Here’s an excerpt from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s remarks about Sen. Daniel Inouye and his wife, Irene Hirano Inouye, at the U.S.-Japan Council’s annual conference in Washington this morning: 

“(Inouye) is someone whom I do not need to tell this audience has served his state, our country, and the world with such great distinction, and he is always looking toward the future, what will make a difference in the lives of the men and women and the boys and girls that he serves, how to build stronger relationships between countries, how to keep your eye on what will matter tomorrow, not just what the argument of today might be. So it has been just the honor of a lifetime to know him, to serve with him, and to continue to have the great opportunity of working with him in my new capacity.

And of course, as good as he is, he was made even better by his wonderful wife. And as someone who has been the spouse of a very famous man, I know that Irene brings more than half of what this dynamic duo represents because she comes to the work she does every day with such extraordinary intelligence and grace. Irene is the kind of person who you might as well just say yes to right away because you eventually will. And so to both of these great Americans, thank you for your friendship and your leadership.”

Hirano Inouye serves as president of the U.S.-Japan Council.