Floor Statements

Mr. President, outside Wrigley Field in Chicago, there are statues of Chicago Cubs Hall of Famers and legends. Cast in bronze, these five men--including Fergie Jenkins, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo--each made a historic impact on the team, the city of Chicago, and Major League Baseball. The newest statue is one of Ryne Sandberg. For so many of us, ``Ryno'' was the face of the team, an ambassador for the best parts of baseball. His talent was only matched by the kindness he showed off the field. So it is with great sadness that I share the news of his passing.

Ryne was destined to be a ballplayer when he was born in Spokane, WA. His parents named him after the New York Yankees pitcher Ryne Duren. And as a child, Ryne would play ball for hours with nothing but an old bat and a plastic golf ball. By high school, he had already caught the eye of scouts from the big leagues. While he made his debut with the Philadelphia Phillies, he did not find his true home until he joined the Cubs in 1982.

Ryne saw success from the moment he joined the team. By the end of his first season, he was one of the top-rated rookies in the Nation. In 1983, the Cubs moved him to second base, and that year, he won his first Golden Glove Award. But it was in 1984 when the name Ryne Sandberg was cemented in Cubs history. That year, Ryne led the Cubs to their first postseason in 39 years by winning the NL East, where he also earned the NL Most Valuable Player.

Ryne had a way of playing that could make anyone fall in love with baseball, and this was on full display during the 1984 season. I was there, in the stands of Wrigley, when Ryne played what is now known as ``The Sandberg Game.'' I will never forget the roar of the crowd and the crack of the bat when he hit a home run at the bottom of the 10th, tying the game. That was one of the best ballgames I have ever seen. Ryne's talent, hustle, and drive were on full display that day, and he made fans believe in the impossible as the Cubs came back from a six- run deficit.

Ryne's success in 1984 was just the beginning of a dominant career. By the time he retired in 1997 after 16 seasons, he had been named to 10 All-Star Games, won nine Gold Gloves, and seven Silver Slugger Awards. Not many ballplayers have the same level of success at bat as they have in the field, but Ryne excelled at it all.

If there was one word to describe Ryne's approach to baseball, it would be respect. Ryne was someone who was just as proud to get a man on third as he was hitting a flashy home run. He trained hard, kept his head down, and led by example. Ryne did not play baseball because he wanted fame or money; he played because he loved the sport.

It was no surprise when Ryne was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. It was a proper recognition of his talent and the impact he had on baseball. When remembering Ryne, I think back to something he said in his speech that day. In an era where baseball was facing serious scandals around steroid use, Ryne said, ``I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward . . . I played it right because that's what you're supposed to do.'' Even when celebrating his life of accomplishments, Ryne still took the time to try and make baseball better. He had that much respect for the game.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ryne, and in meeting him, it quickly became clear to me why he was loved by so many. Ryne was someone who would ask questions about your children and where you were from. He would offer to take a photo with you before you could even ask. He was a natural ambassador for the Cubs, even before he was officially offered that role in 2016. Ryne was always ready to give more to a team that he had raised to greatness. Cubs fans and all who love the sport will never forget his contributions.

I could not think of a better way to honor Ryne than today's announcement that the All-Star Game is coming back to Wrigley Field for the first time since Ryne won the 1990 Home Run Derby. I hope that as tens of thousands of baseball fans visit the Friendly Confines, in for the 2027 MLB All-Star Game, that they see Ryne's statue and reflect on what he brought to baseball and the legacy he left behind.

Despite all of Ryne's accomplishments in baseball, he always maintained that the best thing to ever happen to him was marrying his wife Margaret and being a father to his five children. Loretta and I send our deepest condolences to Margaret, Justin, Lindsey, Steven, BR, and Adriane, and his 11 grandchildren on their tremendous loss.

Ryno represented the best of the game. He reminded us, both on and off the field, why we love baseball. While we will miss him, he will live on with the legends on Gallagher Way and forever in our hearts as No. 23.

Mr. President, today when you look at Chicago's West Loop

neighborhood, you will see new lofts and condominiums, trendy restaurants, and many people moving in. But 50 years ago, it was one of the poorest parts of Chicago. It used to be called ``Skid Row'' and was crowded with warehouses and boarded-up businesses. Not much of that past is left there today, except for a few brick buildings and Chicago's largest addiction and mental health treatment facility, Haymarket Center, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

When Haymarket Center was founded in 1975, not many people would venture to the West Loop. Many locals were experiencing addiction and alcoholism, and the stigmas surrounding those diseases were devastating. At the time, the sentiment in America was that addiction was a personal failure. Those who suffered from addiction were cast out of society, isolated from their families, and denied the treatment they so desperately needed. Instead of being sent to hospitals, they would be sent to jails.

However, there was one man willing to venture to Skid Row. He had rosy Irish cheeks and a slight limp, and he was committed to helping those who had no one else to care for them. His name was Monsignor Ignatius McDermott, but we all knew him as Father Mac. Father Mac was a friend of mine; he was a model of compassion, commitment, and service.

He began his path to addiction treatment at Maryville Academy, an orphanage in a suburb 25 miles west of Chicago. Father Mac was only 25 when he started working at Maryville, and there, he saw how many children were affected by their parents' addiction. When he had to make a home visit, he often would venture to Skid Row and see the plight of those living there. These experiences drove him to move to Skid Row in 1946 to help people beat their addiction. Almost every night, Father Mac would walk up and down the streets of Skid Row looking for someone to offer encouragement.

That was something I always respected about Father Mac. While so many people would pick up the pace or cross the street to avoid someone who may be sick with addiction, Father Mac would slow down and stop to see what he could do to help.

As Father Mac served Chicago's West Loop, he began to realize that addiction needed to be treated like the disease it was. That realization was shared by a renowned surgeon and psychiatrist Dr. James West, who had his own struggles with addiction. Together, these two men founded Haymarket House, which would go on to become Haymarket Center.

The opening of Haymarket Center was a turning point in Chicago's approach to addiction treatment. In thinking about the mission that inspired these two men, I am reminded of something Father Mac would say. ``The Master is kindness . . . It is the only language in the world that the deaf can hear, the blind can see, that the mute can speak.'' And kindness is embodied throughout Haymarket Center's operations. It was one of the first places in Chicago where people in the throes of addiction could go and be treated with love, not judgement.

Fifty years later, that guiding light has not changed. Haymarket Center still is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is a beacon of hope, ensuring our most vulnerable have access to critical services regardless of their income or background. Haymarket Center has grown to treat more than 12,000 patients a year and offers 30 specialized addiction and recovery programs in support of its mission. These programs also support job training and mental health counseling for patients, helping to address the root causes of suffering and providing patients with a path forward. Haymarket Center continues to push our understanding surrounding addiction into the future, recognizing the role that poverty and trauma play in addiction.

I and so many other of Chicago's representatives have seen the impact Haymarket Center has on our community. That is why, throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to secure resources and change Federal policies to help the healers at Haymarket Center fulfill their mission.

I want to thank Haymarket Center's current CEO Dr. Dan Lustig for his work in ensuring Haymarket continues to live up to Father Mac's vision. Dr. Lustig's leadership has kept Haymarket at the forefront of addiction treatment amidst the opioid epidemic and mental health crisis.

While Father Mac is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through Haymarket Center. I join people across the Chicagoland area in congratulating Haymarket Center for 50 years of incredible work, helping those who had no one else to turn to, and treating everyone who walked through its doors with kindness.

I announce that the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Blumenthal), the Senator from Washington (Ms. Cantwell), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), the Senator from New Hampshire (Ms. Hassan), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly), and the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Warnock) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin) are necessarily absent.