Joe Lieberman: “I know all of my colleagues in the Senate are saddened to hear of the passing last night of Mollie Beattie who, until…”

“I know all of my colleagues in the Senate are saddened to hear of the passing last night of Mollie Beattie who, until her very recent resignation for medical reasons, was Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She has been a good friend, a devoted citizen and public servant, and a champion for God's creatures when others did not always have the courage and grace to step forward. It is my sincere hope that her vision of a brighter and more abundant future for our Nation's wildlife heritage will become a reality for us, and for the many generations of Americans that follow. I would like her family and her husband, Rick, to know that our thoughts and prayers are with him, and Mollie, always. I am reminded of the quote by Admiral Rickover that: "the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war." I think Mollie's professional life is a testament to this great truth. She toiled as a public servant not just in Federal Government, but in State government and academia, to ensure that democracy represented our deep concern for our wildlife heritage, and that we avoided senseless losses that might otherwise occur in the heat of conflict. She worked to ensure that our scientific knowledge, education, and public awareness recognize the values and complexities of our relationship with fish and wildlife, and with our broader natural heritage.”