[applause] please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, the honorable john kerry, United States senator. [applause] john kerry madam speaker, mr. Majority leader and distinguished colleagues in congress in both parties, ladies and gentlemen, and members of colleague family, our ted kennedy was born into history, he was part of history throughout his life. He made history and he knew history. And it was his respect for ed brookes role in history and his personal affection for ed brooke that led him to champion this congressional gold medal. Obviously were so delighted that Vicki Kennedy is here today and his great friend, my colleague now in the senate, paul kirk is here with us to celebrate this moment. In one of his first sermons after finishing his studies at Boston University, Martin Luther king jr. Observed the thing that we need in the world today is a group of men and women wholl stand up for right and be opposed to wrong wherever it is. A group of people who have come to see that some things are wrong whether they are never caught up with, and some things are right whether nobody sees you doing them or not. Before his mission was cut tragically short 14 years later, dr. King met countless men and women who he had enlisted in the cause, but one who became his confidente was Edward William brooke iii whose journey we honor today. Like so many of us, ed was moved by the consequence and actions of dr. Eloquence and actions of dr. King. But there were also times when dr. King was moved by ed. Especially when dr. King himself conflicted and saw eds council on the vietnam war before taking his own moral stand against the conflict. Ed came to this capital as we know in 1967 and as the president spoke eloquently a moment ago about his journey in the army and his contributions to the country before that that. But his journey here in the congress began in 1962 when it is a majority leader reminded us president kennedy said of his election that is the biggest news in the country. Well, there was bigger news ahead. Not because of eds race, but because of the job he did as Massachusetts Attorney general. He was a vigorous prosecutor of organized crime and he worked closely with local Police Departments to solve one of the great crimes in our history, the boston strangler. Massachusetts elected ed to the United States senate, not because of the color of his skin, but as dr. King hoped, because of the content of his character. The man massachusetts sent to the senate became known immediately for his independence, a public service, whose compass was guided not by party but by conscious. He was one of the first advocates of legislation to provide Affordable Housing in america and when it was especially difficult, he stood up for affirmative action, desegregation, privacy rights, Minority Business Development and increase in Social Security benefits and the extension of the Voting Rights act. Shortly after the assassination of his friend, dr. King in 1968, et became the first ed became the first to propose a holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader. He said it would be fitting to pay our respects to this noble it took 15 years for the rest of america to catch up to ed brooke. He introduced the legislation. Introduced the legislation as a republican for the appointment of a Watergate Special prosecutor. They was first senator in either party to call for president nixons resignation and he counciled president ford against pardoning the expresident. Ed demonstrated the same kind of independent thinking as a member of the commission which president johnson appointed in 1967 to investigate the causes of race riots that had occurred that year. The commission warned that america was moving towards two societies, one black and one white, separate and unequal. After leaving the senate, ed served on the panel, president reagan appointed to investigate the damage placed on japanese americans at the outbreak of world war ii. In 1980, the panel recommended reparations and a formal apology and five years later, Congress Finally passed a resolution doing just that. That is leadership. I proudly sit in the senate seat once occupied by ed brooke. When i first came here, my greatest booster was his mom who lived to be 100 and ed brooke, i might say is following in her footsteps. He turned 90 just last monday. [applause] in 2005, i had the privilege of writing the Senate Resolution awarding the same medal, the congressional gold medal to jackie robinson, himself a trail blazer who once said life is not important, except in the impact it has on other lives. Of. That is the kind of life ed brooke lived. A life of service and equal opportunity. In his autobiography, ed wrote this. It is my fondest hope that some rearsd of this book reflected in my role in our nations long political struggle for equality, opportunity and justice in america, may be moved to continue that battle in their own lives and in their owneras. The torch must be passed from generation to generation if america is ever to fulfill it promise. So we look around this rotunda today and look at the great accomplishments of these last years, the presence of our president here earlier. We say ed, your great hope is coming through. The torch is being passed to a generation that is learned from your example of doing what is right. Whether nobody sees you doing it or not. And has dr. King said, that is the test. It is your example, ed brooke, and your journey that we are so pleased to honor here today. [applause] thank you, democrat and republicanners of the senate and house. Members of congress from both houses, ladies and gentlemen, senator edward w. Brooke and the brooke family. Let me guess, senator brooke, when you went to shaw jr. High school, to dunbar high and to howard university, all in your Home Community of not far from here, you may not have envisioned the capital rotunda as the setting to celebrate your 90th birthday. Which of course occurred just two days ago. And we thank the leaders of the enate and house for timing todays ceremony today accordingly. Happy 90th birthday, senator edward w. Brooke. [applause] you may have been an improbable senator, a man born in the District Of Columbia who goes off to world war ii without the right to vote for president or mayor or member of the house, much less senator. Perhaps improbable, but certainly not an accidental senator. Took a man of extraordinary and , will, appeal confidence to become the barack obama of the 20th century before barack obama was even born. [applause] being elected the first africanamerican to sit as a United States senator. In 1967 when millions of africanamericans in the United States were still denied the ight to cast a vote. Senator, if you were not a hurdle jump athlete as a boy, you certainly made up for it as a man. Which of your hurdles seemed most steep to you at the time . Becoming a decorated officer in the segregated 336 combat infantry gentlemen of the juryment during world war ii. Was it upon your return when you became an editor to have law review at Boston University law school . Why, before you assumed the post, did you think you could actually become chair of the Boston Finance Commission . Blackade you think that a man could win statewide office as attorney general, particularly in a state where 2 of the population was africanamerican. How in the world did you think that as a lifelong republican, would which you remain today, you could be elected to anything in overwhelmingly democratic massachusetts. Jumped, senator were so high. After two centuries, the same congress, that gives you the congressional gold medal today, will give Voting Rights to the district of colombia this year. [applause] columbia this year. You empowered yourself long before the residents of your hometown empowered themselves. When residents of your hometown first got the rights to vote for local officials in 1974, you were already serving your second term in the senate. But you never forgot your hometown. You brilliantly served massachusetts and the people of the District Of Columbia today salute the people of massachusetts whose intelligent courage sent you to washington to serve their state and our country. You understood well, though, that the source of your values your ur character and confident determination are rooted in the district and you repeatedly introduced bills for home rule and Voting Rights for the residents of the Nations Capital at the same time that you were leading the way on the Great National issues of the day. Opening relations with china, ending apartheid in south africa, the brooke amendment, providing that tenants of Public Housing pay no more than 25 of their income for housing. The Fair Housing Act and so much more. It is massachusetts that sent you home here to give your talents to your country, but we in the District Of Columbia will always claim you, senator. So many of the nations luminaries born and raised in the District Of Columbia from dr. Charles drew who discovered to preserve and store blood plasma for blood banks, to Duke Ellington whose genius was nurtured in hometown d. C. Beget before he gave his music in as a gift to the world. The country recognized your breakthrough achievements when in 2004, president george w. Bush awarded you the president ial medal of freedom, which along with the congressional gold medal are the highest honors our country can give. The congress of the United States today gives you honor where you served. Awards even to the least among us who often are characterized as historic, in the hyperbole of the moment today, but when senator ted kennedy asked the senate, and i ask the house, to vote overwhelmingly to award you the congressional gold medal, the senate and the house together demonstrated that we know a historic figure when we see one. However, senator brooke, the highest awards our country can offer are not given for being historic. They are given for service. Your case, service to the United States of america and service to the people of the state of massachusetts and yes, nator, indescribably appreciated service to the people of your hometown, the District Of Columbia. Would you join me in singing happy birthday . If it is not too hokie to sing it. Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you dear edward happy birthday to you [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the United States house of representatives, the honorable nancy pelosi. [applause] Speaker Pelosi good morning. What an honor it is to be here with the democratic leadership of the house and senate, the brooke family and the children with Vicki Kennedy and members f the kennedy clan, to be here with senator Edward Brooke, to be here with the president of the United States, as the congress of the United States bestows its highest honor to a great leader, senator Edward Brooke. [applause] i will now lead off an away of leadership, senator reid, leader mcconnell, leader highwayer, hoyer, leader boehner. We call each other leader. In a series of tributes to senator brooke in a very bipartisan way. Bipartisanship applauded. On your last birthday, we were there to cheer on our bipartisan football team, democrats and republicans working as a team and leading them with that great teamwork to victory over a formidable foe. We had a democratrepublican eam win the day in that spirit of bipartisan in your honor. In 1967, that was the year senator brooke came to the United States senate. At that time Time Magazine noted him, he signaled a new style and hope as the first africanamerican popularly elected to the United States senate, senator brooke ignited more than four decades of progress toward the american ideal of equality. Today, we also note, as others have mentioned, senator brookes partner and progress was often his senior senator from the commonwealth of massachusetts, senator edward kennedy. May i also acknowledge the members of the massachusetts delegation and memberses of the house. It was ted kennedy who first escorted ed brooke into the Senate Chamber in 1967. He worked with senator brooke in a bipartisan way for their great state senator kennedys legislation has been acknowledged and gave us the opportunity joining with congresswoman ellenor Holmes Norton in the south, gave us the opportunity to honor senator Edward Brooke today. He came to the senate after a distinguished career as we all know as a Public Servant and army veteran and leader in boston, the first africanamerican elected attorney general in our country, and yet, as senator brooke recounts himself, there were many who scolded his ambition and encouraged patience. He said he was often asked, ed, why the rush . Why are you in such a hurry . Edward brooke was a than a hurry for equality and progress on civil rights, on ending the vietnam war and on issues of national fairness such as increasing the minimum wage, ending discrimination in housing and ensuring Affordable Housing. Today the brooke amendment, the brooke amendment, an amendment initiated by a republican senator that means something to all of the people in our country because it is synonymous, it signals a guarantee that Public Housing is affordable to all people. It is a cornerstone of our current federal housing policy benefiting millions of americans. We salute you for that, senator brooke. [applause] today we honor senator brooke for his impatience. We thank him for it. We acknowledge the impatience of senator brooke, that we move forward as a country. It is with the imparis that we get ever impatience that we get ever closer to the ideals of our nations founding to form a more Perfect Union. Today, as we convey the congressional gold medal to you, we extend on behalf of the entire congress, we all extend our congratulations and our thanks to senator Edward Brooke. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable patrick kennedy, United States representative. [applause] over the past couple of years, would just call and leave a message with vicki saying i just dont want to bother teddy and dont worry about having him all me back. Mutual running mate and admiration and a determination to push america to live up to ts highest goals and ideals. Challenges to build a more Perfect Union for the next generation of america and in a sense, and certainly in my own case, each of us today stands on the shoulders of giants. Today senator brooke, were acknowledging you as one of those giants. Our president made history coming to the office of president of the United States with the promise, yes, we can. Request our society is what it is today because people like ed brooke proved yes, we could. Congratulations. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the republican leader of the United States house of representatives, the honorable john boehner. [applause] john boehner madam speaker, my distinguished colleagues, guests and our special guest today, senator Edward Brooke and his family. Henry david thoreau, a the famous writer and poet from concorde, massachusetts, once wrote, if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet his success unexpected in champion hours. During warmed wor ii, ed brooke answered the call of his nation. He served with distinction in the italian campaign. But before that, he had the duty of depending young black soldiers who were subjected to the rank mistreatment of segregation. Ed brooke became a soldiers lawyer and those experiences shaped and inspired him to the call of public service. The commonwealth of massachusetts and the entire nation has benefited from ed brookes service. He has shown bravery, commitment and wisdom in his whole life and we honor him today for that lifetime of achievement. Ed brookes life and service to america are greatly appreciated. By ending decades of exclusion, at some of the highest levels of our government, ed brooke helped reignite a spirit of hope that had dimmed after the civil war. President lincoln once said as our case is new, we must think and act anew. Ed brooke is a dedicated Public Servant who broke down barriers and proved that america can act anew. Congratulations senator brooke. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the majority leader of the United States house of representatives, the honorable steny hoyer. Senator Edward Brooke iii, an historic figure. A friend, someone to be used as an example. And were pleased to have you and your family here with us on his won