Political Quotes

“I rise as my friend, my colleague, my brother, Danny Inouye lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda just a few yards from where I stand now. In life, he received our Nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. Today he is receiving a tribute reserved for just a handful of American heroes such as Abraham Lincoln. I come to the floor to speak about an important piece of legislation I developed and worked with Dan Inouye on for over 12 years. Today, in Senator Dan Inouye's honor, for all the people of Hawaii, I am asking the Senate to pass the Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act. Dan and I developed our bill to create a process that could address the many issues that continue to persist as a result of the legal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893. As you know, Dan Inouye was a champion for Hawaii and worked every day of his honorable life to solve problems and help our island State. Dan also served on the Indian Affairs Committee for over 30 years and chaired it twice. He was an unwavering advocate for the United States' government-to-government relationships with native nations. He constantly reminded our colleagues in the Senate about our Nation's trust responsibilities and our treaty obligations to America's first peoples. Dan believed that through self-determination and self-governance, these communities could thrive and contribute to the greatness of the United States.…”