Patrick Leahy: “I thank the Presiding Officer for the recognition, and I thank all who are here. There are some things we experience in…”

“I thank the Presiding Officer for the recognition, and I thank all who are here. There are some things we experience in life that we can never prepare for no matter how hard we try. Embarking on a life with the person you love is one. Having, raising, and loving a child is another. And then there is this one today. I have been here 48 years. Perhaps to the dismay of hundreds of distinguished Presiding Officers, I have delivered many floor statements--some more eloquent than others, some less--but I have never delivered a speech like this, and I so appreciate all of you indulging me. My friends and colleagues, Marcelle and I have such warm and lasting memories of so many who have served in this Chamber, now and through many years, including mentors from the first day I arrived here, like Republican Senator Bob Stafford. He was our State's senior Senator when I arrived here, and I watched him in awe. But he was a person who looked me in the eye and said to this 34-year-old freshman: Patrick, you are not my junior Senator; from here on, you are my Senate partner. And what a difference that made. In the last 48 years, the Senate has become a family to both Marcelle and me. Here, we have found friends--some of our best friends--and relationships that will last throughout our lifetime.…”