McConnell on the Passing of Justice John Paul Stevens
‘So the Senate joins the nation in appreciating this American life fully lived. And our condolences are with the Stevens family on this sad day.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the passing of former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court John Paul Stevens:
“First, this morning, the Senate recognizes the death of a distinguished American. We received word last night that the remarkable life of former Associate Justice John Paul Stevens had come to a close at the age of 99. Justice Stevens served for 34 years on the nation’s highest court. You didn’t have to agree with his constitutional philosophy to admire his obvious intelligence. Or the universal reports about his kindness and collegiality. Or the passionate patriotism he was proud to wear on his sleeve.
“No question, this was a quintessential public servant of the Greatest Generation. A son of Chicago who enlisted in the Navy the day before Pearl Harbor and went on to earn a Bronze Star for his work cracking the coded messages of Imperial Japan.
“There was just something about Justice Stevens that told you this man lived life to the fullest. At age 12, he was there to see Babe Ruth’s ‘called shot’ at Wrigley Field. At age 99, just this year, he published a memoir that was subtitled ‘Reflections on My First 94 Years.’ And in between, alongside his time on the Court, he found time to weigh in on Shakespeare scholarship on the side. So the Senate joins the nation in appreciating this American life fully lived. And our condolences are with the Stevens family on this sad day.”
Related Issues: Supreme Court, Tributes
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