U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a statement following the death of former Vice President Dick Cheney. In his remarks, McConnell reflected on Cheney’s decades of service to the United States.
“Elaine and I join the Senate and the entire nation in mourning the loss of former Vice President Richard B. Cheney.
“America’s 46th Vice President and President of the Senate will be remembered for decades of deeply patriotic and highly capable service to our republic. From the highest reaches of power in Washington, Dick Cheney served with a profound and humble appreciation for the rules, principles, and institutions that sustain America’s experiment in self-governance.
“Rarely in our history have immense organizational competence, far-sighted vision, and sheer force of will coincided as they did in the leader who served as White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Representative, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States. From his stewardship of the Department of Defense from the end of the Cold War through the Gulf War to his steady counsel to President Bush when terrorists launched a war against America on September 11, 2001, his intellect, experience, and resolve made America safer. As grave threats to our security continue to loom, his commitment to American leadership will remain a lesson.
“Today, we join Vice President Cheney’s wife, Lynne, his daughters Liz and Mary, and the entire Cheney family in mourning a monumental life.”
