When DC808 heard the news of former Sen. Mark Hatfield‘s death, we reached out to Sen. Daniel Inouye for his memories of the Oregon Republican.

“When I heard the news of his death I felt suddenly lonesome,” Inouye said in a statement provided by his office. “I was privileged to serve with many great Americans when I first arrived in the Senate and too many have departed with their just rewards. Only the buildings on Capitol Hill remind us of their presence. “ 

Inouye called Hatfield an “extraordinary” senator who was adept at bipartisan cooperation. 

“Unlike too many of us, his soul was not scarred with political partisanship,” Inouye said. “Mark and I worked on many projects together… He was a great leader, a friend, and above all, a good human being.”

Hatfield, who also served as Oregon’s governor, was 89 when he died on Sunday.