On the recordDecember 11, 2024
As you know, we have a term called ``seatmates,'' and, for years, this man has been my seatmate, and I have never been prouder of him for all that he does. It is wonderful to be your friend and colleague. Well, thank you very much to the Presiding Officer and to our colleagues who are coming in to join us. In just a few weeks, I will be stepping down as one of Delaware's two U.S. Senators, ending a half century of service in the U.S. Navy and in elective office. God willing, in the weeks that follow, Martha, my bride of 38 years, who is sitting right up there, and I will turn the page and hit the road together, visiting family members near and far and exploring parts of America that we have yet to see, before beginning to look for new ways to serve the people of Delaware and our country. Recently, a friend told me that I have lived a charmed life. And do you know what? He is right. I have been truly blessed. Although, truth be known, it didn't start that way. My sister Sheila and I were born in a coal-mining town in West Virginia. We didn't have much, but we had the good fortune of being raised in a home by parents who instilled in us a strong work ethic, along with a deep faith that embraced the Golden Rule: to treat other people the way that we want to be treated. Our parents also instilled in us an abiding love for our country and for this planet that we call home. Our father and most of our uncles served in World War II or in Korea or both.…
