Patty Murray: “Mr. President, I wish to express my greatest respect and affection for Slade Gorton of Washington with whom I have…”

“Mr. President, I wish to express my greatest respect and affection for Slade Gorton of Washington with whom I have enjoyed working closely for a number of years. Slade's life is characterized by his commitment to faith, family, service, and law. As he leaves the Senate, I want to reminisce about some of the matters I have been privileged to work with Slade Gorton. Over the years, Senator Slade Gorton has been a great leader on educational reform, striving to raise the performance of our nation's elementary and secondary schools and the quality of education so that all children may reach a high level of academic achievement. The senior Senator for Washington and I have worked together on a number of proposals to improve our educational system. His contributions have led the way for better educational accountability and innovation in the years ahead. Of great importance to our country are Slade Gorton's continued efforts to preserve and honor American history by calling for stronger history curriculum standards and literacy awareness in our colleges and universities.”