Tom Udall: “I am proud to rise today to add my voice in paying tribute to one of the visionary leaders of the people's House. John…”

“I am proud to rise today to add my voice in paying tribute to one of the visionary leaders of the people's House. John Anderson never lost sight of who he represented in Congress and his approach to his duties is something we all can learn from. John Anderson has been a lot of things. He has been a Republican. He has been an Independent. He has been a distinguished member of this body for 20 years, a Presidential candidate, and a respected law professor. He has fought for electoral reform, U.N. reform and human rights. He has been a friend: to my uncle, Mo Udall, to many other former and current Members of Congress, and to the people of Illinois and the entire United States. But there are some things John Anderson has never been. He has never been one to blindly accept the status quo. He has never been a man who got stuck in the rigidity of party politics. Perhaps most importantly, he has never been a man to give up; and today, John Anderson is still fighting for what he believes in and teaching a new generation of leaders to do the same. I remember John Anderson as the man who stood with my uncle to put millions of acres of pristine Alaskan wilderness under federal protection.”