>> again, we are like morning in boston at the edward m. kennedy institute dedication ceremony. we expect the remarks of president obama, vice president biden, and first lady michelle obama. inside the institute is a re-creation of senator kennedy's office sometimes referred to as the hideaway office. back in 2005, he gave c-span a tour. he told us about the history of office and the capitol building, and shared stories about his family.

>> live coverage, once again. we are at boston at the edward m. kennedy institute for the dedication ceremony of that building. president obama, vice president and the first lady are there and are expected to give remarks. also along with senator john mccain and senator elizabeth warren. coming up, secretary of state john kerry was excited to also common, but he is in a meeting with ranking officials in switzerland since last thursday, as he tries to reach a political deal with iran in exchange for sanctions relief. he was expected to be here bahia that he is staying behind.

chair ben bernanke is making remarks right now on employment. we will show you some comments and the round table that will follow on a companion network c-span 2.

>> the edward m kennedy

institute dedication ceremony. we were here from president obama. secretary kerry was expected to be part of the ceremony, but he is still in switzerland. he is working on the negotiations with the iran nuclear activities. we have a two-minute warning, so we expect the ceremony to get underway. this is live coverage on c-span. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

[indiscernible] ♪

>> ♪ this land is your land this land is my land this land was made for you and me. this land was made for you and me i've roamed and rambled and i followed mty footsteps to the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts

and all around me a voice was sounding this land was made for you and me this land was made for you and me as i went walking i saw a sign there and on the sign it said "no trespassing" but on this land, this land this land, this land oh, this land, this land i saw my people

they stood there hungry i was asking if this land was made for you and me for you and me as i go walking this land was made for you and me this land was made for you and me ♪ ♪ [applause]

♪ ain't gonna to let nobody turn me 'round i'm gonna to keep on walking ain't gonna to let nobody turn me 'round i'm gonna to keep on walking keep on walking ain't gonna to let nobody turn me 'round

i'm gonna keep on walking to freedom land no no, no, no, no no no, no, no, no no no, no, no, no a'int gonna let nobody turn me 'round turn me 'round ain't gonna let nobody turn me' round marchin' up to freedom land marchin' up to freedon land ♪ ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of colors by the 54th massachusetts volunteer regiment color guard.

>> ♪ o say can you see by the dawn's early light through the perilous fight o're the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? and the rockets' red glare the bombs first thing in air -- bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o say does that star-spangled banner

yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ♪ ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen please welcome that kennedy institute for the united states president dr. jean mccormick. dr. mccormick: good morning everyone. there is a little chill in the air, but there is a lot of north that you came out to be with us today. on behalf of the kennedy family, our board of directors, and all our wonderful staff, i want to welcome you to the dedication of the edward m kennedy institute for the united states. this magnificent building was designed by renowned architect rafael -- and constructed by lee kennedy and associates. the dynamic exhibits inside were brought to life by the

incomparable -- and his design team efi. we are grateful to all of them for all of their work, to create this incredible project and bring it to life. for so many of us and many people have been involved in this journey to get here today we are very grateful. but for me, this journey is intensely personal. i grew up three miles from here on donner avenue and let me tell you, when i was growing up, this area was a forbidden place. it was a landfill that fascinated children and frightened parents. who could have imagined that this landfill where we played as kids would become the home of a world-class university, a

gleaming presidential library and the wonderful state archives? and now the newest jewel in that crown come the beautiful institute that you see behind me. you will hear a lot today about the mission of the institute to improve civic education and engage the next generation of leaders. this is what really speaks to me. that a girl from dorchester could grow up and be a university chancellor and have the chance to create the first public law school in massachusetts, that speaks to the heart of equal opportunity and the path of education to make things possible for every succeeding generation. that is what the institute is about. we are going to demonstrate the awesome power of our democracy and we are going to light a fire

in each and every person who walks through these doors. and i for one cannot wait to get started. it is my great honor to be able to introduce cardinal o'malley the archbishop of austin. i'm delighted that he was able to be with us this way. cardinal o'malley and senator kennedy often traversed the same path during decades of working for people they served. cardinal o'malley knew the district of columbia well, having spent 20 years there advocating for immigrants from central america who sought refuge from political and military unrest. they came here to build a better country for themselves and their families. and also the cardinal was well familiar with the parishes and homes of hyannis port, having

served as the bishop of the archdiocese of fall river during the 1990's. he joined the kennedy family there and pray for them in times of celebration and also in their most difficult moments. the senator and the cardinal were always committed to using the resources entrusted to their care for the good of all seeking to help people in their times of need. it was a blessing for me to have the opportunity to work with the cardinal during my tenure as chancellor at the university of massachusetts dartmouth, and personally experienced his care and concern for others. at this time, i am very happy to invite cardinal o'malley to lead us in prayer. cardinal o'malley: thank you very much, jeanne, and, first of all, i would like to

congratulate vicki kennedy, the members of the kennedy family, and all of those who have worked so hard to establish this magnificent institute. i am sure that senator ted kennedy would be most pleased for what we have achieved here today. the lord be with you. let us pray. lord god almighty, we praise and bless your holy name. you are the source of all good things the gift of life, the gift of newness of life in our faith. as we invoked our blessings on all those gathered here to inaugurate this new edward m kennedy institute for the united states senate, we ask you to enlighten and inspire the american people and our leaders to further the ideals of our democracy, based on your decalogue, and on the unwavering

conviction of the dignity of each and every human being enable us to work together for the common good. to communicate truth, to foster love, to uphold justice and right, to protect the weak and vulnerable, to raise up those who are oppressed and impoverished and to ensure that all can partake of the blessings of creation and the dignity of work. may we strive tirelessly for that justice without which there can be no lasting peace and harmony. help us to be committed to building a community based on solidarity and a lively sense of our shared destiny. help us overcome all animosity rivalries, and prejudices that tear at the fabric of all humanity. give us the current and generosity needed to be artisans of peace. we import you to make us instruments of your peace.

where there is hatred, let there be love. where there is doubt, faith, where there is despair hope. where there is darkness, light,. where there is sadness, joy. grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. for it is in giving that we receive. it is in pardoning that we are part. and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life, amen. dr. mccormick: it is now my pleasure to bring to their putting our wonderful partners from the university of massachusetts, the president and

the chancellor. >> welcome to this beautiful spring day at columbia point. [applause] as the book says, columbia point is a distant -- decent place to live. i am serving in three roles today, president of university of massachusetts a founding board member of this wonderful institute, and a proud citizens of the commonwealth of this nation. today the missions of those institutions all intercept and leverage each other. the mission is to inspire the nest generation of citizens to engage in the civic life of their community. the umass mission is to advance knowledge and improve the lives of people, people of the commonwealth, nation, and world. the umass boston mission is help

our students realize their potential consumers wants abilities of leadership and civic participation in this society. our founding fathers recognized that education was the cornerstone of a strong democracy. today, with the opening of this institute, we provide an invaluable resource to ensure that that cornerstone mains strong long into the future. on behalf of the university of massachusetts, i bid you welcome here to the edward m kennedy institute. thank you for being with us. >> so thank you, president caret. good morning. welcome to the celebration of the edward m kennedy institute for the united states senate. and welcome to the campus of the commonwealth of massachusetts capital city public research

university, the university of massachusetts boston. i am so glad -- i am so glad you stopped in on such a wonderful day. it is always sunny out here on the peninsula. i'm also excited to welcome back president barack obama back to this university where he is, as a united states senator from received an honorary degree from us. we are grateful. we also thank the first lady but we are also grateful to have our vice president with us today. thank you for being here. so i guess you cannot tell that i am thrilled. i'm thrilled to be able to welcome all of you to this momentous celebration, and i am very proud to have the edward m kennedy institute on the campus of boston's public research

university. now, i was thrilled -- no, i was ecstatic when senator kennedy shared with me that he wanted to locate and institute focused on the united states senate here on this campus with a vision of quality higher education made accessible to persons who might otherwise have not had this opportunity in every day. that is a reality here. that is his work, the working chairs, and we are so grateful for that. american democracy is, located and institutions that express our democracy are at times "with a certain mysteriousn ess."senator candidate reached out, and this institute will work to lift that

-- of history and make accessible to the public and to future leaders the rich history, the complex operations, and that significant a competence of those, this most venerable institution, that we call the united states senate. i want to thank dr. kennedy and yes, thank you vicki, but also the kennedy family. i want to try to steal that blanket a little bit later from you. [laughter] for entrusting this precious legacy to this institution and to his people. we now regard this as a sacred responsibility to keep this standard high, and to cast the seeds of his good work broadly. we joyfully celebrate the launch of a grand civic mission here today, and we welcome you all to

the first of what we hope will be the first of many visits your campus and this institute. looking out to the world as a great monument to a great man and great people who have served in the senate whose lives will impact us all for generations. thank you for stopping by today. see you again soon. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome emk institute board member, former senate majority leader, tom daschle. senator daschle: as someone with the opportunity to serve on the

edward m kennedy board, let me join in welcoming you all o this morning. there have only been 1963 men and women who have had the opportunity to serve in the united states senate. each of us when we are sworn in are given a number in sequence. senator kennedy's number is 1608 . he was one of only eight people to serve more than 40 years in that institution. but regardless of how long any of us has served, we have all experienced the power and majesty of the united states senate. it is the ultimate arena for american democracy. we have all witnessed on the senate floor how our decision

actually affect people's lives in a very profound way. and we want to replicate that experience in this extraordinary institution. each of us who have been called to serve and had that moment when we were inspired to heed the call to public service. it may have been a teacher. it may have been a place. it may have been a leader. it may have been an event. but something triggered that desire to serve. that is exactly what we want to provide here. we want to provide that experience, we want to inspire and we want to bring people to a realization a two could have one of those numbers someday -- they too could have had one of those numbers someday.

we have all seen the polls. we know how difficult it is to serve. we know people's confidence has declined in government and civic action. but we hope through this center we can change that, by bringing the senate a lot, by bringing to people and appreciation of its relevance and importance and everyone's life and how critical it is in this democratic republic. we can do that here. and so in working with scholars and teachers and students and people all over the country and maybe even the world baby we can bring people to that aspiration. so as we celebrate this auspicious beginning let us hope that it can be a transformational moment for some who walk through these doors. i thank you all for coming and appreciate your collective support for senator kennedy's inspiring vision.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome emk institute board member, former senate majority leader trent lott. senator lott: yes a republican from mississippi. [laughter] [cheers] senator lott: is proud to be here today. [laughter] and i have enjoyed so much serving on the board of the edward m kennedy institute for the united states senate. when i first talked to vicki, i said oh, vicki why me? she said we need a little

republican representation, and i know you worked with ted. so i said, tell me about him and she told me about the vision that senator kennedy had and that she had, the kennedy family has for this great edifice here behind us and i said yes. this is nothing like this anywhere else in america to honor this great institution created in our constitution. and one that senator kennedy dearly loved and made a better place when he was there. oh yes we disagreed, we had some fiery discussions, but we came together many times in a bipartisan way to get a result for america. he knew how to give and take and get results. i must say also here today that i thought it was important that we could have somebody that could speak southern other than vicki. [laughter]

i now know why all the kennedys have so much hair. it to keep their head warm. [laughter] [applause] senator lott: my apologies for not bringing a 75-degree temperature here today. i will tell you one store. when i was majority leader in 1997, the legislation that would bring to being the individuals with disabilities education act was gridlocked in the senate. i guess you know that word now. we have a lot of gridlock. but i thought it was something that needed to be done. it was not partisan. it was not regional. it was about people that had needs and could be helped her and so i started working with senator kennedy, and sure enough we got it done. then he came to my leader office

and he was very generous in his remarks about how we had worked together and wanted me to go to the bill signing at the white house, and i said i would pass on that. but i wrote him a letter telling him how much i enjoyed working with him and how proud i was that we got a result for individuals with disabilities and their need for education. and at the bottom, i wrote a p.s. and i said if the world only knew --- i do not know it for many years, but he framed that letter and hung it on his wall. i did not actually want the world to know -- [laughter] senator lott: i have a feeling he is laughing broadly somewhere right now. but we worked on a lot of things together. one of the last things we worked on was immigration reform in 2007. we worked together, and we tried our best and we also had a

procedural vote. i went up to him afterwards and i said i got a couple of threats of my life on that one, and every time i work with you i get in trouble, man. but just think how different things would be now if we had passed immigration reform in 2007. [applause] senator lott: and so this institution is dedicated to the history and the preservation of the united states senate. irish eyes are smiling today and i have a feeling that the spirit of ted kennedy that indomitable spirit, will reside in this building, in its heart and the senate in perpetuity. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen please come mayor martin j. wa

lsh. mayor walsh: thank you very much the president is on his way. governor baker, united states senators cardinal o'malley the things guests, welcome to kennedy country. vicki, teddy, patrick, and your families, on family members and friends of 70 kennedy who are here, welcome home. it is with pride that i and the people of boston accept the honor of hosting senator kennedy's fitting legacy. the institute for the united states senate, like the great presidential library next or from is truly home here at columbia point in the city of boston. let me tell you how i know this. i was born nearby in the same

saint margaret's hospital where sanity kennedy came into the world. as a child, i walked this short. she had stories of the kennedy family standing up for people like us. and then i learned it first hand. as a young man, i went to the dedication of the wells avenues and harley street in dorchester to rose kennedy. it was my president says her -- my predecessor. he went to congress and fought to protect immigrants against hatred. we heard the echoes when senator kennedy stood up for justice and whatever he sang " sweet adeline." i talked to rose's son, the lion of the senate. he was not larger than life

beauty was on the corner talking to his mother, like any good irish boy. he lists to us, talk with us, he was at home with us. so when he stood up for working people in the senate, we knew what it meant to us, our homes our streets, our communities. his impact was more real to boston. we lived it every day, from head start to meals on wheels, more police on the streets, more students in college, more affordable housing to clean harbors for it on your way out today a few hundred yards away, will pass the health center to . it has a big impact. in 19 city six, senator kennedy won its federal funding. he made it a model for legislation that brought high-quality care to all families all across america. he listened to people of this neighborhood.

he talked to the doctors who served them, and he shared their stories with his colleagues. he change this neighborhood and the country for the better. senator kennedy was one of the most effective legislators in history, but because he brought federal resources home, but because he brought our homes, our neighborhoods, and our voices to washington. our cares for his concerns always great he fought for the children he fought for the poor, he fought for the worker. and take it for me, a union laborer, american workers never had a better friend. as he told us -- [applause] mayor walsh: as he told us many times in many conferences in washington, the way you spell kennedy is l-a-b-o-r, and don't you forget it. he never did. he showed us that democracy

itself must be a labor of love whether it is quietly visiting a grieving parent or writing a heartfelt note to a political opponent. he moved us forward by bringing us together. that is the people power of democracy. t senator kennedy loved this city. the places were special to him and the people were special to him. the square in dorchester commission church -- mission church and mission field. the rose kennedy greenway. i want to thank everyone who helped bring the special place our city, this labor of love the edward m kennedy institute for the united states senate. here generations of children from all over new england and america and the world will learn what we learned from senator kennedy, how to make their voices heard fight for their causes, keep hope alive and make sure their dreams shall

never die. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome governor charlie baker. governor baker: first of all, i want to thank you on behalf of the commonwealth of massachusetts for being here today. i want to congratulate all those who are involved in raising the money to make this possible, and i want to thank the kennedy family for choosing this site and this organization and this operation to pay tribute to ted kennedy. senator lott, yeah, i am a republican governor from massachusetts. [laughter] governor baker: many years ago i was with a group of health care professionals, and we went down to washington to meet with senator kennedy to talk about health care. when we got done there we were told when we got to his office

in the rayburn building that the senate was in session, but he could meet with us in a little anteroom off the senate chamber if we hustled over there quickly. so we all hustled over there and gathered in this little room off the senate chamber and he came bustling in and sat down with us. the next 30 to 40 minutes, we all talked with him about health care while literally a dozen members of the u.s. senate at one point or another poke their head in. in those kinds of conversations you have with people that you really know, abbreviated little, did you look after -- yeah, i am on that -- back and forth, back and forth, between him and his colleagues in the u.s. senate. and when we left that day, i thought to myself, in a business where it is so much easier to stop something from happening and it is to actually find your way to get something done, this is how this guy succeeds.

relationships, trust follow-through. it was all on display that they as a sidebar to the meeting that we were having about health care. in short, senator kennedy absolutely was the bigfoot from massachusetts in so many ways if you wanted to get something done in d.c. there was a special reason why so many pieces of legislation that passed with his name to a republican's over the course of a career. it was because in that line of work he knew how to build relationships, establish trust and follow through to get the work of the senate, the work of the nation accomplished. and it was not just the big stuff. every friday night for many years i used to stop at a chinese restaurant on my way home in revere and pick up food

for myself and for the legion of children that would be hanging out of my house when i got there waiting for me to arrive. and one friday night it was about 7:30, a big group of us sitting around the kitchen table, eating dinner, phone rings, my six-year-old daughter walks over and answers the phone. she gets very quiet and a litter demure, as only six euros can. she puts the phone that, comes over, that, there's summit on the phone who says he is senator kennedy. [laughter] governor baker: that led to a lot of hilarity between my kids and my wife and everybody else about which one of my friends might be frankie me. i answered the phone and sure enough, it was senator kennedy. friday night 7:30, and he is calling to thank me for agreeing to serve on the conservancy board. we talked for a few minutes,

said how important it was to him that he get done right, and if we had any questions or concerns to feel free to give him a call. i hang up the phone and i said, that was senator kennedy. which no one believed. but the interesting to me is this is somebody who played on the big issues in the big questions of his time in washington. but i polled every member of that board and we all got a phone call like that, and they came at all hours of the day and night and on weekends, and he stayed with that as we went through the process of launching that port and making that three-way a reality. that -- that greenway in reality. we live in a world when people do not take what it takes to get stuff done in government. i'd dearly hope as somebody who believes deeply in the capability and the quality of public life to truly make life

better for everyone that this building and this institute finds a way to communicate how important relationships, trust and follow through are to truly being successful in public life, because to me, that embodies what senator kennedy would was all about. -- senator kennedy was all about. thank you very much. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senator ed markey. senator markey: mr. vice president, vicki teddy patrick, and your beautiful families ted loved all of you so much. you were the lights of his life

and he would be so proud of what you have accomplished together on this incredible day. ted made impossible dreams come true as the greatest senator of all time in the united states of america. and you have made this possible today. and there could be no more perfect place for this innovative institute than umas s boston, and extraordinary learning institution which educates over from just about every country in the work of all races, all countries, all incomes. this institution is what ted kennedy was all about. and deep appreciation to jack connors and john fish and nick

littlefield and ed for the fantastic job they did for bringing us to this day. this 21st century edifice is now etched into the indelible history of this city and our nation. and much like teddy kennedy's lasting impact, it will rise beyond our imagination. as a boy sitting on the floor in my living room, i watched on television as john f. kennedy accepted the nomination for president of the united states. that moment opened up the windows of the world for me and for every young boy and girl in the united states. and then in 1962, ted kennedy ran for the senate for the first time against george cabot lodge. this was my political education

about how a campaign for senator could make an historic difference for massachusetts and for our country. the undreamed of possibilities that teddy and his brothers, president kennedy and bobby, shared inspired a generation of public service. the kennedy brothers taught us to give back to our country, which has given so much to us, and they taught us to be bold. that is what the legacy is of ted kennedy. and it was an honor to serve with and to learn from ted kennedy in congress for 35 years. teddy's compassion was unmatched. his mentorship without peer. his dedication to justice unsurpassed. his ability to work across the aisle the best of any member of the united states congress. and this institute, a hub of

history, will take teddy's personal touch and at the power of technology. it will showcase how ineffective public policies have fueled groundbreaking discoveries and progress across all fields. it will spread dreams across town to nations building bridges of understanding. it will demonstrate how leadership, teamwork negotiation, and compromise are all essential ingredients of moving our country forward. you see, when i was first elected to congress, the son of a no plan from malden, i had never been to washington d.c., until the day of my swearing-in as a member of. the united states congress . but now i to kennedy institute, any young person can come here to learn and to experience how our democracy works to stand on the senate floor, to debate the big issues of our time. teddy turned the summit on the

mountains -- the sermon on the mount to the sermon on the senate floor. blessed are the poor, the sick the children of the elderly, and blessed are the peacemakers, for teddy, blessed were those programs to address the needs of the most vulnerable amongst us. lecithin are headstart, social security medicare, medicaid, health care for our, and blessed are the peacemakers for northern ireland and on the urban streets of america. that is what teddy kennedy preached. and so while there is -- [applause] senator markey: while there is no building that can match the strength of teddy's soul, no material that could replicate the fiber of his character, note architecture that could begin to's scrape the height of his vision, this institute --

and in doing so will inspire the new leaders and more engaged citizens. for teddy, education was always more than books. it was an opportunity, and experience to be grasped every day. that he found vision while holding the tiller of his sailboat or his lectern on the senate floor, and he had great fun every minute he was working on the most important issues in the world. and now, through its innovative ideas and time-honored ideals the institute, a place where hope and history will rhyme will allow teddy's words to echo throughout time, and it will or a new generation of dreamers to service. this institute will a neighbor the leaders of tomorrow to learn to participate, to soar, and to work together for a more educated, more healthy, more

peaceful and more fair nation and world. at his ted kennedy's -- that is ted kennedy's legacy. this is truly a great day. thank you also much. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senator elizabeth warren. senator warren: thank you. and thank you all for being here today in boston for such a wonderful day of celebration thank you, mr. vice president. thank you, gene and fred for your tremendous leadership to make this day possible. and thank you, vicki, thank you, ted, thank you patrick for your support, your advice, and for your friendship. i am truly honored to be with you on such a happy day. we're here to dedicate the kennedy institute, a place

designed with one of the loftiest goals possible -- to inspire, to encourage, to engage. it is a lofty goal, but it is the right one for an institute honor ted kennedy. and here is how i know how. back when i was a law professor i studied early -- that the middle class was in serious trouble. i studied people in bankruptcy. people went to college, who got married, had kids, who ended up pushed over a financial cliff. solidly middle-class folks, and more than 90% in bankruptcy because of a medical problem, a job loss, or a family breakup. the squeeze on the middle class was getting tighter and more and more families were deep in debt. bankruptcy was there last option to scratch their way back to dead-flat broke and try to build some kind of future. credit card companies solve this

and they figured out that they could boost their profits if they squeezed these people a little harder. then he wanted to change the bankruptcy laws so that hundreds of thousands of people more every year would be locked out of bankruptcy and left mired in debt. their profits, by squeezing people, drowning in medical debt and dealing with job losses. i was truly appalled. understand how this fight shaped up. credit card companies were smart. he had already lined up a lot of powerful folks to support them democrats and republicans. he had money galore. they had lobbyists galore. and if a family is going bankrupt, they had nothing literally nothing. they had no lobbyists. they were miserable and so humiliated they probably would not have shown up for a political rally if they had been invited. senator kennedy's counsel had

heard me give a talk, and she came up afterwards and said to be, you need to meet my boss. i never met him. was april 17, 1998. i showed up in his office on the 24th floor of the jfk building. understand, i did not know anything about politics. i had never met anyone like this. in fact, i was a rubber's shirt -- i was a registered republican. the senator greeted me like we had known each other forr each other. he pointed out old north church and talk so fast i could barely understand him. we had 15 minutes on the schedule and we sat down and started to talk about what was happening to working families, about how hard some of them are getting squeezed, about how hard they worked, and how much was going wrong, and about that

bankruptcy bill. and a 15-minute meeting turned into an hour and a half. and at the end, senator kennedy stood up, and he gave me that big, beautiful smile, and he said, you have done it, professor. you have my vote. i went straight back at him and said, we do not need your vote. we need your leadership. that is a big difference. it felt like the difference between being the kindly uncle who drops by a dry time with a birthday gift and being the parent who really has to raise the kid every single day and make it work, to be the one who gets out there and trades and pushes and pulls. we needed him to agree to be the leader, and it was a really big ask. he stood there, i remember a second what he looked like. his eyes were puffy. he was a little stooped he was in constant back pain. he looked tired, and he looked

over at that big satchel of papers that he always carried. the satchel, for his billion other commitments that he had already made, the fights that he had already agreed to fight. he looked at it and looked back at me, looked again and then he just said, i will do it. and that is what he did. he kept his word, and he led that fight for 10 years. i left his office, and i went out to the elevator bank and put my head against the wall, and i cried. senator kennedy changed my life that day. i had liked politics. all the lobbyists and cozy dealings and special favors for those who could buy access. but i stood in the lobby outside ted kennedy's office, and i felt

clean. i come into his office, with no political connections, no money improving the bankruptcy system was not going to help in his next reelection campaign, and friendly everyone knew that eventually we were going to lose this. senator ted kennedy, the lion of the senate, agreed to lead this fight because it was the right thing to do for millions of people hanging on by their fingermailsnails who just desperately needed a little help. he changed my life and he changed what i understood about public service what it means to fight for working people just because it is the right thing to do. this institute will give millions of people an opportunity to be inspired. that is the perfect way to honor

the memory of ted kennedy. thank you. >> senator kennedy loved music and i the celebration, and you cannot have one without the other. we are happy to provide some of that. this is one of his favorite songs. feel free to sing along. ♪ >> ♪ there's a bright golden haze on th emeadow there's a bright golden haze on th emeandoe

the corn is as high as an elephant's eye and it looks like it is climbing clear up to the sky o, what a beautiful morning o, what a beautiful day i got a beautiful feeling everything's going my way all the cattle are standing like statutes all the cattle are standing like statues. they do not turn their heads as they see me fly by

the wink in her eye. oh, what a beautiful morning oh, what a beautiful day i got a beautiful feeling. everything is going my way ♪ ♪ ♪ all the sounds of the earth are like music all the sounds of

the earth are like music the breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree and an old weeepoin' willer is laughin' at me o, what a beautiful morning o, what a beautiful day i got a beautiful feeling everything's going my way o, what a beautiful day o, what a beautiful day

o, what a beautiful o, what a beautiful o, what a beautiful day ♪ ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senator edward m kennedy juniorr. senator kennedy: thank you everyone. i want to thank the incredible boston pops for being with us.this morning and i just want to say one thing.

it is not true that my father really wanted to be president. who he really wanted to be is brian stokes mitchell. that is the life he really wanted to have if he did not want to be in the senate so much. i want to thank you for being here and joining us in this incredible celebration. i have the honor and great honor of introducing to you a great. he reminds me of my father in that way. his patriotism, his love of this country, his stick to it in this, and his willingness to put aside differences and find ways to really get things done.

senator mccain, my father so enjoyed his collaboration with you here after year, and he really looked upon his senate days working with you as some of the great moments of his senate career. ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm boston welcome to senator mccain: thank you, ted. mr. vice president, all of ted friends and colleagues visible here today, it is a privilege to be here to help dedicate his institute. a fitting memorial for a man who gave a half-century of dedication service to our country in a place he truly loved, the united states that. i wish i hadn't already told my

best anecdotal ted at his memorial service. it might have been appropriate here. and concerned an exchange that he and i had on the senate floor that was known for its bigger. a good candy work for you. [laughter] a story that we both enjoyed telling. since many of you were present the last time, i won't repeat it today -- pity though, it's a good one. [laughter] we were on the floor. [laughter] we went to freshman senators, one democrat and one republican who got into a parliamentary dispute. i sighed taking place so i went down and actually took the side of the freshman republican senator. who should appear out of the democrat pro-to take the side of the democrat freshman?

soon face-to-face, i do i, violating all the rules of the senate, yelling at each other the two young senators fled to the cloak room. [laughter] after was over, we walked out. ted put his arm around me, and said, we did a pretty good job didn't we? that was the essence. you know -- i know you didn't mind hearing it again. ted and i both believe that if the story made you laugh once, it could make you laugh again. and again. and again. i'm still getting last for jokes that i stole from udall years ago. i miss my friend. i miss him a lot. i knew i would, when i said six years ago, the senate would it be the same without him. it hasn't been. that's mostly for reasons unrelated to losing ted, by have no doubt that the place would be

a little more productive and a lot more fun if you were there. we all know ted was a passionate liberal. he was happy to impress on you with that baritone of his. just how passionate and how liberal he was. i don't have that personality myself. when he either of us were aroused, we could get a little heated. if we were on the senate floor at the same time, and of the same temperature well, watch out. it was a great thing though about ted. he loved it. he loved the good fight. the harder he you went out it, it the more he enjoyed it, and a hearty laugh about it the next time you encountered him. he loved the place. you could just tell. he loved the history and the unique attributes, and it's curious means for making a criminal -- incremental progress

on the problems of our time. he saw himself as a steadfast advocate for his cause of. no one in the senate opposed them like me or debated him without respect for his passion empowers. we all listen to him. he was hard to ignore. he also saw himself as a problem solver, which all legislators should aspire to be. we didn't always agree on what the solutions to our country's problems were. sometimes, we couldn't even agree on what the problems were. one we did find common ground and forge a compromise for the sake of making some improvement to the state of our union, he was the best ally. persistent. patient. thorough. tireless. always true to his word. and just excellent company and all the battles, small and large, that he fought along the way.

he made you love the place too. you saw the senate potential. and most of its successes achieved by the dole work of legislating, as the fun as exhibit job. he took the long view. he never gave up. he advances causes and too often from my side, he would eventually win it all. i must patient the ted was. i know his approach was best suited to that institution. he was tactical, farsighted, and inventive. made for a passionate outspokene advocate. that's a good lesson for all of us. as i said, i miss him. i miss his company. i miss that voice suddenly jolting us out of the term for of some debate that had jogged

on for too long -- dragged on for too long. i miss fighting with him to be honest. it is hard to find people to find people that enjoy a good fight like ted did. [laughter] i miss his storytelling, his last. i miss the pride -- the sometimes solemn pride, boston enjoys pride that he took in his family's history, and the important role that they played in the history of our country. no, the place hasn't been the same without him. if we learn the right lessons from the late edward m kennedy's example, from his love for the team in the u.s. senate, we can make it better. we can make it a place where every member conserve with pride and love. thank you. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome congressman patrick j kennedy. [applause] senator kennedy:connors congressman kennedy: i can see my file are out there in the line. he would say, i can't believe -- and exit out the door. right, kevin? i am so honored. my family is so honored. as i see this got here i see my father. all of you are a part of his life. seeing you rings back great memories for me and my entire family. i want to take this moment, before i have the honor of introducing the vice president to knowledge my mother.

[applause] as my dad would be saying, make sure you remember your mother. [laughter] so, i did. i want to take this opportunity -- you know the senate has a phrase, my friend. and they keep referring to "my friend. " it could never be more true than when he talked about joe biden. mr. vice president you were there for him. he was there for you. and good times and bad times. you were on the same side of the

aisle, but sitting next to each other for years on the judiciary committee, fighting that battle for social justice that was in cap slated -- encapsulated in matthew 25. those who were there for the least one of these, my brothers and sisters, is there for me. you, mr. vice president have carried that same faith to help bring more americans into the circle of opportunity, which was my father's great passion for this country. [applause] all of us know joe biden, just like my dad loved people loved the fray, and love to get into it, and solve the problem. he was a happy warrior. our next speaker, vice president joe biden is also a happy

warrior. please give a great round of applause to our vice president joe biden. [applause] vice president biden: thank you very much. thank you very very much. thank you for the introduction patrick. teddy junior, caroline, vickie -- it's a great honor to be asked here to speak today. so many others in the audience and behind me who deserve this honor more than i do. to joan and jean, the whole kennedy family, my sister valerie and i are truly honored

to be here. you know, there are scores of stories that we could all tell. my guess is that everyone of you and audience has a story about ted kennedy's generosity toward you. stories that made a difference in your lives. the truth is, after, it is doubtful that i would be -- that i would have won my election in the first instance were it not for the fact that your father literally with less than one week left to go, came to delaware rallied about 2000 democrat and started off by saying, you know, i'm here for joe biden, but i think he is too young to be a senator. [laughter] everyone in the audience understood it. it energized them. i was then 29.

i didn't turn 30 until after election day. the next day, in the "wall street journal," in the left-hand column it said kennedy said bynum is too young for senate. it energized my base and i won by a landslide. [laughter] on a more serious note, it is close to certain that i would have never been sworn in as a u.s. senator but for your father. your fathers encouragement. literally reaching out to me and pulling me to washington. as a matter fact, i was supposed to be sworn in, i didn't want to, and i didn't show up the day i was supposed to be sworn in. it was your father. your father, along with mike mansfield, the secretary of the senate came to a hospital in

delaware to swear me in with my boys. after i arrived in washington, your dad -- although it is presumptive to say this -- treated me like a little brother. at least that's how i felt. when i arrived in washington after everyone else had been sworn in, your dad became my tutor, and my guide. he introduced me to other senators, who i had never met. i am the first united states senator of a name that i knew. it was new. i remember all these very same ascenders. he was try to get me out of my office. get me engaged. i remember walking in the senate gym, like a ymca -- the guys walk around with

nothing on. and he said, i want you to meet this guy. i swear to god. i felt guilty i was fully closed. [laughter] true story. was i embarrassed. your dad also intervened and got me placed on important committees usually not available to freshman senators. he not only looked out for me, but he looked out for my sons. i don't know how 8x8 dried you to the kennedy center and let me sit in the box next to him with my two sons, and you thought what in the hell are you doing here. you are always reaching

out to my son, and later to my daughters. something about the kennedys. you all know it. everyone in here understands it. he was an anchor to many of us in our personal lives. he is also the anchor in an institution. we shared a lot of perspective on the world and our place in it. one that was p written on our sleeves is that we both viewed serving in u.s. senate as the single greatest honor, and the greatest responsibility that we had in our lives next to being fathers and husbands. we both believed, and i still believe, that democracy would not have survived as it has over the past 226 years, but for the brilliance and foresight of our fathers. who understood that the separation of power among the three branches of government is

the only guarantor of individual liberty. as u.s. senator, chairman of the judiciary committee, chairman of the foreign relations committee and now as vice president, i have lived that wisdom from a very unique perspective. and with teddy as my guide. in the senate, we work with presidents of both parties. i have often challenge them when i thought they were wrong, but always paying deference to the office they occupy, never demeaning it. i serve 32 years on the judiciary committee fighting tooth and nail for justice for all. but always with a deepl indispensability of the

judiciary. what he really taught me was the meaning of john adams off the rations -- off the rations that the senate, in adam's words, was the colossus of the constitution. no republican can be for any duration without a senate, and the senate deeply and strongly rooted, strong enough to bear up against all popular storms and passions. i think you believe that with every fiber in his being. i had a from w front row seat, which i can never repay the family four, during the 36 years of my his 50 years in the senate, watching the liberal lion of the senate. including the last time he was on the senate to cast a vote for the health care bill, before looking at.

as divided as the body was on that act, everything goes senator stood with thunderous applause and tears in their eyes welcoming back the lion in the senate, knowing his passion was to see to it that we no longer debated whether health care care was a privilege or right. [applause] i watched him as the debate contested some of the most divisive storms of our time. the voting rights act. equal rights amendment. watergate. wars in vietnam and iraq. the supreme court nominee to

serve in a body that he fully understood and told us all would have more impact and effect on the state of the nation than anything we did other than declaring war. what i observed in every instance was that as passionate as he felt, he always paid deference and respect to the institutions that were involved, whether was the presidency, the federal judiciary, or the congress. the other observation that all those present here can attest to , teddy understood that to unlock the potential of united states senate, to enable it to arrive to consensus was about more than just mastering the details of the issue of the day. he did master them. he understood that consensus was arrived at from an

accumulative affect. the little things that you did for the other. build over time. that's what generated the trust and mutual respect that only teddy was able to do. forgive me for saying int a city up to o'neill, by thinking was wrong to all politics is local. all politics is personal. all politics is personal. no one in my life understood that better than ted kennedy. i remember vividly -- we still had a lot of the south when i arrived. teddy was a nemesis. i remember him debating senator

eastman of the judiciary committee, powerful anti-civil rights member. or barry goldwater and the war in vietnam. or john on issues of foreign policy and others. three very different men with very different perspectives. when the debate was over, as john reference teddy what an utterly -- inevitably walk across the aisle to his colleague's desk, shake his hand and more often than not go down to the senate dining room and have a cup of coffee together. he reached out to everyone. always building and maintaining personal relationships and trust , even those with people of profound disagreements. teddy didn't have to be taught the lesson. mike mansfield taught me once

when i criticize a senator in his office, he looked at me and said joe, it is always appropriate to challenge and other senators judgment. it is never appropriate to challenge their motive. because you don't know what their motive is. that's why teddy was able to so frequently forge compromise and generate consensus. in the process help make the united states senate work as it was designed to work. he believes what he said. that being a united states senator changes the person. it is bigger than you. it requires you to always be willing to listen to another perspective, and be open to changing your mind without pe but training any of your principles. my dad would say teddy was a

big man. he was never small. he was always gracious. as a consequence, he raised everyone's game. it's hard to be teddy when the man or woman you are debating is being grand. it reminds me of a quote that my sister always uses a chair be good to michelangelo. -- a to michelangelo. he said, i saw the angel in the marble and i carved until i set him free. teddy set free a lot of f olks. that was teddy. he set and really high bar for his fellow senators, like the current and former ones who are here today. when he demanded, no less

be applied to himself and his staff. teddy was always optimistic, at least all the time i was with him, and that was an awful lot. allways hopeful. i believe, like too few people today, he believed in the instinct and capacities and goodness of the american people. if just given half a chance. he believes anything was possible. ultimately from my perceptive, i think that is teddy's true legacy. measured as a consequence of how we look at one another. in turn, how we look at ourselves. to establish trust and faith in

an institution with the potential to make of all better. that's what i expect the edward m kennedy institute of the united states to fully convey to the future generations of americans who go through this wonderful place. ladies and gentlemen, i'm not saying anything that you do not already know. this country hungers for a resurgence of a baseline believe in the system of self-governance , admired for his wisdom in the face of passionate differences and for the ability to compromise over the seemingly unbridgeable divide with some dignity. i'm confident that this institute will serve and set satisfied that appetite. the pond and say -- pundits say

that we are divided today, more divided than we ever were. that's something not true. look at every major poll on every major issue. there is a consensus in america. it is the political process that has been broken. generations of americans, from every state, will enter this institute with a chance to debate and raise real issues, and develop the capacity to speak up and make their case. i hope they will learn, always with respect. hopefully they will return home and powered with the capacity to listen to different views, be able to forge a consensus that makes it possible for their community and country to function to its fullest potential. what more fitting tribute to senator edward m kennedy then that lesson to not only learn

but tell to some a generations that will walk through this institute. he was an anchor for our lives and an anchor to the senate as an institution. let this place serve as a true compass pointing to his faith of the unlimitedless possibilities for this great country. thank you for allowing me to be here. god bless you all. [applause] ♪ >> thank you, mr. vice

president. that was beautiful. these are two songs i think beautifully captured the heart and spirit, not only of senator kennedy, but the heart and spirit of what this institution will be. >> ♪ o beautiful, for spacious skies. for amber waves of grain for purple mountains majesties above the fruited plain america america god shed his

grace on the and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea o beautiful for patriot dreams that see beyond the years thine alabaster cities gleam

america america, god shed his grace on thee crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea ♪ ♪