Thomas Daschle: “Today we celebrate the life of a very special American, Congressman Morris K. Udall. Today, and every day, I think of…”

“Today we celebrate the life of a very special American, Congressman Morris K. Udall. Today, and every day, I think of him for all the wit and wisdom he shared with the world, and for the remarkable commitment he made to public service and the causes he believed in. Mo inspired us with his integrity, compassion, dedication and humor. His loss is deeply felt by all who knew him. I first got to know Mo Udall when I came to the House of Representatives in 1978. He was a leader on issues that are still critical to the national debate, including protecting the environment, promoting honesty and fairness in the financing of campaigns, and making quality health care more accessible. I had the pleasure of working closely with him and sharing his passion on these priorities. When I was a struggling young Congressman, Mo went the extra mile to lend me his support and his assistance. He was always willing to offer a joke or a piece of advice, and he even traveled to the middle of South Dakota on behalf of this very junior Member of Congress. I am certainly not the only one who has benefited from the generosity of Morris Udall. In particular, those who shared his struggle with Parkinson's disease owe him a great debt of gratitude for his work on raising the awareness and funding for research on this debilitating illness.”