Chris Smith: “Senator John McCain was an extraordinarily brave and noble man--a hero a dedicated husband, father, fighter pilot, and…”

“Senator John McCain was an extraordinarily brave and noble man--a hero a dedicated husband, father, fighter pilot, and an amazing lawmaker. He endured and overcame unspeakable horrors as a POW, and as a lawmaker never ceased working for members of our armed forces and veterans. And on matters of principle and conviction, Senator McCain was fiercely independent, always willing--even eager--to bend into the wind and not with it. John McCain and I were colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee when he was in the House. In fact we sat next to each other, and so I got to know him, and valued his intelligence and expertise. Then-Congressman McCain and I were very much in sync on supporting the administration's vigorous opposition to communism, rebuilding of the U.S. military, and its robust internationalism, as well as the re- emergence of a principled commitment to human rights and defense of democracy as core principles of U.S. foreign policy. He vigorously defended the downtrodden, the underdog, the forgotten and disenfranchised, including the unborn. Already in these years on our committee, his willingness to do the right thing regardless of partisanship was a blessing to this country. My wife Marie and I will always cherish and deeply respect the incomparable Senator John McCain. Marie joined me and thousands of others at the National Cathedral last Saturday to say goodbye to this great patriot and American hero.…”