Remarks on President-elect Barack Obama's resignation letter

Mikulski: Mister President, I ask unaminous consent that the Senate recess today from 2:30 to 4:00 to allow the Senators to attend today's briefing with Secretary Gates, Rice, and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

Byrd: Without objection.

Mikulski: Thank you very much, Mister President. Well: wow. That was quite a letter you just read. And I must tell you: to be here for this historic moment, I – my heart is just racing. You read the letter when our President-elect resigned from the Senate. This is indeed a moment of passage in the United States Senate, and in the passage for the country, by Senator Obama's resignation for that duty and responsibility the people of Illinois gave him. It's one more step for him to pick up the responsibilities of the Presidency of the United States. Uh: I will cherish this moment – uh: because it will be a historic moment. From "We Need Change" and "Yes We Can" to a long campaign trail to election night to a charismatic speech calling us to act like an American community – not only a country of which we're proud, a nation that we hold dear – but we are an American community. That is the Obama message, and which I hope will be the Obama effect.