On Sunday, former Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) passed away at age 98 after being diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year. Senator Dole served nearly three decades in the Senate, worked as a leader of Senate Republicans for over a decade, and was the Republican nominee for president in 1996. Senator Dole was a key champion in the creation and expansion of WIC, standing at odds with President Gerald Ford to work across the aisle with his colleagues on the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition, including Sens. Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) and George McGovern (D-SD).
Rev. Douglas Greenaway, President & CEO of the National WIC Association, issued the following statement in response to the passing of Senator Dole:
“Senator Dole was a steadfast champion of anti-hunger priorities, consistently demonstrating a deep understanding of the role that nutrition can play in securing the lifelong health and potential of young children. Senator Dole stood against a president of his own party to establish and expand WIC services, and his long record of working across the aisle solidified the bipartisan consensus that the federal government must meaningfully address hunger and nutrition inequities. We were proud to award Senator Dole our NWA Leadership Award for protecting WIC for future generations. Our thoughts are with Elizabeth and the Dole family, who must surely know that Senator Dole’s legacy lives on every day through the millions of children who are healthier for their participation in WIC."