Senate Passes Kelly Resolution Honoring Life and Legacy of Senator Jon Kyl

Every member of the Senate joined Kelly’s bipartisan resolution honoring Kyl’s decades of service to Arizona and the country This week, the Senate passed Arizona Senator Mark Kelly’s bipartisan resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the late former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl. Kelly introduced the resolution alongside Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Chuck Grassley (R-IA),  and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), with every member of the Senate co-sponsoring the resolution. The resolution recognizes Kyl’s decades of public service to Arizona and the country, including his work on water policy, crime victims’ rights, national security, defense, and intelligence. Kyl represented Arizona for four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving three terms in the U.S. Senate, where he rose to serve in party leadership. Following the death of Senator John McCain in 2018, Kyl returned to the Senate to once again represent Arizona. “Senator Kyl served Arizona with distinction in Congress for nearly three decades. His landmark work securing historic Tribal water settlements shaped our state in ways that will last for generations. He was a true public servant who loved Arizona, and his legacy will endure,” said Kelly . “Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl was a great man that put the needs of Arizonans at the center of his career. He never wavered in the fight for Arizona’s water future, including securing one our country’s largest tribal water rights settlements,” said Gallego . “He deserves recognition for his almost 30 years in congress and his ability to work across the aisle for the good of all Americans.” “Senator Kyl was a strong voice on America’s global leadership and a strong leader in our Republican conference. I appreciated his friendship and the opportunity to work alongside him in the Senate, including on the Finance and Judiciary Committees. He had strong Iowa roots, too, growing up in Bloomfield while his father represented Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives. Our bipartisan resolution honors his life of service as we all continue to pray for his family,” said Grassley . “Today we honor my dear friend, Jon Kyl, whose decades of principled leadership and devoted public service leave an enduring legacy in Arizona and across our country. When Arizona needed him once again following John’s passing, Jon answered the call—a reflection of his deep commitment to the state he served so faithfully. Arizona has lost one of its finest public servants, but Jon’s legacy of integrity, leadership, and service will continue to inspire generations to come,” said Ambassador Cindy McCain . After leaving elected office, Kyl continued his public service, including as vice chair of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. His legacy in Arizona continues through the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the Kyl Institute for National Security at the University of Arizona. Read the resolution text here .