Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gabbard for scheduling this Special Order. Mr. Speaker, Mark was a special presence in the freshman class of the 114th Congress. He brought his Hawaiian cheer to every room he entered, and I got to enjoy this perhaps more than most because he was my fourth-floor Cannon hallmate. Early on, Mark decided that as hallmates, our staffs should get together and break bread. A Hawaiian pizza party was born, and Mark burst in with a hearty aloha and bearing gifts of chocolate-covered Macadamia nuts and Hawaiian coffee. He regaled the staff with a few good stories, and it always seems that he led with his island shirt, a lei, and an enormous smile wherever he went. Our hearts are with Sami and the children. Mark will be sorely missed. After Mark was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he was resolute, brave, and determined to do all possible to battle a very difficult disease. But months later, when it was clear that Mark was dying, he seemed different to me. He grieved for his children, for Sami, for his myriad friends, and perhaps especially for all that he wanted to accomplish here in the people's House. We never know when our time will come, and Mark's life and death teaches us that we must make the most of each and every day. Mark Takai was a superlative role model and a beloved friend. God bless you, Mark, and all your generations to come.”