Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - August 27, 2009
Trenton Daniel
"He was indefatigable," UM President Donna Shalala said, recalling a 40-year friendship with Kennedy. "We spent a lot of nights trying to get legislation passed."
Shalala was speaking about her time with Kennedy when she served eight years as secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton.Having met Kennedy in New York in 1968, Shalala noted how the senator could transcend party differences despite what she called his "raging liberal" reputation.
"He found conservatives on the other side of the aisles to work with him," said Shalala, adding that he was actively involved in healthcare reform.
"I think his legacy will include healthcare reform," she said. "I don't think we would have this discussion [without him]."
One professor at UM's school of medicine credited Kennedy for understanding the need to fund HIV/AIDS research. Margaret Fischl, director of UM's AIDS clinical research unit, appeared before a Kennedy subcommittee to seek funding for HIV/AIDS; the one-hour meeting bore fruit -- she received the funding.
"He actually said, 'Dr. Fischl, I want to sit down with you and talk to you about this further,' " Fischl said. "He was trying to get as much knowledge from us as he could."
If some remembered Kennedy for his contributions to healthcare, others did the same for his role in immigration legislation.
"For immigration advocates, Sen. Kennedy was a friend, visionary and supreme strategist," said Mary Giovagnoli, director of the Immigration Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and a former Kennedy staffer. "He was the architect of the Refugee Act of 1980, fought back the worst excesses of the harsh 1996 immigration act, and most importantly, forged a plan for comprehensive immigration reform that continues to be the model for today's legislation."
In South Florida, elected officials from U.S. Reps. Alcee Hastings to Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart issued statements in which they sent condolences to the family.
"His profound impact on American politics has taught us to serve our country with respect and to fight for those whose voices aren't always heard," Hastings said in a statement.
tdaniel@MiamiHerald.com
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