Mr. President, as the 107th Congress nears its conclusion, I rise to join my colleagues in remembering our beloved colleague, Senator Paul Wellstone. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wellstone family, Paul's staff, and the people of Minnesota. We are all saddened by the tragic deaths of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their daughter, Marcia Wellstone Markuson, and the Wellstone staffers and pilots.

America will sorely miss Paul Wellstone and his passionate advocacy on behalf of those in our communities and our country who too often feel that no one in Washington hears their voice. Paul Wellstone was their voice, he was their champion, driven by his unwavering conviction that government can and should be a force for good in people's lives. Paul was a caring, persistent, and passionate advocate for veterans, children, the mentally ill, and working families. He was committed to ensuring that all Americans had the opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families, and that wherever possible, government act as a positive instrument to advance opportunity and equality for all Americans in education, job training, access to health care, and the availability of quality health care. He was driven by his commitment to civil rights and equal justice. Whether speaking on the Senate floor or to a workers' rally, retracing Robert F. Kennedy's tour of America's poorest communities, or visiting veterans hospitalized in Minnesota, Paul lived his convictions and values. Whether you agreed or disagreed with Paul Wellstone on an issue, there was never any doubt about his integrity, the passion and commitment he brought to his work, and the deep pride he felt in serving the people of Minnesota in the Senate.

Paul and I were both first elected to the Senate in November 1990. I had been appointed to the Senate a few months earlier, but we were both the new kids on the block. From the outset, with his incandescent personality, exacting integrity, commitment to the values he espoused–and the ability to speak passionately and eloquently about the issues he cared so deeply about–Paul distinguished himself as an exceptional Senator and an extraordinary human being.

Over the course of his tenure in the Senate, Paul became a dear friend. Because of the chronic discomfort he experienced as a consequence of his lifetime love of the sport of wrestling, he was interested in my experiences with hip replacement surgery. At the start of the 107th Congress, our offices were next to one another. His boundless energy, enthusiasm, and good spirits were always welcome and brightened the day for everyone he greeted on his way to and from his office. I remember one conversation on a long bus ride back from a Democratic retreat in Pennsylvania. My eldest son, Danny, had joined Millie and me for the weekend, and he struck up a quick friendship with Paul and Sheila. Over the course of ride back to Washington, we discussed philosophy and politics, the upcoming mid-term elections, destiny, and the power of living in consonance with your values and beliefs. I listened as Paul and my son agreed on the importance of living life to the fullest and living every day as if it is your last. That day stays with me because that is precisely the way Paul Wellstone lived his life. He celebrated life. He loved his job and his constituents. He adored Sheila and his children and grandchildren. He always made the time to greet, talk to, or offer words of encouragement to everyone he encountered as he went about his day. To me, this is Paul's greatest legacy, the lives he touched, the people he inspired, the spirits he lifted with his message of hope and justice.

Paul had hoped to visit Hawaii after the November election and had spoken to my son Danny about bringing his entire family for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Paul and Sheila never had the opportunity to visit Hawaii with their children and grandchildren as we talked about, but they truly lived aloha. For aloha is love. And love is the spirit that brings people together in harmony. In its true sense, aloha has to be transmitted to others, especially to each other, and aloha really is in the giving, not the taking. When you give, you are sharing aloha. This is how Paul and Sheila Wellstone lived their lives and it is why we in the Senate family miss Paul and Sheila terribly. I want to bid Paul and Sheila Wellstone a fond aloha. May God bless them and the Wellstone family. Na Iehowa 'oe e ho'omaika'i mai, a e malama mai (The Lord bless you and keep you).