Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gave a floor speech that was both unexpected and unexpectedly emotional.

I rise today with some sad, some horrible news about the passing of a great friend, Rich Trumka, who left us this morning.

He was paying tribute to Richard Trumka,

the president of the AFL-CIO.

He had, in his veins, in every atom of his body,

the heart, the thoughts, the needs of the working people of America.

He was them.

Trumpka was 72 years old, died on a camping trip.

He had risen from mine worker to attorney to confidant to politicians like Schumer, presidents too.

Trumpka was especially close with Joe Biden.

And when crafting policy, you know, Rich Trumpka is somebody that you have to talk to.

You may not always agree with them.

You may not do what he wants.

But he's somebody who's going to be in the room all the time.

Eric Loomis is a labor historian at University of Rhode Island.

He followed Trumpka for decades.

And he had been an institution at this point, right?

He had been now in the AFL-CIO leadership versus secretary-treasurer and then as president

for 26 years.

It's just horrible news.

I'll have more to say about it later, but I wanted to inform my colleagues that we have just

lost a giant, and we need him so.

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