[BarbaraGordon]

...

I want to congratulate Senator Barack Obama on his remarkable achievement. It may have been late in coming, but the election of the first African-American president will stand as a testament to our nation’s founding principle that ‘all men are created equal.’ I also want to extend my best wishes to his wife, Michelle, and two young daughters, as they embark on a new and exciting chapter for their family and our nation. We are all Americans first, standing above party and politics. It’s time to call on the good will of people everywhere to help our president-elect address the pressing needs of the nation.
John McCain is a decent and honorable man. He, too, will go down in history as a statesman and a patriot. I am proud to call him my friend. He carried the banner of the Republican Party in a politically challenging year.
I look forward to working with Senator McCain, Governor Palin, and many other Republican leaders in rebuilding the party nationally so that it can once again contribute to the great strength of our country. Together we can meet the challenges of a new century and leave our children and grandchildren with an America that is as strong and free as the one we know.