Katie Porter: “the death of our friend Ed Madigan is a profound loss for the Congress, the citizens of Illinois, and our entire Nation.…”

“the death of our friend Ed Madigan is a profound loss for the Congress, the citizens of Illinois, and our entire Nation. One of America's most respected and influential leaders has been taken from us much too soon, and together with Ed's family, we are deeply saddened. Throughout his service in public office, Ed distinguished himself as a hard-working legislator and gained the respect, admiration, and friendship of members on both sides of the aisle. Those of us in the Illinois delegation are especially proud to have worked with Ed, who set an example for all of us with his quietly effective and thoughtful leadership. Ed has left his mark on this institution and on our Nation, especially in the area of agriculture. Both as a Member of the House and as our Secretary of Agriculture under President Bush, Ed's expertise and common sense helped guide America toward sound policy in this area. In particular, he played a vital role in shaping the 1985 farm bill, urging a free-market approach and cautioning against production limits. When I came to the House 15 years ago, the first thing I learned was that Ed Madigan was our Illinois farm expert, and since I had almost no farms in my district, and little knowledge of farm policy and law--one of the most complex of all--I would invariably follow Ed's lead in voting on farm matters. You knew Ed has done his homework and had made a sound judgment for our country and our state.”