The following is the prepared text of U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's farewell speech on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon.
Dodd did not seek re-election this year, and he will be stepping down in January after 36 years in Washington, D.C., including 30 years in the Senate.
"For more than 200 years, a uniquely American story has unfolded here in the chamber of the United States Senate - a fascinating, inspiring, and often tumultuous tale of conflict and compromise, reflecting the awesome potential of our still young democracy--and its occasional moments of agonizing frustration.
For much of my life, this story has intersected with my own in ways that have been both thrilling and humbling.
As a 14-year-old boy, I sat in the family gallery of this chamber, watching as my father took the oath of office as a new Senator.
A few years later, in 1962, I sat where these young men and women sit today, serving as a Senate page. John F. Kennedy was our president and Lyndon Johnson presided over this body.
Eighteen years later, in the autumn of 1980, the people of Connecticut gave me the honor of a lifetime when they asked me to give voice to their views, electing me to serve as their United States Senator.
For the past thirty years I have worked hard to sustain their trust. I am proud of the work I have done, but it is time for my story and that of this institution, which I cherish so much, to diverge.
Thus, Mr. President, I rise to give some valedictory remarks as my service as a United States Senator from Connecticut comes to a close.
Now, it is common for retiring Senators to say the following; ―I'll miss the people - but not the work.
Mr. President, you won't hear that from me. Most assuredly, I will miss the people of the Senate. But I will miss the work, as well.
Over the years, I have both witnessed and participated in some great debates--moments when statesmen of both parties, gathered together in this hall to weigh the great questions of our time.
And while I wish there had been more of those moments, I will always remember the Senate's debates on issues like Central America and Iraq, campaign finance reform and securities litigation, health care and financial reform.
And when I am home in Connecticut, I see the results of the work we did every day.
I see workers coming off their shifts at Pratt & Whitney, Electric Boat, and Sikorsky, the lifeblood of a defense manufacturing sector so critical to our national security, and to the economic well being of my state.
I see communities preparing for high-speed rail and breaking ground on new community health centers,
I see the grants we fought for helping cities and towns to build sustainable communities and promote economic development.