On Tuesday, the United States Senate unanimously approved a resolution to honor the life and legacy of former Oklahoma Senator, Dr. Tom Coburn.

Senator James Lankford offered his remarks on the Senate floor in tribute to the late Dr. Coburn, saying: the Senate is a better place because Dr. Coburn was in it. When Oklahomans lost Dr. Coburn, Sen. Lankford said our nation lost a man who fought for what’s right and wielded his one voice and his one vote in the Senate to bring needed change. He went on to say that Dr. Coburn eagerly challenged the status quo of Senate processes and failing policies.

Dr. Coburn worked to preserve the institution of the Senate and encouraged compromise, dialogue, and always doing the people’s work, even when it was difficult. Sen. Lankford said Dr. Coburn didn’t pursue the fight, but he also did not shy away from the fight when it came. He said he will miss his friend’s sage advice, his blunt straightforwardness, and his tenacity to fight for our values and future generations.

Senator Jim Inhofe also offered his remarks on the Senate floor in tribute to the late Dr. Coburn. The Senator said there was no one like Dr. Tom Coburn. In every policy decision, Sen. Inhofe said Dr. Coburn sought to be a faithful steward of the taxpayers' money and was a dedicated public servant to Oklahoma. He said Dr. Coburn had an impressive record of service – in the House of Representatives before serving with him in the Senate.

But nothing about that legacy would have mattered to Dr. Coburn. Sen. Inhofe said Dr. Coburn knew what mattered in life: family—his wife Carolyn and his daughters—and Jesus.

Dr. Tom Coburn passed away on Saturday, March 28th at the age of 72.