Tester: Inouye a ‘friend and a mentor’

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement in response to the passing of Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). Inouye, who was first elected to Congress in 1959, was the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee:

“There will only be one Danny Inouye. His tremendous career in public service stretched across eight decades during which he shaped the future of Hawaii and the United States. Danny was a friend and a mentor, and I will miss his wisdom, his courage, and the inspiration he provided every day. Sharla and I will keep his wife Irene and his entire family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Inouye began his career in public service at the age of 17 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He earned the Medal of Honor during the war and later became Hawaii’s first Congressman before his election to the U.S. Senate in 1962.