WASHINGTON – Indiana US Senator Dan Coats said “goodbye” to his colleagues as he stepped away from a 34-year political career Tuesday.
Coats said he has no regrets about his time serving the public:
“Through it all, the ups and the downs, the successes and the failures, I’ve felt nothing but gratitude for the privilege of serving,” Coats said.
In a speech full of anecdotes and smiles, Coats thanked those who helped him along the way:
“The friendships that I’ve had and now have… the talented men and women who serve in this distinguished body is what I will miss most,” he said.
Coats gained notoriety for his weekly “Waste of the Week” presentations, which called out Congress for wasteful spending habits.
It’s the second retirement for Coats; his first came in 1999 after spending a decade in office, before serving as US Ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005, before returning to the senate in 2010. He promised his family there would not be a third retirement speech.
Watch his full address below:
