Frank R. Lautenberg 

LATE A SENATOR FROM 

NEW JERSEY 

÷ 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

AND OTHER TRIBUTES 

HON. FRANK R. LAUTENBERG ÷ z 1924–2013 

HON. FRANK R. LAUTENBERG ÷ z 1924–2013 

Frank R. Lautenberg 


81300.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2013

S. DOC. 113–16 

Memorial Addresses and 

Other Tributes 

HELD IN THE SENATE 

AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OF THE UNITED STATES 

TOGETHER WITH A MEMORIAL SERVICE 

IN HONOR OF 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG 

Late a Senator from New Jersey 

One Hundred Thirteenth Congress 

First Session 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Biography .................................................................................................. v 

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee ............................................... 7 

Blumenthal, Richard, of Connecticut ....................................... 36 

Blunt, Roy, of Missouri .............................................................. 22 

Brown, Sherrod, of Ohio ............................................................ 28 

Cantwell, Maria, of Washington ............................................... 20 

Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland ............................................ 28 

Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania ..................................... 30 

Cornyn, John, of Texas .............................................................. 18 

Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois ................................................... 7 

Harkin, Tom, of Iowa ................................................................. 31 

Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont ................................................... 11 

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky ................................................. 18 

Menendez, Robert, of New Jersey ............................................. 13, 24 

Murphy, Christopher, of Connecticut ....................................... 19 

Murray, Patty, of Washington .................................................. 16 

Nelson, Bill, of Florida ............................................................... 27 

Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island ...................................................... 33 

Reid, Harry, of Nevada ........................................ 3, 18, 23, 25, 27, 37 

Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan ................................................. 12 

Udall, Mark, of Colorado ........................................................... 34 

Proceedings in the House of Representatives: 

Tributes by Representatives: 

Andrews, Robert E., of New Jersey .......................................... 43, 57 

Brown, Corrine, of Florida ........................................................ 48 

Butterfield, G.K., of North Carolina ......................................... 50 

Frelinghuysen, Rodney P., of New Jersey ................................ 56 

Garrett, Scott, of New Jersey .................................................... 45 

Holt, Rush D., of New Jersey .................................................... 44, 59 

Lance, Leonard, of New Jersey ................................................. 42 

Moore, Gwen, of Wisconsin ....................................................... 48 

Pallone, Frank, Jr., of New Jersey ........................................... 42, 57 

Pascrell, Bill, Jr., of New Jersey ............................................... 43, 51 

Payne, Donald M., of New Jersey ............................................. 46, 54 

Pelosi, Nancy, of California ....................................................... 47 

Runyan, Jon, of New Jersey ...................................................... 46 

Sires, Albio, of New Jersey ........................................................ 45 

Smith, Christopher H., of New Jersey .......................... 41, 47, 50, 54 

Webster, Daniel, of Florida ....................................................... 49 

Memorial Service ...................................................................................... 61 

[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

The phrase ‘‘only in America’’ had a special meaning for 

Senator FRANK R. LAUTENBERG. Senator LAUTENBERG began 

his life as the son of poor but hard-working immigrant parents. Following their example, he rolled up his sleeves and 

pursued the American dream. 

He succeeded in spectacular fashion, first as a businessman who helped start a major computing services firm, and 

then as a U.S. Senator with a number of major legislative accomplishments. 

Senator LAUTENBERG was born in Paterson, NJ, the son of 

Polish and Russian immigrants who came to the United 

States through Ellis Island. His early life was unsettled as 

his parents moved about a dozen times while struggling to 

support the family. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG’s father, Sam, worked in the silk 

mills, sold coal, farmed, and once ran a tavern. When FRANK

LAUTENBERG was 19, his father died of cancer. To help his 

family, Senator LAUTENBERG worked nights and weekends 

until he graduated from Nutley High School. 

After graduating from Nutley High, Senator LAUTENBERG

enlisted and served in the Army Signal Corps during World 

War II in Europe. Following the war, he attended Columbia 

University on the GI bill and graduated with a degree in economics. 

With his military service completed and his education secured, FRANK LAUTENBERG set out to build a career. He 

joined with two boyhood friends from his old neighborhood to 

help start the Nation’s first payroll services company, Automatic Data Processing (ADP). FRANK LAUTENBERG served as 

chairman and CEO, and along with his partners developed 

ADP into one of the largest computing services companies in 

the world. 

Senator LAUTENBERG always knew that his success was a 

uniquely American story. He wanted to give something back 

to the nation that had given him so many opportunities. He 

decided to launch a new career in politics, and running for 

his first public office, was elected to the Senate in 1982. He 

was reelected in 1988 and 1994. After a brief retirement, 

[ vi ] 

Senator LAUTENBERG won a fourth term in 2002 and was reelected to a fifth term on November 4, 2008. 

Over his first three terms in the U.S. Senate, FRANK LAUTENBERG built a solid record of accomplishment on a broad 

range of issues that touch the lives of New Jerseyans: helping to balance the Federal budget, stopping aid to nations 

that support terrorism, keeping guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers, banning smoking on airplanes, getting drunk drivers off our roads, protecting our oceans and 

environment, and improving our transportation system. 

After returning to the Senate in 2003, Senator LAUTENBERG picked up where he left off, working to improve the 

lives of New Jersey families. He fought to save health insurance for thousands of children in New Jersey, reimburse 

military families who bought body armor for their loved ones 

serving in Iraq, modernize the GI bill, strengthen Amtrak, 

increase security along our railroads and at our ports and 

chemical plants, provide justice for victims of terrorism, 

make college more affordable, turn Federal buildings 

‘‘green,’’ and protect our beaches and oceans. 

In his last session of Congress Senator LAUTENBERG

served on three Senate committees: Appropriations; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Environment and 

Public Works. He also served as chairman of two Senate subcommittees, one on the Commerce Committee and the second 

on Appropriations. 

In a place that is often plagued with gridlock and inertia, 

Senator LAUTENBERG was always someone who bucked the 

rules, stood up for what he believed, and persisted in making 

a difference. 

Senator LAUTENBERG is survived by his wife, Bonnie, 6 

children and 13 grandchildren. 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

AND 

OTHER TRIBUTES 

FOR 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG 

[ 3 ] 

Proceedings in the Senate 

MONDAY, June 3, 2013 

PRAYER

The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following 

prayer: 

Let us pray. 

O God, thank You for being near to us in good and bad 

times. We celebrate Your wonderful blessings that bring us 

new victories each day. 

As we look at the flowers on the desk of our friend and 

brother, Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG, we thank You for his 

life and legacy. As we mourn his death, send Your comfort 

into our hearts. Bless Bonnie and his family and give them 

Your peace. Let our memory of this good and courageous 

American inspire us to transcend the barriers that divide us 

and to work for the good of America. 

Amen. 

MOMENT OF SILENCE 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask that the Senate observe a 

moment of silence in honor of the late FRANK LAUTENBERG, 

a Senator from the State of New Jersey. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will 

have a moment of silence. 

If all will please stand. 

(Moment of silence.) 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, when I learned early this morning that FRANK LAUTENBERG had died, of course, I immediately became very sad. I served with him for two-and-ahalf decades or more in the Senate. 

I see there are flowers on his desk. It seems the flowers 

have barely wilted on the desk—which is right behind me— 

of Senator Inouye. So I have a heavy heart. 

As we all know, the senior Senator from New Jersey, my 

friend FRANK LAUTENBERG, died this morning. My thoughts 

[ 4 ] 

are with his lovely wife Bonnie, his children, and 13 grandchildren. 

Few people in the history of this institution contributed as 

much to this Nation and to the Senate as FRANK LAUTENBERG. His success story is what the American dream is all 

about. 

He came from a family of working-class immigrants from 

Eastern Europe—Russia and Poland. His parents struggled. 

I heard FRANK talk about how they struggled. They worked 

so hard. They moved around New Jersey often. 

When FRANK was 18, during the middle of World War II, 

he enlisted in the U.S. Army. During World War II he served 

with distinction in the Army Signal Corps. I can remember 

FRANK talking about his experiences in the European theater. While he was in the Army Signal Corps, he said he 

could see the war going on in his sight while he was up on 

a wooden power pole. 

He talked about the many experiences he had during 

World War II, as he said, making him a better American. He 

was very proud of his military service. He is the last World 

War II veteran having served in the Senate. We don’t have 

any World War II veterans anymore. His death is a great 

loss to this institution in many different ways. 

When FRANK came home from the war—he was obviously 

very smart—he was permitted to attend the very prestigious 

Columbia University. He did it, of course, on the GI bill— 

just as so many of the other returning Americans did. 

He quickly founded his own company. He started the company with two boyhood friends. All three kids were from 

New Jersey. Under his leadership, his firm, Automatic Data 

Processing, known as ADP, grew into the largest computing 

company of its kind in the world. 

He was so very proud of that company, and he never hesitated to tell everyone that he made money. He became rich. 

He was a poor boy who became wealthy as a result of being 

able to fulfill his dreams as people can do in America. 

FRANK wasn’t content with his personal success alone. He 

was proud of the civic and charitable things he did, but nothing made him more proud of what he did outside government 

than when he served as the top lay leader of the United Jewish Appeal, known as the Jewish Federations of North America. He was very proud of that. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG was known for many things before he 

came to the Senate. He ran an impossible race for the Senate 

and was elected. He came to the Congress in 1982, the same 

[ 5 ] 

year I did. Over the course of three decades he worked tirelessly on behalf of his State and the country. 

He retired once. He could not stand retirement. He hated 

retirement. He could not stay away from public service, and 

he returned to the Senate. 

He had a remarkable career. I just touched upon a few of 

his accomplishments. He had determination that made him 

successful in the private sector and also served him well in 

the Senate. Motivated by his own experience, Senator LAUTENBERG, a World War II veteran, cowrote the 21st century 

GI bill of rights. Recognizing how much this meant to him, 

he wanted to ensure that the vets returning from Iraq and 

Afghanistan enjoyed the same opportunities for education 

that helped him become so successful. 

My youngest boy just hated cigarette smoke, and it really 

made him ill. There was a time when people could smoke everyplace in the airplane and then finally in a different part 

of the airplane; however, it didn’t matter. Everybody sucked 

in the secondhand smoke. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG took care of my boy and millions of 

other people who would no longer have to suck in that smoke 

in an airplane. He is the one, more than anyone else, whom 

we have to thank for protecting us from deadly secondhand 

smoke in an airplane because his legislation banned smoking 

on airplanes. 

He was also a longtime member of the Environment and 

Public Works Committee. Had he not retired in that very 

short period of time that he did, he would have been chairman of that committee. However, because he wasn’t there, I 

had the opportunity to be chair of that committee on two 

separate occasions. 

He focused on this Nation’s infrastructure, such as roads 

and highways. One of the ideas he thought would make this 

country a much safer place was to pass a drinking limit so 

a person could not drink alcohol anyplace in the country 

until they were 21 years of age. It was called a national 

drunk driving standard. 

He believed in helping the State of New Jersey as well as 

helping the country, but I am not sure in which order. It was 

hard to understand the difference because he was focused on 

the country and New Jersey at the same time. 

FRANK wanted to make sure that women and children 

were protected from gun violence. Thanks to him, we passed 

legislation that convicted domestic abusers so they could not 

own firearms. 

[ 6 ] 

Those are just a few examples of his work in the Senate 

that literally saved lives. He came from his sickbed—in a 

wheelchair—to vote on gun legislation. He agreed with 90 

percent of the American people—that people who had severe 

mental problems or were felons should not be able to buy 

guns. He agreed with 90 percent of the American people. 

He came from his bed to be here and vote with us. He was 

so happy to be here. After that, he came once—just a few 

days ago—to vote when we needed him again. He tried so 

hard. 

When I talked to Bonnie today, she said he was confident 

he would live to be 100. He was a very strong man physically. 

A couple of years ago I took a big delegation to China. It 

was a bipartisan group. It was a wonderful trip. For FRANK

LAUTENBERG, that was his last foreign travel. I can remember indicating what a strong man he was physically. I had 

never been to the Great Wall of China. I don’t know how 

many of the other 10 Senators had been there, but I had not. 

It is pretty steep, and there are big rocks that have been 

there for centuries. Because FRANK was 88 years old at the 

time, somebody grabbed his arm to help him go up. He 

pushed them away. He wanted no help from anybody. He 

was on his own, and that is the way he wanted to be. 

I and our Nation owe a great debt of gratitude to FRANK

for his outstanding service. He had always been so kind to 

me. He was someone who appreciated serving. He appreciated being here. He loved being in the Senate, and the Nation is going to miss his strength and his progressive leadership. 

The other attribute that probably a lot of people didn’t 

know about FRANK LAUTENBERG was his sense of humor. I 

always had him tell stories because no one could tell a story 

like him. Another reason I liked FRANK is he laughed at his 

own jokes. He thought they were funny, as did most everyone who listened to them. 

One of our favorite jokes was about two wrestlers. It would 

take 5 minutes or more to tell the story, but it was hilarious. 

No one could tell it like FRANK. He had a sense of humor, 

and we certainly appreciated that. Even though the Senate 

has Al Franken, there was room for two funny people prior 

to FRANK’s death this morning. FRANK LAUTENBERG—and Al 

Franken—always made us smile and often made us laugh. 

Now I guess it is going to be up to Senator Franken to do 

[ 7 ] 

this alone, because they were both funny, together and 

apart. 

It is with deep sadness that his Senate family is going to 

say goodbye. We are going to do that Wednesday morning. 

We will say goodbye to an exemplary public servant and a 

faithful friend, Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I am here today to 

speak on clean energy independence, but before I do that I 

want to note the passing of Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

When I came to the Senate 10 years ago, there were a 

number of Members here who were veterans of World War 

II. Now there are none. Senator LAUTENBERG was the last. 

He was a member of the generation often described as the 

greatest. 

He was the son of immigrants. He made a lot of money in 

business as an entrepreneur in the American dream. Then 

he did another entrepreneurial thing: He ran for the U.S. 

Senate and served twice here. He was an advocate for the 

things he believed in, and he was a productive Senator. Just 

in the last couple of weeks he helped to fashion an agreement on amending the Toxic Substances Control Act, of 

which I am a cosponsor. It has been a long time coming, and 

he had a major role in that. 

We will miss him. To his wife Bonnie and to his family, 

they have my respect and condolences and admiration for his 

long service to our country. 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I just flew in from Chicago. 

Early this morning I was given the news that I had lost a 

great friend and one of my dearest colleagues; Senator 

FRANK LAUTENBERG of New Jersey passed away. 

Most of us saw FRANK a few weeks ago. He was here on 

the floor of the Senate. He had to come down; it was one of 

those moments where his vote was crucial. We knew he was 

struggling, but we also knew he would be here. He said he 

would, and he was. He sat right over here in a wheelchair, 

with that trademark FRANK LAUTENBERG smile. I don’t think 

I have ever run into a person in my life as happy as FRANK

LAUTENBERG. He was a great joke teller. The best thing 

about FRANK’s jokes—even if he was telling it for the 254th 

time—is he would start laughing before the end of the joke 

and pretty soon the whole room was laughing. 

You always wanted to be out for dinner with FRANK and 

Bonnie because you knew there was going to be a good time. 

[ 8 ] 

You would hear a lot of jokes you had heard before, but you 

encouraged him to tell them. He had so many stories to tell. 

Here he was, a member of the Greatest Generation, having 

served in World War II, and served here in the Senate. Two 

different approaches. He retired once and came back, and 

served here to the age of 89. 

He astonished us all when he came here on the floor of the 

Senate, that he was wheeled in in a wheelchair to vote on 

some important amendments related to gun safety and gun 

control. FRANK, if he were alive, would not have missed those 

votes; it meant so much to him. It was an issue that he led 

on, he was respected for. When it came to closing the loopholes where convicted felons and people who had no business 

owning guns were buying them anyway, FRANK LAUTENBERG

led the effort to stop the proliferation of guns and the distribution of them to people who would misuse them. It was 

a cause he felt passionately about, and one he cast many 

tough votes on as he served in the Senate. 

His return that day for those votes was an act of courage 

in a long life that was filled with courage, starting with his 

service in the U.S. Army in World War II, and continuing 

throughout his life—physical courage, political courage, and 

moral courage. 

When FRANK LAUTENBERG spoke to some law students at 

Rutgers University about 10 years ago, he said he had considered briefly studying law himself after he had served in 

the Army in World War II but decided he was too old to start 

law school. He told the law students: It was too late; I 

missed my opportunity. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG may not have earned a law degree, 

but make no mistake, FRANK LAUTENBERG of New Jersey left 

an important mark on the laws of America. 

Here is how I first came to know him. In 1986 I was a 

Congressman from Springfield, IL, and had been here 4 

years. I had never met FRANK LAUTENBERG of New Jersey, 

who was a Senator at the time. I got this crazy notion to introduce a bill to ban smoking on airplanes. I didn’t have a 

chance, not a chance. The entire leadership of the House of 

Representatives opposed me—all the Democratic leaders of 

my party and all the Republican leaders too. Yet I put the 

amendment on a transportation appropriations bill, and 

through some good luck and breaks it made it through the 

Rules Committee. That wasn’t supposed to happen. 

It turned out that when the chairman of the Rules Committee—Claude Pepper of Florida—was a Senator years beVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 9 ] 

fore, he had been instrumental in starting the National Cancer Institute. As a southerner, he didn’t talk much about tobacco—nobody did from the South in those days—but in his 

heart he knew tobacco smoking was killing people. He let me 

get that amendment to the floor, which shocked everybody. 

I remember the day—and this goes back 27 years—I was in 

the House of Representatives, brand new, calling this 

amendment to ban smoking on flights of 2 hours or less. 

That is how we started. I looked up in the gallery, and the 

gallery was filled with flight attendants in their uniforms 

from all different airlines. They were victims too of secondhand smoke. 

We called that measure for a vote, and it passed. It 

shocked everybody. It turned out the House of Representatives was the biggest frequent flier club in America. They 

were sick and tired of sitting on airplanes and breathing in 

somebody else’s secondhand smoke. 

Well, there were a few moments of jubilation and celebration. Then somebody said, ‘‘Well, what are you going to do 

in the Senate?’’ I thought, Oh, my goodness; that is an important part of this. So I decided to call the chairman of the 

Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee—a fellow 

named FRANK LAUTENBERG of New Jersey. I didn’t know 

him, but I said to him, ‘‘FRANK, I would like to ask you a 

favor. Would you consider offering this bill as an amendment 

to the Senate transportation appropriations bill?’’ He said, ‘‘I 

will get back to you.’’ And he did—in a hurry. He said, ‘‘I am 

on board. Let’s do it together.’’ 

It was the best phone call I ever made. For the people of 

this country and those who fly on airplanes, that team of 

LAUTENBERG and Durbin managed to pass a bill, signed into 

law, which did much more than we ever dreamed of. We 

thought this little idea of taking smoking off airplanes would 

make flying a little more comfortable and safer from a health 

point of view. What neither FRANK nor I realized at the time 

was it was a tipping point. Americans looked around and 

said, If we are going to take smoking off airplanes, why stop 

there? Trains, buses, offices, hospitals, restaurants—look 

across the board at what has happened in America. Neither 

FRANK nor I saw this coming, but it worked. It has changed 

the Senate, the House—it has changed this country. I 

wouldn’t be standing here today telling you the story were 

it not for FRANK LAUTENBERG. He was the very best partner 

I ever could have had. The day came when I was elected to 

the Senate. He and I used to go around and tell the story 

[ 10 ] 

from time to time, reminiscing about that battle back in 

1986. 

FRANK told us he was once a two-pack-a-day cigarette 

smoker himself, but when it came to this bill, he knew the 

right thing to do. I was lucky to have him by my side. I 

couldn’t have done it without him. 

He was the driving force behind a lot of other laws that 

were important to America: setting the national drinking age 

at 21; setting the national blood level definition of 0.08 for 

drunk driving. These laws on smoking and drunk driving 

have saved millions of lives thanks to the leadership of 

FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

He was the last remaining World War II veteran in the 

Senate. A few weeks ago we lost Danny Inouye, who used to 

sit right here. He, of course, served in World War II as well. 

FRANK passed away early this morning in New York. He 

is survived by his wife Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg. What 

an extraordinarily good person she is. I left a message for 

her on her voice mail and said, ‘‘Standing by FRANK’s side 

made a big difference in his life, in the years they were together. They were a great partnership.’’ In addition, he is 

survived by 6 children and 13 grandchildren. 

He was a leader on environmental protection, transportation, and protecting public health. He authored the law 

that prevented domestic abusers from possessing guns. It 

wasn’t easy to do. It looks pretty obvious, doesn’t it? It 

turned out police organizations were opposing him, because 

some policemen had been accused of domestic abuse and 

they couldn’t carry a gun under the Lautenberg amendment. 

FRANK stood his ground. 

He cowrote the new GI bill for the 21st century. A man 

who was a beneficiary of the original GI bill in World War 

II teamed up with Jim Webb of the State of Virginia, and the 

two of them put together a GI bill that our men and women 

who serve richly deserve. 

He authored the toxic right to know law. It was another 

great law he and I cosponsored. It came down to the question 

of the chemicals that are put in fabric in our furniture— 

which, sadly, leech out and get into the environment of our 

homes, many times affecting small children. FRANK was 

quick to be the leader on that issue. Even though his State 

of New Jersey is one with a lot of chemical manufacturers 

and producers, he led in this effort to protect families and 

children. 

[ 11 ] 

He wrote the law to create the Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park. After he cast his 9,000th vote in December 2011, Senator Harry Reid proclaimed on the Senate 

floor, ‘‘FRANK LAUTENBERG has been one of the most productive Senators in the history of this country.’’ 

It was February 15 that FRANK announced he wasn’t going 

to seek another term in the Senate. At the time of his announcement in his hometown of Paterson, he set out an 

agenda for the remaining 2 years of what he wanted to get 

done before he left the Senate: reforming the U.S. chemical 

safety laws, improving gun safety, and providing Federal resources for New Jersey to rebuild from Superstorm Sandy. 

We owe it to FRANK and his memory to make sure those 

things are done. I know that Bob Menendez, his friend and 

close colleague from New Jersey, will pick up that gauntlet 

and proceed to carry on in FRANK’s name. 

He used to say with some pride that he was a success in 

business—and he was—and that he understood the mind of 

businessmen. But he never ever lost touch with the common 

man and the people who counted on him in New Jersey and 

around the United States. 

The Senate is going to miss FRANK LAUTENBERG. I am 

going to miss a great pal. I am going to miss one of the best 

dinner companions you could ever dream of here in Washington, DC. We are going to join together on Wednesday up 

in New York for a memorial service. I am sure it is going to 

be widely attended, because FRANK did a lot of good for a lot 

of people over the course of his years in public service. I am 

going to miss him. 

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I was going to speak on a different subject, but I will speak further about our dear colleague Senator LAUTENBERG. I look at the flowers on his 

desk—it seems in the years I have been here I have seen too 

many colleagues’ flowers there. Of course, every day FRANK

LAUTENBERG was here, I had the privilege of serving with 

him, a dear friend. I missed him when he left the Senate and 

was overjoyed when he came back. He was a man who cared 

about his country, cared about the Senate, cared about the 

people. 

He was a man who came from humble beginnings and became extremely wealthy. He spent a lot of time giving that 

wealth away. He was the last combat veteran—in fact, the 

last veteran from World War II serving in this body. Those 

of us who got to know him and spent time hearing of those 

horrendous times in Europe during World War II are better 

[ 12 ] 

for it. We realized a person who had served the country during that time did more than any of the rest of us. 

I will speak further about my friend FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

I know Marcelle and I extend our love to Bonnie and his 

children, his family. 

Ms. STABENOW. . . . I want to take a moment—as many 

colleagues have already done, and many more will do—to 

pay a very special tribute to a dear friend and colleague, 

Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG of New Jersey. 

I was deeply saddened, as we all were today, to learn Senator LAUTENBERG had passed away during the night. My 

thoughts and prayers are with Bonnie and the whole family, 

as I know they are grieving because of the special loss they 

feel and we will all feel. 

He was the kind of Senator we will not see again—a World 

War II veteran. We have lost our World War II veterans. He 

defended freedom against some of the most evil forces of the 

20th century, and he was truly a member of the Greatest 

Generation of Americans. 

We saw him battle cancer and survive. We have seen him 

come to the floor time after time on behalf of the people of 

New Jersey and our country to fight with tremendous courage for what he believed was right. 

I daresay he was one of the lions of the Senate. He served 

for nearly 30 years, casting over 9,000 votes on behalf of the 

State and the people he loved. 

What makes Congress special is that we come from all 

walks of life, and, as we know, that is what makes a great 

democracy. That is what gives us our strength, not weakness. 

Senator LAUTENBERG was the son of Jewish immigrants. 

He went to school on the GI bill—as my dad did—after defending our country. He went on to become a successful businessman by developing one of the most successful payroll 

companies in the world. 

We were proud to have Senator LAUTENBERG speak on 

what it meant to be a success in creating jobs. He has been 

a wonderful voice in that regard. 

He found his true calling in public service, and we all 

know that. During his five terms in the Senate he was one 

of the most fearless fighters on a whole range of issues. He 

has made a permanent mark on the quality of life of Americans. Among other things, he helped to strengthen drunk 

driving laws, pass the ban on smoking, prevent those convicted of domestic violence from possessing guns, author legVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 13 ] 

islation to help the public discover what pollutants were 

being released into neighborhoods, and cowrite the new GI 

bill for the 21st century. I could go on and on with so many 

other examples. 

I am proud to have worked with him to champion cleaning 

our beaches all along our coasts and Great Lakes, working 

to increase the awareness and treatment of autism, and 

fighting to make sure women have access to the health care 

we need and deserve. 

He was a true fighter for the rights of all Americans, and 

he will be greatly missed. 

Once again, I send my thoughts and prayers to his wife 

Bonnie, who is an amazing woman in her own right, his 

children, and his grandchildren during this very difficult 

time. . . . 

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, today I come to the floor 

shaken and deeply saddened, as we all are, by the loss of our 

colleague, my good friend and ally, the senior Senator from 

New Jersey, Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. When I think of 

Senator LAUTENBERG, I think of the word ‘‘tenacity.’’ FRANK

LAUTENBERG was tenacious. When he had a setback, he always got right back into the game. He was as tenacious in 

life as he was here in the Senate, where that tenacity paid 

off for the people of New Jersey and for the Nation. 

When he had a setback with cancer, he did not let himself 

take 1 minute more than he had to before he got back up 

and went right back at it. I will always remember his tenacity, a strength of will, and an unshakable resolve that helped 

him in his own life and in making life better for others. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG loved the Senate. He loved his job and 

the people who elected him time and time again—five times, 

in fact; the longest serving Senator for the State of New Jersey—people he cared deeply about—working families, seniors, single moms and the hard-working folks who trusted 

him always to be on their side, and he was. He was a man 

for New Jersey, a man for his time—one of the Greatest 

Generation, the last in the Senate to have served in World 

War II. 

His story was the quintessential American story. His father Sam worked in the silk mills of Paterson, NJ. He sold 

coal, he farmed, and he once ran a tavern. FRANK lost his father to cancer when he was 19 and he learned the lesson of 

hard work, having to take on a job nights and weekends 

until he graduated from Nutley High School, when he joined 

the Army and went to Europe. When he came back, he went 

[ 14 ] 

to Columbia University on the GI bill, and he got a degree 

in economics. He understood the value of that opportunity 

given to him as a veteran and he extended that forward 

when he later coauthored the new 21st century GI bill. 

Anyone who knew FRANK LAUTENBERG knew he was destined to make something of himself, and he did. He joined 

two of his boyhood friends to found a very successful business, ADP, and he did it well. But if losing his father, working his way through high school, going to war, starting a 

business and making a success of himself wasn’t enough, 

FRANK wanted to give something back. He was very comfortable in life and he could have said: I am going to enjoy 

this hard work and sacrifice that has brought me to this 

comfortable stage in life, but he considered himself lucky and 

he wanted to help others. That is why he ran for office. It 

is why he served and it is why the people of New Jersey kept 

electing him. 

New Jerseyans loved and admired FRANK for what he did 

for the Nation and what he did to help them and every 

American build a better life for themselves and their families. In death, those accomplishments and the love and admiration New Jerseyans have always had for FRANK LAUTENBERG will not diminish, whether it was his landmark drunk 

driving law, coauthoring the 21st century GI bill, or introducing the toxic right to know law that empowered the public to know what pollutants were being released into their 

neighborhood, FRANK gave something back to all of us. 

We can talk about how hard he fought for the victims of 

Superstorm Sandy this year. Even in illness he came back 

to the Senate to try to make sure New Jerseyans and all 

those who suffered from Superstorm Sandy were taken care 

of. Or we can talk about how he worked to make the 

Paterson Great Falls—his hometown he loved so dearly—a 

national park. But above all, he was Mr. Transportation here 

in the Senate. Whether it was roads or bridges, airlines or 

the rail system, he believed in having the best and safest 

transportation system in the world. When it comes to air 

travel, he was way ahead of his time when it came to safety. 

Let’s not forget it was FRANK LAUTENBERG who ended the 

dangers of smoking on airlines so none of us would be subjected to sitting in a smoke-filled aircraft and with the dangers of smoking on a plane. Today, when I took the Amtrak 

from Newark to Union Station, I thought through most of 

that ride of FRANK. I remembered how many times he came 

to this floor to fight for America’s railways, how much he beVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 15 ] 

lieved in the importance of rail travel and what it meant to 

keeping this Nation’s transportation system competitive. 

Given all those accomplishments, it still would not adequately reflect the gift of governing he gave this Nation in 

the 9,000 votes he cast in this Chamber. Maybe not all of 

them made the headlines, but they made a difference for 

every American family. With each of those votes, FRANK

LAUTENBERG helped shape the history of America, and not 

just for his time but for all generations to come. 

When I think of FRANK I also certainly not only look back 

to the fact he was part of that Greatest Generation of World 

War II veterans, but I also think FRANK may have left us too 

soon at the age of 89 because he never missed a beat. He 

lived in the moment. I remember about 3 years ago, in January, he and his wife Bonnie celebrated his 86th birthday in 

what some might say was an unusual way. FRANK wanted 

to spend his birthday with his favorite singer. He was a fan 

of Lady Gaga, and so to celebrate his birthday, he and 

Bonnie went to Radio City Music Hall for Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour. 

No, FRANK was not yesterday’s news. He was always about 

today’s news, and he lived in the moment. But that moment 

is gone now. We remember well, and we were lucky to share 

that moment with him. Time goes by all too quickly, but the 

memories last forever. His accomplishments will last forever. 

They will touch the lives of people well beyond his death, 

and our image of what it means to learn to live, to learn to 

earn, and then give something back will never be forgotten 

because it lives in FRANK LAUTENBERG’s legacy to this 

Chamber, this Nation, and to the people of my home State. 

There is a quote from the Old Testament, from Daniel, 

chapter 12, and it says: 

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake . . . and the 

wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament . . . And those 

who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG stood for justice in all of its forms for 

every American every day he served in this Chamber, and 

his memory shall be like a constellation showing us the way. 

Today we say: Thank you, Senator LAUTENBERG, for a life 

well lived and a job well done. Thank you, on behalf of a 

grateful State and Nation. 

Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with his wife 

Bonnie and his entire family. I know we will miss him as 

they will miss him, as the Nation will miss his incredible 

work. 

[ 16 ] 

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I come to the floor this 

evening with a very sad heart to speak about one of our colleagues here in the Senate who gave tremendous service to 

his country and sadly passed away last night. 

Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG was a true American. He 

earned a lot throughout his lifetime, but he came here to the 

Senate floor to fight for all of those people who didn’t have 

the ability to fight for themselves. He was here in the Senate 

with us just a few weeks ago even though he himself was 

battling an extremely difficult illness. 

I think of FRANK LAUTENBERG as a man of tremendous determination, an awful lot of grit, and someone who really 

embodies the term ‘‘happy warrior.’’ He wanted to be here to 

fight for those who didn’t have what he did. Throughout his 

career, that is exactly what he did. 

FRANK lived the American dream. He was the son of poor 

immigrants, and he rose to become a chief executive of a 

business that employed thousands of people around the 

world. He personally did very well, but he was never satisfied with just his own personal success. He understood, as 

did so many other great Americans, that his success was 

based on the opportunities this country afforded him. So he 

chose over three decades to give back and to fight for people 

to make sure they had the opportunities he had. 

He started his career in the Senate back in 1982. As many 

of us who served with him know, he decided to retire, but 

he was not happy in retirement. He wanted to be here doing 

what he loved—being a Senator and fighting for the people 

of his home State of New Jersey and fighting for Americans 

all over to have the opportunities I just spoke about. He 

made it his mission to make sure the ladders that were there 

for him were there for the generations that came behind 

him. 

He was a proud World War II veteran—in fact, the last 

this body will know. He fought for the post-9/11 GI bill because, as did my dad, who was also a World War II veteran, 

he had used the GI bill after World War II. He knew it was 

the key to unlocking the knowledge that powered the Greatest Generation. He wanted that for those who came behind 

him. 

His desire to stand for the powerless is also why he championed legislation to protect families from gun violence, why 

he stood to safeguard families against dangerous chemicals 

time and time again, and why he took on the powerful to ban 

[ 17 ] 

smoking on airplanes and to bring about tougher drunk driving protections. 

I personally will always remember FRANK’s passion for 

transportation. He chaired the Transportation and Housing 

and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee before I did, and I spent many years working with him to make 

sure we funded the infrastructure of this country—rail, highway, airline safety issues. 

FRANK’s legacy really is that his direct work saved lives. 

He saved lives. He helped to build transportation networks 

that brought families, businesses, and communities together. 

He wanted a better life for families in America. He was a 

champion for the underserved and underrepresented. 

How many times have I been on the floor feeling like a 

lonely voice—fighting for women’s health care issues or fighting for the protection of families against hazardous chemicals or fighting for victims of domestic violence—and time 

and time again FRANK LAUTENBERG would come over here to 

stand beside me and fight with me, no matter what the time 

of day or the late hour of the night, because that was his 

passion and his cause. 

He was a passionate public servant. He was not afraid to 

fight and vote for what he believed. He could never understand anyone who came here and tried to figure out which 

way the winds were blowing in order to take a vote. FRANK

came and was passionate about whom he cared for, and he 

did not care about the political consequences. He wanted to 

fight for the underserved. 

He loved the Senate. In fact, he loved it so much that one 

tour of duty was not enough and service called him back, as 

I said. Up until just a few days ago, nothing could stop 

FRANK from taking Amtrak down here to fight for the issues 

he believed in and the people of New Jersey whom he represented so well. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG gave everything he had to public service, and those who served with him, as I was so fortunate to 

do, know it gave him all the satisfaction in the world. 

He is going to be missed by all of us. He will be missed 

for his determination, for his passion, for always caring, and 

for fighting for what was right for all the people in this country. 

I just wish to say tonight that my thoughts and prayers 

are with Bonnie and all of his family as they struggle with 

this loss, but I know that his legacy lives on in the safety 

[ 18 ] 

and caring of so many families in this country for whom he 

worked so passionately and hard. 

Thank you. 

TUESDAY, June 4, 2013 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, this week the Senate will say 

goodbye to a valued friend and colleague, Senator FRANK

LAUTENBERG. The funeral for FRANK will be in New York. He 

is a great American success story and the Senate’s last 

World War II veteran. 

As I indicated, we will recognize his passing and celebration of his life. It has been made pretty clear that he will be 

buried in Arlington Friday afternoon. 

Senator LAUTENBERG loved this institution, where he 

spent more than three decades. He would understand that 

its work must go on, despite our sorrow. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to associate 

myself with the remarks of the majority leader with regard 

to our late colleague FRANK LAUTENBERG. He was, indeed, 

a member of the Greatest Generation, having fought in 

World War II and also has had distinguished service in the 

Senate. . . . 

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join others of our colleagues in mourning the passing of our friend and former 

colleague, Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. Senator LAUTENBERG joined this body in 2003 for the second time. I was immensely struck by his tenacious work ethic and his deepseated devotion to the people of his State of New Jersey. 

These are attributes that would serve all of us well and 

served him well and are something to which we can and 

should all aspire. 

Senator LAUTENBERG’s legacy will be forever woven in the 

fabric of America’s history. His work on the new GI bill of 

rights has helped ensure that thousands of America’s fighting men and women receive the support they need when 

they come home and the opportunity to become part of the 

next Greatest Generation. 

With his passing, the Senate has lost its final member of 

what we all know or have come to call, as Tom Brokaw did, 

the Greatest Generation, the World War II generation, the 

generation my dad served in as part of the Army Air Corps 

in flying B–17s in World War II, and my father-in-law, who 

[ 19 ] 

landed on Utah Beach on the second day of the Normandy 

invasion. These were great Americans, and it is their sacrifice and the contribution they have made to our way of life 

that have made it possible for America to remain the envy 

of the world. 

We are also reminded that our time in this Chamber is 

fleeting, and we should be humbled by that reminder. 

There have been 43 new Senators who have come to the 

Senate since 2007 alone. The reason I counted is because 

that was the last time we took up immigration reform—a 

subject we are going to turn to perhaps next week. Fortythree new Senators since 2007. Perhaps we will have 44 by 

the time we turn to that topic next week. We are reminded 

it is our duty as Americans to ensure this Chamber will host 

future generations of great Americans as well. 

As Senator LAUTENBERG goes to his rest, my prayer is that 

his loved ones can take solace in the fact that he played such 

an important part in the great American story with honor 

and integrity. 

Mr. MURPHY. . . . Frankly, there are hundreds, if not 

thousands, of men and women across this country who are 

alive today because of that law . . . a protective order being 

filed due to domestic violence, a gun purchase being stopped 

because of that order. 

One of the reasons we have that law on the books today 

is the advocacy of Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. Senator 

FRANK LAUTENBERG, who died this week, made it his life’s 

cause to try to make the streets of his State of New Jersey 

safer. He was advocating right up until his final days on the 

floor of this Chamber to enact a ban on high-capacity magazines such as the one that killed 20 little 6- and 7-year-olds 

in Connecticut. 

He was successful in passing through this Chamber a 

piece of legislation that keeps guns out of the hands of people who have been convicted of domestic violence. It is a law 

that has worked. It is a law that has saved the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of men and women all across this 

country. It is a reminder that this place can do something 

about the 4,670 people who have died since Newtown due to 

gun violence. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG knew this place had the power to save 

lives by enacting commonsense gun violence legislation—in 

his case, just a simple rule that if someone has been convicted of domestic violence, maybe they shouldn’t get their 

hands on a gun. 

[ 20 ] 

Senator LAUTENBERG’s work is a reminder that whether it 

is next month, later this year, or next year, we still have 

work to do to try to honor the memories of the thousands of 

victims of gun violence all across this country. 

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I have been listening to 

this debate with my colleagues, and I came to share a few 

thoughts about the passing of our dear friend Senator FRANK

LAUTENBERG. He was a dear friend, a colleague. When I 

originally sat in the Senate, he sat right behind me. We 

shared seats together on the Commerce Committee. I can tell 

you FRANK’s wit was as quick as his downhill slalom skiing. 

He always had something funny to say. 

We knew him as somebody who had been in one of the 

largest computer services companies, ADP, and helped get 

that company started, and as somebody who represented veterans as one of the last World War II veterans in this body. 

He served here for almost 30 years. 

What always amazed me about FRANK is that he brought 

that business attitude to the Senate when it came to legislating; that is, results matter. Because of that, he had a long 

list of legislative accomplishments. 

I don’t know if everybody, because of the turnover in the 

Senate, realized how many things FRANK accomplished: banning smoking on airplanes, lowering the threshold for drunk 

driving, better protection against toxic chemicals, helping to 

improve the everyday safety of Americans, improving the 

quality of our environmental laws in the United States. He 

also had an amendment that helped allow for better refugee 

status, for members of historically persecuted groups to easily get refugee status in the United States. 

He did many different things while he was in the Senate, 

and he worked very hard because of that experience in 

World War II and being a veteran and going to school on the 

GI bill—somebody who lost his father at a very early age. He 

used that GI bill to get the education he needed to do these 

incredible things. 

When FRANK had a victory, he didn’t stop at that victory, 

he kept going. After he and Dick Durbin helped ban smoking 

on commercial flights, he followed that with a provision to 

the transportation appropriations bill that extended the ban 

to include all Federal buildings. 

In the same kind of fervor, once he helped make our drunk 

driving laws stronger, he continued to try to implement 

stronger measures as a key player in establishing a national 

blood alcohol level at 0.08 percent. At the time, many States 

[ 21 ] 

decided to do otherwise, but FRANK worked to try to champion this at the Federal level, and as a result he helped to 

save tens of thousands of lives. 

He was also a huge champion of our environment. He 

championed ocean acidification issues before they were probably really known by a lot of people in America. He understood that this was a looming disaster and that we needed 

to do more research for marine life, our economy, and our 

way of life. 

He also knew and understood that Americans needed protection from toxic pollutants. Well, that is something most of 

us would say: Yes, we don’t like toxic pollutants. Back in 

1986 he wrote a bill that created a public database about 

toxins released in the United States. That was certainly 

brave for somebody from New Jersey because it was a leading chemical-producing State. The fact that FRANK took that 

on showed a lot of tenacity and a lot of courage, and just as 

he did on the other things, he followed that up. 

Recently he introduced the Safe Chemicals Act to improve 

the understanding and reporting of chemicals found in products that make their way into the hands of Americans every 

single day. 

He also championed improving our transportation system. 

I asked him: ‘‘FRANK, how did you already get a train station 

named for you on the Jersey line?’’ Anyone who has taken 

the Amtrak up to New York has had a chance to see that 

a station in Secaucus is named the Frank R. Lautenberg 

Station. He had been a great champion for Amtrak, but he 

was also a great champion for freight and freight mobility. 

He knew it was important to New Jersey as a major port in 

our country, and he wanted to make sure that not only people but products got to where they needed to go and got 

there on time. 

We all like to think we are remembered by the American 

people for the accomplishments we have, and I am not sure 

whether they will remember all of the things FRANK LAUTENBERG did to contribute to their way of life. One thing I 

can say is that when I think about his advocacy for a modernized GI bill or banning smoking on planes, he touched the 

lives of millions of Americans. 

He also had tenacity. He had the tenacity once to help a 

boy from New Jersey who had been involved in a domestic 

dispute where the father had lost custody. The young boy at 

that time, Sean Goldman, who was from New Jersey, had 

been taken by a family member and was in Brazil. His faVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 22 ] 

ther tried going through the Brazilian courts for years to get 

him back. He really wasn’t successful until FRANK LAUTENBERG joined the fight. FRANK brought the same tenacity he 

had shown in the past and held up a Generalized System of 

Preferences bill—which removed tariffs on 2.7 billion dollars’ 

worth of Brazilian goods—here in the Senate. He knew that 

threatening to hold up that bill would get their attention, 

and he was right. He literally got them to do something and 

return this young boy, Sean Goldman, to his father. FRANK

really cared about results. He knew it was important to get 

that father and son reunited, and he knew the importance 

of getting results for his constituency in New Jersey. 

We will miss FRANK. We will miss all of his legislative actions, his standing on the Senate floor and giving a speech 

or, as he would say, giving heck to somebody. Oftentimes it 

was somebody on the other side or somebody he thought was 

a big giant doing too many things that needed to be challenged. He will be remembered as part of a great generation 

of Americans who were successful in so many ways. He lived 

the American dream, came to the Senate and was a contributor. He will be remembered for his tenacity and standing 

and fighting for people. 

We are going to miss you, FRANK. 

Mr. BLUNT. I would like to talk for a few minutes about 

Senator LAUTENBERG and what he brought to this body and 

what he brought to public service. 

I represent Missouri in the Senate, and in the House I represented southwest Missouri. Many times in the last 21⁄2

years, Senator LAUTENBERG wanted to talk about going to 

basic training at Camp Crowder near Neosho, MO, as a 

young man barely on the edge of his twenties—I am not sure 

which edge of his twenties it was, but he was serving in 

World War II, first as a teenager and then as a man barely 

in his twenties—and what it was like to be surrounded by 

small communities, all of which were smaller than the camp 

at which the enlisted men were training, and what it was 

like when they had some free time and could go to any of 

these communities where they probably outnumbered the 

community. He always remembered that part of his training 

with some pleasure. The story was always different from the 

story before, but I am sure all the stories happened. 

What he was really talking about to me every time was 

that commitment to service that particularly our World War 

II veterans brought to this body. We all know, after the reflections of the last 2 days, that he was the last of the World 

[ 23 ] 

War II veterans to serve here and likely to be the last of the 

World War II veterans to ever serve here, and the spirit of 

service they all brought was reflected in Senator LAUTENBERG in lots of ways. 

All you would have to do is look at our voting record to 

know there were lots of areas at the end of the day we didn’t 

agree on, but somehow we managed to do that and still appreciate the commitment to public service that he reflected, 

and I think he appreciated that in me. 

One of the chances I missed here was the opportunity to 

serve with him on the Surface Subcommittee in Commerce. 

He was going to be the chairman of that committee for this 

Congress, and I was going to be the leading Republican and 

was looking forward to that because this was one area where 

I thought we were going to find and would have found a lot 

of common ground. Senator LAUTENBERG’s understanding of 

transportation, his understanding beyond most of us of the 

importance of passenger rail and rail generally and how you 

need to integrate this system so that it works the best and 

the most efficiently, was clearly one of the areas where he 

had spent a lot of time over the years. 

Remember, Senator LAUTENBERG was here as a Senator, 

and then he decided to retire and then was called back into 

public service. At a time when most people would have made 

that decision and moved on, he came back and served here, 

as it turned out, for the rest of his life of service. 

It was an honor for us to get to serve with him. It was an 

honor for me to get to serve with him. It is a disappointment 

for me that I didn’t get to learn more about this issue he and 

I were about to join hands on together. 

There is a lot we should learn from his service and the 

service of that World War II generation. I hope that is one 

of the things we will be reflecting on over the next few days 

as we reflect on his career of service and that whole generation of service. We really do see that moment pass with Senator Inouye and Senator LAUTENBERG and others who have 

served here just in recent years, all gone. But if we could 

look at the times they could come together in that spirit of 

World War II to make things happen, we would all learn an 

important lesson. 

I join his family and his friends and his colleagues in missing him and missing his service. 

Mr. REID of Nevada submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to: 

[ 24 ] 

S. RES. 160 

Whereas, The Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the 

announcement of the death of the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, late 

a Senator from the State of New Jersey: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the memorial observances of the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, late a Senator from the State of New Jersey be held in the Senate 

Chamber on Thursday, June 6, 2013, beginning at 2:00 p.m., and that the 

Senate attend the same. 

Resolved, That paragraph 1 of Rule IV of the Rules for the Regulation of 

the Senate Wing of the United States Capitol (prohibiting the taking of pictures in the Senate Chamber) be temporarily suspended for the sole and 

specific purpose of permitting the Senate Photographic Studio to photograph 

this memorial observance. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms be directed to make necessary and 

appropriate arrangements in connection with the memorial observances in 

the Senate Chamber. 

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate communicate these resolutions 

to the House of Representatives, transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the 

family of the deceased, and invite the House of Representatives and the 

family of the deceased to attend the memorial observances in the Senate 

Chamber. 

Resolved, That invitations be extended to the President of the United 

States, the Vice President of the United States, and the members of the 

Cabinet, the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of 

the United States, the Diplomatic Corps (through the Secretary of State), 

the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations of the Navy, 

the Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Chief of Staff of 

the Air Force, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard to attend the memorial observances in the Senate Chamber. 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. McConnell, 

Mr. Alexander, Ms. Ayotte, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. 

Baucus, Mr. Begich, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Blunt, 

Mr. Boozman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Brown, Mr. Burr, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. 

Coats, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cochran, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. 

Corker, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cowan, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cruz, Mr. 

Donnelly, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Enzi, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Flake, Mr. Franken, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Graham, 

Mr. Grassley, Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Hatch, Mr. 

Heinrich, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Heller, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 

Hoeven, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johanns, Mr. Johnson 

of Wisconsin, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Kaine, Mr. 

King, Mr. Kirk, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Leahy, 

Mr. Lee, Mr. Levin, Mr. Manchin, Mr. McCain, Mrs. 

McCaskill, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Moran, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Paul, 

Mr. Portman, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. Risch, Mr. Roberts, 

Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. 

Schumer, Mr. Scott, Mr. Sessions, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Shelby, 

[ 25 ] 

Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tester, Mr. Thune, Mr. Toomey, Mr. 

Udall of Colorado, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Vitter, Mr. 

Warner, Ms. Warren, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. 

Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: 

S. RES. 161 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG served the people of the 

State of New Jersey for over 28 years in the United States Senate; 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG was the longest serving 

United States Senator from the State of New Jersey; 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG cast 9,267 roll call votes— 

more than any other United States Senator from the State of New Jersey 

and the 40th most in United States Senate history; 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG served on multiple Committees in the Senate including the Committee on the Environment and 

Public Works; the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; 

and the Committee on Appropriations; and served as Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, 

Safety, and Security; the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation; 

and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services, and General 

Government; 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG enlisted in the United 

States Army at the age of 18 and served in the European Theater during 

World War II; 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG was able to attend Columbia University as a result of G.I. Bill benefits following his military service; 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG co-founded the company 

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) and worked as its Chief Executive Officer, 

helping it become one of America’s most successful companies; 

Whereas the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG dedicated his Senate career to improving the environment and public health, strengthening our nation’s transportation systems and working tirelessly on behalf of the people 

of New Jersey: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That— 

(1) the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, Senator 

from the State of New Jersey; 

(2) the Secretary of the Senate shall transmit this resolution to the House 

of Representatives and transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family of the 

deceased; and 

(3) when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned as a further mark 

of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator. 

Mr. REID of Nevada submitted the following concurrent 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to: 

S. CON. RES. 18 

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That the 

Architect of the Capitol is authorized and directed to transfer the catafalque 

which is situated in the Exhibition Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center to the 

[ 26 ] 

Senate Chamber so that such catafalque may be used in connection with 

services to be conducted there for the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, 

late a Senator from the State of New Jersey. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Senate will not be in session 

tomorrow to allow Senators to attend Senator LAUTENBERG’s 

funeral. I would just mention, I just spoke to the Sergeant 

at Arms Office and the Secretary’s Office. They are very impressed with the effusive outpouring of respect for Senator 

LAUTENBERG. We have four airplanes going up there. It is so 

wonderful. I am so impressed. . . . 

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn 

under the provisions of S. Res. 161 as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator FRANK R. 

LAUTENBERG of New Jersey. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate stands adjourned 

until 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 6, and does so under the provisions of S. Res. 161 as a further mark of respect to the late 

Senator FRANK R. LAUTENBERG of New Jersey. 

Thereupon, the Senate, at 7:14 p.m., adjourned until 

Thursday, June 6, 2013, at 9 a.m. 

THURSDAY, June 6, 2013 

Mr. REID. . . . Senator LAUTENBERG will lie in repose in 

the Senate Chamber this afternoon. Senators will gather at 

2:15 p.m. in the Ohio Clock corridor to go to the floor and 

pay their respects. 

I wish to briefly say I truly appreciate, as we all do, Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer and his whole staff for making 

this so very pleasant—at least as pleasant as a funeral can 

be. It was truly a celebration. 

Because of the Jewish tradition, this had to be jammed in 

with not a lot of time, so we were under tremendous pressure. I appreciate the work which allowed us to get this 

done. 

I appreciate what Secretary Hagel, Ash Carter at the Pentagon, the Assistant Secretary of the Senate, Sheila Dwyer, 

and her entire staff in the Secretary’s Office have done to 

make this whole situation as pleasant as it has been. 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, this afternoon the Senate will 

pay its final respects to a friend and a respected colleague— 

and that is an understatement—FRANK LAUTENBERG. FRANK

[ 27 ] 

will lie in repose in the Chamber where he spent three decades of his professional life. 

Senator LAUTENBERG was one of the most effective and 

productive Senators to serve in the Senate and, as we 

learned yesterday, one of the most humorous. His leadership 

as well as his laughter and kindness will be missed. 

FRIDAY, June 7, 2013 

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I was greatly saddened 

to learn about the passing of Senator LAUTENBERG on Monday. I was fortunate to serve with Senator LAUTENBERG on 

the Commerce Committee. His life was about public service, 

plain and simple. 

FRANK was a great example of the American dream. Over 

the past few days we have all heard FRANK’s story of being 

born into a Russian and Polish immigrant family, and working his way from humble beginnings to a prosperous career 

as a chief executive in the private sector. But FRANK’s true 

calling was public service and giving back to his community, 

his State, and our Nation throughout his life. As a young 

man, he served our country in the U.S. Army in WWII and 

went to Columbia University on the GI bill. 

In Congress FRANK fought to create economic opportunity 

for all Americans by supporting our public infrastructure. He 

was a staunch advocate for passenger rail and Amtrak. 

FRANK’s achievements on transportation issues were not only 

concerned with promoting commerce, but also public safety. 

His work to ban smoking on domestic flights and combat 

drunk driving has saved countless lives. 

FRANK also fought side by side with me on the Aviation 

Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee of the Senate 

Commerce Committee to make sure that critical NASA safety research was being shared with the commercial aviation 

industry to help protect members of the flying public. 

Florida and New Jersey are very different States, but they 

share a coastline. After the Deepwater Horizon spill devastated the Gulf, I worked with him to stop offshore drilling 

until more was known about what caused that tragedy. 

FRANK was also a trusted ally in securing essential funding 

to keep our beaches clean and water safe for people to enjoy. 

FRANK was a crucial supporter of many other important 

environmental causes. He fought to keep our oceans clean by 

pushing for a ‘‘double-hull’’ standard for oil tankers, banning 

[ 28 ] 

ocean dumping, and taking other steps to promote better 

water quality. He also sponsored legislation to crack down on 

companies that release dangerous toxins into the air and 

water, and make polluters pay for their toxic mess. FRANK

was a great champion for the environment. 

As the last World War II veteran in the Senate, we lost 

a true hero on Monday and one of this body’s last members 

of the Greatest Generation. 

MONDAY, June 10, 2013 

ORDER FOR PRINTING OF TRIBUTES 

Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 

tributes to FRANK LAUTENBERG, the late Senator from New 

Jersey, be printed as a Senate document and that Members 

have until 12 noon on Thursday, June 20, to submit said 

tributes. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. 

WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2013 

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, we all lost a dear friend 

when FRANK LAUTENBERG passed away a little over a week 

ago. He was a friend, he was a colleague, he was a mentor. 

In the last Congress I had the opportunity to sit next to him 

on the floor of the Senate. Our desks were back there in the 

last row. I tell you—you have heard this many times—but 

when we had those votearamas FRANK kept me very much 

engaged. His sense of humor, his ability to use contemporary 

activities with a sense of humor kept us all going. We are 

certainly going to miss that humor. 

I also sat next to him on the Environment and Public 

Works Committee. He was a fierce defender of public health 

and the environment. I am going to certainly miss his advocacy. He was there to protect clean air. He chaired that subcommittee and took on every special interest in order to protect our children and to protect our communities. 

He was a fierce defender of the environment, recognizing 

we all have a responsibility to pass on the environment in 

a better condition to future generations. 

[ 29 ] 

His story is a story about the success of America. Here we 

have a child of an immigrant family that came to this country and started anew with virtually no resources. It is very 

appropriate that I am talking about FRANK LAUTENBERG on 

a day in which the immigration reform bill is on the floor of 

the Senate. 

I know if FRANK were here, he would be talking about his 

own family and his own experiences and why the passage of 

this immigration bill is so important for America’s future. 

Yes, we are going to do the right thing for the values of 

America, but we are also going to help America’s economic 

future and our security in the future. He grew up in a family 

of poverty. His father died when he was very young. He had 

no choice after high school but to enter the military. But he 

wanted to enter the military because he wanted to serve his 

country. So he served in World War II. As we know, he was 

the last surviving Member of the Senate who served in 

World War II. He did an incredible service to our country 

under extremely difficult circumstances. He came back to the 

United States and this country offered him the GI bill opportunity for education. But for that GI bill FRANK LAUTENBERG

never would have had those educational opportunities. He 

took advantage of it and went to business school. He used 

that to develop a business that was innovative and creative. 

There was a need out there to deal with personnel costs by 

businesses. FRANK LAUTENBERG developed, with his partners, a way in which that service could be provided in the 

most cost-effective way. 

What did that do? That made this country more efficient, 

more effective. What that did was create a lot of jobs for this 

country. It also made FRANK LAUTENBERG a fairly wealthy 

person. That is the American way: innovation to grow our 

economy, to create jobs, and to benefit by your own innovation. FRANK LAUTENBERG took advantage of that and succeeded in a great way. 

But he was not satisfied with that. He wanted to give back 

to his community. So he served his community. He served in 

many ways. There is a whole host of community organizations to which he provided leadership, his own personal time, 

in order to help people. He did that. Jewish Federation—he 

became a national leader there to help communities all over 

the world. FRANK LAUTENBERG did that as a private citizen 

because he thought it was the right thing to do. 

Then he decided he wanted to serve his community in a 

different way, so he ran for the Senate, got elected to the 

[ 30 ] 

Senate, served two different terms in the Senate. He is the 

only Senator who was both the junior and senior Senator 

twice from the same State. But he never forgot his roots. He 

never forgot where he came from. He has a long list of accomplishments, from helping refugees come here to America, 

to helping keep the air we breathe on airlines safe for our 

children. The list is voluminous. We have already talked 

about it. He will be missed by all. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with Bonnie, who we all 

know so well, and his entire family. To the people of New 

Jersey and the people of this Nation, FRANK LAUTENBERG

was an extraordinary person who made a lasting mark. He 

will be missed by all. We all know we are better because of 

having served with him. 

MONDAY, June 17, 2013 

Mr. CASEY. Madam President. I am honored to join my 

fellow Senators as we remember our friend and colleague 

Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. A dedicated public servant, 

FRANK proudly represented New Jersey almost continuously 

from 1982 until his death. 

Long before reaching the Senate, FRANK LAUTENBERG had 

proven himself a patriot. Following his high school graduation, FRANK enlisted in the Army and served his country in 

Europe as a member of the Army Signal Corps during the 

Second World War. A member of the Greatest Generation 

and the last World War II veteran to serve in the Senate, 

FRANK was a true public servant. 

Motivated by the desire to give back to the country that 

provided him with so much, FRANK’s work in the Senate improved the lives of all Americans and left a lasting impact 

on our Nation. Through his legislative efforts, Senator LAUTENBERG helped to safeguard our Nation’s transportation infrastructure, increase access to quality health care, and ensure that the brave men and women who serve our country 

today will have access to the same benefits and opportunities 

that FRANK frequently credited with his success. 

FRANK’s strong moral character often made him a leader 

on some of the most pressing issues of the day, and his efforts will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy. Having cast 

more than 9,000 votes on the floor—more than any previous 

Senator from New Jersey—FRANK played an influential role 

[ 31 ] 

in shaping important policies, directing funding, and helping 

people in need. 

On a personal note, I will always recall what a privilege 

it was to travel to Israel and Turkey with FRANK in 2009 as 

part of a congressional delegation. I admired his strong support of Israel, and he will certainly be remembered as a tireless friend and advocate for that nation. 

In closing, I am reminded of a quotation from President 

Kennedy. Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG truly was: 

Someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new 

ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the 

people—their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil 

rights, and their civil liberties. 

We will miss him in this Chamber but our country, and 

our children have a brighter future because of his dedicated 

service. 

THURSDAY, June 20, 2013 

Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, with the passing of Senator 

FRANK LAUTENBERG this month, the Senate lost one of its 

most respected and accomplished Members—a great progressive driven by a passion for justice and a deep love for this 

country. 

Indeed, FRANK LAUTENBERG’s remarkable life is the American dream personified. He was the son of poor, hardworking immigrant parents who entered America through 

Ellis Island. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II, 

attended Columbia University thanks to the GI bill, founded 

an enormously successful company, and was elected five 

times to the U.S. Senate. 

Senator LAUTENBERG will be remembered here in the Senate for his tenacity and fearlessness in pursuit of his ambitious legislative goals. FRANK was a fighter. Time and again, 

he took on powerful interests to improve the health and safety of the American people, and countless individuals have led 

longer, healthier lives as a result of his tireless advocacy. 

One of Senator LAUTENBERG’s great early accomplishments 

came in 1984, just 2 years into his first term. As a freshman 

Senator in the minority party, he successfully passed legislation establishing a national drinking age of 21. That law 

alone is estimated to have saved more than 25,000 lives. Sixteen years later, he championed legislation effectively creating a nationwide ban on driving by anyone with a bloodVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 32 ] 

alcohol content of .08 or higher, a change that also dramatically reduced alcohol-related traffic fatalities. 

I was proud to work closely with Senator LAUTENBERG in 

the fight to combat the public health threat posed by tobacco 

usage. He will forever be remembered as the author of the 

landmark 1989 law that banned smoking on all domestic airline flights—and that law was just the beginning of his efforts to curb smoking in a broad range of public places. In 

the current Congress, I was proud to join him in an effort 

to stop tobacco smuggling and to increase and equalize tobacco taxes. 

Throughout his career, Senator LAUTENBERG championed 

women’s health issues. He worked to ensure that students 

have access to comprehensive sex education; that women 

who go to their neighborhood pharmacy to fill a prescription 

for birth control cannot be turned away because of the objections of the pharmacist; and that Peace Corps volunteers 

have access to insurance coverage for abortion services in 

cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment. He also fought 

for women’s reproductive rights internationally and was a 

longtime advocate for repealing the ‘‘global gag rule’’ on federally funded family planning organizations. 

Even in his final months, FRANK was unstoppable. He continued the fight to secure relief for victims of Superstorm 

Sandy. In April, using a wheelchair, he insisted on coming 

to the Senate floor to cast votes in favor of tougher gun safety legislation. And, to the end, he continued to lead the fight 

for long overdue legislation to keep Americans safe from 

thousands of toxic chemicals we encounter in our daily lives, 

including in furniture, fabrics, and cleaning products. I can 

think of no better way for Senators to honor our late colleague than by passing chemical safety legislation for the 

first time in nearly four decades. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG began his career in public service as 

a citizen soldier in Europe in World War II. It must be noted 

that FRANK was the last veteran of World War II to serve 

in the Senate. In January, we lost another distinguished veteran of World War II, Senator Dan Inouye. The fact is, for 

nearly six decades, this institution has been enriched and ennobled by members of the Greatest Generation—people like 

Philip Hart, Bob Dole, George McGovern, Fritz Hollings, Dan 

Inouye, and FRANK LAUTENBERG—who began their public 

service in uniform in wartime, and who brought a special dimension to the Senate. They had a unique perspective on 

matters of war and peace. They were motivated by a patriotVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 33 ] 

ism not of words, but of deeds and sacrifice. They were determined advocates for veterans, including veterans of our most 

recent wars. 

Here in the Senate and across the Nation, there have been 

many tributes to our friend FRANK LAUTENBERG. As I said, 

he was a passionate progressive. He was a tenacious fighter. 

He was a Senator of many landmark legislative accomplishments. But knowing FRANK as a true gentleman and great 

family man, I can think of no greater tribute than to note 

that Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG was a man of enormous 

honor, decency, and graciousness. He was a wonderful friend. 

May he rest in peace. 

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to offer some brief 

reflections on the distinguished service and accomplishments 

of Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

He possessed an unwavering commitment to our country 

and its highest ideals of duty and fairness. 

His achievements over a lifetime well lived are impressive. 

He came from very humble beginnings but showed tremendous determination and tenacity as he achieved success in 

business and politics. 

Senator LAUTENBERG was a World War II veteran—serving honorably in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1942 to 

1946, posted in Europe with so many other young Americans 

to fight in a war that had to be fought. In fact, he was the 

last World War II veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate. 

After the war he like so many benefited from the GI bill 

and graduated from Columbia University. He had seen the 

hard work of his parents and began a career in business 

where he recognized the importance of computer technology 

well before the advent of many innovations we take for 

granted today. His success in helping create the Nation’s 

first payroll services company, Automatic Data Processing, 

could have led Senator LAUTENBERG anywhere, but it was 

his desire to give back to his community and to his country 

that had given him an education and a promising future that 

led him to the Senate. 

When he set his eye on doing something, being on the 

other side of him meant you were in for a battle. That resolve may be a reason why he had so many legislative 

achievements. Indeed, he knew how important infrastructure 

is to the economy, and his work to preserve and improve Amtrak has helped millions of Americans who rely on rail for 

commuting, travel, and commerce every day. Growing up in 

an industrial area, he knew how important it was to respect 

[ 34 ] 

the environment, so he fought, even when the odds were 

against him, for cleaning up Superfund sites, improving air 

quality, and ensuring better oversight of toxic chemicals. 

And when he saw the health damage that smoking can 

cause, he led the way to ban smoking on airplanes. 

The issue of gun safety is where I worked most closely 

with him. Those efforts to stem the flow of guns to criminals, 

terrorists, and others who shouldn’t have access to firearms 

gave me a deeper appreciation for the strength of his principles and beliefs. There was no one more engaged in this 

issue, and I know that as the effort continues to close the 

gun show loophole, his commitment to reducing gun violence 

in our country will serve as a true guidepost. 

As so many pointed out in the wonderful service remembering Senator LAUTENBERG, he was tenacious as well as humorous. Indeed, he fought for New Jersey and for what he 

believed was right each and every single day. 

The Senate and our country have lost an important voice 

on so many issues, but his work will carry on and not be forgotten. Indeed, the benefits to our Nation of all his efforts 

and dedication will last for years to come. 

I extend my deepest condolences to Bonnie; his children, 

Ellen Lautenberg, Nan Morgart, Lisa Birer, and Joshua Lautenberg; his stepchildren, Danielle Englebardt and Lara 

Englebardt Metz; and his 13 grandchildren, on behalf of myself, my constituents, and the State of Rhode Island. Their 

loss is greater than ours because they have lost a husband, 

father, and grandfather. He will be missed. 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, earlier this month, 

we lost one of our Nation’s most beloved public servants. 

Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG was a World War II hero, a successful businessman, a statesman—and above all else, a kind 

and generous man, one that I am honored to have called a 

friend. FRANK will be greatly missed by New Jerseyans, his 

colleagues in Washington, and his family and friends across 

the Nation. 

Much can be said about FRANK and the priorities he championed. What struck me most is that FRANK fought for the 

little guy. His public career was built on the foundation of 

being a champion for a safe, clean, healthy, and economically 

stable America. In the U.S. Senate, he championed efforts to 

preserve America’s landscape and natural beauty. Like me, 

he believed that America’s precious land and resources 

should be protected and conserved for future generations to 

honor and enjoy. FRANK knew that we don’t inherit the land 

[ 35 ] 

from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. FRANK

believed in a sustainable American energy system—one that 

increases energy independence and prioritizes renewable energy efforts such as wind, solar, and geothermal. As a leading voice in Congress on climate change, FRANK was acutely 

aware of the harmful effects global warming has on our planet, and he led the charge to ensure Americans—and his colleagues—were aware that the overwhelming science should 

spur us to reverse this dangerous trend. 

FRANK’s contribution to his State and our Nation extends 

far beyond his environmental accomplishments. He led policy 

reforms that are too numerous to catalog here. For example, 

FRANK fought hard to establish health and safety standards 

and ensured that public health in America was a priority for 

legislators. A key player behind landmark legislation establishing a Federal blood-alcohol level limit and banning smoking on airplanes, FRANK’s public health initiatives have improved the lives of millions of Americans. Generations to 

come will benefit and live longer and healthier lives because 

of this great American statesman. 

FRANK was a real champion for the people of New Jersey, 

but what many people may not know is that he is also a true 

friend to my home State of Colorado. From the initial planning stages to the final product, the existence of Denver 

International Airport, DIA, can be largely attributed to 

FRANK LAUTENBERG. DIA received an unprecedented amount 

of Federal financial help, largely in part to FRANK’s unwavering support of the project. He also publicly supported the 

construction of C–470, maintaining that the major highway 

was an essential addition to Colorado commerce and industry. Throughout the country, he supported the development 

of urban public transportation and pushed to strengthen Amtrak. Without FRANK’s dedication, our national transportation system would not have kept pace with our growing 

population. 

After casting his 9,000th vote in 2011, Majority Leader 

Harry Reid recognized Senator LAUTENBERG as one of the 

most productive Senators in the history of this country. 

FRANK’s wisdom and tenacity made him an influential figure 

in the U.S. Senate for nearly 30 years. I am grateful to have 

served alongside him. His enduring spirit and strong character will not be forgotten within the Halls of Congress. 

My sincerest condolences go out to FRANK’s family, including his wife, Bonnie Englebardt; 6 children and their 

spouses, Ellen Lautenberg and Doug Hendel, Nan and Joe 

[ 36 ] 

Morgart, Josh and Christina Lautenberg, Lisa and Doug 

Birer, Danielle Englebardt and Stuart Katzoff, Lara 

Englebardt Metz and Corey Metz; and 13 grandchildren. 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, it is a great privilege 

to rise and honor the late Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. I 

think I speak for many of my colleagues when I say he was 

a true hero to New Jersey and in the Senate, a self-made 

man, and an inspiration to us all. 

I was proud to count FRANK as a good friend and mentor. 

We shared similar backgrounds—children of Eastern European immigrants—and similar convictions. I will never forget Senator LAUTENBERG’s courage when he cast important 

votes on gun violence prevention just a few months before 

his death. He had a renewed hope that we could save many 

lives and prevent more Americans from facing the senseless 

violence that we all experienced with the tragedy at Sandy 

Hook Elementary School. In tribute to FRANK, and to the 

Newtown families, I will continue to fight for gun violence 

legislation. I am sure that FRANK would agree that this battle will be a marathon, not a sprint, and we need to keep 

pushing forward. 

Many have risen over the last few weeks to pay tribute to 

FRANK. I am similarly humbled by his many years of service 

and the number of accomplishments that we can attribute to 

his leadership. As the last serving World War II veteran, his 

bravery in battle will never be forgotten. He was a relentless 

and unremitting fighter for public health causes, such as 

controlling the harmful effects of public tobacco use, raising 

the drinking age to 21, and banning toxic household chemicals. He was determined to witness the effects of his legislative efforts, and many times he did live to see the results of 

his tremendous work. 

FRANK was a champion of the rail community for many 

years, leading transportation safety issues. Throughout his 

tenure he improved passenger rail systems, protected Amtrak, and pushed for improvements to high-speed rail. FRANK

was certainly in my thoughts as I chaired a hearing of the 

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation yesterday on rail safety. I am grateful for his tenacity and 

proactivity on these issues. 

We have lost FRANK LAUTENBERG’s stirring presence on 

the floor, but never in our hearts. For 28 years he pushed 

for important changes as a force for good, refusing to give up 

[ 37 ] 

the public fight for his steadfast convictions. Cynthia and I 

send our love to Bonnie and the Lautenberg family. 

WEDNESDAY, June 26, 2013 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to recognize a man, Albert 

Carey Caswell, who has dedicated his life to recounting the 

stories of our Nation’s history to the visitors of the U.S. Capitol, as well as many others who have participated in Albert’s 

tours. 

Albert’s poetic talent and upbeat attitude has enriched the 

lives of his colleagues, Senators, staff, and visitors during his 

nearly 30-year career in the U.S. Capitol. 

Albert is known for his gift of words, in poetry and in 

prose, which have left an indelible mark on the Congressional Record, as more than 150 of his poems are included 

in there. More recently, Albert wrote a poem to honor the 

late Senator LAUTENBERG from New Jersey. 

Albert got to know Senator LAUTENBERG from years of escorting veterans around the U.S. Capitol. Albert had immense respect for Senator LAUTENBERG’s military record as 

well as for his enduring commitment to public service. 

Mr. President, I share Albert’s ‘‘Let’s Be FRANK’’ poem for 

all to read. 

LET’S BE FRANK

Let’s! 

Let’s be FRANK! 

Of how his long fine life upon this earth so ranks! 

Now, that’s a Laut En Berg 

For he was but a public servant, 

Who our Nation all so Heard! 

A Jersey Boy 

Who so lived The Great American Dream 

Who so looked as if he would live forever, 

As so it seemed! 

In his 80’s 

he looked like he was in his 60’s . . . 

Because, hard work was but his life’s dignity! 

Give me your tired and your poor! 

As America opened up her arms and her doors . . . 

To a family who came from far across the dark deep shores! 

When, 

at the edge . . . as Mankind bled! 

He volunteered to join the Army 

As he so raised his hand and his life so pledged 

To Save The World 

[ 38 ] 

In a World War! 

While, Fighting in The Big One . . . 

So far across those most distant shores! 

And came back home, 

and yet still to more greatness his heart of courage roamed! 

As he took that GI Bill 

And climbed another hill 

With now a great education he so owned 

ADP, 

as him and his friends built a great American Company! 

But deep down inside 

something far much more important out to him so cried! 

To serve his country and beloved New Jersey, 

his heart would decide! 

Like his favorite band Bon Jovi, 

‘‘like a cowboy’’ he wanted it ‘‘dead or alive!’’ 

Until, finally rising all the way to the top, 

To The Senate Floor where he would so stop as he so strived! 

In thirty years, 

It became oh so very clear! 

The title of a United States Senator, 

He was so meant to own! 

Upon the Senate floor, 

where his great shadow would be so cast for evermore! 

Now Let’s Be FRANK, 

you were one hell of a public servant and that’s for sure! 

For yours was a life of standing tall 

To somehow, 

someway make it a better world for one and all! 

For you had a style and a grace! 

And a look and a smile upon your face! 

And a presence and a command 

That so said that you so belonged in this place! 

And even though you retired, 

you went home and still you had the fire! 

So you came back, 

To every one here to so inspire! 

Let’s Be FRANK, 

one could not have lived a life much more higher! 

Right up to the end, 

What you did FRANK meant so very much! 

But as a family man, 

as where your greatest accomplishments would stand as such! 

For FRANK, 

you were a giver not a taker! 

And it’s clear a better world on your life’s journey, 

You would so make here! 

But there’s more debates, 

Byrd, Stevens, and Teddy up in Heaven you now await! 

And all of your GI buddies, 

Who the trip home with you never made 

[ 39 ] 

Let’s Be FRANK, 

wouldn’t we all want to live a long life so great! 

Because all in the end, 

it’s far, far, far better to give, than to take! 

Let’s Be FRANK! 

[ 41 ] 

Proceedings in the House of 

Representatives 

MONDAY, June 3, 2013 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution, and ask for its immediate consideration. 

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: 

H. RES. 242 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 

of the Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, a Senator from the State of New 

Jersey. 

Resolved, That a committee of such Members of the House as the Speaker 

may designate, together with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, 

be appointed to attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and 

transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as a further 

mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized for 1 hour. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker and Members of 

the House, it is my sad duty to inform you that Senator 

FRANK LAUTENBERG has passed away. He died from complications from viral pneumonia this morning at New York 

Presbyterian Hospital. FRANK LAUTENBERG was 89 years old. 

I join with my friends and colleagues from our delegation—and, I know, with the entire House—in expressing our 

profound sorrow to his family—his wife, Bonnie, his 6 children, and his 13 grandchildren. Senator LAUTENBERG will be 

deeply missed. 

We will have a Special Order to honor this wonderful man, 

but just one point: that with his passing he is the last of 

World War II—of the Greatest Generation—to serve in the 

U.S. Senate, and I want everyone to know he will be deeply 

missed. I personally worked very closely with him on a number of issues, in particular on combating anti-Semitism, so I 

just want to say that we are all in sorrow for his passing. 

We pray for him and for his family. 

[ 42 ] 

I would like to yield to my good friend and colleague from 

New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) for any comments he might have. 

Mr. PALLONE. I want to thank my colleague. 

It’s really with a great deal of sadness that we come to the 

well this evening to announce—or to comment, if you will— 

on Senator LAUTENBERG’s passing. 

I really can’t imagine the Congress without him. I worked 

on his campaign from the very first day in 1982, and he was 

the longest serving Member of the U.S. Senate from the 

State of New Jersey in our entire history. 

The fact of the matter is that Senator LAUTENBERG was always there for the little guy. Many of you know that he was 

a wealthy individual, but he never forgot his roots, and they 

were very humble roots. He always believed that the Congress should be there for people in need and that the American dream required that everyone had an equal opportunity 

and that Congress could do things. FRANK LAUTENBERG understood that there were a lot of problems out there, but he 

felt that Congress needed to work together on a bipartisan 

basis to solve those problems. 

There are so many that I can mention, but I won’t. Whether it was the Nation’s infrastructure, mass transit, all of the 

environmental concerns, whether he wanted to clean up the 

ocean or clean the air or clean the water for the next generation, he really believed that things could get done here, and 

he worked hard to get things done. We know, more than anybody else, he was able to accomplish a lot because of the 

hard work that he put into it. 

So I just want to thank him for all of that and for his legacy, and I want to express sympathy, obviously, to Bonnie 

and his family. He will be missed for what he accomplished 

and also for what he told us about what our job is when 

we’re here—to get things done and to worry about the little 

guy and to make sure that we are always out there, working 

every day to make this a better country. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to my colleague from 

New Jersey (Mr. Lance). 

Mr. LANCE. Thank you, Congressman Pallone, and thank 

you, Congressman Smith, the dean of the delegation. 

Senator LAUTENBERG was a tenacious fighter for the 9 million residents of the State of New Jersey, and tenacity was 

at the heart of his public service. New Jersey is a State that 

is complex and that is comprised of many different 

ethnicities, and Senator LAUTENBERG represented all of us 

[ 43 ] 

extremely well. The only person in the history of the State 

to serve five terms in the U.S. Senate, Senator LAUTENBERG

died with his boots on in the saddle as he would have 

wished. 

He was extremely proud of his roots in Paterson, a great 

industrial city in this Nation, where he was born and raised; 

and at age 18 he went off to war, World War II, as one of 

the Greatest Generation. Senator LAUTENBERG was the beneficiary of the GI bill of rights, and he was able to attend Columbia University from which he graduated after the Second 

World War, and his brilliant career in the private sector at 

ADP is a hallmark to the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people; but he recognized that he could do more for the 

people of our State and of the Nation when he was elected 

to the U.S. Senate in 1982, reelected in 1988 and reelected 

again in 1994, a hiatus of 2 years, then elected for a fourth 

term in 2002, and again for a fifth term in 2008. He was a 

person of perseverance. 

To Mrs. Lautenberg and the Lautenberg children and family, we extend our profound sympathy. The people of New 

Jersey and, might I suggest, the Nation, are saddened by his 

death. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from 

New Jersey (Mr. Andrews). 

Mr. ANDREWS. I thank my friends and colleagues for 

joining in this moment of solemn remembrance. 

There is not a corner of our State that does not bear the 

manifestation of the greatness of Senator LAUTENBERG’s career. Some of the manifestations are functional and somewhat ordinary—bridges and exit ramps—but so many of the 

things are things of beauty and splendor. This is a person 

who risked his life for his country in the Second World War 

and who gave his life to building a successful business and 

building a great State and a great country. 

We are profoundly saddened by his loss, but we are heartened by his example, and I thank all of us on both sides of 

the aisle for remembering him. Our prayers go to his family, 

and our thanks go to him for a great life well led. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from 

New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell). 

Mr. PASCRELL. FRANK LAUTENBERG was my friend for 45 

years. We drank the same water in Paterson, NJ. He was a 

person of very small means when you looked at his mom and 

[ 44 ] 

dad. They worked in the factories in Paterson, NJ, as so 

many other people did. His father died when he was 43 years 

of age. He got sick from the jobs that he had when there was 

no protection for workers, not like it is now. 

Now, can you picture this in a garage in Paterson, NJ, off 

of Carroll Street, four guys together, putting a company together, that if you didn’t invest in it you kicked yourself 

after that, ADP? 

He had a business acumen, a business sense, that went beyond votes on the floor of the Senate. He was a good guy, 

and I know that the talking heads would say he was a liberal’s liberal. FRANK LAUTENBERG was a very basic, conservative guy when it came to our values in this country. He was 

not a spectator by any stretch. He was in there. He was in 

the battle. He came back to School No. 6 on Mercer Street 

in Paterson to take care of those kids, to give them computers and to say make sure you take care of those computers because this is going to get you, perhaps, on a path 

to something better in life for you and your family. He didn’t 

forget it. A lot of people say he didn’t forget his roots. That’s 

a wave. That’s a passing by. He was not that kind of a person. 

So, to Bonnie and to his beautiful family, our best, deepest 

feelings of condolences and sorrow. 

We don’t know what we’ve lost—we never do—but we pray 

that everyone begins to understand, at least now, that each 

of us is significant, that each of us is important and, as 

FRANK would say, that no one is better than anyone else. 

God bless FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from 

New Jersey (Mr. Holt). 

Mr. HOLT. We mark with sorrow and admiration the loss 

of FRANK LAUTENBERG—a loss to Bonnie and his family, a 

loss to this Congress, a loss to New Jersey, a loss to America. 

He served in the Army as a youngster. His father died 

while he was serving in the Second World War—and ‘‘serve’’ 

is the right word. He saw service as his duty, as his life— 

serving other people, never forgetting the common person 

and the common good. Whether he was working for public 

health or individual health care or education or was helping 

prevent bullying in schools or was teaching foreign languages or was providing for safety in chemical plants, he was 

thinking about the ordinary person. He never forgot that, he 

never stopped fighting, and the people of New Jersey knew 

[ 45 ] 

that. They knew they had somebody in the Senate who was 

looking out for them. 

What I think of most is his work that he did on the Transportation Subcommittee about the blood alcohol level and 

drunk driving. He did more than any other single person in 

this country to prevent drunk driving. You could fill many 

football stadiums with people who are alive today because of 

FRANK LAUTENBERG. The interesting thing is that not one of 

them would know they are indebted to him for that legislation. 

We have a lot to be grateful for to FRANK LAUTENBERG, 

and his legacy is something that we should work hard to 

continue. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from 

New Jersey (Mr. Garrett). 

Mr. GARRETT. To the dean of the delegation and to the 

rest of my colleagues from New Jersey, Washington, DC, the 

Senate, the Chambers will not be the same without FRANK

LAUTENBERG walking about. 

He is and he was a man who lived truly an extraordinary 

life. You’ve heard of his humble beginnings that Bill, I guess, 

knows pretty well, of his growing up in that neighborhood 

and going on to fight through World War II, as Leonard 

points out; and of that extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit. 

In all of those ways, he lived an extraordinary life that left 

an extraordinary impact upon the people of his community 

and the State and on all of those people who benefited from 

his business acumen—to be able to use that service—to the 

jobs that he provided and then to take that and bring it here 

to Washington and the benefits that he provided even far beyond his own humble beginnings back in Paterson, NJ, but 

across the country as well. 

So we come here today, joined in the thought that our 

prayers are with him, his family, his children, and grandchildren. We just hope that through this difficult time that 

they must be going through that they can find some solace 

in the fact that so many people who have come here today 

and who are back in New Jersey respect him and appreciate 

him and thank him for what he did for the State. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from 

New Jersey (Mr. Sires). 

Mr. SIRES. I want to thank my colleagues for being here 

today and for expressing the sentiment toward a friend. 

[ 46 ] 

I knew FRANK LAUTENBERG for a long time. I was a mayor 

when I first met him. He never changed. He was a fighter. 

He was a real product of New Jersey in his coming from 

Paterson, serving in the service, starting a business. He became one of the best Senators we ever had in New Jersey. 

He was a man who had a vision, because he was one of the 

first ones who saw that riding on a plane and having somebody smoking next to you was not healthy. FRANK fought 

that fight, and President Reagan signed it into law. 

So, today, New Jersey is sad. It’s sad because one of its 

own is not going to be with us any more. Right down to the 

end, FRANK fought. I will remember him fighting Governor 

Christie. I remember him fighting for the tunnel. So we are 

all sad in New Jersey today. 

To the whole family, we extend our condolences. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from 

New Jersey (Mr. Runyan). 

Mr. RUNYAN. I, too, want to reflect on all of the kind and 

gracious words that my colleagues have expressed up here. 

I, only being in my second term, can’t say that I knew 

FRANK that well, but I want to point out one thing: that it’s 

unfortunate that sometimes it takes someone’s passing to realize all of the great things he did in his life. I’ve learned in 

coming here to Washington sometimes that people forget 

they are people who come here to represent the people back 

home, and you forget about the good deeds, the hard work. 

When you look at what FRANK did, working every single day 

until today, that is something that, I think, we as Americans 

do—take that work ethic into everything we do every single 

day. That’s what makes us the greatest country in the world. 

With FRANK’s obviously being that type of role model, I 

think we are all saddened by his passing. We will miss him. 

Again, our condolences go out to his family, and I thank you 

all for taking time out to recognize him as an individual because, I think, sometimes that is lost. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from 

New Jersey (Mr. Payne). 

Mr. PAYNE. Thank you to my colleagues from New Jersey 

and in the House of Representatives. 

Once again, I stand here in almost over a year with sorrow 

in my heart. The New Jersey delegation has lost another 

great member. 

[ 47 ] 

Senator LAUTENBERG had been an example to me over the 

course of his career. I’d seen him in many instances in Newark and in other settings, and he always had a common message to young people. It was that there was nothing special 

about me that you could not do this yourself. If you applied 

yourself in school, worked hard, honored your country, and 

did the things that were right, one day you could be in this 

position as well. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG embodies what a New Jerseyan is. So 

look at his career. Look at his life. He is a true New 

Jerseyan. He will sorely be missed in this delegation, in this 

House, in this Congress, and in this country. My condolences 

to his family on this sad occasion. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, FRANK LAUTENBERG will be missed. As you could hear from my colleagues 

on both sides of the aisle, it is a great loss for the State of 

New Jersey. We will have a Special Order next Tuesday to 

speak even more to his legacy. 

With that, I yield back the balance of my time. 

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, today our country mourns the 

loss of Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG—a man whose life embodied the American dream and who dedicated his career to 

putting that dream in reach for all Americans. The longest 

serving Senator in New Jersey’s history and the last remaining World War II veteran in the Senate, he served us all 

with the strength, perseverance, and compassion that exemplifies the Greatest Generation. 

A proud son of hard-working immigrants, Senator LAUTENBERG rose from humble beginnings to meet great success in 

business and public service. He was an entrepreneur who 

turned a small business into one of the largest computing 

services companies in the world. He was a soldier who put 

his life on the line to protect our country. He was a Senator 

who helped ban smoking in airplanes and around children, 

who worked to ensure parents could take time off to care for 

sick family members, who helped modernize the GI bill to 

ensure today’s veterans could benefit from the same opportunity that he received. 

Senator LAUTENBERG spent each day fighting to protect 

and improve the health, security, and well-being of every 

American. His lifetime of service leaves a legacy we must follow, and an expectation we must meet. We only hope it is 

a comfort to his wife Bonnie, his children, and grandchildren, 

that so many mourn their loss at this sad time. 

[ 48 ] 

The previous question was ordered. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. 

Ms. MOORE. . . . I was very moved earlier by the tribute 

that our colleagues on a bipartisan basis made to Senator 

LAUTENBERG upon his passing. Once again, here’s an example of an American who ultimately became very wealthy, but 

it was because America embraced him with their values. 

He went to school on the GI bill. He was able to go to 

school. He did not have any wealth. Because he was an 

American and an American soldier, he was able to benefit 

from our community of interests to build not only a great 

Senator, but great economic enterprises and a lot of jobs that 

he created. That’s the way America is supposed to work. We 

need to realize that educational opportunity is one of our 

basic strategies for staying on top in a global economy. 

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened when I learned of the passing of Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. I am certain that anyone who had ever met Senator LAUTENBERG would agree, regardless of political party 

affiliation, that he was a remarkable statesman and hardworking government servant. The longest serving Senator in 

New Jersey’s history, he was gifted in interpersonal relations, and recognized for reaching across the aisle to benefit 

the people of his State, and the citizens of our Nation as a 

whole. As the last veteran to serve in World War II in the 

U.S. Senate, he represented a generation of leaders who left 

a legacy of service that continues to inspire all Americans. 

A proud son of hard-working immigrants, Senator LAUTENBERG rose from humble beginnings to attain success in business and public service. He was an incredibly efficient entrepreneur who turned a small business into one of the largest 

computing services companies in the world; a soldier who put 

his life on the line to protect our country; a Senator who 

helped ban smoking in airplanes and around children, who 

worked to ensure parents could take time off to care for sick 

family members, and the Senator who helped modernize the 

GI bill to ensure today’s veterans could benefit from the 

same opportunities he did. 

Additionally, throughout his years in the U.S. Senate, he 

worked tirelessly to secure investments in infrastructure for 

the Northeast Corridor, and it was in the area of transportation that I personally worked with Senator LAUTENBERG as 

a close partner. Senator LAUTENBERG’s staunch efforts to 

[ 49 ] 

augment Amtrak and commuter rail parallel my own. As the 

chair of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads under a House Democratic majority, we worked closely 

to increase funding for Amtrak and passenger rail both in 

the Northeast Corridor and throughout the entire United 

States. 

Senator LAUTENBERG, who served on four Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation subcommittees, including Aviation Operations and Surface Transportation, helped save 

Amtrak from budget hawks; supported tarmac delay protections for airline passengers; was instrumental in increasing 

transportation spending for mass transportation and other 

infrastructure improvements; succeeded in getting stricter 

limits on drinking and driving, and managed to get smoking 

banned from airplanes, among numerous other transportation-related accomplishments. 

In fact, Senator LAUTENBERG wrote the 2008 law to increase Amtrak funding and create the Nation’s high-speed 

rail grant program. In 2011 he got the Northeast Corridor 

designated as a federally recognized high-speed rail corridor, 

which allowed Amtrak to receive $450 million in Federal 

funding for high-speed rail upgrades, and the Secaucus Junction train station in fact, is named after him. 

He fought New Jersey Governor Chris Christie over the 

ARC Tunnel, a rail improvement Senator LAUTENBERG saw 

as essential for allowing the continued flow of commuters between New Jersey and New York under the Hudson River. 

The Gateway Tunnel project, a substitute for ARC, is under 

development and just received a promise of $185 million in 

Federal funds. FRANK LAUTENBERG’s dream of an intermodal 

freight policy is also on its way toward being realized, 

thanks to increased Federal attention on creating a national 

freight strategic plan. Complete streets policies, which he 

consistently supported, are in place in nearly 500 communities around the country, and his zeal to create a national 

infrastructure bank as a way to invite more private investors 

to partner with the government on infrastructure is still 

struggling for wide acceptance. 

I join in expressing my prayers and condolences to his 

wife, Bonnie, and to his children, his grandchildren, his entire family, and to the people of New Jersey. 

ADJOURNMENT 

Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move that the 

House do now adjourn. 

[ 50 ] 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o’clock and 36 

minutes p.m.), under its previous order and pursuant to 

House Resolution 242, the House adjourned until tomorrow, 

Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at 10 a.m., for morning-hour debate, 

as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Honorable FRANK R. LAUTENBERG. 

WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2013 

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. . . . The recent passing of Senator 

LAUTENBERG earlier this week, the last remaining World 

War II veteran in the Senate, is a strong reminder that our 

time is running out to recognize those who are lesser known 

but still contributed significantly to the World War II effort. 

Few have given more to this country than Senator LAUTENBERG, and I pray that his family has peace in the weeks and 

months to come. He will be missed. . . . 

TUESDAY, June 11, 2013 

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Brooks of Indiana). 

Under the Speaker’s announced policy of January 3, 2013, 

the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) is recognized for 

60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, last week 

New Jersey lost its senior Senator, and the Senate lost its 

last remaining World War II veteran when Senator FRANK

LAUTENBERG passed away at the age of 89. He died from 

complications from viral pneumonia in New York Presbyterian Hospital. 

Since then, on this floor on multiple occasions, in the U.S. 

Senate, throughout the State of New Jersey, and, frankly, 

across the Nation, all of us have paused to express our deepest respect for Senator LAUTENBERG and sorrow on his passing. To Senator LAUTENBERG’s family—his wife, Bonnie, his 

6 children, and his 13 grandchildren—please accept our 

deepest condolences and our prayers. 

Senator LAUTENBERG served five terms in the U.S. Senate 

on behalf of the people of the State of New Jersey. He was 

first elected to the Senate in 1982, reelected in 1988 and 

1994. After a brief retirement, Senator LAUTENBERG made 

[ 51 ] 

an unexpected comeback and won a fourth term in 2002 and 

was again reelected in 2008. 

In December 2011 he cast his 9,000th vote and now holds 

the record for the most votes ever cast by a New Jersey Senator. 

While serving in the Senate, FRANK LAUTENBERG became 

a leader of public health and safety issues. He led the effort 

to ban smoking on airplanes with the enactment of Public 

Law 101–164, and will forever be remembered for his efforts 

to protect individuals and children from secondhand smoke. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG also fought for transportation improvements and chemical plant safety. As the author of the 

Lautenberg amendment, he worked to assist members from 

historically persecuted groups with a credible fear of persecution to qualify for refugee status, including religiously persecuted Soviet Jews. He also fought for relief for the victims 

of terrorist attacks, including the first responders who experienced health complications after the 9/11 attacks, and for 

the families and communities across our State recently devastated by Superstorm Sandy. 

Senator LAUTENBERG was the last veteran of World War 

II—part of the Greatest Generation—to serve in the U.S. 

Senate. The son of poor immigrants, he enlisted in the Army 

to serve his country in uniform, went to school on the GI bill, 

began a successful business, and then ran for the Senate to, 

in his words, ‘‘pursue a career in public service and to give 

back to the country that helped give him so much.’’ 

Senator LAUTENBERG has been a mainstay of New Jersey 

politics for decades, and with his passing, the Senate and our 

State have lost a dedicated public servant. 

I now yield to the former mayor of Paterson, a good friend 

and colleague, Congressman Bill Pascrell. 

Mr. PASCRELL. Thank you, Congressman Smith, for your 

great service to your State and your country. 

Madam Speaker, we’ve lost a great man. When Senator 

LAUTENBERG passed away Monday morning I lost a good 

friend. The Silk City has produced many great individuals 

and characters alike, but few, if any, have a life story like 

that of FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

Like me, FRANK grew up on the streets of Paterson—literally. Both of us came from families of immigrants who 

came to Paterson, like pilgrims—like Plymouth Rock. It was 

Paterson/Plymouth Rock. That’s what it was, when you come 

down to it. 

[ 52 ] 

We had the same dream. Many thousands in our city had 

the same dream. Through hard work and determination, we 

learned that you could provide your children with a better 

life and a successful future. Despite all their dreams for their 

young son, I don’t think that Sam and Molly Lautenberg, 

FRANK’s dutiful parents, deceased, ever could have imagined 

all that FRANK would eventually achieve. Only in America. 

Then again, FRANK never forgot the sacrifices family made 

for him. He learned what real hard work was from his father, who labored in the silk mills of Paterson to provide for 

his family. He learned how to persevere from his mother, 

who raised him in the face of poverty. They lived in four or 

five different places in Paterson as they moved around. 

His dad was 43 when he passed away. In the face of poverty, at the age of 19, FRANK LAUTENBERG had to summon 

all those lessons and more when his father passed away 

leaving him to support the entire family. He never forgot 

those hard lessons. They served him well throughout all the 

journeys of his life. 

He spoke about those journeys every time he came before 

a classroom in Paterson, NJ. He visited, revisited, and revisited and brought computers. And, of course, ADP was one of 

the great corporations in America, formed in a garage in the 

back of a house in Paterson, NJ. 

I say, Madam Speaker, how many people must be kicking 

themselves for not having invested way back when they 

thought it was a wild idea, taking care of people’s payroll. 

It’s not easy to grow up on the streets of Paterson, NJ. 

Take it from me personally, Congressman Smith. You have 

to fight for every inch in order to get ahead. 

FRANK truly embodied what it means to be a fighter. 

That’s what made him such a successful representative from 

New Jersey. You’ve heard the Congressman, Congressman 

Smith, specify all of the issues that he was involved in; and 

when he was involved, he was totally immersed in the subject therein to help Americans. 

It didn’t matter what nationality, what ethnicity, what 

color. It didn’t matter what religion. It mattered that you 

were a human being in the greatest country in the world. He 

talked about it often. 

When he came back from the service, he talked about it. 

He served his country in the Second World War. 

Regardless of how you feel on issues, you don’t take on the 

gun lobby to ban firearms for domestic violence offenders, 

[ 53 ] 

you don’t take on Big Tobacco to ban smoking on airplanes 

without getting a few scars in the process. 

The thing FRANK’s opponents didn’t realize was that he got 

his scars long ago, growing up on the streets of Paterson, NJ. 

His roots are exactly what made FRANK so successful, first 

in the Army, then in the private sector, and, finally, in the 

hallowed Halls of the U.S. Senate. 

Despite all that he achieved, he never forgot where he 

came from. That’s the secret. When you forget where you 

come from, when you forget your roots, when you forget the 

street you lived on, the guys and the gals that you talked to, 

your mom and dad, how they sweated it out every day, I 

mean, when you worked in those silk mills it was no day at 

the beach, not by any stretch of the imagination. 

We, many times, forget our roots, Congressman Smith, 

and you know that. We forget where we came from. We 

think we’re better. If you’re a Congressman, oh, God. He 

never forgot where he came from. Despite all that, what he 

achieved, he knew his roots. 

One of the proudest moments of my career was standing 

shoulder to shoulder with him when we were able to successfully pass legislation to finally establish the Great Falls National Historic Park in Paterson, NJ. It’s our Yellowstone. 

It’s our Grand Canyon. It doesn’t take up nearly the amount 

of space, but it meant so much to not only Patersonians, but 

people in that area, Paterson, the third largest city in New 

Jersey, first industrial city. 

Alexander Hamilton knew what he was doing. FRANK LAUTENBERG knew what he was doing. 

We’d been pushing many years for Federal recognition. In 

fact, I still have a picture hanging in my office of Senator 

LAUTENBERG and me touring the Great Falls when I was the 

mayor of that city. In the true Paterson spirit, despite opposition from the Park Service—we weren’t getting off to a 

good start—and opponents in Congress who never wanted to 

see an urban national park, we never stopped fighting. 

Just a few years ago, we finally reached our dream to get 

the Great Falls the Federal designation it deserves. Members of both sides of the aisle came together. On that day, 

when Secretary Salazar was there, Democrats and Republicans joined together where industry started in this great 

Nation. 

The park is now in the first stages of its development, and 

I believe one day it will be a crown jewel in the National 

Park System, thanks in no small part to our great Senator. 

[ 54 ] 

It’s a fitting legacy for him to leave to the city he loved so 

much. 

These last few months, with his health getting weaker, necessitating long absences from the Senate, FRANK never lost 

his passion for the issues he had spent his entire life defending. Despite his health, he came to Washington to cast a critical vote on a bill to expand background checks. No one was 

going to stop FRANK LAUTENBERG from fighting to make this 

world a better place. Even the limitations of his own body 

couldn’t hold him back. 

I join my friends and neighbors in Paterson, where he used 

to cut his hair, Pasadena Pete’s, where he used to stop at the 

markets, and he’d stop in to a coffee shop downtown. We 

mourn this tremendous loss of one of our favorite sons, one 

of our patriots. 

He was a person first. He was a legislator second. He was 

the same man on the street that he was on the Senate floor. 

You always got the genuine article. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG was not a spectator to life. FRANK

LAUTENBERG was a leader, a loving husband, a loving father, 

a trusted friend, and a true Patersonian. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Pascrell, I want to thank 

you for your very eloquent remembrances of Senator FRANK

LAUTENBERG and for your wonderful insights, especially as 

the former mayor and someone who has known him so intimately and so well for so many years. Thank you very much 

for that. 

I’d like to now yield to my friend and colleague, Mr. Payne. 

Mr. PAYNE. Thank you. I want to thank my colleague, 

Congressman Smith, for hosting this Special Order today. 

Madam Speaker, I come before you today saddened by the 

passing of a fellow New Jerseyan. He was a dear friend and 

colleague, the honorable and venerated Senator from New 

Jersey, Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

If anyone could embody the actual definition of the American dream, it would be FRANK LAUTENBERG. Born the son 

of Russian and Polish immigrants in Paterson, NJ, he grew 

up during the Great Depression. 

When war hit our shores, he bravely served the country he 

loved in World War II, and he was the last of our Senators 

to do so. 

When he returned home from the war, Senator LAUTENBERG earned his degree on the GI bill, which he later 

[ 55 ] 

staunchly advocated the extension of for our current men 

and women in uniform. 

Never taking for granted the opportunities that lay before 

him, after his graduation, he and three of his friends, with 

just an idea and an entrepreneurial spirit, began an extremely successful company, ADP. If you get a payroll check 

these days, it is likely ADP printed your check. I guess you 

could say Senator LAUTENBERG was the proof that anything 

is possible if you firmly believe in what you’re doing and 

what you put your mind to. 

Later, he seamlessly transitioned from CEO of ADP to 

public servant, often demonstrating determination, grit, and 

leadership throughout his time in office that came to define 

FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

Throughout his five terms in office, Senator LAUTENBERG

never forgot his roots. He was a committed advocate for the 

working middle class from which he came. As Senator LAUTENBERG knew best, we’ve got to open doors and not slam 

them shut. He always practiced this outlook, no matter what 

he set out to achieve. 

He tirelessly worked to make health care and higher education more affordable for working and middle class families. 

Even into his later years, Senator LAUTENBERG was one of 

the leading progressives on social issues. Thanks to Senator 

LAUTENBERG and his tremendous environmental work, we 

have cleaner water to drink and cleaner air to breathe. 

He also recognized early on the proliferation of gun violence in our communities and the damage it was doing to our 

children and families. As a champion of gun safety legislation, he made our neighborhoods a safer place to work and 

live. 

Nothing was going to keep Senator LAUTENBERG from casting a critical vote on background checks on gun purchases 

this past spring. Though the late Senator did not get to witness the successful passage of this legislation, the fight in 

Washington will continue as we carry out the work of Senator LAUTENBERG’s vision to keep our families and our children safer. 

In closing, I want to extend my deepest sympathies to 

Bonnie, his daughter who I was able to meet last week, and 

his grandchildren. I had the honor of attending Senator LAUTENBERG’s final tribute last week, and it was clear from that 

beautiful ceremony the incredible impact Senator LAUTENBERG has had on so many lives. 

[ 56 ] 

Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG had a love of life and a commitment to the people in New Jersey that will be deeply 

missed in the Halls of Congress and in New Jersey. He was 

a great mentor to me, especially as the newest member of 

the New Jersey delegation. I will forever be grateful for his 

guidance and for all the tremendous work he did for New 

Jersey and our great Nation. We owe him an immense debt 

of gratitude for making New Jersey a better place to live. 

There is no doubt Senator LAUTENBERG will certainly be 

missed. 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Payne, thank you very 

much for your moving words and sentiments expressed 

today. 

I yield back the balance of my time. 

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to 

join my colleagues from New Jersey in paying tribute to our 

late senior Senator, FRANK R. LAUTENBERG. 

For the past several days, America has been reintroduced 

to Senator LAUTENBERG, and it is a story worth repeating 

here. 

He came from a family of working class immigrants from 

Eastern Europe—Russia and Poland. 

When he was 18, during the middle of World War II, 

FRANK LAUTENBERG enlisted in the U.S. Army where he 

served with distinction in the Signal Corps. 

He was very proud of his military service. In fact, when he 

passed last week, he was the last World War II veteran serving in the U.S. Senate. 

When he came home from the European theater, he attended Columbia on the GI bill—just as so many other 

Americans did. 

What distinguished him from many other returning soldiers is that through hard work and perseverance he founded his own company. Under his leadership, that firm grew 

into the largest computing company of its kind in the world. 

So working his way from humble beginnings to a prosperous career as a chief executive in New Jersey’s private 

sector, he lived the American dream. 

But FRANK LAUTENBERG’s true calling was public service 

and giving back to his community, our State, and our Nation 

throughout his life. 

New Jersey lost a tireless advocate on June 3. 

For many years we worked together as New Jersey’s appropriations team—looking out for our State’s needs on CapVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 57 ] 

itol Hill. I was proud to work with him on issues so important to the citizens of our State—transportation, homeland 

security, and open space. In fact, in his final months, we 

worked in a bipartisan way to ensure that New Jersey has 

the resources to recover from a historic storm. 

Yes, we owe much to this dedicated public servant. We 

have lost a great fighter who lived a life from which we all 

could learn. 

May the tributes and prayers of so many of his colleagues 

here today be a source of strength to his family. 

Mr. ANDREWS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 

late Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG, who spent his life serving 

this Nation and the people of New Jersey as a member of the 

military and a five-term Senator. With Senator LAUTENBERG’s passing, the Senate has lost its last veteran of World 

War II. 

Senator LAUTENBERG served his country proudly during 

World War II, earning distinction in the U.S. Army Signal 

Corps. After being deployed overseas, he came back home 

and founded Automatic Data Processing, a company that 

grew to become a giant in the payroll industry. 

First elected in 1982, Senator LAUTENBERG was a champion of the middle class and left the State of New Jersey 

stronger for his years of service. Policies he championed, including public smoking bans, raising the drinking age, and 

lowering the DUI limit saved countless lives. Senator LAUTENBERG was also a longtime advocate of Amtrak and transportation infrastructure in New Jersey, helping to grow the 

State economy. 

Mr. Speaker, I stand with the rest of the New Jersey congressional delegation in remembering Senator LAUTENBERG

for his dedication and tireless work. His death has left a void 

in the Congress, the State of New Jersey, and the Nation. 

For Senator LAUTENBERG, service was not just a buzzword— 

it was an ethos and a purpose. All of us gathered in these 

hallowed Chambers should remember not just the man, but 

his legacy and his example. We join the people of New Jersey 

and the United States in remembrance of Senator FRANK

LAUTENBERG, an extraordinary public servant. 

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life 

and accomplishments of Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. I have 

known Senator LAUTENBERG for decades, and I have been 

honored to call him a colleague and friend. My heart and 

[ 58 ] 

thoughts go out to his wife Bonnie, his children, and grandchildren. 

Senator LAUTENBERG always believed that the Congress 

should be there for people in need and that there were a lot 

of problems out there, but Congress needed to work together 

on a bipartisan basis to solve those problems. In this era of 

partisanship, it was always refreshing to have Senator LAUTENBERG there to bridge gaps and get things done. 

Over the years I had the pleasure of working with him on 

a number of critical issues that helped people in New Jersey 

and across the country. For example, when I first came to 

Congress in 1988, Senator LAUTENBERG and I worked together to close ocean dumping sites off the Jersey coast so 

the water millions of people swim in would be cleaner. 

We also worked together on Superfund and brownfields 

issues. The Senator always fought to ensure that polluters, 

and not taxpayers, would foot the bill when it came to cleaning up toxic waste sites in New Jersey. Through his advocacy, numerous toxic sites in New Jersey have been cleaned 

up and redeveloped, creating jobs and cleaning the environment. 

I always admired Senator LAUTENBERG’s commitment to 

helping ‘‘the little guy’’ and the way he fought to make sure 

all Americans were on an equal ground to work toward the 

kind of success he achieved in his life. I particularly respected his tireless efforts to improve the safety and security 

of all Americans by working to end gun violence. I was proud 

to stand with him in that effort and supported his initiative 

to keep our communities safe. 

I enjoyed working with him to provide health care for 

9/11 first responders. We both worked hard to pass the 

James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, 

which pays for the monitoring and treatment of health conditions that resulted from the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks 

for first responders and community residents. 

Most recently he worked tirelessly to advocate for rebuilding our State after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy. He 

fought hard to make sure New Jersey got the disaster relief 

funding it deserved so that we could rebuild and recover. He 

was able to accomplish all of these things because of the 

hard work that he put into everything he did. 

Like all New Jerseyans, I am grateful for Senator LAUTENBERG’s service to our State and our Nation. I will miss him 

dearly and will do my best to continue working on the issues 

that were so important to both of us. 

[ 59 ] 

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I thank my friends and colleagues in the New Jersey delegation for organizing this tribute to the late Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG. 

This is a personal loss as well as a loss for New Jersey and 

for this Nation. I don’t think there has been, nor do I think 

there will ever be, anybody quite like FRANK LAUTENBERG in 

the U.S. Senate. 

What stands out to so many about FRANK is that he never 

forgot his humble beginnings. He was the son of immigrants 

who was born and raised among the silk mills of Paterson. 

His father died while he was serving in the Second World 

War—and ‘‘serve’’ is the right word. He saw service as his 

duty, as his life—serving other people, never forgetting the 

common person and the common good. The GI bill sent him 

to Columbia University, and he always felt grateful for that 

and felt a need to pay back. 

Much has been said in recent days about FRANK’s successful business career. It certainly was a success. The qualities 

that drove FRANK to be a successful businessman also made 

him an exemplary legislator. FRANK was dogged; he was persistent. His colleagues in the Senate would sometimes laugh 

or smile about that—‘‘Here comes FRANK again to try to 

twist our arms.’’ FRANK did his homework; he knew what he 

was talking about, and he just kept fighting for equality of 

opportunity, for fairness, for safety, for ever-expanding access to the American dream. 

FRANK’s legislative legacy will remain relevant for generations to come. He fought tirelessly to keep trains and buses 

safe, to promote public health, to safeguard chemical plants, 

to keep cigarettes out of airplanes, and so much more. But 

what stands out in my mind is what FRANK did to prevent 

drunk driving. As part of his transportation work, FRANK established limits on blood alcohol levels and raised the drinking age. Today, you could fill several football stadiums with 

people who are alive only because of FRANK LAUTENBERG— 

and not one of them knows they are indebted to him for his 

legislation. 

Throughout his time in the Senate FRANK was always 

thinking about the ordinary person. He never forgot that 

they were the people who had sent him to serve; he never 

stopped fighting; and the people of New Jersey knew that. 

They knew they had somebody in the Senate who was looking out for them. 

FRANK and I worked on a number of important issues together. From strengthening and securing our rail system to 

[ 60 ] 

combating bullying with the Tyler Clementi bill, I always 

relished the opportunity to work with such a premier legislator as FRANK was. I feel this loss very personally. 

I again send my most heartfelt condolences to Bonnie and 

to FRANK’s children and grandchildren. I hope they find comfort in knowing that his ideas and his legacy will live on 

through the many lives he saved and touched. 

[ 61 ] 

The Honorable 

Frank R. Lautenberg 

January 23, 1924–June 3, 2013 

United States Senator 

New Jersey 

In Final Tribute from a Grateful Nation 

The Lying in Repose of Senator Lautenberg 

The Senate, United States Capitol 

Washington, D.C. 

June 6, 2013 


81300.004 81300.005
[ 62 ] 

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg 

January 23, 1924–June 3, 2013 


81300.002
[ 63 ] 

‘‘The True Measure of 

a Democracy is Its 

Dispensation of Justice.’’ 

—Senator Frank R. Lautenberg 

This quote is on the exterior plaque on the 

Lautenberg Post Office and Court House 

in Newark, New Jersey 

[ 64 ] 

Program 

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove Rabbi of Park Avenue 

Synagogue, New York 

Rabbi Dan Cohen Rabbi of Sharey TefiloIsrael, South Orange, 

New Jersey 

Senator Robert Menendez Senator from the State of 

New Jersey 

Ellen Lautenberg 

Nan Lautenberg Morgart 

Lisa Lautenberg Birer 

Josh Lautenberg 

Grandchildren 

Brian Stokes Mitchell, 

Tedd First, Musical Director 

Hillary Rodham Clinton Former Secretary of State 

Danielle Englebardt 

Lara Englebardt Metz 

Vice President Joseph Biden 

Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg 

[ 65 ] 

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a contribution 

in memory of Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, please donate 

to one of the following: 

Children’s Environmental Health Center 

American Friends of Hebrew University 

Lautenberg Center of Tumor Immunology 


81300.003
[ 66 ] 

Honorary Pallbearers 

Senator Barbara Boxer Dr. Martin Goldman 

Senator Maria Cantwell Mr. Stephen Greenberg 

Senator Benjamin Cardin Mr. Douglas Hendel 

Senator Dick Durbin Dr. James Holland 

Senator Dianne Feinstein Mr. Arthur Imperature 

Senator Al Franken Mr. Stuart Katzoff 

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Mr. Brad Krevoy 

Senator Tom Harkin The Judlowe/Reisner Family 

Senator Pat Leahy Mrs. Christina Lautenberg 

Senator Carl Levin Mr. Josh Lautenberg 

Senator Bob Menendez Mr. Corey Metz 

Senator Barbara Mikulski Mr. Joe Morgart 

Senator Patty Murray Dr. David Nochimson 

Senator Harry Reid Dr. Frank Nochimson 

Senator Chuck Schumer Mr. Ken Nochimson 

Senator Richard Shelby Mr. Howard Rich 

Senator Marco Rubio Dr. Phil Steig 

Governor Jon Corzine Mr. Joseph Taub 

Ambassador Elizabeth 

Bagley 

Mrs. Marilyn Taub 

Mr. Doug Birer Mr. Edward Turen 

Mr. Stanley Bogen Dr. Alex Weintrob 

Mr. Norman Braman Mr. Michael Weisman 

Mrs. Judy Glickman Mr. Andrew Zaro 

A special thank you to all our family, friends and 

unbelievable Lautenberg staff, past and present, ADP and 

Senate, for their dedication, support and love. 

[ 67 ] 

Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove. Psalm 23, a psalm of David. 

‘‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me 

to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still 

waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in straight paths 

for his name’s sake. Yea though I walk through the valley 

of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with 

me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepare a 

table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou has 

anointed my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely 

goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. 

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.’’ 

Early Monday morning, the soul of Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG passed into God’s eternal embrace. A life journey of 

89 years. Son of New Jersey; World War II veteran; businessman; public servant; statesman; loving son; brother; husband; father; grandfather; and mensch; through and through. 

Ending with a final breath sealed with the kiss of the Divine. 

As a Nation, we acknowledge Vice President Biden, Governor Christie, Secretary Ray LaHood, Secretary Clinton, 

distinguished U.S. Senators, distinguished Members of the 

House of Representatives, officials from the great State of 

New Jersey, Consul General Ido Aharoni, honored guests. 

As a Nation, as colleagues, as family and friends, we gather in sacred space to mourn our loss, to give due honor to 

Senator LAUTENBERG’s noble deeds and high ideals and most 

of all to offer comfort to the bereaved family in their sorrow. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG, EPHRAIM BEN SHMUEL V’MASHA, son 

of Sam and Mollie of blessed memory. Brother to Marian and 

her Larry, both of whom we recall here today. Our deepest 

condolences to the children: to Ellen and your Doug; to Nan 

and your Joe; to Lisa and to your Douglas; to Josh and your 

Christina; to Danielle and your Stuart; to Lara and your 

Corey. 

To you Bonnie, our hearts, our prayers are with you, on 

the passing of your beloved. The care, the compassion, that 

you extended to FRANK every step of the way, especially 

these last few days, we commit to supporting you now in 

your loss. 

Senator LAUTENBERG lived to see the greatest blessing, the 

birth of his children’s children, Aaron, Talia, Alexander, 

Johnathan, Lauren, Sarah, Mollie, Madeline, Hannah, Sam, 

Hudson, Avery, and Macy. We pray that each of you shall 

find comfort in the blessing of your grandfather’s memory, 

[ 68 ] 

and always feel the gentle caress of his presence in your 

lives. 

A proud American and a proud Jew, Senator LAUTENBERG’s achievements can be traced to an abiding awareness 

of his roots. The commandment to always remember one’s 

origins. To recall that you were once a stranger in a strange 

land. His values, his agenda, his accomplishments deeply 

personal, if not autobiographical in nature. 

A few examples. Having grown up in the most modest of 

circumstances, a family so poor I’m told they couldn’t afford 

his bar mitzvah, FRANK had to learn very quickly how to 

take care of himself. He came out fighting and he never 

stopped. Throughout his life in the private and the public 

sector he understood the value of hard work. And yet successful as he would become because of where he came from, 

FRANK would always be a man of the people and for the people, never forgetting his humble start. Ever present was the 

memory of his loving father Sam who died too young, when 

FRANK was but a teenager, a casualty of the silk mills in 

which he labored. He lived with the memory of his father 

running his fingers across the machine filled with accumulated soot, the Senator’s lifelong commitment to workplace 

and chemical safety embedded in the very conditions his father faced, and some still face, each and every day. 

Alternatively, the Senator was well aware of the blessing 

of the GI bill that provided him with the opportunity to raise 

himself up following the war, an awareness that would impel 

him to help others achieve the American dream for which he 

was so grateful. So too, the Senator would always be an advocate on behalf of women’s causes, not just because he was 

surrounded by the strong women of his family throughout 

his life, though I’m sure that was part of it, but because he 

forever recalled the injustice of seeing his mother being laid 

off following the war. 

Senator LAUTENBERG was not one to look back, certainly 

not with regret, but he understood that an awareness of 

one’s past informs one’s present and future priorities. Whatever the cause may have been—the environment, cancer research, the United Jewish Appeal, legislation facilitating the 

emigration of Russian Jewry, his commitments to Israel— 

one may understand the Senator’s lifetime of personal, legislative, and philanthropic commitments as windows into his 

soul. No matter what one’s station in this world, life only has 

meaning insofar as it is directed toward the betterment of 

those around us. Senator LAUTENBERG understood it to be 

[ 69 ] 

his mission, his obligation, to leave this world for his grandchildren in better condition than which it was received. 

But as much as his outward achievements, perhaps it was 

the Senator’s personal demeanor that speaks his story. In 

every exchange we ever had, he more than exemplified 

Kipling’s poetic ideal of being able to walk with kings while 

never losing the common touch. Whether it was a schmooze 

after synagogue, sitting side by side at an event, celebrating 

a family occasion or a Sabbath meal or hearing of his grandchildren, I was always struck by how totally human he was. 

That beneath the formality and the titles, a profound humility, a genuine kindness, and a terrific sense of humor—his 

jokes, funny even on the second, third, or fourth telling—I 

will forever be grateful for the constant kindness and encouragement that he and you, Bonnie, and the whole family extended to me personally and to this community. 

There is both a sting and a poetic comfort that Senator 

LAUTENBERG should pass at this time of year, as Jews in this 

synagogue and around the world should read of the decree 

that Moses having led the Israelites out of Egypt and 

through the wilderness would not enter the Promised Land. 

None of us ever live to see the fullness of that for which we 

toil. By definition it extends beyond the horizon of our mortality. Yet it is in this realization that we come to understand that the measure of a life is not found in a win-loss 

column, some sort of cosmic balance sheet. Rather the difference between success and failure is whether we did the 

best given the hand we were dealt, whether we helped solve 

the problems of our day, whether we addressed the needs of 

the hour, and whether we squeezed every moment for all its 

worth. 

As Theodore Roosevelt famously counseled, ‘‘It’s not the 

critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong 

man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done 

them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually 

in the arena. Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and 

blood. Who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short 

again and again. If he fails at least he fails while daring 

greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and 

timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.’’ 

Every day of his life Senator LAUTENBERG dared greatly. 

He left it all out on the field. He gave of his passions toward 

the betterment of this country and his common humanity. 

He was the consummate man in the arena, never amongst 

the souls too timid to fight. Be it his allies or adversaries, 

[ 70 ] 

all agree that Senator LAUTENBERG’s life was impelled by 

causes and ideals larger than him. Ever grateful for the opportunities afforded to him. Ever mindful of his obligations 

to those making the same struggle. 

A final thought. As a young rabbi separated from the Senator by multiple generations, in reflecting on some of his 

more well-known legislative accomplishments—a legal drinking age, a ban on smoking on commercial flights, aviation 

safety, the establishment of national parks and otherwise— 

I’m struck by the feeling and the question of how it could 

have been possible to have thought or lived otherwise. In 

other words, to realize that those matters which were undoubtedly fierce debates in their time, pioneering stances for 

which the Senator withstood withering criticism, now in retrospect appear as inevitable and obvious as they seem necessary. As such, the untimely passing of Senator LAUTENBERG leaves us with the weighty and inspiring question of 

what priorities sat on his present and prescient agenda that 

will in the years to come similarly be understood in retrospect as inevitable, obvious, and necessary. It’s a question 

that fortunately need not languish interminably without action. After all, today we commit ourselves not just to honoring his memory, but as he would have done, leverage that 

awareness toward shaping our future, to pick up the charge, 

to lay the foundation for the next generation, and in doing 

so, assure that his memory, the memory of Senator FRANK

LAUTENBERG, EPHRAIM BEN SHMUEL V’MASHA, is for a blessing, amen. 

Rabbi Dan Cohen. The 15th Psalm begins with a question: 

‘‘Adonai, our God, who may abide in your house who may 

dwell upon your holy mountain. Those who are upright who 

do justly, who speak the truth within their hearts, who do 

not slander others or wrong them or bring shame upon them, 

who scorned the lawless but honor those who revere God, 

who give their word and no matter what they do not retract. 

Who do not exploit others or take advantage. Those who live 

in this way, they shall never be shaken.’’ 

Today we honor a man who truly lived in this way. When 

I first came to Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange, 

New Jersey, 21 years ago I was thrilled to discover that 

among the congregation’s membership was one Senator 

FRANK LAUTENBERG. Having grown up in a household that 

defined itself by its liberal democratic values, Senator LAUTENBERG was a household name, an iconic figure. Someone 

who earned the admiration of my parents and our family 

[ 71 ] 

friends. Not easy. Here was a man who like my father, was 

the son of Jewish immigrants. A man who worked hard, 

achieved success, and then used that success to do good in 

the world, both through his philanthropy and his political involvement. Senator LAUTENBERG never forgot those humble 

beginnings, and those memories fueled his passion and commitment to tikkun olam, to making a difference in the lives 

of others. I was honored each Jewish New Year to welcome 

the Senator to our bimah, our pulpit, to have him lead the 

prayer for the State of Israel, and then together with his 

New Jersey congregation to read the prayer for our Nation’s 

leaders. A privilege each and every year. 

A decade or so ago, I stopped being the rabbi who had the 

privilege to serve the congregation to which Senator FRANK

LAUTENBERG belonged, and simply became the rabbi who 

was privileged to call FRANK, friend. I treasured my conversations with him. I was honored when he would call and 

ask a question about some aspect of Jewish tradition, or discuss some other subject that was on his mind. I loved being 

able to ask for his input and insights. How many congregational rabbis are able to turn to a sitting U.S. Senator for 

input on their High Holiday sermons? 

Without a doubt, one of my proudest days as a rabbi, actually in my life, was the day he invited me to open the Senate 

session. What an honor it was to be standing on the Senate 

floor next to my Senator, next to my friend. 

A few weeks ago, FRANK called and said we needed to talk 

about the inevitable. I told him I hoped the inevitable would 

be a long way off. He laughed and said that he did as well. 

Then he said he wanted to make sure he was remembered 

not only for his love of family and for his accomplishments, 

but also as someone who loved his country, a true patriot, 

and someone who never forgot his roots, someone who dedicated his life to helping those who are most vulnerable in 

our society. He told me he wanted to be remembered as a 

man from humble beginnings who did good, and then used 

those opportunities provided to him to do the same for others. I told him I was sure that all those attributes and many 

more would be mentioned frequently when the time came. I 

then joked about some of the other things I might say about 

him. He laughed and said, ‘‘Stick to the script, Dan.’’ In addition to everything else, FRANK LAUTENBERG had a sense of 

humor. He was a great guy. Today I stand here as Senator 

FRANK LAUTENBERG’s rabbi. As a proud native of New Jersey. As an American. And as one of the many people who 

[ 72 ] 

will miss a dear friend, a cherished friend. May his memory 

be for a blessing each and every day. Amen. 

Senator Robert Menendez. Over these last 2 days, I have 

described FRANK LAUTENBERG as one of the most tenacious 

men I have ever known—and he was very tenacious—but in 

the best sense of the word. It came from his deep and abiding belief in always holding on, in always fighting on—a tenacity forged in the crucible of a life that began in humble 

beginnings in Paterson, New Jersey. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG was a man for his time, one of the 

Greatest Generation, the last in the Senate to have served 

in World War II. His story was an American story, but—in 

his heart and for his lifetime—he was a man from New Jersey, a kid from Paterson. 

His father, Sam, worked in the silk mills. He sold coal, he 

farmed, and he once ran a tavern. FRANK lost his father to 

cancer when he was 19, and learned the lesson of hard work, 

having to take a job on nights and weekends until he graduated from Nutley High School, when he joined the Army 

and went to Europe. His tenacity was strengthened as he 

served his country in World War II, made keen with a sharp 

intellect and a wealth of knowledge he gained at Columbia 

University through the GI bill. 

Anyone who knew FRANK knows he was destined to make 

something of himself and he did. He joined two of his boyhood friends to found a very successful business, and he did 

very well. But losing his father, working his way through 

high school, going to war, starting a business, and making 

a success of himself—well, that wasn’t enough for FRANK

LAUTENBERG. He wanted to give something back—he wanted 

to serve the people of New Jersey. 

That’s why he ran for office and it’s why the people of New 

Jersey kept electing him—five times. It was his tenacity that 

led him not to hesitate in taking on powerful interests that 

were juxtaposed to the people’s interest—but to always fight 

on for the people he represented. The chemical industry 

didn’t care for his right-to-know law, but FRANK was tenacious, doing what was right for his constituents and for this 

Nation. The tobacco industry didn’t care for his no smoking 

on airplanes. The NRA and its gun lobby didn’t care for his 

fight for gun control measures that he believed could save 

lives. 

But FRANK always did what he believed was right—always 

was on the side of those who needed a voice, a hand, a 

chance to build a better life, and it was his tenacity that 

[ 73 ] 

kept him going. Even while ill, he didn’t hesitate to come 

back to vote on gun control measures, or to move the nomination of the new EPA administrator, which had been locked 

up in partisan gridlock, because he knew in both cases how 

important it was—and what it could mean in the lives of the 

everyday working families he represented. 

When they commute to work on a PATH train or take Amtrak to visit a relative, the people of New Jersey know 

FRANK LAUTENBERG made it possible. When working class 

New Jerseyans go to the Paterson Great Falls Park—where 

the blood, sweat, and tears of the men and women who powered the industrial revolution flows through the raceways 

and waterwheels along the Passaic—they remember FRANK

LAUTENBERG—fighting to make Paterson Great Falls a National Monument to every working class family in New Jersey and across this Nation. 

To say so many positive things about someone at their memorial, might be seen as the usual gilding of the lily. In 

FRANK’s case it’s simply the truth. I will remember his life 

as a testament to what is possible and I take it as a challenge—as should all of us—to continue the many causes he 

championed. Those who loved, admired, or respected him— 

and who take him to his rest today—will hope to see that 

what he stood for, what he fought for, will come to pass for 

all he served. 

As we remember his life and legacy today, I’m reminded 

of the remarks of Mother Theresa upon the occasion of her 

receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. She said, as she 

was receiving the highest honor our Nation gives to a civilian: ‘‘It is not all the awards or recognitions that matter in 

life, but rather how one has lived their life that matters.’’ In 

that respect, FRANK LAUTENBERG lived an extraordinary and 

exemplary life. 

Bonnie, I’m sure you know that he loved you dearly. Even 

Lady Gaga couldn’t hold a candle to you. He may have loved 

her music, but he loved you more. He was always bragging 

to me about what a beautiful and talented wife he had. He 

was so proud of his children—so proud of the persons they 

had grown to be. He talked about his grandchildren all the 

time and our hearts go out to you and the entire family. I 

know how much you will miss him. 

On Monday, I read a quote on the Senate floor from the 

Old Testament—from Daniel, chapter 12—that is appropriate again today. It says: ‘‘And the wise shall shine brightVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00081 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 74 ] 

ly like the splendor of the firmament . . . And those who lead 

the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.’’ 

FRANK LAUTENBERG tenaciously stood for justice and his 

memory shall be like a constellation showing us the way. 

Thank you, FRANK, for a life well lived and a job well done. 

On behalf of a grateful State and Nation, thank you for your 

faithful service. Farewell, my friend, until we meet again. 

Ellen Lautenberg. There’s no such thing as a perfect parent. However, there is also no such thing as a parent that 

does not have profound influence on their children. 

My father was great at some things and not so good at 

others. He was not what I would call warm and fuzzy. In fact 

in my younger years, I copied some of his more negative habits, like smoking. Yes, he was a smoker at one point, reformed obviously. 

However, gradually I began to subconsciously gravitate toward some of his more positive influences. When I graduated 

college a somewhat shy and unassuming English major, he 

suggested that I take an entry level job at a financial firm 

to learn more about finance. He of course was in business at 

ADP at the time. 

After learning the ropes, I succeeded in moving up the ladder and working at that firm for 10 years. During that time, 

my Dad had run for the U.S. Senate and won his first term, 

a huge change in the direction of his life and mine. 

Both he and my mom had always been very philanthropic 

and community minded. But a few years after he moved to 

the Senate, I found myself leaving finance and entering law 

school, with the intent of pursuing a career in public interest. Although I never really practiced as a lawyer, the education exposed me to a new realm of interests. 

After getting married and having two children, I spent 

time as a volunteer in my community and got involved with 

many worthwhile organizations. A few years ago I received 

a call from an old friend asking if I could get my dad to 

speak at a fundraising event for the Children’s Environmental Health Center. They were excited about his pending 

legislation called the Safe Chemicals Act. He could not attend and I spoke on his behalf, and have been involved with 

them ever since. Last year he did attend, to accept their first 

ever Champion for Children Award. 

As I look back, I can see how he shaped my path, by demonstrating that there are always new opportunities to learn 

and grow, that you must seize those opportunities and make 

[ 75 ] 

the most of them. That one can have an impact on their 

world. 

But this was a small part of his essence. His boundless energy left us all wanting more rest. His speaking Italian to 

waiters in a restaurant; his zest for nature; and always, his 

sense of humor, which carried all of us, and him, through 

some tough times. It never ceased even in his last days. If 

he were here, he would tell the joke about the grandmother 

being on the roof. Some of you might know that joke. I would 

tell it, but I wouldn’t do it justice. 

Finally, he loved his work in the Senate so much that even 

days ago, on a day when he was feeling pretty good, he 

would say, ‘‘I never should have made that retirement 

speech.’’ He really did. 

I hope that I have that kind of optimism and energy when 

I am 89. Thank you Dad for everything you did for us. I love 

you, and will always feel your presence. 

Nan Lautenberg Morgart. Good morning everyone. I am 

FRANK’s second daughter, Nan, or more fondly named by my 

father as Nanny or Banana. I am proud to say that my father and I have much in common. We share a zest for life, 

the love of competition, an energy level that never quits, and 

of course an incredible stubbornness, and the attitude that 

we are always right, and no one else is. 

One might say our relationship was loving, yet volatile. My 

father’s zest for life started when he learned to ski, and he 

instilled that love in all of his children. We would travel to 

Stratton, Vermont, every weekend. There was one particular 

weekend that my father decided to bring our dog and tie our 

luggage to the top of the car. About 2 hours into the trip we 

heard a loud crash. My father pulled to the side of the road 

and we all got out of the car to see that the suitcases had 

ripped off the top of the roof of the car, and our clothes were 

strewn along the highway. After an hour of picking up our 

stuff we just got back in the car and continued on our trip. 

Nothing would stop my dad from seeing his kids ski. He was 

so proud. 

In addition to being a good athlete, he was extremely 

smart and knowledgeable about all business matters, and always tried to prove that he knew everything about everything. I was a marketing rep for IBM during my father’s 

brief retirement from the Senate. He was so bored that he 

called me every day to ask me what I sold that day. I not 

only had a quota from IBM, but an arbitrary quota from my 

dad. He pretended he knew all about every machine that we 

[ 76 ] 

sold. He had claimed that he worked long and hard on an 

IBM 3000 at ADP. I always listened but I never had the 

heart to tell him that machine never existed. I love your 

spirit, Dad. 

There are so many wonderful stories about my father and 

our travels together, as my sister had just spoken about. My 

father had a confidence second to none. He had a kindness, 

sincerity, and believability. As we traveled through Europe 

meeting dignitaries, we would stop at restaurants where my 

father claimed he spoke seven languages fluently. When it 

came time to order, he would use one word from each language to form a sentence. And he did it with such conviction 

that no one questioned its validity. That was my dad, so confident and determined, he owned the room. 

No matter where he was he made everyone feel important, 

from the waiter to Beverly, who took such good care of him. 

And to dignitaries like Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan, he was 

very important to them in keeping Israel strong. 

As I mentioned before, we had a loving, but volatile relationship. You might equate it to a Democrat and a Republican. We would argue and debate, dig in our heels, and 

never bend to the other’s opinions. We were both very stubborn and we each wanted to be right. To this day, I don’t believe we ever heard what the other one was saying. But 

nonetheless, it was the thing that bonded us together. In the 

end, the argument always ended with ‘‘I love you.’’ 

In all the experiences I shared with my dad, I didn’t realize until now that every moment with him was a teaching 

moment. He taught me so much about life and how not just 

to be in the present, but to live it to the fullest on your own 

terms. Through the toughest times with his health, he still 

made us laugh so we wouldn’t cry because during our childhood, crying and quitting was not acceptable. 

I end this tribute to my dad with a song he sang every 

day. It comes from the movie ‘‘Fiddler on the Roof.’’ Its 

meaning, so fitting now, ‘‘Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset. 

Swiftly fly the years, one season following another laden 

with happiness and tears.’’ 

Goodbye Dad, my friend and adversary, I love you, rest in 

peace, and know that your legacy lives on in your 13 grandchildren. 

Lisa Lautenberg Birer. I am going to try and talk, I’m not 

going to get very far I don’t think. So, my daughter Mollie 

is going to read my feelings for me. I will tell you, my name 

is Lisa, I was the third daughter. I was the little one who 

[ 77 ] 

tended to ask all the questions, which always my father 

thought was a question of his authority. So today, he has 

taken my voice away. 

Hi, I am Lisa, the third daughter, and usually referred to 

by my father as Li-Li. Because I was a girl and not the boy 

he hoped for I had to become a sports fanatic because he 

wasn’t going to sit still long enough to be a member of my 

tea party. Instead it was skiing and sailing, Rangers and Giants. He was longing for a change from hanging out with all 

those women. He was raised by his mother Mollie and her 

four sisters: Gert, Ceil, Ruth, Sophie, and his sister Marian. 

All very influential women in his life who showed him tough 

love. They had a lot of advice for FRANK from Paterson, and 

they didn’t waste any time. 

With a strong Jewish foundation he became a member of 

the Army, started ADP with his friends Henry and Joe Taub, 

chairman of UJA and then jumped into the Senate with both 

feet. While completing these accomplishments he didn’t have 

much family time but that made the get-togethers special. So 

you can imagine being surrounded by women, he had a great 

respect for them and all minorities except for one minority, 

known as the son-in-laws. They were worse than any special 

interest group. I remember clearly as my father was about 

to walk me down the aisle he leaned toward my veil and 

whispered, ‘‘It’s not too late you can still change your mind.’’ 

He never forgave my husband for taking me away from the 

great State of New Jersey. For your information—my siblings moved away too. He had enough love for New Jersey 

all on his own. He was proud that ADP began in New Jersey 

and that he represented a place that he cared for so deeply. 

So I conclude with some statistics: 

200 pieces of ‘‘LAUTENBERG for Senate’’ memorabilia in my 

closet 

3,000 pieces of his opponent’s memorabilia that I took down 

during campaigns and buried in my back yard 

6 trips to Israel with my dad to learn about our Jewish heritage 

300 new friends I lost during my freshman year at college 

when Dad raised the drinking age 

20 phones he purchased because he didn’t like how the previous one worked 

100 times he butt-dialed me 

30 times he sang into my answering machine how much he 

hated answering machines 

6 hours he would make us ski without a break 

[ 78 ] 

20 candy bars in his pocket just in case we couldn’t make it 

1,000 feet he fell down a ski slope and then sat up with broken glasses and collar bone and refused to wait for the ski 

patrol 

4 feet of water we were standing in as he told us to stay 

calm, that the sailboat would right itself 

3,000 times he bragged about my college skiing accomplishments long after I graduated 

100 not so nice names his opponents called him; 1 that 

stuck: ‘‘Swamp Dog’’—somehow he turned that into a compliment when he won the election 

4,000 times he reminded us that he was 1 of 100 Senators 

and in detail what he achieved and that he had the greatest staff and friends and colleagues he could ever imagine, 

doing a job that he cherished 

My dad accomplished everything he wanted to in 89 years 

and he brought me and my family along for the journey and 

for that I am so grateful. Dad, I will love you and miss you 

always. 

Li-Li. 

Josh Lautenberg. I’m Josh Lautenberg, the son he was 

waiting for. Then after so many years I waited for him forever and everything we went to it would just take forever. 

I realize very clearly that if he hadn’t had me on the fourth 

try, my mother Lois and he would have had 12 or 15 children. My son Sam is named after my grandfather. I never 

knew my father’s father. It’s not fair, Lisa didn’t tell me she 

was doing a ventriloquist act, and if I had known I would 

have brought my juggling, my chainsaws to entertain everybody, so that was kind of a surprise. 

It’s really true what Ellen said. Just 10 days ago my father 

was saying, ‘‘You know, I really regret retirement, I think 

I’m going to go out and tell them that I take the whole thing 

back, it was just a mistake.’’ He was very serious about it. 

He meant it. Of course I wasn’t of the group of people who 

sort of always said, ‘‘You know FRANK, you should retire, 

you’re getting older, you should just enjoy your life.’’ I was 

always the one who said ‘‘Go for it.’’ Ten days ago I said, 

‘‘Ok! I’ll be there for the rescinding of your retirement speech 

any time.’’ 

There’s really a lot of important people here, it’s a real 

privilege to see you all. I need to point out a group of extremely important people that were just as important to my 

father as his own family and that’s my father’s staff, taking 

[ 79 ] 

up the entire side of the sanctuary. Those were, are, and will 

continue to be his family as well. I worry about you guys. I 

worry about where you’re going to go next. You’re the most 

dedicated people in his life, and I want you to be okay, and 

I want you to have somewhere to go where you can feel as 

satisfied and thrilled and excited about the work you do and 

the future as you did working with, not for, my father. He 

relied on every single one of you, and most of all he loved 

you because you had his back, and you know he always had 

yours. So thank you, for everything you’ve done. Thank you 

for making him the man he is and was and for helping the 

people of New Jersey and this region live better, healthier, 

happier, and more successful lives. Thanks to you all. 

If my father was here he would really love this party. He’d 

say, ‘‘Wow look at all these people. You couldn’t get the 

Israeli Prime Minister or the Pope?’’ But that’s okay. 

FRANK LAUTENBERG was obviously a very important man 

as can be clearly witnessed here today. He was of course a 

great Senator, one of the finest to ever serve in my and 

many other people’s opinions. He championed causes that 

many others were afraid to approach. We’ve heard this 

today. 

My dad was a fighter as everyone here could attest to. 

He never backed down from a battle especially when it 

was in the best interests of the little guy, the citizen seeking 

to realize the American dream the way he had his whole life. 

He defended those who could not defend themselves. He was 

incredibly progressive for someone of his generation. He expected everyone to pay their fair share, including himself. 

I recall a story he told me about sitting at a table with 

over a dozen Senators and overhearing one of them say that 

none of their sons, of all the Senators in the room, would go 

to the gulf war if there was a draft, because they were the 

sons of U.S. Senators. He stood up and protested—saying 

that not only would his son Josh go to war if called, but so 

would the rest of their sons. None of us were more privileged 

than anyone else, and we would go to war if we needed to. 

At another time, when he was told he could not display the 

photos and names of the kids killed in Iraq, he and his staff 

made their own memorial outside his office doors because it 

couldn’t be in the Rotunda. No one would prevent him from 

honoring these fallen heroes. 

No one. He was going to do that because he respected 

them so much. 

[ 80 ] 

I recall one appearance he had on network television 

where the interviewer mentioned to my father that he had 

made quite a few enemies in the Senate. He responded coyly, 

as he always did with a smile, that if he wanted to go somewhere to make friends he would have joined a country club. 

In truth, he enjoyed having enemies. I really think he did. 

As my sister Nan said, he really loved the fight, he liked to 

poke a little bit. He enjoyed being the loudest in the room, 

going against the grain, fighting the good fight. After all, he 

was the scrappy kid from Paterson. He made a point to 

never be beholden to anyone other than the people of New 

Jersey and the Nation. He would never be owned by lobbyists; he would never give in to special interests. 

And no one can say that he didn’t enjoy the title of his job. 

One time years ago he asked me to call for a dinner reservation. The maıˆtre d’ told me the restaurant was full. So 

I had to say, ‘‘Hey Dad, they don’t have any seats.’’ 

Upon reporting the news to my father, he said, ‘‘Call back 

and tell them it’s for Senator LAUTENBERG.’’ I did as he 

asked, and the maıˆtre d’ replied with ‘‘I don’t care if it’s the 

Pope, I don’t have any seats!’’ I put the phone down, and my 

dad asked, ‘‘What did they say?’’ I said, ‘‘They’re really busy 

tonight. Apparently the Pope is there and he’s taking up a 

huge table.’’ 

During campaigns he loved parades and dancing at 

Cuban-American street festivals, but hated fundraising. He 

would jump out of the car and run into gatherings of local 

Democrats in small towns with his sleeves rolled up. And to 

union meetings and breakfasts, but say no thanks, no way 

to meetings with power brokers. My dad didn’t enter politics 

to be famous. He entered politics to give people a voice in 

Washington. Little of what he did was partisan. In fact, most 

of his work was to protect everyone regardless of political affiliation. He was just in there to help everyone, to look out 

for every single person. He was a hero to many, especially 

to me. 

But beyond the corner office in the Hart Building and sitting at Harry Truman’s desk in the Senate Chambers, he 

had the most important job anyone could ever have, much 

more important than being a U.S. Senator. 

He was a father. He was my dad. 

My dad taught me to ski and sail and to love nature. He 

always talked about the sea and encouraged me to look outside and see the birds, to breathe the clean air, thanks to 

him. He taught me the importance of being curious and alVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00088 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 81 ] 

ways asking questions, something I have learned to teach 

my own kids. He brought me to Colorado because he loved 

it so much. That’s the place I now live with my wife and children. Sorry Dad, I know you wanted me in New Jersey, but 

you brought me there. Thank you. 

He had the best sense of humor. He was goofy and jubilant 

and a real smart aleck. 

When we were kids he would sing in a German accent 

while we skied. He would sing, ‘‘You’ve got to bend your 

knees when you ski through the trees, and you have to take 

a pee. Zis is ze skiing song.’’ 

It always involved runny noses, and having to go to the 

bathroom, and all these wonderful things, but in a German 

accent, or Austrian, or something else. 

My father, his staff will tell you, always moved at 100 

miles per hour. It took me years to walk beside him after 

miles of him saying ‘‘C’mon Josh. Keep up. Walk next to me. 

I don’t like you behind me.’’ I couldn’t. I was like the little 

terrier running behind the greyhound. Stories from his staff 

tell of him skipping the Senate train and sprinting from the 

Hart Senate Office Building to the Capitol while aides half 

his age dropped papers on the floor trying to keep up with 

him, frantically. He ran every set of stairs, he always answered the phone ‘‘Heyyyy Josh!! Heyyyy Ellen!! Heyyyy 

Lisa!! Heyyyy Nan!! Heyyyy Bonnie!! Heyyyy Lara!! Heyyyy 

Danielle!!,’’ even in his last days. Because he wanted us to 

know that he was fine. ‘‘I’ve got this. I’m good.’’ 

He thrived on being a pest at times. He was the worst 

backseat driver in the history of backseat drivers. You may 

not know this but right next to the train station, where we’re 

going later, bearing his name is the Frank Lautenberg Personal Driver Rehabilitation Center. It wasn’t funded by taxpayer dollars. The actual drivers paid for it themselves to 

have some place to go to gain their sanity back. I think he 

went through more drivers than coffee. Hey, I was one of his 

drivers for awhile. It was not fun. ‘‘Take a right, take a left.’’ 

‘‘Why can’t we just go straight?’’ ‘‘Ah, because it’s more fun 

to go this way.’’ 

He was the luckiest man in the world. Whenever he came 

to Vail, it snowed. His flights were always on time, and the 

sun came out when he arrived at the beach after it had been 

raining for hours. 

He taught my sisters and me such important lessons on 

life. He reminded us constantly to be humble and to respect 

others regardless of lifestyle, color, or religion. He was so 

[ 82 ] 

progressive for a man of 89 years old. He was so proud of 

his family, his ancestry, his heritage, his mother, his father, 

his aunts, his sisters. 

Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy being the son of FRANK

LAUTENBERG, even before he became a Senator. He was very 

tough on us kids. But in the long run his toughness made 

me work harder to be the best at whatever I was doing. 

As a kid I had the most amazing adventures with my dad. 

We walked the oil-soaked beaches after the Valdez spill in 

Alaska and then we went fly fishing for king salmon. We 

went to Africa on safari. We sailed from Maine and New 

York to Martha’s Vineyard, which is where we almost sank. 

Of course he always thought he knew more about something 

than he did. Just ask the dock repairmen at all the ports we 

pulled into. He’d order food at restaurants in Italian, speak 

German to Germans, attempt Russian with taxi drivers, but 

all the while not really knowing those languages very well. 

But the waiters, and taxi drivers, and the people he met, 

they all appreciated it because it was so sincere and so real. 

That was my father. 

He was my dad, through and through. Many times I notice 

that I have his mannerisms, I’m sure some of you notice it 

in the way I’m speaking now. I have his humor, his facial expressions. I often catch myself saying something my dad 

would say, or crossing my legs the same way he would, making a joke he would make. I laugh sometimes at the things 

I say to people because it’s exactly what my father would 

say. I am who I am today because of my dad. He is and always will be a part of me. It’s genetic. 

I cannot express in words how much I will miss my dad. 

When I heard from my sister early in the morning that he 

was gone, I told my wife Christina that I didn’t know where 

to go from here. I felt really lost, without direction. My dad 

was always the compass in our family. The leader, he always 

knew the way, even if it was the longest way. At this moment I am still not sure how to deal with him leaving us. 

I’m upset about losing my father, but I’m just as upset about 

the people at Amtrak. He was their best friend. I worry 

about the staff, I worry about family, I worry about friends, 

and all the people in this room, and where do we go. But if 

I were to ask him his advice, if I could talk to him right now 

about what to do from here, he would simply say to move 

forward without hesitation, run the stairs, walk fast, and 

grab a hot dog on the way. 

I love you Dad, and I’ll miss you. 

[ 83 ] 

Alex Morgart. Hello, everyone. I would like to thank you all 

for being here. I know my grandfather touched many people’s lives, and it makes me so happy to see so many people 

here that really meant a lot to him. Since my grandfather’s 

passing, the news, social media, and everything in between 

has reported on his accomplishments and defeats that are 

significant to all his friends and colleagues. We as a family 

feel that there is so much more to our grandfather than just 

the legislation that he has gotten passed. 

At one point in my life, I was extremely passionate about 

joining the armed services, just as my grandfather had 

served in World War II. He wanted me to pursue a path in 

life that was a little more safe, was the way he put it. He 

would always tell me the same story over and over. The 

story began with him climbing up a pole, changing some 

wires for the Signal Corps, and 100 yards away a bomb 

would go off, and it would shake the pole. Then the next 

time he told it, the bomb got 50 yards closer, and by the end 

of the story, 6 months later, he said the bomb went off right 

below his feet, shook the pole, he held on by one hand and 

almost got electrocuted. I realized that my grandfather was 

just a truly amazing man. He would always have a story for 

everything to show which path you should try to take and 

which path you should actually take. With all his adventures, he made me realize the dangers associated with being 

a member of the Armed Forces. I have so much appreciation 

for all those that put their lives at risk, and it grew dramatically every time he told the story, and I want to thank all 

of those who have served. Now I’m going to give it over to 

my brother. 

Johnathan Morgart. Fortunately for me, I had the chance 

to see my grandfather recently while he was restrained to 

his wheelchair. In the couple of minutes of seeing him, I 

could tell that he wasn’t pleased with not being able to walk 

and move under his own power. As a way to ease the pain, 

I suggested that maybe I could push him for a bit. His face 

brightened up immediately for a chance to go a little faster 

in his chair, and after enough fighting with his personal assistant, he got his wish. When taking hold of the handles, I 

told him jokingly to get ready for when I started sprinting. 

Although I was never able to really run with him, the pure 

emotions I felt that day when he was genuinely happy and 

trusting me to hold him were surreal. At that point I realized that no matter how tough and stubborn of a man he 

was, there was always a place in his heart for not only me, 

[ 84 ] 

but for all of us grandkids. There wasn’t a more passionate 

and loving man that I’ve known. Even though he could sometimes be tough on us, he cherished us all with the entirety 

of his heart. I truly believed my grandfather would live to be 

at least 250 years old. Pushing himself every waking day. 

His fighting spirit and unwavering toughness led me to 

think that there wasn’t a possible way he would bow down 

to anyone or anything. Unfortunately, the sad truth is no 

one is invincible, not even my grandfather. But even he had 

to be proud of the way he left, kicking and punching all the 

way to the very end. I love him and everything he stands for. 

Quietly expecting perfection without saying it. It’s a constant 

reminder that we can always be better. It will stick with me 

for my entire life, and hopefully I can instill it in others. 

There will never be another man like him, and that’s why 

he’s my Papa. I love you, and I’m always thinking about you. 

You are missed. 

Alex Morgart. I’ve come to realize that every moment I 

spent with my grandfather was a lesson to make me a better 

person. I will live my life by the virtues that he instilled in 

me, and I will hope that one day I can pass them on. Papa, 

I will always love you and keep you in my heart and mind. 

Whenever I need guidance I know you’re there for me. 

Mollie Birer. Hello, I am Mollie Birer, the oldest granddaughter of FRANK LAUTENBERG. My grandfather is the 

greatest man I’ve ever met, and although he’s no longer with 

us the things he’s done, not only for my family, his State, our 

country, and even places as far as Israel, will continue to affect each and every one of us every single day. Next year, I 

will be attending George Washington University, which is 

approximately three blocks from his apartment. One of the 

major pluses of attending this university was that my grandfather would be very close by. I knew he would be there 

whenever I needed someone or ran out of money on my food 

card. Every day when I walk around Washington, DC, the 

city in which my Papa was such a large part of, I will think 

of him and all the wonderful things he has done. I will miss 

him every day and he will forever be in my heart and memory. I hope that my contributions to this world will be even 

a fraction of what my grandfather has accomplished. I love 

you Papa, rest in peace. 

Aaron Hendel. Hi, my name is Aaron Hendel, the third eldest grandchild of the late Senator LAUTENBERG, or as I prefer to call him, my Papa FRANK. As sad as I am that Papa 

[ 85 ] 

is no longer with us, like those who spoke before me, Rabbi 

Cosgrove, Rabbi Cohen, Senator Menendez, my mother, 

aunts, uncle, and cousins, I’d rather take an opportunity to 

talk a little bit about what made Papa so great in my eyes. 

After all, as several friends and family have put it in preparation for the ceremony today, today should be a day to celebrate Papa’s incredible life, and not just mourn his passing. 

Papa could, and did, befriend anyone and everyone, no matter how long it took. He didn’t care who he was talking to. 

He made all of his acquaintances feel special. He always had 

time to be courteous, was intrigued by all the people he ever 

came in contact with, and often spent hours, if not days, telling me about all these people. 

This brings me to a story that occurred around 5 years 

ago, at the locally adored Pals Diner in West Orange, New 

Jersey. Papa took our entire family to lunch at Pals one 

afternoon, and after we had finished eating, we were hanging out and chatting on the lower level of the restaurant. Before we headed off, Papa decided to use the bathroom. Just 

after he entered the bathroom, a man who was not with us 

and did not know any of us walked in from outside and then 

into that same bathroom. As the door to the bathroom closed, 

we heard a very loud shriek of delight from this man, who 

just so happened to stumble into the same bathroom as his 

Senator, and could not believe his good fortune in meeting 

him. But Papa did not simply say hello and go on with his 

day. On the contrary, Papa did not emerge from the bathroom for close to 10 minutes. 

During that span of time, my family and I heard continuous laughter from our position outside the bathroom, and 

all the while we were wondering what could these two men 

who have never met each other in their lives possibly be 

talking about and laughing about in a diner bathroom. Finally, the man exited the bathroom with a full-fledged grin 

on his face. It was clear that Papa not only made him happy 

in that moment, but that he made this man’s day. This man 

seemed surprised that a busy politician such as Papa took 

the time to connect with a total stranger such as himself. 

But had he met Papa before that day, it would just have 

been a regular moment. This story acts as a perfect microcosm to who Papa was and the lasting impression he has left 

on me and all of you before me. He always had time to make 

an impact on someone’s life. If he didn’t have time, he made 

time. That, I think, is the biggest reason he decided to enter 

politics in the first place. He wanted to make an impact in 

[ 86 ] 

the biggest way possible, and he did not accept accomplishing anything less than that. It is because of his love and 

caring for others that Papa was able to make so many 

friends over the years and achieve so much, and above all 

other reasons, I think that is why you are all here to celebrate Papa’s life with me today. Because he always took the 

time to do whatever he could to improve a life, whether it 

was mine, yours, or a total stranger’s who he’d bumped into 

in a restroom one day. So with that, I would like to thank 

you all for coming here today. Papa would be so excited to 

see so many friends and family members together in the 

same place as my Uncle Josh alluded to before. It would 

mean so much to him, just as it means so much to my family 

and me. Thank you. 

Maddie Birer. Hi, I’m Maddie Birer. I can say that my 

grandfather is probably the most dedicated, loyal, and hardworking person I’ve ever met. He fought to make the world 

a better place environmentally, medically, politically, and in 

many more ways. Back when I was around 5 years old, Papa 

took all of us to Sterling Forest, and we all planted trees. He 

taught us that each one of us doing something little, like 

planting trees, can have a long effect on the world. He always taught us things that pertained to everyday life like 

speaking up, working hard, and fighting for what we believe 

in. Papa was very supportive of funding for cancer and type 

I diabetes research hoping to find cures. People all over the 

world struggle on a day-to-day basis with these diseases and 

to have someone like my grandfather dedicate his time and 

money to a cure, really helped people have hope. My grandfather touched the hearts of many people, mine being one of 

them. One day I hope to help people just like he did and 

make a difference in this world. Love you, Papa, rest in 

peace. 

Talia Hendel. Hello, I’m Talia, his sixth grandchild. Two 

days ago, one of the most important people in my life passed 

away. He was the greatest man, grandfather, and Senator, 

creating a huge impact on not just my life, but also the fortunate people of New Jersey and the rest of the country. He 

taught me so many important things that helped shape the 

person that I’ve become and will become in the future, including the importance of hard work, dedication, how to fight 

for a cause that I truly believe in, and so much more. He 

taught me how to be a leader by watching him make speechVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00094 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 87 ] 

es and vote to make the State of New Jersey and the entire 

country a better place. 

He accomplished more in his lifetime than I could ever 

hope to accomplish, and in everything he did, he made someone’s life a little bit happier and a little bit better. I will always try to achieve my goals, work my hardest, and do my 

best for him. I’ll always remember his incredible sense of 

humor and how he always began our conversations with a 

joke or just by goofing around. He always put a smile on my 

face the second I saw him or heard his voice on the phone. 

The Senate was such a big and important part of his life 

and it became an exciting and special part of mine. He always made sure that he included time with his family 

throughout his career whether it was campaigning together 

or just sitting in his office in the Capitol. 

There’s a newspaper picture, very special to me, which 

hangs in my room. It is of him holding me while awaiting 

election returns in 2002 when I was 5. Whenever I look at 

that picture, I think of all the fun and special times that I 

spent with him doing many things that 5-year-olds don’t 

usually get to do. I remember the lively and bright glimmer 

in his eyes whenever I accompanied him to something work 

related. He truly loved nothing more than working to help 

people, and I loved watching him be so happy. 

I was also fortunate to know the more personal side of 

him. I loved his visits to my house where I often showed him 

my latest school accomplishments and talked about my recent sports. From eating bagels on a Sunday morning, to 

walking through the Capitol, every moment I spent with him 

was special, and I’m so grateful to have those memories. Although I won’t be able to make any more, I will cherish the 

memories I made with him forever. 

No one could come close to deserving the amount of respect 

that he deserves, and that I have and will always have for 

him. Papa, thank you for always making time to spend with 

our family and always putting a smile on my face. I love you, 

and will remember everything you’ve done and the impact 

you’ve made on me forever. Thank you. I couldn’t have asked 

for a better man to call my grandfather, and I’m so proud to 

be called your granddaughter. I love you, Papa. 

Lauren Morgart. Hi, my name is Lauren Morgart. I am the 

fourth oldest granddaughter. Thank you all for being here on 

this special day for our family. On Wednesday, June 3, at 

4:02 a.m., our grandfather sadly passed away. I never had 

the chance to say goodbye to him. He has done so much for 

[ 88 ] 

our country, and I can’t help but thank him enough. It 

means so much to us that you could make the time to come 

and share the love with us. Papa was a very special man in 

my life. He made the people of New Jersey very proud. I love 

you very much. Rest in peace. 

Hannah Lautenberg. I’m Hannah Lautenberg. I am the 

fifth oldest granddaughter. He taught us so many important 

lessons that we will never forget. He taught us how to fight 

strong and hard and the importance of hard work. One of the 

many lessons that he taught us that we will always remember is how to be a leader. We have learned this by watching 

him on live TV and watching him make speeches in front of 

thousands of people. We love you very much Papa, rest in 

peace. 

Sarah Morgart. Hi my name is Sarah Morgart. I am Papa 

FRANK’s 9-year-old granddaughter. I wanted to make a 

speech for my Papa because he is my biggest hero. He was 

smart, funny, and I loved him dearly. While he was busy 

working for the people of New Jersey, he always made time 

to see me, his grandkid. My favorite memory of him is when 

he would sit me on his lap, and we would hug each other so 

tight while he made up silly songs about me. They always 

made me laugh. He always loved hearing about all sports 

and activities I do. I would always cheer him on. Now, Papa, 

I would like to cheer you on. Be brave and proud of all you 

have accomplished in your lifetime, and know that you have 

taught me that by making other people happy, I can do great 

things too. Love you, Papa, and always will. 

[Musical interlude. Brian Stokes Mitchell] 

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. As I was 

getting up from the pew and moving into the aisle, the Vice 

President said, ‘‘Good luck, following that.’’ Actually that had 

crossed my mind as I was listening to Brian. FRANK would 

have loved that. I could see the casket vibrating. 

Like so many of my colleagues from the Senate who are 

here, I had the great privilege of serving with FRANK, and 

I found myself often sitting with him in the back row. FRANK

came back to the Senate, as you know, after retiring the first 

time, and missing the work and the advocacy and just the 

opportunity to speak his mind and do things for his constituents. When you first come to the Senate, you’re assigned a 

seat, and it’s usually in the back. I would often be sitting 

with FRANK when we had what are affectionately called 

[ 89 ] 

votaramas. That’s where you vote constantly for many hours. 

You cast the vote, you go back, sit down, mill around, talk, 

and FRANK always had something to say. It was usually a 

running commentary about what we were doing and what 

we were not doing. All of us got very used to hearing those 

jokes, which have been referred to, but you’d sit with FRANK

and you just couldn’t help but have a smile on your face at 

least one time during the conversation, and as FRANK would 

say, ‘‘It’s not where you sit that counts, it’s where you 

stand.’’ There was never any doubt where he stood. 

He did stand with those families who keep their children 

safe from toxic chemicals, from smoking, from drunk driving. 

He stood with the victims of gun violence and HIV/AIDS. He 

stood with veterans trying to follow in his footsteps and go 

from service to school to success in civilian life. He stood 

proudly with the working people of New Jersey trying to provide for their families, to build businesses like FRANK and 

his two friends had—to pursue the American dream. He 

stood with the riders of Amtrak, and most of all, he stood as 

we have seen so beautifully today, with his beloved family. 

He would talk about you all the time. He would invoke you 

from the Senate floor, especially the grandchildren, explaining why he fought so hard for what he believed in. It was 

always for you. And for all children and the children yet to 

come. 

FRANK was also a steadfast champion of women’s rights 

and opportunities. I have heard now perhaps why he had to 

be. But I have to tell you, I was talking with some of my 

friends, who are still serving so incredibly well in the Senate 

today. We did consider him kind of an honorary member of 

the Women’s Senators Club. Barbara Mikulski, the longest 

serving woman in the Senate, has a phrase for those of our 

male colleagues who really go the extra mile on behalf of 

women. She calls them our Galahads. FRANK was one of 

them, but he would have been the first to say he was doing 

it for his daughters and for his granddaughters. 

Now, when he left the Senate the first time in 2000, he 

mused on the future. He hoped that someday one of his 

grandchildren would open a history book and say, ‘‘There is 

my grandfather.’’ He was the one who stopped smoking on 

airplanes. He was the one who raised the drinking age to 21 

saving thousands of families from having to mourn the loss 

of a child. These are things to help this country that last far 

beyond his service in the Senate. Well, we don’t have to wait 

[ 90 ] 

for the history books. These young men and women who we 

have heard from could not be prouder of their Papa. 

Let me offer one more memory that stayed with me for a 

long time. In 1999, when I was First Lady, FRANK and I 

went together to Fort Dix in New Jersey to meet the first 

planeload of refugees fleeing the conflict in Kosovo. There 

were more than 400 people, tired and scared, many of them 

women and children with little more than the clothes on 

their backs. The general in charge said he wanted to welcome the refugees just as his own grandparents had been 

welcomed at Ellis Island. I watched FRANK talk with the 

families, put his arm around them. This was a man who had 

grown from poverty in Paterson, this veteran who helped liberate Europe in World War II, whose own parents had come 

through Ellis Island with nothing but a dream, who had 

written a law that allowed more than 400,000 people to escape religious persecution by coming to the country he loved. 

Here he was again representing the best of who we are as 

Americans. Now to our surprise and concern, FRANK and I 

noticed that one of the women coming off the plane was very 

pregnant and quite dehydrated. She was rushed to a nearby 

hospital on a stretcher. The next day she gave birth to a little boy. I remember how proud FRANK was, that this baby 

was born, he said, in freedom, in security, in New Jersey. 

And how incredibly moved he was when the parents decided 

to name that little boy America, after the country that welcomed him. FRANK just loved that. 

Now the late Robert Byrd, a dear friend to so many of us, 

once took to the floor to pay tribute to FRANK. He quoted, as 

only Senator Byrd could, a poem by Emerson that asks: 

What makes a nation great? The answer is not gold or arms, 

but leaders who stand fast and suffer long. Who work while 

others sleep. Who dare while others fly. FRANK LAUTENBERG

was such a leader. He dared greatly, and he led boldly, and 

we are safer, stronger, and more prosperous because he did. 

Our hearts are with his wonderful family. You know, he 

loved and he was loved, and after all, that’s what makes a 

great life. Thank you, FRANK. 

Danielle Englebardt. I’m Danielle, or as FRANK liked to 

call me Dan, or Step One. My sister, Step Two. 

To most people here, to the people of New Jersey, and to 

the world, FRANK was an accomplished man on many levels, 

most notably in business, as a philanthropist, and in his role 

as a truly effective, passionate, and fiery public servant who 

leaves a treasure trove of legislation and legacies that will 

[ 91 ] 

impact us for generations to come. I admired, respected, and 

learned that from FRANK. 

I adored and cherished my FRANK. Or FRANKYPOO as I 

often called him. The misfortune of losing my father at 7 

years old has stayed with us forever, but when my mom 

brought FRANK into our lives, he became our great fortune. 

Well, not exactly at first. Early on, I think it would be safe 

to say that we hated each other. We had terrible battles because FRANK was never wrong, and I neither understood nor 

cared what he said or was, I am sorry to say. Now I do. I 

just knew he was a man spending time with my mom. 

FRANK was a fighter. In his public life he fought for things 

he passionately believed in, but in his private life, he fought 

sometimes just because he felt like fighting, and he wanted 

to be right. But in both of FRANK’s worlds, he was incredibly 

stubborn and incredibly passionate. 

As the years passed, our relationship developed into one of 

mutual understanding and respect for each other, and it 

turned into one of the best friendships I have ever known. 

We would still fight at times, but the fights would end with 

a smile and one or both of us saying, ‘‘You’re wrong, but I 

still love you,’’ and we would move on. 

When my mom and FRANK finally decided to make it official after 16 years of dating, not only was I thrilled for them, 

but I was so happy I could finally refer to them as my parents. Even though it felt like he was family for so long, 

somehow making it legal was so meaningful. 

I’m not sure when, but somewhere in the last 25 years, 

FRANK became my dad. He cared about me, worried about 

me, protected me, comforted me when I was sad or heartbroken, and looked at me like a father looks at his daughter, 

his beautiful blue eyes would light up when I walked into a 

room, and I felt his love so deeply. 

We could talk and laugh for hours or just look at the other 

and know what the other was thinking. We respected and 

cared about each other’s thoughts, opinions, and feelings, 

and I always loved dancing with him at parties, where he 

was always the last man standing, with me as his date at 

events when my mom was unavailable, skiing with him, and 

just hanging out at home. 

I loved watching him make others laugh. He had such a 

knack for it. At a White House holiday party, FRANK thought 

it would be fun to introduce me to the late Senator Thurmond. Senator Thurmond said to me, ‘‘Nice to meet you, you 

look like you need a big hug,’’ and boy, did I get one. He was 

[ 92 ] 

a strong man for his age and surprisingly affectionate. 

FRANK was hysterical. He knew I would get a greeting along 

those lines and loved setting me up for it. FRANK loved telling a joke, a funny story, or playing a prank, but what he 

really loved, was the reaction of the person or the group he 

was engaging. His joy came from seeing the joy of others. 

In recent months while FRANK was sick and reflecting on 

his life he would often say to me, ‘‘You are not my blood, but 

you are mine.’’ FRANKYPOO, you were and you will always be 

mine too. One of my dearest friends, the smartest and silliest 

person I have ever and will ever have known, my protector, 

and the most special second dad to me. I am heartbroken 

that you are physically gone, but I am honored and lucky to 

have had your friendship and love for so long. And Hudson 

was lucky to have you as his Papa. I know you will watch 

over us and protect us like you always did. 

When you meet Hank Englebardt, my dad, I know you’ll 

love each other. You have a lot in common, that you loved 

and cared for my mom, Lara, and me, and had a great love 

of life. I know you two will have a great time exchanging stories about Bonnie for eternity. Please tell him that we love 

him and miss him and we thank him for sending you to us. 

FRANK, you brought great joy, excitement, positivity, and 

love to my life, and I will be forever grateful for the time we 

had together. Rest in peace, I love you. 

Lara Englebardt Metz. Dear FRANK, It’s hard to imagine 

life without you. It seems like yesterday when Mom told me 

about her new special friend whom I wasn’t exactly eager to 

meet. The early days were tough and our personalities didn’t 

gel. I didn’t get you, and you didn’t get me. 

It wasn’t until the fifth grade when I was studying the 

new smoking laws, when I began to appreciate, respect, and 

maybe even like you. Our assignment was loose. Prepare a 

project related to the smoking ban on airplanes. My classmates labored over posters, dioramas, and models. I walked 

in with a recorded interview with you. This marked the beginning of a very meaningful and special relationship. And 

I got an A! 

Our family of three soon became a family of four. You became a permanent fixture with the Englebardt girls, and the 

male role model Danielle and I needed. My mom chose very 

well. Our country needs more role models like you. You 

taught us to fight hard for what you believe in and you 

worked tirelessly so your grandchildren and future generations could live in a better world. 

[ 93 ] 

FRANK, there are so many things I will miss about you. 

I will miss your endless phone calls, especially when you 

wanted to send flowers to Mom. Whether it was her birthday, anniversary, or apology flowers—and there were plenty 

of those over the years—you would call and say, ‘‘Hey Lar, 

I want to send flowers to Bon. What’s the name of the flower 

shop you like?’’ I would roll my eyes and yell at you and give 

you the same answer. ‘‘FRANK, I’ve given you the name and 

number a million times. Linda has the number, it’s on your 

iPhone and your computer.’’ But of course I’d give it to you 

again, we would chat about the kids, catch up, and be on our 

way. I choose to believe you always had the number accessible but just wanted to call and say hello. 

I will miss our weekly dinners, usually at an Italian restaurant where you loved to use your restaurant Italian. The 

only phrase you could say was no aglio, which means no garlic. You said it to the waiters, busboys, and coat check ladies. 

I even think you said no aglio when we were in Japanese 

restaurants. 

I will miss you terribly this summer when my girls are on 

the swing set and I look up to your bedroom terrace and you 

aren’t there. Oh how you adored watching them. I will be 

waiting for you to interrupt us when we are watching television. You never understood why we didn’t stop watching 

when you walked in the room. I will miss you every time I 

pass the roasted corn stand on the side of the road. The simplest things in life gave you the most pleasure. You would 

walk into the house with a bag of freshly roasted corn, with 

a smile on your face, just like a kid in a candy store. ‘‘Hey 

Lar, have you ever tried this roasted corn?’’ Every weekend, 

the same corn, the same dialog, the same simple pleasure. 

I will miss your bright smile, the twinkle in your beautiful 

baby blues, and the sound of your whistle the moment you 

saw Avery and Macy. 

FRANKY, our country has a lost a giant of a man. But I’ve 

lost my stepfather and very special friend who completes our 

family. To your wonderful children, Danielle and I thank you 

for sharing your dad with us. Avery and Macy will be so 

proud when they learn about American history and understand the true American hero they called Papa. 

One last thing, your pal Corey wants to give you a little 

advice. Wherever you may be, keep your head down, the fairway is wide open for you. 

Rest in peace. We love you! 

[ 94 ] 

Vice President Joseph Biden. Well, if there’s a definition 

of redundant, I’m it. By the way, Josh, I’m representing the 

Pope. As Bonnie knows, FRANK used to call me the only 

Catholic Jew he knew. 

Hillary, I think you were thinking the same thing I was 

when he was talking. I just wish the whole country could 

have heard all of you, not even about Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG, but just about the definition—you are the living 

definition of what it means to be a successful man. I really 

mean that. I have, as a lot of my colleagues have, spoken at 

more eulogies than I’d like to remember. I advise you all— 

you’ve already all broken the rule I advise people to observe: 

Never make a good eulogy. You’ll be asked again and again. 

All kidding aside, I mean, what a testament to FRANK’s 

life. Nothing any of us, including me, nothing I could say 

could define what a man he was more than you’ve all spoken. 

To the grandchildren, there’s not a one of us who knew 

FRANK—and I knew him over 25 years—who didn’t know all 

of you. Until I had grandchildren, when I would try to match 

him, and then he’d stop. My wife says I’m the most obnoxious grandfather in the world. No, wrong. FRANK was the 

most obnoxious grandfather in the world. 

By the way, Danielle, I knew Strom Thurmond so well, literally I was asked to do his eulogy. I did his eulogy. This is 

a lot easier. But I want to tell you something. I knew Strom 

Thurmond well, and he would be proud of your recollection. 

He’d be proud of the way you described it. Oh, gosh, I’m 

about to get myself in trouble. 

Bonnie, I’m sure, like Senator Menendez and Secretary 

Clinton, I’m truly honored to be included to ask to speak 

about a guy who was my friend. I know from experience that 

there’s nothing anyone can say outside the family that can 

do anything to fill that void you feel right now. You feel like 

there’s sort of an emptiness in your chest and you get sucked 

into it. I know from personal experience that profound loss 

just takes time. I realize that it’s beyond my capacity to find 

the words to do justice to FRANK LAUTENBERG. Obviously I 

can’t do justice for what he meant to all of you, or even what 

he meant to me and to this country. 

But if you’ll excuse, as they used to say in the Senate and 

they still do, I say it to all my colleagues—excuse the point 

of personal privilege, FRANK was one of my closest friends in 

the Senate. We served together, worked—just because of 

[ 95 ] 

Delaware and New Jersey, that’s how it started off. We had 

so much we worked together on. 

I remember when I met FRANK. It was in 1975; I was a 

young U.S. Senator, had been in office 3 years, and FRANK

was chairman of the United Jewish Appeal. I went to see 

FRANK and he asked me to speak. We immediately—and I 

mean immediately—became friends. 

The thing that I admired about FRANK so much is that he 

always thought in terms of what he could do, what he should 

do. He always thought practically: What can I do to make it 

better? There wasn’t some great theological debate that he 

had with himself. It was real simple to FRANK, at least in my 

observation. There was a problem, so we should fix it. 

I believe that the Greek philosopher Heraclides was correct when he said, ‘‘character is destiny.’’ Character is destiny. For everything else about FRANK, those who agreed, 

disagreed, liked, disliked FRANK, they all acknowledge 

FRANK had great character, exceptional character. We saw 

that not only in how he lived his life, but how he died: serving the people of New Jersey till the very end. 

By the way, I know you joked, Josh, about your dad saying 

he wished he hadn’t made that speech. Bonnie will tell you 

he started at Christmastime last, calling me—he had to see 

me. I said, ‘‘FRANK, are you okay?’’ He said, ‘‘No, no, I’ve got 

to see you, but I don’t want to talk to you on the phone.’’ Because we were in the midst of another fiscal cliff and crisis 

in the Senate, it didn’t quite work out. I remember, I see 

Barbara Mikulski smiling, when I came up to explain that 

last deal, and I remember you and I were talking and FRANK

came over and grabbed me and said, ‘‘Joe, I’ve got to see 

you.’’ 

So we worked it out and FRANK came down. I invited him 

to come down. He said, ‘‘I can’t get down right now, but 

maybe you can come up to the Senate,’’ which I did, and I 

went to the ceremonial office. Knowing he told you everything, Bonnie, I’m sure he told you we spoke about 2 hours. 

He wanted to know—he wanted my advice: Should he run 

again? What do you say to FRANK LAUTENBERG when he 

says, ‘‘Should I run again?’’ 

Even then, FRANK was slowing a little bit, and he knew it. 

But I said, ‘‘FRANK, look, I think you’ll win again if you run 

again. I think even Christie will vote for you.’’ By the way, 

the Governor and I are friends. We have one really important thing in common: We both love the University of Delaware. We both went there. I even asked him to come out to 

[ 96 ] 

the championship game with me, but he couldn’t make it. I 

often ride on Air Force Two, Hillary. One of the advantages. 

I said, ‘‘FRANK, well, look, what are you thinking?’’ We 

talked and talked. He said, ‘‘Look, I’ll send you some data.’’ 

I said, ‘‘Okay.’’ I was going to Germany. He said, ‘‘There’s a 

guy in Germany I want you to talk to,’’ which I won’t say 

publicly. I said, ‘‘Okay, FRANK, I’ll talk to him about whether 

you’d come back to New Jersey.’’ He said, ‘‘Maybe for him I 

might, I don’t know.’’ 

Then we met again, and your dad was getting a little more 

frail. He said, ‘‘What do you think?’’ I said, ‘‘I think you 

should run, FRANK.’’ Then he called me again. This is over 

about a 21⁄2-month period, and he said, ‘‘Joe, I got’’—I won’t 

use the exact language he used, but he said, ‘‘Joe, I don’t 

think I can run.’’ He said, ‘‘My legs—they said my legs.’’ It 

was clear to me he desperately wanted to run again. 

I think the reason is not because he wanted to be Senator, 

but your dad never quit. He never quit anything. He never 

gave up. He never gave in. For FRANK LAUTENBERG to decide 

that he wasn’t going to run again was not only a decision 

about how he cared about his State, it was about his character. He viewed it in terms of he was quitting something. 

My dad, who some of my colleagues knew and Hillary 

knew—had an expression. He’d say, ‘‘Joey, never explain and 

never complain.’’ Your dad never explained, and he complained a lot. But he didn’t complain about his circumstance. 

He never complained about what life threw his way. Right 

to the very end, the last meeting I’m told FRANK took was 

with Senator Vitter—I don’t know if the Senator is here or 

not—just 2 weeks ago to work out a bipartisan breakthrough 

to bring more transparency to toxic chemicals used in everyday products. FRANK LAUTENBERG, 2 weeks before he died, 

knew what shape he was in. 

Even his final days, it wasn’t his health he was concerned 

about, it was the health of the people of New Jersey, the 

health of the kids in this country. He’s left you all an incredible legacy, you children, stepchildren, grandchildren. What 

an incredible legacy. 

FRANK once said there’s no end to what can be accomplished if you work like the devil. And my God, did he work 

like the devil. Bob Menendez is right: He was tenacious. He 

worked and worked and worked. He did—this guy who was 

raised, as has been pointed out many times today, with little 

money, the son of very proud immigrants. He used to tell us 

the first time he ever left the New Jersey and New York reVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:12 Dec 09, 2013 Jkt 081300 PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\LAUTEN~1\81300.TXT KAYNE
[ 97 ] 

gion was when he joined the U.S. Army at age 18 and 

shipped out. 

When he came back, he proudly would tell you, anyone 

who would listen, he went to Columbia. He didn’t just go to 

school, he went to Columbia. So anyone who knew FRANK

wouldn’t be at all surprised why FRANK was so ardent. Some 

of my colleagues were seniors. I was—I’ve been there since 

’72. None of them was that old, unfortunately. 

Do you remember the fight on the new GI bill? FRANK was 

passionate about it, absolutely passionate about it, because 

he knew what it could mean and he knew why it was deserved. Everything your dad did was done with passion and 

success. He was proud of ADP. It was not just he was proud. 

He was proud to be a Jew. He was proud of his heritage. He 

was proud to be a U.S. Senator. Like me and I think my colleagues, it’s the greatest honor I think you can have bestowed on you. I don’t think there are many Senators—a lot 

of accomplished women and men here today, and 

Congresspersons—and some of them have done great 

things—who can in the immediate time that they are acting, 

see immediately the effects of the good things they’ve done. 

FRANK was able to do that. 

FRANK knows that, notwithstanding the fact it probably 

did put you in trouble at college when he changed the drinking age to 21—and by the way, you weren’t kidding—right? 

But it had been calculated, as the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, a friend of FRANK’s as well, can tell you, 

the estimate is he saved over 25,000 lives so far. People not 

smoking on airplanes—how many thousands of more lives 

has that saved since he’s done it? 

He’s the reason why since, as Hillary referenced, since 

1989, hundreds of thousands of Jews and other persecuted 

minorities have been able to come to America. 

He’s the reason why domestic abusers are prohibited from 

owning a gun, saving so many more lives, as Dick Durbin 

knows. I proudly wrote the Violence Against Women Act, 

and FRANK even then thought we should have had that prohibition in it, and he didn’t rest until he got it done. 

As I said, even when his health was failing, he never gave 

up. He never gave in. If it wasn’t for FRANK, Amtrak 

wouldn’t be what it is today. That’s not exaggeration. Josh, 

I want to tell you something, nobody literally in history has 

ridden Amtrak as much as me, you can ask the conductor. 

(Laughter.) 

[ 98 ] 

I have made over 8,000 round trips. Literally, 8,000 round 

trips between Washington and Wilmington. I never had a 

home or an apartment in 36 years in Washington. The conductors were like my family, as the Secret Service knows. 

I took the train as my colleagues know every single day. 

I’d blow off the Senate—I got it down to 7 minutes to make 

it to the train, and I sometimes missed the train. One day 

I’m breaking my neck to get to the train. I am sprinting. If 

you ever take Amtrak, just know, ask anybody when you hit 

the Washington station, do they know Joe Biden, I guarantee they’ll tell you—and they’ll tell you a story about my 

trying to make the train. I am like those old commercials 

running for the airplane, jumping over chairs. I’m carrying 

my bag which seemed like my staff deliberately loaded it 

down with weights to slow me down. I swear to God, true 

story. I get up. The conductor says, ‘‘Hey, hey, Joe, Joe, hold 

up, don’t worry. You’re okay. We’re holding it for LAUTENBERG.’’ (Laughter and applause.) They’re holding it for LAUTENBERG. 

In all those years I never once asked them to hold a train 

for me. In all those years, this is God’s truth, Jill and I 

would have the conductors and their families over for dinner 

every Christmas. Then it got so big, we would have a picnic 

at our home. All these guys, they never once held it for me. 

They looked at me, and I think it was Chris Christiani, who 

is just across the road here in New Jersey, he’s retired now. 

He said, ‘‘Don’t worry, Joe, we’re holding it for FRANK LAUTENBERG.’’ 

If you go into the Wilmington train station, which has a 

lot more people than the Lautenberg train station, it’s referred to as the Biden train station. You can’t find the name 

Biden one place, Governor. Not one place on the train—not 

once. You ride up on Amtrak to New York, it’s like a neon 

sign, LAUTENBERG, LAUTENBERG, LAUTENBERG. Your dad 

was amazing, man. He’s the only guy that made me feel like 

I was junior to him and I’ve been here longer than all of 

them. 

Oh, man, I tell you. He did make a difference, Josh. He got 

me on the train occasionally. By the way, you know I saved 

Amtrak three times before he was elected. I don’t know how 

this happened. You know what I mean? That’s mostly true. 

But your dad and I had a little—as they say in southern 

Delaware, well, I won’t say it—we had a little altar call, as 

they say in the southern part of my State. He said, ‘‘You 

know, Joe, I think we should have one train, at least one of 

[ 99 ] 

the runs of the new Acelas, it’s going to go from Washington, 

make one stop in Philadelphia, and then New York.’’ I said, 

‘‘Over my dead body.’’ You think I’m kidding? I said, ‘‘FRANK, 

you’re a powerful guy, but I’m chairman. FRANK, you’ll not 

get another judge in New Jersey. I promise you. You’re actually going to cut out the Delaware station, my friend?’’ He 

said, ‘‘Joe, imagine what it would mean to be able to do 

that.’’ I said, ‘‘Yes, you’d have to lend me the money to buy 

a place in Washington so I could stay down.’’ 

Look, the fact is that FRANK always had to be in the game. 

That’s what I loved about your father. Too much to be done, 

too much left unsettled, too many injustices to right, too 

many people needing help. For FRANK, the thing I loved 

about him—like me—he loved the Senate. Because he saw it 

as the place he could do more than all the financial success 

he had, all the philanthropy he had, all the influence he had 

in the community. He believed and he was right, there was 

no place he could do as much to impact on the people he 

cared about than the U.S. Senate. 

So FRANK came back. I remember when he was leaving in 

2000. I said, ‘‘FRANK, why are you doing it?’’ He said, ‘‘It’s 

time.’’ I was here shortly thereafter doing a fundraiser for a 

New Jersey candidate and FRANK was there, and he looked 

at me and he said, ‘‘I miss it, man. What a big mistake.’’ And 

he came back. I think it’s fair to say, Bonnie, there was no 

one happier than me when he did come back. 

Everything FRANK did showed his character. As a consequence it would earn the admiration of his friends and political foes alike. Look at how many of his colleagues are 

here today. 

No one ever doubted—I think every one of my colleagues 

would confirm this—that when FRANK said something, he 

meant it. No one ever doubted his word. No one ever wondered whether or not he’d keep whatever commitment he 

made, even if his political circumstances had changed and 

now it was difficult to keep the commitment. 

As my colleagues know, the most valuable commodity anyone can have in the Congress is their word. FRANK had his 

word. 

There’s an expression in my family, and you know as 

you’re talking about your dad, about him repeating things, 

I remembered why I drive my kids crazy. But one of the expressions I repeat all the time and now they repeat is the 

expression used in my family constantly. It was my mother’s. 

[ 100 ] 

She always would say, ‘‘You’re defined by your courage and 

you’re redeemed by your loyalty.’’ 

When FRANK was your friend, he was your friend. He 

never calculated how that friendship or loyalty was going to 

somehow affect his interest. It reminded me of that saying 

my dad would repeat—not my dad’s but a saying, an old saying. He said, ‘‘A friend is someone who walks in when others 

walk out.’’ 

At every difficult political moment in my life, your father 

walked in. He did not walk out. I suspect many of my colleagues would tell you the same thing. For more than 25 

years that we were with one another, he was always there. 

FRANK had courage—both physical courage and moral 

courage. On the streets when he was a kid in Paterson; in 

Europe, World War II; the downhill slopes. I used to ski with 

FRANK all the time. We used to take all the ski cups till he 

ended it. That’s another story. I remember watching him in 

his seventies asking me if I wanted to go helicopter skiing. 

By the way, for those who don’t know anything about downhill skiing, helicopter skiing means you get in a helicopter 

and it takes you up above the liftline where the lift doesn’t 

go on the very top of the mountain where you can’t get there 

other than being dropped off in a helicopter. If I’m not mistaken, and memory serves me, he was doing that into his 

early seventies. I’m told—although I didn’t do it with him— 

I’m told that as late as 3 or 4 years ago, he was skiing with 

you all, downhill skiing. 

Most of all, FRANK had the courage of his convictions, and 

he acted on those convictions. FRANK would even talk about 

himself sometimes, about his public speaking. FRANK’s 

speeches were not marked by their eloquence, but—I mean 

this sincerely—he overcame it with the eloquence and elegance of his convictions. 

He always spoke with principle and purpose. This is a selfmade man, a wealthy man who spoke with the poor and the 

disadvantaged and the dispossessed in the way you could 

taste it when he spoke of it. Even before he entered politics, 

he spoke with resounding commitment for the security of 

Israel, the fate of the Jews behind the Iron Curtain. 

Rabbi, as you said, he had an abiding awareness of his 

roots. He never lost sight of the fundamental moral commitment we had to the State of Israel. And he never, ever 

backed off his political convictions for expediency. 

[ 101 ] 

In the words of Shakespeare, ‘‘He was a man, take him for 

all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.’’ Or as we Irish 

would say, he was a man. He was a real man. 

Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg. I just want to thank the 

Vice President, Hillary, Madam Secretary, and Bob Menendez. You spoke beautifully. 

This is an extraordinary gathering for a great man, and I 

thank everybody for being here. It’s just an amazing turnout, 

and FRANK would have been so proud to have you all here. 

I want to welcome Governor Christie, former Governors 

Corzine and McGreevey, Secretary LaHood, the entire Senate delegation. It’s a pouring out of love from all of you to 

me and to FRANK and to the family and I can’t thank you 

enough for being here, everybody, all the Representatives, all 

the dignitaries. 

A special hug and a thank you to Harry Reid. Thank you 

for making magic, and getting everything done for us in 

Washington. You have been amazing. Because of Senator 

Reid, FRANK will be the second Senator in recent history to 

lie in state in the well of the Senate Chamber. His casket 

will sit on the same catafalque that held the casket of President Abraham Lincoln. On Friday morning, FRANK will be 

buried in Arlington Cemetery in a military ceremony including a 21-gun salute. You might wonder why this is so unique 

for the last World War II veteran in the U.S. Senate. Most 

people prepare where they want to rest in the hereafter. Not 

FRANK. He told me he wanted to go to Arlington Cemetery 

so that his grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren will 

come and look for their grandfather and be so proud that he 

served in World War II and was a U.S. Senator. I told him, 

FRANK, you’ve got to make plans, fill out the papers, so that 

when the time is right, you can go there immediately. It 

could take a month or more if you’re not prepared. He never 

did anything about it. He couldn’t face his mortality and figured somehow it would get done. It did get done and Harry 

Reid did it, miraculously. So thank you Harry, from me, and 

the entire family. 

Today is a celebration of FRANK’s life, and the only thing 

that would have made him happier than seeing all of you 

here would be if this was a fundraiser for his next campaign. 

As you heard, he did not want to retire, and had he been 

well, he would have put up a good fight to stay in the Senate. That is who he was, a street kid from Paterson, and he 

was so proud of it. 

[ 102 ] 

So what was it like being married to this renaissance man 

who actually accomplished all those things you saw on television? Difficult, interesting, challenging, loving, amazing. 

What a life he had. Together over 25 years, married for more 

than 9. FRANK was the most positive person I know. He 

never looked back. He just looked forward and made things 

happen. He had a vitality and a smile that I fell in love with 

25 years ago and I never lost that love. He was my Prince 

Charming. He would call me every day from the Senate, and 

we would speak all the time in the Senate Cloakroom when 

the Senate was working to the wee hours of the morning at 

night, and he would tell me what would be on the front page 

of the New York Times the next day. That was pretty heady 

considering it was before the Internet and 24 hour news. He 

introduced me to Presidents, heads of state, Governors, Senators, business leaders, union leaders, actors, directors, ordinary people who always came up to him to thank him for his 

work; truckdrivers. He loved them all, and treated everyone 

with the same respect and warmth. 

He constantly told jokes as you have heard, and I had to 

listen to the same jokes all the time, and I had to laugh as 

if I had heard them for the first time. He told the same great 

stories, but over and over and he got offended if I chimed in 

while he was telling them. Every time he had a new audience I would hear the same story. After a while, I hated introducing him to anyone new. 

But there were extraordinary times with FRANK. Like the 

time we got into a taxi after flying into Boston for the Democratic Convention. The taxi driver had a Russian accent. 

FRANK asked the driver, ‘‘How did you get to this country.’’ 

The driver said, ‘‘The Lautenberg amendment.’’ FRANK said, 

‘‘I’m LAUTENBERG.’’ The taxi driver says, ‘‘No.’’ FRANK says, 

‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘No.’’ ‘‘Yes.’’ And so it went on. It was so amazing to 

see how you can make such a difference in someone’s life, 

and how much the taxi driver appreciated what FRANK did. 

The driver did not want to take FRANK’s money, but FRANK

insisted we pay. 

One Christmas vacation in Aspen, FRANK had a serious ski 

injury, and 30 days later he said ‘‘Bonnie, I am seeing stars.’’ 

He went to the hospital in New York because I had a good 

neurologist there, and lucked out with a great surgeon, Dr. 

Phil Steig. FRANK had a bilateral hematoma and the doctors 

successfully operated on him, but at the same time he was 

supposed to speak to about 1,500 people at the Chamber of 

Commerce dinner in Washington. FRANK was not going to 

[ 103 ] 

miss this dinner, so he got his favorite navy suit, a white 

shirt, a red tie, got dressed up to the nines from the waist 

up, and got a camera crew to set up in the hospital room, 

and gave the speech with all the hospital apparatus hanging 

out of his jacket. No one had any idea he was in the hospital. 

He never missed a beat. 

Speaking of doctors, I think it’s a perfect time to say thank 

you to all the doctors who helped along the way, starting 

with Phil Steig; Marty Goldman, his friend and cardiologist 

for over 15 years; James Holland, who cured FRANK from his 

B-cell lymphoma several years ago and has been a friend for 

40 years; and then to all the doctors who cared for FRANK

at New York Presbyterian Hospital. They tried to make 

FRANK healthy, but with several medical issues he could not 

fight that viral pneumonia. To the fabulous nurses and caregivers that took loving care of FRANK, thank you Beverly, 

Franz, Ramona, Connie, Mildred, and to Ortenz Campbell, 

my domestic engineer, who was there for FRANK at every moment, and who he depended on for her able assistance. 

We owe so much to Dan Katz and Brendan Gill and the 

entire Lautenberg staff. What would we have done without 

this extraordinary group of intelligent people who didn’t miss 

a beat either. Kept the engine revving throughout FRANK’s 

entire illness, got the good stories in and kept the dark ones 

out. I can’t thank you enough. Thank you to all the Lautenberg staff, past and present, who helped make his career the 

success that it was. He couldn’t have done it without you. 

And to Linda Bouchard, thank you for being the dearest Senate assistant to FRANK, and for being so helpful to me. You 

were always ready, willing, and able, and I am so grateful 

for all you did for FRANK and for all of us. To his able assistant Eleanor Rigolosi, who took care of all his personal business life so FRANK could concentrate on his Senate career. 

He depended on her, and respected her ability and friendship 

for over 45 years, starting in ADP. 

To Rabbi Dan Cohen, FRANK’s rabbi from Sharey Tefilo, 

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Cantor Ozzie Schwartz, and the entire 

staff at Park Avenue Synagogue, thank you for this beautiful 

service. 

To Ed Turen, for asking Brian Stokes Mitchell to perform 

today, and to Brian for your extraordinary generosity and 

talent and for taking the time to sing FRANK’s favorite songs. 

He lived the impossible dream, and always did it his way. To 

Gail Curtis, thank you for the beautiful music selections. 

[ 104 ] 

I will always love FRANK for the love he gave to my children and grandchildren. He was an amazing role model as 

you heard from Danielle and Lara, and the father they lost 

as children. He taught us how to think at a much deeper 

level, and stimulated us in a way we hadn’t known prior to 

his coming into our lives. His biological children and grandchildren are an amazing group, who he adored, and we are 

so lucky to have them in our lives, and they were grateful 

that their dad had a family who was geographically convenient. 

Throughout his illness, we all spent a lot of time together, 

and shared our grief as we watched FRANK fail. It was a 

blessing for all of us when he was finally at peace. We leave 

here today to go to Secaucus, to the train station that bears 

FRANK’s name, and will bring him home to New Jersey one 

last time. It’s a sentimental journey that will take us to 

Washington, DC, our country’s Capital, where he served for 

28 years. There wasn’t a time when we were driving in 

Washington that he didn’t say how much he loved the city, 

how it was growing and changing, and how much he loved 

his job as Senator, even with all the difficulties and frustrations. He felt like he was in the World Series every day. His 

job stimulated him, challenged him, and kept him vital and 

young. It was the place he wanted to travel for his final curtain. 

FRANK, I was so happy to take care of you when you needed a lot of TLC, but I hurt every day watching you suffer. 

In return you told me that I have done everything for you 

that is possible except give birth to your children, but you 

loved me as if I did. Rest in peace my love. I will miss you 

always and thank you for the most beautiful memories and 

an extraordinary life. 

Æ