Sen. Bob Dole Receives Congressional Gold Medal : NPR
Bob Dole
Sen. Bob Dole  Receives Congressional Gold Medal
Former senator and GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole is receiving Congress' highest honor  the Congressional Gold Medal. After serving in World War II   Dole  went on to represent Kansas in Congress for more than three decades.
PAUL RYAN: We award the Congressional Gold Medal to the soldier  the legislator and the statesman from Kansas  Senator Bob Dole.
STENY HOYER: If I were going to invent a United States senator who would reach out across the aisle  reach out across the country to serve this nation well  I would invent  Bob Dole .
DETROW: That coming from a Democrat would have been hard to fathom early in  Dole 's political career. When he was Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976   Dole  was so partisan that the phrase hatchet man almost became his official title along with senator.
DETROW: But over the years   Dole  served as Republican Senate leader longer than anyone else. He cut deal after deal after deal  changing that reputation from hatchet man to statesman. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said  Dole 's fingerprints are all over countless pieces of consequential legislation.
DETROW: It's not that  Dole  wasn't partisan. It's that  he  valued results and worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to pass bills. Here's Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy.
DETROW: Throughout the ceremony  it wasn't hard to pick up on a wistfulness that people like  Dole  just aren't in the Senate anymore. At the ceremony  the House chaplain prayed that  Dole  would inspire lawmakers to work across the aisle. When it ended  lawmakers went back to their immediate task  struggling to pass yet another short-term funding bill  their third in just more than a month. Scott Detrow  NPR News  the Capitol.
Sen. Bob Dole  Receives Congressional Gold Medal
Former senator and GOP presidential candidate [TGT] is receiving Congress' highest honor  the Congressional Gold Medal. After serving in World War II   [TGT]went on to represent Kansas in Congress for more than three decades.
PAUL RYAN: [TGT] award the Congressional Gold Medal to the soldier  the legislator and the statesman from Kansas  Senator Bob Dole.
STENY HOYER: If I were going to invent a United States senator who would reach out across the aisle  reach out across the country to serve this nation well  I would invent  [TGT] .
DETROW: That coming from a Democrat would have been hard to fathom early in  [TGT] 's political career. When [TGT] was Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976   [TGT]was so partisan that the phrase hatchet man almost became [TGT] official title along with senator.
DETROW: But over the years   [TGT]served as Republican Senate leader longer than anyone else. He cut deal after deal after deal  changing that reputation from hatchet man to statesman. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said  [TGT] 's fingerprints are all over countless pieces of consequential legislation.
DETROW: It's not that  [TGT]wasn't partisan. [TGT]'s that  [TGT]  valued results and worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to pass bills. Here's Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy.
DETROW: Throughout the ceremony  it wasn't hard to pick up on a wistfulness that people like  [TGT]just aren't in the Senate anymore. At the ceremony  the House chaplain prayed that  [TGT]would inspire lawmakers to work across the aisle. When [TGT] ended  lawmakers went back to their immediate task  struggling to pass yet another short-term funding bill  their third in just more than a month. Scott Detrow  NPR News  the Capitol.