III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 612 

Honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Arlen Specter, distinguished 

former Senator for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 10, 2012 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. REID, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. 

AKAKA, Mr. ALEXANDER, Ms. AYOTTE, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BAUCUS, 

Mr. BEGICH, Mr. BENNET, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. 

BLUNT, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts, Mr. 

BROWN of Ohio, Mr. BURR, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CARPER, 

Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. COATS, Mr. COBURN, Mr. COCHRAN, Ms. COLLINS, 

Mr. CONRAD, Mr. COONS, Mr. CORKER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. 

DEMINT, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENZI, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. 

GILLIBRAND, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mrs. HAGAN, Mr. HARKIN, 

Mr. HATCH, Mr. HELLER, Mr. HOEVEN, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. INHOFE, 

Mr. INOUYE, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. JOHANNS, Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin, 

Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, Mr. KERRY, Mr. KIRK, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, 

Mr. KOHL, Mr. KYL, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. 

LEE, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. 

MCCAIN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. MORAN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. PRYOR, 

Mr. REED, Mr. RISCH, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. RUBIO, 

Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. 

SHELBY, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. TESTER, Mr. THUNE, Mr. 

UDALL of Colorado, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. VITTER, Mr. WARNER, Mr. WEBB, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. WICKER, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Arlen Specter, 


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•SRES 612 ATS 

distinguished former Senator for the Commonwealth of 

Pennsylvania. 

Whereas the Honorable Arlen Specter was born on February 

12, 1930, in Wichita, Kansas; 

Whereas Arlen Specter earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 

international relations from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951 and a Juris Doctorate degree from Yale 

Law School in 1956; 

Whereas Arlen Specter served in the Air Force during the 

Korean War, obtaining the rank of Second Lieutenant in 

the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; 

Whereas Arlen Specter served the people of Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania, as Assistant District Attorney from 1959 

to 1964 and as District Attorney from 1965 to 1974; 

Whereas Arlen Specter was recommended to serve as assistant counsel on the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy in 1964, and he established conclusions central to the report of the Commission; 

Whereas Arlen Specter served with distinction as a Senator 

from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 3 decades, 

first elected in 1980, then reelected in 1986, 1992, 1998, 

and 2004; 

Whereas, as a member and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, Arlen Specter worked in a bipartisan fashion to highlight the impact of specific diseases 

and to advance support for medical research and highquality health care; 


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•SRES 612 ATS 

Whereas, as a member and the Chairman of the Committee 

on the Judiciary, Arlen Specter was recognized for his 

thorough questioning and presided over the confirmation 

hearings of 2 Justices of the Supreme Court; 

Whereas, as a Senator, Arlen Specter served as the Chairman 

of the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate 

from 1995 to 1997, and as the Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate from 1997 to 

2001 and from 2003 to 2005; 

Whereas, as a Senator, Arlen Specter further served as a 

member of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Environment and Public Works of 

the Senate, and the Special Committee on Aging of the 

Senate; 

Whereas Arlen Specter was admired for his independent decisionmaking and willingness to cross party lines; 

Whereas Arlen Specter introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2611, 109th Congress) 

and achieved bipartisan support and passage for the bill 

in the Senate on May 25, 2006; 

Whereas Arlen Specter advocated both for strong national security measures and the maintenance of civil liberties; 

Whereas Arlen Specter valiantly overcame bouts with brain 

tumors and cancer during his service in the United 

States Senate; 

Whereas Arlen Specter returned to Philadelphia after his 

Senate career and taught as a Visiting Professor of Law 

at the University of Pennsylvania Law School; and 

Whereas Arlen Specter passed away on October 14, 2012, 

and is survived by his wife Joan, his sister Shirley Kety, 


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•SRES 612 ATS 

his sons Stephen and Shanin, and 4 grandchildren: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate— 

3 (A) expresses profound sorrow at the death 

4 of the Honorable Arlen Specter, former Senator 

5 for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; 

6 (B) conveys the condolences of the Senate 

7 to the family of Arlen Specter; and 

8 (C) respectfully requests the Secretary of 

9 the Senate to transmit a copy of this resolution 

10 to the House of Representatives and the family 

11 of Arlen Specter; and 

12 (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stands 

13 adjourned as a further mark of respect to the mem14 ory of Arlen Specter. 

Æ 


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