Barbara Mikulski: “with sadness, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Member of this body and a very dear friend, the senior Senator…”

“with sadness, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Member of this body and a very dear friend, the senior Senator from Kentucky, Wendell Ford. Senator Ford has announced his retirement after a third of a century in public service, including the last 22 years in the U.S. Senate. When Wendell Ford leaves the Senate at the end of next year to return to his family and his beloved Kentucky, I will miss his leadership and his friendship tremendously. For the past 3 years, it has been my pleasure to serve with Senator Ford in the Democratic leadership in my capacity as conference secretary. Since 1990 Senator Ford has served in the leadership as Democratic whip, where he has been an energetic leader and has had a positive impact on the Senate's agenda. Throughout his career in public service, Senator Ford has remained true to his constituents by being a strong advocate for his home State of Kentucky.”