Political Quotes

“it is with a heavy heart that I come to the floor to pay tribute to former Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, a dear friend who honorably served the people of the Sooner State. Senator Inhofe led a life of public service, first as a soldier in the U.S. Army and then in several other roles in elected office at all levels of government. It was evident how much he truly loved leading and representing his community, the people of Oklahoma, and our country. I had the honor and privilege of serving with Senator Inhofe and developing a relationship based not just on our shared responsibilities and interest but also on our faith and our values. We originally met when I was a Member of the House of Representatives and had the opportunity to join one of his congressional delegation trips. As someone I grew to deeply respect and admire, his encouragement for me to run for the Senate was a very important part of why I chose to launch the campaign, and I consider it a blessing that I got to work alongside Senator Inhofe for 12 years together in this Chamber. He was a leader on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee when I was a junior member, and I learned so much from simply observing him. But he was also gracious enough to view me as a partner. A decade ago, I invited the Senator to Fort Smith, AR, my home town, a community bordering Oklahoma, and he took me up on the offer. Our States are neighbors. So, naturally, we worked together on a number of initiatives.…”