WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released this statement following the news that former Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) has passed away. Hagan served as a United States Senator from North Carolina from 2009 to 2015 after serving for a decade in the North Carolina State Senate.

“Today, we lost my good friend Kay Hagan. When I think of Kay, I will always think of joy. No matter how hard things got in the Senate, her wonderful spirit would make it all seem better. You could always count on Kay to look out for people, whether it was restoring a program to pay tuition for active duty service members, establishing stronger protections for victims of domestic violence, or passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to stop pay discrimination.

“Kay was one bright yellow ray of sunshine for everyone she touched—the Senate, her beloved state of North Carolina, her friends, and her family. As she struggled with her illness the last few years, her loving husband Chip and their family were always at her side. Look up at the sun and think of Kay today.”

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