On the recordDecember 11, 2018
as I listened to Senator Heitkamp's farewell remarks to us today, I could not help but think of the fact that she used her final speech on the Senate floor not just to talk about her accomplishments, of which there are many, but to inspire us. It was a call to action. It was a call to the better angels of ourselves to work together in the interests of our country. Maine and North Dakota are separated by a great distance, but the people of our two States have in common the qualities of hard work, of respect for tradition, balanced by a spirit of innovation and a belief in personal responsibility, always tempered by compassion. During her years in the Senate, Heidi Heitkamp has demonstrated those qualities time and again. She is passionate, as we heard today; she is energetic, as we have seen in her work; and she is a committed public servant who has worked so diligently for her State and for our country. Senator Heitkamp has a remarkable record of public service. As her State's attorney general, she fought to protect the people of North Dakota against drug dealers, to defend seniors against abusive scams, and to keep sexual predators off the streets. Senator Heitkamp has continued those causes, that fight as a Member of the U.S. Senate. Among the many issues on which we have worked together, Senator Heitkamp's determined leadership on efforts to support victims of human trafficking and to prevent youth homelessness stand out.…
