Mark Kelly: “Jerry, you have been such a great friend and a neighbor of mine ever since I came to this body and really before I got…”

“Jerry, you have been such a great friend and a neighbor of mine ever since I came to this body and really before I got here in 1994, 1995. But mostly you have been a mentor to me. You have been a true leader of this House. You have built support for various legislative initiatives over the course of so many years. The experience you have brought here to this body has made the body a better place. It has brought more of New York common sense to Washington than many of the others of us. You have stood, you have fought not only for the Nation but you fought for our State and our Nation as a whole. I think that is a wonderful attribute, Jerry. So many people are here that do not speak with quite as loud a voice as you have, Jerry, and I have to tell you, that strong, loud voice is something we New Yorkers love and appreciate and are going to miss tremendously. The House is going to seem less next year. That is because the very large role that you, Jerry Solomon, have crafted here in Congress is going to be empty. So those of us from New York will continue to build consensus and make the bills we pass good for New York and this Nation we will try to make as good as possible, but we will do that with you in our hearts, Jerry.”