U.S. Chamber President Mourns Passing of Senator Kennedy

"He brought bipartisanship and civility to the political debate," Donohue Says

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued the following statement today mourning the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy:

"America has lost one of its most generous public servants with the passing of Senator Kennedy. His mastery of the issues complimented an ability to reach across the aisle and consider all sides of an issue.

"While some will remember Kennedy as a 'liberal icon,' he also brought bipartisanship and civility to the political debate.

"This was apparent in recent years as he worked with the Chamber and many other groups to support education reforms, through No Child Left Behind, and to champion comprehensive immigration reform.

"While the business community may have disagreed with Sen. Kennedy more often than not, we admired him for his rock-solid convictions and his passionately held beliefs. Sen. Kennedy never had to consult a poll to determine how he voted on an issue — he knew what he believed in and fought like hell for it. He was an American original."

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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