Kennedy. He was proud to champion liberal policies and passionate about the issues but always willing to listen to others respectfully and willing to negotiate to find common ground when needed.
"My life was enriched by knowing and working with the ‘Lion of the Senate'. Though deeply upset by his loss, I am comforted in part by knowing that his legacy will endure, and I will join with fellow progressives in carrying on his work, particularly fulfilling ‘the cause of his lifetime' by passing meaningful health care reform.
"My heart goes out to his wife Victoria, his children – including my colleague, Congressman Patrick Kennedy – his grandchildren, and the many other family members, friends, and supporters who are mourning his loss today."
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