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Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I am tempted to simply say: Amen and amen to yield back, but I didn't want this moment to pass without rising, on behalf of my wife Gayle and me, to say how much we have appreciated the friendship of Ben and Myrna Cardin and the leadership that they have shown to us as we have represented the United States of America to citizens around the world and particularly to our friends in Europe.

Myrna has been a wonderful friend to Gayle. She is deserving of all of the accolades that she has received and will receive.

I have had an opportunity in this city several times in the last few weeks to make remarks on behalf of Ben Cardin. He suggested to me almost that he had heard enough and that I need not say anymore. But I do want to say how much I appreciate his leadership and the list of accomplishments that he has listed and to say how grateful I will always be for Ben allowing me to be a part of the Magnitsky struggle and getting the Magnitsky Act passed and Global Magnitsky, which is renowned around the world as an effective tool against totalitarianism and corruption.

And so I would simply say that people in the audience may have happened by--I know a number of people here came for this particular purpose--but if you happened simply to be in the Gallery at this particular time, you have been--these people, Mr. President, have been subject to the testimony of a magnificent public servant. And if I serve decades more, which I do not feel that I will, if I live to be 100, I will not see a finer leader in terms of intellect, talent, in terms of savvy, in terms of accomplishment, in terms of leadership and statesmanship than I have known in the person of Ben Cardin, and I am grateful to have been his colleague and his friend.

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