Mike Levin: “I will miss my friend and colleague Robert Torricelli, the senior Senator from the State of New Jersey when he leaves…”

“I will miss my friend and colleague Robert Torricelli, the senior Senator from the State of New Jersey when he leaves the Senate at the end of the 107th Congress. Bob Torricelli first served from 1982-1996 in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1996, he joined us in the U.S. Senate, and since getting here, has been a committed advocate for the people of New Jersey. He has worked tirelessly to protect New Jersey's natural resources, to improve air quality, and to protect drinking water. He has also worked hard to provide a comprehensive prescription drug benefit for seniors, and make college more affordable for parents and students alike. I have worked with Senator Torricelli in his tireless and ongoing efforts to close the gun show loophole and to pass commonsense gun safety legislation. That is a battle that I want to assure him many of us that he leaves behind in the Senate will continue to wage. Bob Torricelli served as an effective chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and has earned a reputation as one of the most eloquent orators in the U.S. Senate. His books, "In Our Own Words: Extraordinary Speeches of the American Century" and "Quotations for Public Speakers: A Historical, Literary, and Political Anthology" have become valuable resources for all of his colleagues in public life. I know my colleagues will join me in thanking Senator Robert Torricelli for his years of service in the Congress and wish him the best.”