NEWARK - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today on the passing of former Senator Richard Lugar:

“Serving in the U.S. Senate alongside Dick Lugar was a privilege, and I am deeply saddened to learn of his passing. In these turbulent times, we can look to his service to the Senate and the Nation, including his many years leading the Foreign Relations Committee, as a model of civility and effectiveness in advancing U.S. interests around the world. Our country and the entire world are safer thanks to Senator Lugar, his partner Senator Sam Nunn, and their collective efforts leading to the destruction of thousands of nuclear warheads in the former Soviet Union. We will miss his sense of purpose, his intellect, and his calm and steady presence, and we share our condolences with his wife, Char, his sons, and their families.”

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