Quincy Reporter

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) recently spoke on the recent death of Sen. Bob Dole.

Dole, a former senator from Kansas, died on Dec. 5 at the age of 98. He had announced last February that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

"Senator Bob Dole was a man of tremendous integrity who committed his life to serving our country," LaHood wrote in a Dec. 5 Twitter post. "He will be remembered as a war hero for his service in World War II and a true statesman during his time in the Senate. My prayers are with the Dole family. May Senator Dole Rest In Peace."

According to a White House press release, President Joe Biden ordered flags at federal buildings to be flown at half staff until sunset on Dec. 9, to honor former Sen. Dole.

"As a mark of respect for Robert Joseph Dole, a statesman like few in our history and a war hero among the greatest of the Greatest Generation, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on December 9, 2021," Biden wrote, according to the press release.

In a statement, Biden recalled that after he was sworn in as president, one of his first meetings was with the Doles at their Washington home.

“Like all true friendships, regardless of how much time has passed, we picked up right where we left off, as though it were only yesterday that we were sharing a laugh in the Senate dining room or debating the great issues of the day, often against each other, on the Senate floor,” Biden said, according to the Associated Press. “I saw in his eyes the same light, bravery, and determination I’ve seen so many times before.”

Dole ran for president three times: in 1980, 1988, and 1996. He was also President Gerald Ford's choice for running mate in 1976.

He was highly influential in shaping farm and nutrition programs and rights for the disabled, establishing protections against discrimination in employment, education and public services in the Americans with Disabilities Act and was instrumental in ensuring that government offices and national parks be accessible to the physically handicapped.

During his later years, Dole dedicated his efforts to causes helping wounded veterans and ensuring the remembrance of World War II veterans.