Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement regarding Tom Coburn’s decision to retire:

“Tom Coburn is without question one of the most intelligent, principled, and decent men in modern Senate history and a lasting credit to his beloved Oklahoma. Every day that Tom has served in this body he has reminded his colleagues of why it is that we came here in the first place and helped restore us to our purpose. With his nearly 20 years of service in the House and later in the Senate, Tom has set a moral example for lawmakers at every level of government through his integrity, grit, and fearlessness in taking on problems others find either too difficult or too unglamorous. He has made his mark on every debate he has ever waded into, from his years on the Senate Judiciary Committee to the ongoing national debate over Obamacare. And when it comes to the transcendent debate over the size and cost of government, Tom Coburn is simply without peer. No one has done more to awaken Americans to the threat posed by a government that chronically spends more than it takes in, and no one has worked harder at finding a solution.

“Today’s announcement is one that we all knew might come but that we all hoped wouldn’t. Fortunately, Tom has decided to stay with us throughout the year, so we will have the benefit of his wisdom and his counsel in the months ahead. But I know I speak for all my Senate colleagues when I say that we’ll need that long to get used to the idea of losing Tom Coburn’s singular voice in our conference. Tom is a legend in his own time, an extraordinary man and a deeply serious lawmaker who has made an immense difference to his country and to this body. We will miss him terribly when he leaves the Senate, and we will stand with him every step of the way as he wages this latest of many tough battles that he has fought, and won.”