Floor Speech Honoring Hortman and Hoffman Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Dean of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, gave a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives today to honor Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Click here to watch the one-minute speech. Text of the speech below: 

“Mr. Speaker, nine days ago, Minnesota suffered the unbearable loss of one of our nation’s finest public servants. The targeted assassination of Melissa and Mark Hortman casts a long shadow of grief not only over Minnesota, but across our nation. Under her leadership, Speaker Hortman left the State of Minnesota better than she found it. She exemplified our values of hard work, respect, inclusion, and civil engagement.

“As we mourn the loss of Melissa and Mark, I join Minnesotans in praying for Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette as they recover. As Minnesota’s top leader in Human Services, Senator Hoffman shepherded historic investments for the most vulnerable among us: the elderly; those with disabilities, both seen and unseen; and those recovering from addiction.

“The grief that Minnesotans have endured in the days since this tragedy has been agonizing. 

“As we come together as a community to heal, may we find comfort in the words of Melissa and Mark’s children: Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear.”

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