Lawmakers pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following monarch’s death

Members of Congress on Thursday mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who was her country’s longest-reigning monarch, holding the throne of the United Kingdom for more than 70 years. She was 96.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II DEAD: LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH OF THE UK DIES AT 96

Her reign, which began in 1952, spanned from the aftermath of World War II to the 21st century. Lawmakers celebrated her historic legacy as they paid tribute to her life.

“The decades of Her Majesty’s reign saw an intense deepening of the special relationship and close bond between the United States and the United Kingdom,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said in a statement. “The Queen who met sitting President Harry S. Truman as a 25-year-old princess and met a dozen more of our Presidents during her reign presided over an historic strengthening of our nations’ alliance that has changed the course of world history for the better.”

“The British people’s loss is the entire world’s loss. We Americans join our friends in prayer, in grief, and in gratitude for such a remarkable leader and such a successful reign,” McConnell added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) echoed that sentiment in her own statement, saying the queen “capably shepherded the United Kingdom through great turbulence and transition.”

“Over her seven decades on the throne, Her Majesty was a pillar of leadership in the global arena and a devoted friend of freedom,” she added. “On behalf of the United States Congress, I extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the Royal Family during this sad time.”

A spokesperson for Pelosi said the House speaker ordered the flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) noted that when Elizabeth began her reign, President Harry Truman was still in the White House.

“It’s hard to fathom that today we have to say goodbye because, after all, most Americans, to say nothing of the British people, have never lived in a world without Her Majesty, the Queen,” he said in remarks on the Senate floor.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said in a tribute: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II represented what it means to lead with conviction, selflessness, and faith in God and in her people. She led her people with grace, showing what servant-leadership means in principle and in practice. I join the world in mourning her loss.”

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, offered his condolences, writing, “The Queen embodied the essence of British leadership for over seven decades and leaves a proud legacy of service to her people and of steadfast friendship and respect for the United States.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said in a statement that “for 70 years, the Queen has demonstrated civility, class, and compassion for all.”

“My condolences to the royal family, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth. Her loss is immense, but her legacy is even greater,” he added.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said in a statement that the queen “lived a life of devotion to her nation and dedication to the people she served.”

“America and Britain’s shared commitment to free institutions is constantly under threat in a world beset by dangers,” he said. “For over seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II’s courage and inspiration guided our closest ally as it navigated an ever changing world.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) shared a photo on Twitter of himself with the queen, writing that she “has been revered around the globe for her devotion to service and her steadfast leadership through the decades.”

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement, “My thoughts and prayers are with Queen Elizabeth, her loved ones and the UK.”

“As the longest reigning monarch in British history, she was a rock of stability during some of the country’s most turbulent times. She left a mark on the world and will be deeply missed,” he added.

On May 16, 1991, Elizabeth addressed a joint meeting of Congress, becoming the first British monarch to do so, according to the House’s Office of the Historian.

In her remarks, the queen celebrated the similarities between the U.K. and the U.S.

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“Some people believe that power grows from the barrel of a gun,” she said. “So it can, but history shows that it never grows well nor for very long. Force, in the end, is sterile. We have gone a better way: Our societies rest on mutual agreement, on contract, and on consensus.”

In her statement, Pelosi said, “Personally, it was an honor to be on the Floor of the House during her historic address to the Congress in 1991 and to welcome her as Speaker on her important visit to the United States in 2007, which deepened the special relationship between our nations.”

“May it be a comfort to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the entire Royal Family that Americans join them in prayer at this sad time,” Pelosi added.