Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell became overwhelmed with emotion on the Senate floor as he honored the life and career of his friend of five decades, retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander.
The display of emotion from McConnell (R-Ky.) came while delivering a speech to mark Alexander’s (R-Tenn.) retirement.
McConnell began by noting how the two met in 1969, when Alexander was working in the Nixon White House and he was on the staff of then freshman Sen. Marlo Cook (R-Ky.).
Alexander, according to the Senate majority leader, “knows about 50 different issues as well as most senators know three or four.
“He is hands down, one of the most brilliant, thoughtful and most effective legislators any of us have ever seen. He likes to say this about the Senate: ‘It’s hard to get here, it’s hard to stay here. So while you are here, you might as well try to accomplish something.’”
Speaking about what kind of an ally and confidante Alexander was to him, McConnell’s eyes welled up with tears as he stopped to collect himself.
“I myself have leaned on Lamar’s wisdom for many years, but I think I have learned just as much from his optimism, his can-do spirit, his ability to look on the bright side and then to discern how more hard work can make it brighter still,” the Senate leader said, his voice quivering as he spoke about his friend.
“So I am going to,” he paused, collecting himself again, “I’m going to miss our regular dinners, even with our weeknight scheduling and official one drink limit.”
McConnell went on to say, tears still flowing, that “as much as I am dreading life in the Senate without my brilliant friend,” Alexander had “more than earned the right to spend more days fly fishing or walking trails in the smokies.”
In his closing comments, the top Senate Republican stopped multiple times to compose himself.
“So I’m sorry that in a few more weeks,” he said in a rattled voice, “It’ll just be the rest of us left. But you are leaving this body and those of us in it and the nation it exists to serve stronger and better because you were here.”
Alexander, 80, was honored by a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues throughout the morning.
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