“I join in mourning the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who gave her whole life in service to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.  Millions of Americans admired the late Queen for her dedication to public service, for her moral strength, for her wit and humor, and for her efforts to promote peace and justice around the world.  I too admired her greatly, and I was honored to meet her when she visited Maryland’s Fifth District in 2007. 
 
“The late Queen worked behind the scenes to encourage the end of apartheid in South Africa and helped highlight the plight of those suffering from poverty, famine, and disease around the world.  Whether repairing vehicles for the British Army as a teenager in the Second World War or urging her subjects to get vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the late Queen inspired the British public during some of the most challenging days in modern history.  In much the same way, she helped console the American people during some of our greatest trials, ringing the bell in Westminster Abbey to honor President John F. Kennedy after his assassination and ordering the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ played at Buckingham Palace after ​the attacks of September 11, 2001. 
 
“Today, Americans join in sending the condolences of our whole nation to His Majesty the King, to The Royal Family, and to the people of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the whole Commonwealth of Nations she led with steadfastness and grace for seven decades.”