"Today, our country mourns.

"The honorable life of a tireless fighter for the poor and disenfranchised, the inspiration for so many of my generation, and the greatest senator in U.S. history, has come to an end.

"As a fellow Irish-Catholic, I and many others credit Sen. Kennedy with aiding our community’s journey into the American mainstream. As a fellow Irish-Catholic politician, my admiration for him is limitless.

"Sen. Kennedy lived a storied life of personal triumph and tragedy, and was nothing less than a beacon of hope for America through our nation’s triumphs and tragedies. So often, his story and America’s story were one and the same.

"Our nation is on the very cusp of health care reform, the great cause of Sen. Kennedy’s great life. That we are so near is to the goal is his highest triumph. That he could not be here to see it through is among the highest tragedies.

"We are a poorer nation today without Ted Kennedy, but we are a much richer nation tomorrow for the great legacy he leaves behind.

“May he rest in peace.”