GOP Senate Leader Chokes Up in Emotional Senate Floor Tribute to Lindsey Graham

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) choked up on the Senate floor Monday as he remembered his friend and colleague Sen. Lindsey Grahan (R-SC), who died unexpectedly over the weekend.

During his address, Thune said he relied on Graham for a “steady flow of humor and encouragement” as they served in the House of Representatives and in the Senate together.

“He always could make me laugh. Always,” Thune said.

“If there is any light to be found in this grief, it is this: That, as a Christian like Lindsey, I know that death is not the end,” Thune continued:

The Apostle Paul writes, and I quote, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again. And so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him,” end quote. Or as another Graham once put it, and I quote, “Someday you will read or hear the Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive that I am now. I will just have changed my address. I’ll have gone into the presence of God,” end quote. I will miss Lindsey’s friendship, Mr. President, more than I can say. We pray for his staff and for his family, whom he loved dearly, and who loved him dearly in return.

“But I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end, he has just changed address, and that one day Mr. President,” Thune added while pausing to hold back tears, “we will laugh together again.”

A bouquet of white roses adorned Graham’s desk on the Senate floor that was draped in a black shroud.

Watch the clip above via NewsNation.

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