House Proceeding 09-29-09 on Sep 29th, 2009 :: 0:57:30 to 1:02:55
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0:57:26 to 0:57:47( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: -- i miss you terribly, teddy, but i know you're still with us. sail on. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from worcester. mr. mcgovern: thank you. i thank my colleague for arranging this special order to honor an incredible leader and an incredible friend, ted kennedy.

0:57:30 to 1:02:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: James P. McGovern

0:57:48 to 0:58:08( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: you know, in the mcgovern household, the kennedy name has always been magic. our family admired and respected president kennedy, we all supported and were committed to robert kennedy and the causes that he stood for. and we always felt it a very special privilege to be represented in massachusetts by

0:58:09 to 0:58:29( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: ted kennedy. all of us, especially the massachusetts delegation, already miss senator kennedy. we miss his humor, his friendship, his advice, his leadership. i tell my colleagues from outside of massachusetts that i'm proud to call myself a ted kennedy democrat and a ted

0:58:30 to 0:58:50( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: kennedy democrat is somebody who is a believer in dynamic and efficient and bold and effective government. somebody who believes it's important to stand up for human rights and for civil rights and senator kennedy did so with incredible integrity and with incredible character. you know, i believe as has been said here, that he is

0:58:51 to 0:59:11( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: greatest legislator in the history of the united states senate. on health care, every piece of major health care legislation that's been enacted into law has ted kennedy's finger j prints all over it. there are millions of children all over america today who have health care because of ted kennedy. and education.

0:59:12 to 0:59:32( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: every major education bill to expand education opportunities for people of every background as a result of ted kennedy's leadership. in the area of workers rights, a strong champion of organized labor. somebody who promoted and enacted major legislation that

0:59:33 to 0:59:54( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: protected workers and workers' rights. in the area of civil rights you're going to hear from our colleague from georgia, john lewis, a hero in the civil rights movemen kennedy was the leader in the area of civil rights in the united states senate. and on i have a special admiration and respect for his courage for the

0:59:55 to 1:00:18( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: stand took against that war when it was not popular to do so. but he took that stand because he believed it was the right thing to do. he thought that war should always be a last resort, not a first resort. an i think he was right on that war. but to all of us in massachusetts he was our senator

1:00:19 to 1:00:40( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: who assembled the best staff you could possibly imagine. when somebody lost their social security check, they caed ted kennedy in his office. when a veteran needed help, they called endy. when a local official needed funding for a local college or a hospital or project, they called ted kenky's office. all phone cause were returned, whether it was from the green of england or mrs. owe leery who

1:00:41 to 1:01:01( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: lived in a three-decker. but more than that, i appreciate very much his personal touch. i was grateful for that personal touch. the notes and the calls when somebody was sick in your family, you got a phone call. when you got special recognition or if you won an election, you

1:01:02 to 1:01:22( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: got a note. if something great happened to you, he was the first to call. when my son was born, the very first call we received was from ted kennedy. even before my mother and father called the hospital. the very first gift that we received was from ted kennedy, a blank that had my son'same stitched into the blanket with

1:01:23 to 1:01:45( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: the word love vickie and ted. the same thing happened when my daughter was born a couple years later. those are things that i will never forget and always treasure. you know, nobody, when he died, when he died, i said that nobody can ever fill his shoes but must try to follow his footsteps. i really believe that.

1:01:46 to 1:02:06( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: you know, one of the things that senator kennedy said was that the great unfinished life was health care. he believed that everybody in this country deserves health care. he thought it was a national scandal that tens of millions of americans are without health care. he be provide belt -- better health

1:02:07 to 1:02:28( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: care to people, that we could put a better emphasis on preventative care, we believed we could come up with a heth care system that would control costs so that families and small businesses wouldn't go broke trying to provide health care for their families or for their workers. and so while he is no longer

1:02:29 to 1:02:50( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: with us we need to continue his work. he was the conscience of country and i believe that we need to continue to be inspired about -- by his example. we need to continue to stand up for what's right, we need to continue to fight for what's right and i will say as my colleagues have said,

1:02:51 to 1:02:56( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: has been a special privilege and an honor for me to be proud of this delegation that for so many