Thomas Daschle: “we are all tired. This has been a long day in what has been a long week and a long session. But before we go our…”

“we are all tired. This has been a long day in what has been a long week and a long session. But before we go our separate ways for the holidays, I want to thank my colleagues for the support and kindness they have shown me during my short time as majority leader. I thank our staffs, the many hard-working men and women who enable us to do our jobs--from the Capitol Police to the Official Reporters who transcribe our debates, the people in the cloakroom, the people who serve our meals, the doorkeepers, the pages, and so many others. The public may not know their names, but we know the Senate could not function without them. On a very personal note, I want to say a special word of thanks to my own staff. In the last 3 months, they have experienced the horrors of September 11 as we all did, but they have undergone an additional challenge few of us ever have, or will, face. Two months ago my staff, along with members of Senator Feingold's staff, and law enforcement officers, were exposed to lethal levels of anthrax when a letter containing that deadly bacteria was opened in my office. I am pleased to report that they are all healthy today, and I am proud to say that they have continued to work throughout all of this time. They are victims of terrorism. Yet they have spent the last 2 months dedicated to the effort to protect the rest of America from a truly similar fate. Their courage and their grace is truly heroic and a source of inspiration to me.”