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Floor Speech

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Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, and also, I thank my colleague, the senior Senator from Illinois, for being here. I would like to just talk today about a dear, dear friend of ours, Ed Smith, who recently passed away. I am going to try not to say too much about what Ed and Dick's relationship was, but Ed is a stalwart for working families in Illinois.

You know, the Ed that I knew is one who was always there for working families. He was a man who embodied the word ``solidarity,'' a man who paired passion with compassion, and who knew that no company, no community, no country would ever be as strong as it could be if any of its workers were treated without the dignity and decency that they deserved.

Born in Cairo, IL, Ed had one central gravitational force throughout his life: working hard on behalf of those who worked hard for others. He joined a union at only 13 years old and, from that moment on, stayed in the fight for labor rights for the rest of his life.

He held title after title throughout his career. He was a laborer when he was young, then a manager, and eventually a CEO. But through it all, the title that undoubtedly described him best was ``champion,'' for no matter how busy Ed was, no matter how high he climbed, there was nothing more important to him than looking out for all of those who signed up for the tireless yet often thankless jobs that keep our Nation running, all those people who clock in day after day without complaint, all those people who deserve a good pay and steady benefits that should come with the sweat of a job well-done.

I know this firsthand. Ed never hesitated to call me to keep me up to date on any issue I should be following up on in the labor world. And I knew that I could always, always count on him to give me an honest opinion whenever I needed some advice.

Not only was he a mentor and a friend, but he held each of us fortunate enough to hold elected office accountable. He made sure that we were doing right by working families, doing right by rural Illinoisans, doing right for every worker--not just those who were in unions, but all workers--and making sure that in every inch of Illinois, folks who have earned dignified retirements after decades- long careers are able to enjoy that retirement.

One of my favorite stories about Ed is that every night before bed, he would ask himself: Who have I helped today? Now it is my turn to answer that question for him. Ed helped more people than he and I could ever meet in our lifetimes. He helped grandparents access the pensions they have earned. He helped green-on-the-job 20-somethings know and demand their worth. He set up the labor movement in Illinois to be the movement of the future, working toward that carbon-neutral future, toward that green economy. And he helped people like me remember that, in public service, we all have one true North Star, and that is to do what we can to bring about a tomorrow where every worker, every American, is treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.

Thank you, Ed, for all that you have done for the rest of us. You will be dearly missed. I hope to live my life in a way that ensures that when I get home from work at night, I can give a good answer when I follow your lead and ask myself: Who have I helped today? And I know Ed will be smiling down on me when I do so.

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