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Friday, November 22, 2024

“TRIBUTE TO DAVE LEE” published by the Congressional Record in the Senate section on April 27

Politics 18 edited

Volume 167, No. 72, covering the 1st Session of the 117th Congress (2021 - 2022), was published by the Congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

“TRIBUTE TO DAVE LEE” mentioning Amy Klobuchar was published in the Senate section on page S2222 on April 27.

Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

TRIBUTE TO DAVE LEE

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, today I rise to honor and pay tribute to Dave Lee, a radio host and Minnesota legend who is retiring after 32 years at WCCO radio on April 30, 2021.

Hailing from Hatton, ND, Dave did not always know he would be a radio personality. He spent his summers in high school throwing hay bales, picking potatoes, and hoeing beets. When a friend recommended he audition for KRAD, a local radio station in East Grand Forks, Dave was just hoping to earn a little extra money for college, but the station saw a spark in him and offered him 9-hour country music shift. From there, he volunteered to help out with sports coverage, and when he graduated college, he stayed at the station. As he puts it, ``When you are passionate about something, it never feels like you are going to work.''

That is how Dave's voice was introduced to the airwaves, and after years at KRAD in East Grand Forks and KFGO in Fargo, he became a weekend host of News Talk 830 on WCCO. He didn't know at the time, but WCCO would be his home for the next 32 years. Dave went on to join the legendary Roger Erickson as cohost of the morning drive and then took on solo duties when Roger retired in 1997.

=========================== NOTE ===========================

On page S2222, April 27, 2021, the following appears: KFYO in Fargo

The online Record has been corrected to read: KFGO in Fargo

========================= END NOTE =========================

For many Minnesotans, Dave's voice was as much a part of their morning as their cup of coffee. Commuters counted on him for traffic updates, students looked to him for snow day announcements, and we all knew we could rely on him for honest news reporting and engaging interviews. Over the course of his career, he interviewed an impressive roster of personalities, from Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, to baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan, to actress Julie Andrews. He also had countless incredible interviews with elected officials Democrats and Republicans alike.

Some conversations were serious, talking about the policy fight or issue of the day, but sometimes his interviews were just plain fun. I still have great memories of joining him at the WCCO booth at the Minnesota State Fair and ``Minnesota Hospital'' soap opera spoof skit, where I was given the role of Nurse Helen and Sid Hartman played the infamous ``Dr. Kidney Hartman.''

For years, we have also been treated to Dave's sports coverage. He did the play-by-play for the Minnesota Gophers for a decade and occasionally filled in as announcer for the Minnesota Twins. He brought his running commentary to the television broadcasts of the Minnesota State High School Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments and covered University of St. Thomas football games on WCCO.

His joyful and informative commentary made him a six-time winner of Minnesota's Sportscaster of the Year, and he earned three Emmy Awards for his reporting on television. He is also a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award, several awards from the Associated Press, and a nomination for the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Radio Award.

To so many Minnesotans, Dave was a titan of Minnesota radio, providing information and entertainment with his signature warm demeanor. And it was with that same kind spirit that Dave did so much to give back, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital. After all Dave has done for our community, I have to admit, he deserves the chance to start sleeping in.

Dave, even though I will miss having you on the airwaves, I know that this is not goodbye, and I wish you all my best.

____________________

SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 72

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