[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3442-S3443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING MELISSA AND MARK HORTMAN

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague from 
Minnesota Senator Smith to honor two Minnesotans, who are friends of 
ours, who were taken from us this weekend in a shocking act of 
political violence: Representative Melissa Hortman, our former speaker 
of the house, and her husband Mark Hortman.
  I am also continuing to pray for State Senator John Hoffman and his 
wife Yvette, who survived a brutal assassination attempt. John took 
nine bullets, and Yvette took eight, and they are continuing to recover 
in the hospital. I have been in touch with Yvette, and she is grateful 
for the outpouring of support from all over the country for their 
family.
  And I want to extend my enormous gratitude to the hundreds and 
hundreds of local, State, and Federal law enforcement who worked 
tirelessly over the course of a 43-hour manhunt to apprehend the 
suspect. They ran toward the danger. They risked their lives. And 
because of their bravery and diligence, our State was able to breathe a 
sigh of relief Sunday night knowing that this man was no longer at 
large.
  The local officers from Brooklyn Park, MN, also stopped further 
assassinations, along with other officers, in the moment by going over 
to check on legislators after learning about what had happened at 
Senator Hoffman's house. We now know that the assassin went to two 
other legislators' homes in between the two shootings that night and in 
one case sped off after being spotted by the police.
  While it was too late to save Melissa and Mark, the officers' 
decision to check on their house allowed them to spot the assassin, 
separate him from his vehicle, and begin the manhunt.
  But, right now, we want to focus on who Melissa and Mark were as 
people. They were great neighbors, wonderful friends, and great parents 
to their beloved children, Sophie and Colin.
  Melissa is someone whom I wish the whole Senate and the whole Nation 
knew. We treasured her in Minnesota. She was the epitome of what you 
want in a public servant. She went into it for all the right reasons.
  She grew up in Spring Lake Park and Andover, MN, working at her 
family's used auto parts company in Blaine in the summers. After 
leaving for college, she came back to Minnesota for law school and 
began her career in our State.
  She was always devoted to her community. She was a Girl Scout leader 
and taught Sunday school at her local Catholic church, and she was 
always one of the first to raise her hand when someone needed a 
volunteer for, well, just about anything, including training service 
dogs for veterans.
  One of them, Gilbert, was just too friendly for service because he 
couldn't just focus on one person, and so their family adopted him and 
loved him very much. Sadly, he was shot that night, and the two 
children had to make the decision to put him down this weekend. How 
they loved that dog.
  Melissa and I first ran for public office around the same time--both 
with little kids--me for the county attorney's office and her for the 
State legislature. That is how I got to know her: I was the county 
attorney; she was running for the legislature. We went door to door 
together, and it seemed like she knew everyone in the district already.
  She was elected in 2004 and served in the Minnesota House for 20 
years, and she left a lasting impact. As a legislator, she authored 
legislation that created Minnesota's solar energy standard. As minority 
leader, she guided her caucus with conviction and a sense of humor. And 
she wasn't afraid to call out the all-male card game taking place 
during debates. When her colleagues chose to make her the speaker, her 
first order of business was getting rid of the speaker's mute button. 
As she said at the time, ``I have a gavel . . . and a gavel is good 
enough for me.''
  Melissa was one of the most consequential speakers in the history of 
our State. She knew no limits in terms of trying to get people 
together, trying to get things done. And while I cannot

[[Page S3443]]

believe she is gone, Minnesotans will be feeling the impact of her 
leadership forever.
  When a Minnesota student gets a free school lunch, that is Melissa. 
When a Minnesota parent is able to take paid leave to spend those early 
precious moments with a newborn, that is Melissa. When a Minnesota 
voter casts a ballot without facing unfair discrimination, that is 
Melissa. When a woman is able to access reproductive care in our State, 
that is Melissa. And when our State achieves 100 percent clean energy 
by 2040, that will be because of Melissa. And when we had a tied State 
house this year, it was Melissa who forged a power-sharing agreement 
and a budget with her Republican counterpart. She was a generational 
leader, and she led with integrity and with courage.
  She and her husband Mark, who you see here, who also was accomplished 
in business and a kind, kind person--they were compassionate, and they 
were smart. They were just nice to everyone, and I can't believe they 
are gone.
  Here they are with their kids.
  The polarization in our country--the divisions, the online hate--
needs to stop. Violence has absolutely no place in our democracy. We 
need to come together and bring down the rhetoric. We must be united in 
the face of this attack. It was simply un-American.
  That is why the entire Minnesota delegation, Democrats and 
Republicans--including Senator Smith, including Congressman Emmer--came 
together over the weekend to call this violence out. We spoke with one 
voice to condemn it. And in our State, Melissa's colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle have done the same.
  We need to recognize the reality that there are unbalanced people out 
there who read things online, they believe them, and they act on them. 
We have seen this too many times.
  There are many things we can do as a body to fix this problem, and I 
am sure, in the days to come, we will offer legislation on security and 
all kinds of things. But we don't need to pass a law for people to turn 
down the rhetoric, to treat each other with decency and respect, to act 
a little more like Melissa and Mark.
  Mr. President, Melissa and Mark Hortman were the best of us. I am 
shattered to have lost them but eternally grateful to have known them.
  I want to end by sharing a message from their beloved kids Sophie and 
Colin. They wrote this just last night:

       This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. 
     Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. 
     Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to 
     honor our parents' memory--

  they said--

     is to do something, whether big or small, to make our 
     community just a little better for someone else.

  I urge my colleagues to hear that message, and I am honored to be 
here with my wonderful colleague Senator Smith.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.

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