Political Quotes

“Madam President, it is very difficult for me to rise today-- with a heavy heart--to bid aloha to my good friend, colleague, and brother Dan Inouye. It is hard for me to believe that the terrible news I just received is true. Senator Inouye was a true patriot and an American hero in every sense, and he is at this time in Hawaii the greatest leader. He served his country as a soldier, receiving the highest honor our Nation can bestow. When we think of how he began to serve his Nation, it is difficult to believe the difficulty we had in Hawaii as Japanese Americans. To be a part of our Nation's military--we were denied. We were considered aliens of this country. But he was one of those who wanted to serve their country, and they went to the highest level to receive that dignity, and eventually they were given the honor to serve our country. As we now know, it became the greatest unit in military history, with the most decorations of any unit and also with the highest levels of decoration, of the Medal of Honor. He served as a leader, the third longest serving Member of the U.S. Senate in our Nation's history. He served as a defender of the people of this country, championing historic charges for civil rights, including the equal rights of women, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Native Hawaiians. It is an incredible understatement to call him an institution. This Chamber will never be the same without him.…”