Lincoln Chafee: “I am honored to cosponsor the resolution honoring Mo Udall, introduced by Senator McCain. Mo Udall was one of those rare…”

“I am honored to cosponsor the resolution honoring Mo Udall, introduced by Senator McCain. Mo Udall was one of those rare figures who defines description. A great statesman, a forceful environmentalist, a civil rights champion, a talented humorist, writer, athlete, and a wonderful family man--he was all those things and more. Mo Udall was larger than life, and will forever live beyond his life with a legacy that is woven into the fabric of our nation. On protection of our natural resources, Mo was a true pioneer. He fought for environmental causes long before they became popular. His first bills to protect Arizona lands came in his early days as a Representative. He saw a need to protect the land for its intrinsic value, and for its reflection of our own values as a society. He was a visionary. It took years of his tremendous dedication and his omnipresent wit before his vision took hold, but what a vision it was. One hundred million acres of lands in Alaska are preserved through the Alaska Lands Act of 1980. One million acres of land in Arizona are preserved through the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984. Against great odds and after several Presidential vetoes, strip-mining laws were reformed in 1977. Nuclear waste management was vastly improved in 1982. Mo Udall was the author of each of these initiatives, which are only the highlights of an illustrious career.”