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Floor Speech
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Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I join my colleague from our home State of Delaware in ensuring that Jim Gardner's four decades of leadership in our community, in our local news, and in laying down a marker for what it means to be a real journalist, a trusted and loyal and important part of community leadership--that his service will be remembered and recognized in the Congressional Record.
Jim Gardner, as my colleague laid out in great detail, born and raised in New York City, turned on to journalism as a student at Columbia University by reporting on the historic Columbia riots in 1968 and then began his remarkable run with WPVI-TV Philadelphia on June 1, 1976.
I have had the honor of being in the newsroom and talking with Jim as he has prepared for a broadcast, of getting a sense of just how good and balanced and thoughtful a journalistic leader he is.
For all of us, it is a real loss that, four decades later, Jim has anchored his last regularly scheduled 11 p.m. broadcast. He is still anchoring the 6 p.m. news.
I will tell you, Jim, my wife Annie and I love watching you. You have given us a sense of continuity, of community, and of character in our local news, unmatched in so many other communities around our country. You are a genuine treasure, a jewel of the Delaware Valley, and we will miss you deeply. You have interviewed Popes and Presidents, local elected officials and international leaders. You have contributed to our understanding of our place in the world and brought us closer together.
I just wanted to say to you personally, congratulations on your retirement. I know that you will get to spend more time with Josh, Jenn, Emily, and Jesse, and your grandson Henry.
Thank you to Amy.
As my colleague and friend Tom Carper said, it is our spouses who often experience the highs and the lows of our public service, and I know your family has supported you through this remarkable work.
It would be impossible to list all the stories that you reported on or contributed to, but know, Jim, that you have left a lasting legacy in the hearts of the millions of people who have watched you over decades and felt that they were brought a little bit closer to their world.
Thank you, and we look forward to recognizing you in the Record of the United States Senate.
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