U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has released a statement following the death of former President George H.W. Bush.
He says in full:
“Elaine and I join the Senate and the nation in grieving the loss of President George H. W. Bush.
“This devoted father and decorated patriot spent decades serving his country, from the skies above the south Pacific to our nation’s highest office.
“He kept America safe as CIA Director. He represented us with skill as Ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, and Vice President. And as our forty-first president, George Bush brought clear-eyed, principled leadership to a nation and world in transition.
“America led an international coalition that fought and won the Gulf War. Freedom triumphed over the Soviet Union. The global economy began to transform. And through it all, Americans could rest assured that the public servant they’d placed in the White House was equipped to meet these challenges.
“George Bush built his life on the premise that loving and serving America was simply a citizen’s duty. He fulfilled that duty time and time again, as completely as anyone could. His legacy will rank among the most distinguished statesmen our nation has ever produced.
“George Bush was blessed with many gifts. First among them were his beloved Barbara and the family they built together. Today, we accompany the entire Bush family in mourning and prayer. But we also join them in gratitude that God gave this country George and Barbara Bush.”