December 8, 2020
In 2002, Sen. Paul Sarbanes and Rep. Elijah Cummings shared a laugh after they announced a $1 million federal grant to seven Baltimore City elementary schools to fix up their playgrounds. (Source: Baltimore Sun article, photo by Kim Hairston)
U.S. Rep. John P. Sarbanes (D-Md.) announced late Sunday evening the passing of his father, U.S. Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.), at age 87. Senator Sarbane's political career spanned 40 years (4 in the Maryland House of Delegates and 36 on Capitol Hill), and he was widely admired. In Congress, he backed legislation to promote low-income housing, healthcare access, environmental protection and preservation, and consumer protections. His values were closely aligned with Sierra Club's values of safeguarding the environment, public health, and social justice.
The son of Greek immigrants whose first job was busing tables in his parents' restaurant on the Eastern Shore, Sarbanes would go on to graduate from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He drafted the articles of impeachment against then President Nixon, and in 2000 became Maryland's first U.S. senator to win a fifth term.
Maryland Matters reports: "At home, Sarbanes was known best for his advocacy for the Chesapeake Bay and public transit — at a time when both issues hadn’t reached the political mainstream. And at the national level, he will always be recognized for Sarbanes-Oxley, a financial reform law that protected consumers, investors and taxpayers against unscrupulous corporate accounting practices."
Below is a selection of tributes that speak to the kind of person he was and his lasting legacy.
U.S. Sen. Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.):
“Paul Sarbanes of Maryland was one of my heroes in the Senate. Intelligent, articulate, funny, willing to fight for what he believed in — a class act. When asked about my favorites in the Senate, I always said his name. May every public servant aspire to live by his standards.”U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.)
“Maryland mourns the loss of an incredible public servant and champion of the Chesapeake Bay with the death of Sen. Paul Sarbanes. He set new, needed standards for transparency and good governance. Rep. Sarbanes, our thoughts are with your entire family.”U.S. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.)
“Though he avoided the spotlight, Paul was a man of great intellect and integrity. He was a very effective legislator and a leader with a vision and strong ethical character. I was honored to work closely with him throughout our careers together. We worked on such issues as civil rights, environmental protection, the Chesapeake Bay, education, campaign finance reform, health care accessibility, consumer protection, and many more. Throughout his life, he fought tirelessly to make life better for families in Maryland."U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
“On a personal note, I will never forget Paul’s kindness when I worked with him as a staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 1980s, or his mentorship during my first term in the House, and his willingness to offer advice and counsel when I was elected to the Senate in 2016. He was a role model for me and so many others who believe that public service is a noble calling. Katherine and I send our condolences to his children John, Michael, and Janet, to his brother Tony, and to all of Paul’s family during this difficult time. Paul Sarbanes left a legacy of compassion, integrity, humility, and hard work that Marylanders will never forget.”U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.)
“Paul was a gentle giant and a man of courage and conviction. He set a standard for compassionate leadership that few could match. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten.”Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker
“A man of great intellect, Paul Sarbanes was a life-long public servant. He was one of the most thoughtful and sincere elected officials I have ever known. At the top of his priority list was protecting the environment. And at the top of that list, saving the Chesapeake Bay."Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker
"I'm so saddened to learn about the passing of U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes. We’ve lost a giant of Maryland and national policymaking. Starting as a dishwasher and busboy at his family's restaurant, he committed his life to improving the lives of Marylanders and all Americans, leaving a lasting legacy in our community and across the nation. He worked effectively to expand low-income housing, to protect investors, to advocate for mass transit and regional connectedness, and to protect the environment, with a special focus on protecting the Chesapeake Bay and our entire watershed. He was a tremendous statesman who had a profound impact on all of our lives, yet he never lost his humility and his personal concern for all his constituents."
May he rest in peace, and may his example and legacy continue to endure and inspire.