Jackson Purchase News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a statement on the passing of Senator Jim Inhofe.

"I was saddened to learn this morning that our longtime former colleague, and my good friend, Jim Inhofe, passed away overnight. For nearly three decades, the Senator for Oklahoma lived up to his unique and distinguished middle name: Jim was a Mountain of a man."

McConnell highlighted Inhofe's significant contributions during his tenure in the Senate. "The people he served, a group much larger than the proud residents of the Sooner State, were better for it. Jim’s diligent stewardship of massive infrastructure projects transformed life across the Heartland. His relentless advocacy for American energy dominance unlocked new prosperity across the country. And his laser focus on growing and modernizing the U.S. military strengthened the security of the entire free world."

Reflecting on Inhofe's personal life, McConnell added, "Jim’s professional legacy was one that any aspiring legislator would dream of. But the legacy our friend was most proud of was the one that had surpassed his own wildest dreams: the life and family he had been blessed to build with his beloved wife, Kay."

McConnell concluded by extending condolences on behalf of the Senate: "Today, I trust the entire Senate’s sympathies and prayers are with the woman who the Mountain from Oklahoma called his ‘rock’, and with the children and grandchildren of whom our friend was so proud."