We've been waiting a long time for this, but let me be among the first to say, Congratulations, Senator-elect Franken and welcome to the Senate! I am thrilled that very soon you will become our 60th Democratic Senator.
While I'm excited to have you in the Senate after months of delay, I don't think anyone is more excited than the people of Minnesota. Minnesota deserves to have full representation in the Senate and now they will have another strong voice advocating on their behalf.
Your arrival, of course, also means that I am no longer the newest Senator. That honor will now go to you.
But most important of all, your arrival means that President Obama will have another champion for his agenda in the Senate. We have a lot to do, from ensuring that those without health insurance have access to a public option to compete with private plans to fighting climate change and restoring oversight and accountability to our financial system. Having one more voice and one more vote is going to mean we're that much closer to achieving the change that America voted for in November.
I also wanted to thank the DailyKos community for all you have done to help elect Democrats, including delivering Senator-elect Franken to us in the Senate.