The Weekly Standard
Jon Kyl, the Republican senator from Arizona, delivered his farewell address to the Senate Wednesday afternoon. Kyl is retiring at the end of this term after 18 years in the Senate and 8 years in the House of Representatives. Read his speech below:
“I’m honored to have served for 18 years as Arizona’s 10th Senator—and for four terms in the House of Representatives before that. Now it is time to move on.
“My successor, Senator-elect Jeff Flake, is a good and honorable public servant who will work hard on behalf of our great state of Arizona. And my colleague John McCain will continue his long and dedicated service as well. I deeply appreciate the remarks he delivered here yesterday.
“I want to say thank you to my colleagues for your friendship. It’s been a privilege working with so many of you—on both sides of the aisle. While it’s true that Washington would benefit from more civility, the Senate, behind the scenes, is an extraordinarily collegial institution. And I will certainly miss that aspect of the job. I also want to thank my staff, past and present, for working so many long hours and for spending so much time analyzing the issues that will determine America’s future.
“Farewell speeches offer the opportunity to reminisce about the past. I don’t believe that would be the best use of your time or mine. Instead, I am going to comment on some of the biggest public-policy challenges America faces and recommend principles to guide the way forward.
