Hoyer Statement on the Passing of Former Sen. John Glenn

“Today, we lost a great American with the passing of former Sen. John Glenn.  Having served his country with distinction in World War II and the Korean War, he volunteered to be one of our nation’s first astronauts.  Blazing a trail as the first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn helped usher in the period of our history that President Kennedy called the New Frontier.  Following his service with the military and NASA, he served our nation once more as a United States Senator from Ohio, engaging in important work to prevent nuclear proliferation, improve government efficiency, and prevent discrimination against America’s seniors. 

"I will always remember John Glenn as a wonderful colleague, courteous and thoughtful, and someone who represented the best of America in the way he treated not only his friends and allies in Congress but his opponents as well.  My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Annie, their children, their grandchildren, the extended Glenn family, and all those across Ohio and the United States who he inspired throughout his life.  I thank them for sharing John Glenn with all of us who served with him in the Congress and with a nation grateful for his many achievements.”