Constitution State News

HARTFORD–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday released the following statement:

"Lowell Weicker will go down as one of the most consequential leaders in Connecticut history, and I'm heartbroken that he's gone. He modeled a kind of public service that feels extinct today. He put his convictions and the best interests of the country ahead of party or political gain. He had a north star – what he felt was right – and he took many political risks and made many political enemies to pursue that objective.

“His legacy is too long to recite, but his championing of disability rights, reproductive choice, environmental and ocean protection, and AIDS research stand out. Many will remember him for his courageous decision, as a brand new Republican Senator, to call for President Nixon's resignation. But his real achievements are the legions of bipartisan bills that he wrote and passed, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“For me, there is no Connecticut political figure who has played a greater role in my life. I was 17 years old when he bucked both parties and called for the passage of an income tax to solve a massive state fiscal crisis. At that age, I'm sure I knew very little about the wisdom of an income tax, but I remember being stunned that a political leader would champion something he knew to be unpopular simply because he believed it was the right thing. It ran contrary to every stereotype I had been spoon-fed about politics, and it confirmed for me that there could be honor in pursuing a career in public service.

“Getting to know Senator Weicker in his later years will go down as one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Sitting in his study, with his beloved Claudia at his side, listening to him tell stories about his time in Washington and Hartford, left me mesmerized. I will never be fifty percent the leader Lowell Weicker was, but for the last three decades, his brand of service has been my north star. The world will miss Lowell Weicker. They don't make them like him anymore."

Original source can be found here