Washington (April 28, 2019) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former co-Chair of the Bipartisan Task Force on Non-Proliferation, released the following statement on the passing of Indiana Senator Richard Lugar.

“There was no greater champion in the U.S. Senate for stopping the spread of nuclear weapons than Senator Richard Lugar,” said Senator Markey. “His partnership with Senator Sam Nunn resulted in one of the singularly most important nonproliferation agreements in the world. Passage of the Nunn-Lugar Act was instrumental to the safe and secure end of the Cold War. It kept the world safe from the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction, and continues as a global nonproliferation mainstay.

“As a soldier turned statesman, Richard Lugar understood that through building consensus, the solutions to the country’s greatest challenges could be solved. And his successful efforts to reach across the aisle here at home had far-reaching benefits across the globe. Richard Lugar was loyal to both party and values, and a mentor to countless. We all mourn this great scholar, legislator, and patriot, truly one of the greatest our country has ever seen. My prayers are with his family and all those whose lives were touched by his lifetime of public service.”

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