Tina Smith: “thank you to my colleague Senator Klobuchar for those very personal words about our shared friend, Senator Dave…”

“thank you to my colleague Senator Klobuchar for those very personal words about our shared friend, Senator Dave Durenberger. I rise today with my colleague Senator Klobuchar to honor the life of Senator Dave Durenberger, whom we lost, as Amy said, on January 31. Archie and I send all of our support to the Durenberger family--to Susan, Charlie and Lois, Dave and Heather, Michael and Margaret, Daniel and Jennifer--and to all of the family who loved him so well. When he was first elected to the Senate in 1978, Senator Durenberger became the first Republican Senator from Minnesota in 20 years, but his political affiliation never defined him. Throughout his 16 years in service in the Senate, Senator Durenberger measured his success by doing work that helped people, not by scoring political points for himself or his party. Long before arriving in Washington, Senator Durenberger was committed to public service and committed to improving the lives of Minnesotans. He was, as Amy said, a proud graduate of St. John's University and the University of Minnesota Law School. He also spent 2 years as an Army officer and 7 more in the Reserves. Later, he served as chief of staff for Gov. Harold LeVander. When I became chief of staff to Gov. Mark Dayton in 2010, Dave quickly called me up to offer his advice and support, with his characteristic understatement and dry sense of humor. In Minnesota, Senator Durenberger was respected as a volunteer, a thinker, a doer.…”