REMEMBERING DAN CAUDILL

On 2026-01-30, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered a floor speech titled "REMEMBERING DAN CAUDILL" in the Senate. The speech addressed immigration and also covered the environment, housing. It referenced legislation including S417, S418.

REMEMBERING DAN CAUDILL

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 22 (Friday, January 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 22 (Friday, January 30, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S417-S418] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REMEMBERING DAN CAUDILL Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a true patriot, proud American, and good friend of mine, Sanford ``Dan'' Caudill. Sadly, Dan passed away on December 17 of last year after a private battle with cancer. His passing continues to weigh heavily on his family and friends. I was honored to have had the opportunity to personally express my condolences to the family and to celebrate his life during his visitation. Today, I would like to take a moment to recognize Dan. He never asked for any praise nor did he want it, but he constantly lived his life through his faith, always making outstanding efforts to improve the lives of others. Dan was an incredible businessman. He spent 45 years running his family business, Caudill Seed Company, and built it from a small agricultural supply company into North America's largest supplier of seeds and beans. Dan's work allowed him to connect with people across the country and around the globe, developing impactful relationships and working to make a difference in the agriculture industry. Between his business locations in Louisville and Winchester, he became known as a trusted partner in business in Kentucky and around the world. While he was a true believer in capitalism and a titan of his industry, he was most well known for his work helping those in need. Always willing to lend a hand and help others, Dan involved himself heavily in the philanthropic efforts of several organizations dedicated to giving people a second chance. He was a true believer in community and how it could shape the lives of those affected by substance abuse, homelessness, and criminal backgrounds who were just trying to get back up on their feet. Through it all, Dan made those around him feel loved and supported. Without hesitation, Caudill Seed readily focused its attention on providing job opportunities to those in need. Dan was a steadfast ally to people facing significant obstacles to finding gainful employment. In addition to his company, his philanthropic work with the Healing Place, the Ice House, and the Volunteers of America have helped countless people continue in their recovery journey and find affordable housing. This spring, the Volunteers of America plan to open an affordable housing project in Louisville called Monarch Station. Dan was the one who donated the land for this project. Where did the idea come from? It started when Dan invited a few homeless guys to have coffee with him to learn their stories. Inspiration took root. All it took was Dan's compassion to open a door and get to know a few guys over some coffee. This is the kind of person Dan was, a real change maker who always looked to hope instead of despair and who always looked for the next tangible way [[Page S418]] to make someone's life a little bit better. No one knew this more than his family. He was a loving husband to his wife Andrea and a devoted father to his three children: Cassandra, Corey, and Connor. Dan was a wonderful grandfather to his granddaughters Adalie and Aliya and beloved by his entire family. Jennifer Hancock is the CEO of the Volunteers of America Mid-States, and she gave a beautiful speech at Dan's funeral. I ask unanimous consent that her remarks below be printed in the Record. Much like Jennifer, I treasure the friendship Dan and I built, and I am forever grateful for his life of faith and servitude. I ask my colleagues to please join me in honoring Dan and thinking of his family during this time. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Remarks for the Funeral of Dan Caudill (Prepared by Jennifer Hancock, President & CEO, Volunteers of America Mid-States) Good afternoon everyone, I am honored to be able to share the impact that Dan had on me and those we serve at Volunteers of America. Today we gather to remember and celebrate a man who changed lives--quietly, persistently, and always with love--our friend, mentor, and champion, Dan Caudill. Dan was one of the people and always for the people. That is how I will remember him--how so many of us will remember him--because his life was rooted in service to neighbors, to people seeking recovery, and to those who had no one else in their corner. Dan's heart beat for the recovery community. He believed in second chances, in dignity, and in the power of compassion to restore what addiction and hardship often steal. He was incredibly generou--yes--and he was far more than a donor. He was a partner in our mission: always sending articles about the drug crisis, calling just to check on me and our VOA programs, and reassuring us when the work was heavy. He wanted to know not just if we were succeeding--but that people were healing. Anyone who knew Dan knows this: he did not want a spotlight. He was humble in all that he did. In 2023, when we honored him with the Ballington and Maud Booth Award at VOA's National Conference--one of the highest recognitions in our movement--he didn't want the fuss. Our affiliate had never hosted the national conference--it was a big deal and as part of it we got to select one person in our four state region to receive this highest honor. It was obvious and immediate that it would be Dan. But I worried he would decline and I knew I would have to twist his arm. So I took him to lunch and literally had to beg him to accept it. I told him that I wanted to profile someone that lived his faith and principles more than talked about them. He finally relented and said, `okay if it helps the mission, I'll do it.' That was Dan-- uncomfortable with personal praise, but fiercely committed to the cause. Dan's generosity flowed to the places where lives were being rebuilt: the Ice House, The Healing Place, and VOA. He knew that recovery requires community--spaces that show people they matter, programs that walk with them through the hardest days, and neighbors who refuse to give up. I've known Dan nearly all of my 19 years at VOA. Ten years ago, as I was becoming CEO, I was also welcoming my daughter into the world. I confided in Dan about her prenatal challenges and serious medical issues. From that day forward, every single time we spoke--every time including the last time just last month--he began or ended by asking, `How is your daughter doing?' and always called her ``a miracle''. That is who he was: present, attentive, and unfailingly kind. His care for my family mirrored the care he had for so many. And he loved no one more than his own family. He loved his family fiercely and was so very proud of his children and grandchildren. He was devoted to Andrea his life partner, and he found peace with her on their farm. During COVID, Dan and I had coffee. He was dead set on finding a solution for the growing street homelessness crisis. He saw an encampment behind the Ice House and could not shake what he witnessed. He invited men in for a cup of coffee--getting to know their names and stories. That coffee conversation sparked what would become Monarch Station: a place designed specifically for people who had been living on our streets--permanent, dignified homes with support. Monarch Station will be perfectly situated right between VOA's Shelby Street Clinical Campus and the Ice House. And it will soon exist only because Dan donated the land to VOA, believing we could build something worthy of our neighbors. Last month when we talked I told Dan we could not have a ribbon cutting and open our doors in the Spring to the homeless people he envisioned us to serve without him. My faith tells me he will not let us down; he will be there. And we will feel him with us--every time a key turns in a new front door, every time a neighbor sleeps safely inside, every time hope replaces survival. Because of Dan, thousands of people have already found a path to recovery. And thousands more will--each with a story now pointed toward hope. Some will never know his name, but they will feel the warmth of a safe home, the embrace of a community, and the dignity of being seen. That was Dan's way: for the people--and always with the people. To Andrea, to his children and grandchildren: thank you for sharing Dan with us. We are with you. We loved him, and we will carry his legacy forward with gratitude and resolve. And to Dan--our dear friend--thank you. You showed us what love looks like when it becomes action. You taught us that humility is strength. You made Louisville kinder and better. Rest in peace. I know you will be with us at Monarch Station. ____________________