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Members of Congress from both parties gave an outpouring of support for Queen Elizabeth after the news of her death while Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the flags at the Capitol to fly at half staff.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described The Queen as a ‘rock’ while Pelosi said she would be inspiration to young girls for ‘generations to come.’
Additionally, on Tuesday, ‘the House will pass a bereavement resolution in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Consistent with precedent, the House will then adjourn for the day in her honor,’ Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill said.
‘On behalf of the United States Congress, I extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the Royal Family during this sad time,’ Pelosi said in a statement.
‘Under history’s brightest spotlight, Queen Elizabeth offered a masterclass in grace and strength, power and poise. Her extraordinary life and leadership will continue to inspire young women and girls in public service, now and for generations to come,’ she noted.
Dozens of lawmakers took to Twitter after The Queen’s death was announced. Republicans and Democrats alike offered praise to the Queen, mentioning her 70 years on the throne, her leadership and her devotion to her country. They offered thoughts and prayers for her family.
Schumer took to the Senate floor to say it would be hard to image a world without The Queen.
‘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 times of hardship, she was both strong and comforting. In times of joy she was gracious and dignified. She was a rock, the living embodiment of the virtues that lie at the core of the nation she so proudly led. I dare say we will never see a leader quite like her for as long as we live,’ he added.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell praised the monarch’s long reign and service to her country.
‘The Queen made sure her reign was never really about herself — not her fame, not her feelings, not her personal wants or needs. She guided venerable institutions through modern times using timeless virtues like duty, dignity, and sacrifice. She offered our contemporary world a living master class it needed badly,’ he said in a statement.
Buckingham Palace announced at 1:30 p.m. that ‘The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.’ Queen Elizabeth II was 96.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor to say it would be hard to image a world without The Queen; he called her a ‘rock’ for the British people
Flags at the U.S. Capitol were lowered to half staff to honor Queen Elizabeth
Sen. Mitch McConnell shared a photo from the May 7, 2007, State Dinner at the White House; from left: McConnell, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, then First Lady Laura Bush, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, then President George W. Bush, and McConnell’s Secretary Elaine L. Chao
American lawmakers remembered her fondly.
‘When it comes to Queen Elizabeth II, the combination of longevity, impeccable character, and incredible leadership over seven decades of war and peace is likely never to be seen again,’ said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. ‘Well done, Your Majesty – Rest in Peace.’
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California shared memories and photos from when she met the Queen in 1983, when she was mayor of San Francisco and the monarch visited the city.
‘I remember well her visit to San Francisco in 1983 when I was mayor. I spent time with the queen at the Davies Symphony Hall and found her to be gracious and kind, a wonderful representative of her nation,’ Feinstein tweeted.
‘Queen Elizabeth will be fondly remembered and missed by many, and my thoughts are with her family and the people of the U.K.,’ she added.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia shared photos of when he hosted the Queen on her 2007 visit to Jamestown. Kaine was governor of the state at the time and guided her during her visit to the first permanent English settlement in North America.
‘Rest In Peace, Queen Elizabeth II. I keep these photos of her visit to Jamestown, VA in 2007 in my Senate office, and remember the visit fondly. Her kindness and grace will be missed,’ he wrote.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California shared memories and photos from when she met the Queen in 1983, when she was mayor of San Francisco and the monarch visited the city
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia shared photos of when he hosted the Queen on her 2007 visit to Jamestown
Republican Rep. Kevin Brady remembered meeting her when she was in Texas in 1991.
‘I remember fondly Her Majesty’s May, 1991 speech to Texas Legislature. A moving, historic moment for a young state House rep like me. Our prayers are with @RoyalFamily & her grieving nation,’ he said.
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin also tweeted a photo of his meeting the Queen.
‘I am heartbroken to learn of the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen has been revered around the globe for her devotion to service and her steadfast leadership through the decades. Gayle and I are praying for the Royal Family and the people of the Commonwealth,’ he wrote.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said she was a ‘great queen.’
‘Queen Elizabeth II was such a great queen. She loved the British ppl & was deeply involved in everything a queen must do. I appreciate all she’s done for the ppl of Great Britain She’s a symbol for the whole world on decency & humanity— God bless the Royal Family,’ he said.
And Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said there would never be another queen like her.
‘Queen Elizabeth II reigned for nearly one third of America’s history. Just an extraordinary woman who put her nation first, over and over, and helped midwife the special relationship between Britain and the United States. There will never be another like her,’ he said.
The Queen has been to Capitol Hill. In May 1991 she addressed a joint session of Congress, becoming the first British monarch to do so.
She spoke to the joint session of Congress as part of her state visit to the US during George H.W. Bush’s presidency. She was greeted with a standing ovation by lawmakers.
‘Some people believe that power grows from the barrel of a gun,’ the Queen said in her remarks. ‘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 mutal agreement, on contract and on consensus.’
The Queen addressed a joint session of Congress in May 1991, becoming the first British monarch to do so
The Queen, followed by Prince Philip, is applauded by lawmakers in 1991 after she addressed the joint session of Congress
The Queen waits in the Drawing Room before receiving new Prime Minister Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, Scotland on Tuesday, in what would be her last public appearance
The Queen’s death will see Britain and her Commonwealth realms enter into a ten-day period of mourning.
Her passing came more than a year after that of her beloved husband Philip, who died aged 99 in April 2021. Since his funeral, where she poignantly sat alone because of lockdown restrictions, her own health faltered, and she was forced to miss an increasing number of events mainly due to ‘mobility problems’ and tiredness.
In July she travelled to Scotland for her annual summer break, but cancelled her traditional welcome to Balmoral Castle in favour of a small more private event because of her health, believed to be linked to her ability to stand.
And at the end of July, Prince Charles represented his mother and opened the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with the Duchess of Cornwall. In late August Queen missed the Braemar Gathering – the first time she was not at the Highland Games in her 70-year reign.
But she was well enough to meet with Boris Johnson at Balmoral to accept his resignation, before asking the 15th Prime Minister of her reign, Liz Truss, to form a Government. Her Majesty, who stood with the support of a stick and smiled as she greeted Truss in front of a roaring fire, had not been seen in public for two months. It would be her final picture.