John Cornyn: “I wish to say a few words about our colleague, Senator Jon Kyl. I have always appreciated his comments, his…”

“I wish to say a few words about our colleague, Senator Jon Kyl. I have always appreciated his comments, his thoughtfulness, his patriotism, and his intellectual leadership in the Senate. He will be sorely missed after 18 years in the Senate. I am sorry the Senate will be losing Senator Kyl's extraordinary talents, but as he retires from politics at the end of this month, I know he will remain a powerful force in the world of ideas. Time magazine named Jon one of the 10 best Senators in 2006. At the time, he said: ``You can accomplish a lot if you're not necessarily out in front on everything.'' That echoes Ronald Reagan's comment--one of his favorite slogans: ``There is no limit to what a man can do . . . if he doesn't mind who gets the credit.'' Over the last 18 years, Jon Kyl has accomplished a lot in this Chamber, and he has never seemed to care one bit about who got the credit. When he announced his retirement, the Wall Street Journal said Jon ``has been as consequential as any Republican in Congress over the last decade and a half.'' That is quite a compliment and thoroughly deserved. As you could tell from his comments, Jon has spent a career promoting the Reagan legacy. After he leaves, many of us will be promoting the Kyl legacy. He is a person of strong principle, a man deep in knowledge of public policy, and a person--uncharacteristic in politics--of remarkable humility. Here is how one writer described his unique skill set.…”