Thomas Daschle: “I, too, come to the floor to publicly acknowledge and thank Elizabeth for the public service she has provided to her…”

“I, too, come to the floor to publicly acknowledge and thank Elizabeth for the public service she has provided to her country. Public service is not easy. It requires many, many sacrifices. It is enough to provide the sacrifices, but to do it with grace, with intelligence, with a sense of humor, and with a real sense of dedication is another matter altogether. Elizabeth Letchworth did it just that way. She is a Republican. I am a Democrat. As Senator Bond and others have noted, there are times when Democrats and Republicans have it out in so many ways on the Senate floor politically and philosophically. But there are those times when, in spite of our deep differences of opinion, we recognize there is a higher calling, a higher responsibility, and a higher order. I must say in all the years I have known her, Elizabeth understood that and demonstrated that with her actions and with her words. She in many respects exemplifies the very finest of public service professionalism. She made our jobs easier. She made our jobs even more enjoyable, and certainly I think more rewarding. On this her last day, I know I speak for all of my colleagues on this side of the aisle in expressing to her our heartfelt thanks, our sincere congratulations, and our best wishes for what we know will be a very exciting future. I yield the floor.”