Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, next to the door of Senator Kennedy's old office--now Senator Kirk's office--is a small brass plaque that Senator Kennedy had mounted near the door with an old Gaelic greeting: Cead Mile Failte--100,000 welcomes. With his first maiden speech on the floor of the Senate, I extend to Senator Kirk, my colleague, officially, Cead Mile Failte, 100,000 welcomes to this great body.

The fact the Senator would stand and speak to an issue of such enduring significance, not only to the Nation but to Senator Ted Kennedy, is entirely fitting.

Forty-five years ago, Ted Kennedy gave his maiden speech on the floor of the Senate, addressing the moral issue of his time--the issue of civil rights. Over the years, he came to understand the issue of health care is an issue of civil rights. His son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, tells the story when his dad was in the hospital recently recuperating from cancer, he would walk the wards. We can see him plodding along, going from room to room, talking to people about how they were doing and, more specifically, how they were paying for their medical care.

Ted never stopped caring about not only the many people he represented in Massachusetts and around the Nation but around the world. During the time he served in the Senate, he extended the reach of civil rights and opportunity through health care, with Medicaid and Medicare and COBRA and children's health insurance and so many other things that he was a part of. I am honored the Senator is here today, as he has said, to be the voice and the vote of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. The question asked is: Will the circle go unbroken? With the Senator's speech today, it is clear it is unbroken; that the Senator is carrying on the fine tradition not only of Senator Kennedy but of so many people who were inspired by his words over the years.

I congratulate my colleague on his maiden speech on the floor of the Senate.

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