Politics & Government
Stoughton's Mo Cowan Delivers Farewell Address on Senate Floor
Interim Senator William "Mo" Cowan (D-Mass.), a Stoughton resident, went to the floor of the United States Senate on Wednesday to deliver his farewell address and mark the end of his tenure.
Interim Senator William “Mo” Cowan, a Democrat from Stoughton, went to the floor of the United States Senate Wednesday afternoon to deliver his farewell address, marking the end of Cowan's brief tenure in the U.S. Senate (click here to watch the address on C-SPAN).
Senator Cowan was appointed to the United States Senate by Governor Deval Patrick on January 30, 2013, to temporarily fill the vacancy when former Massachusetts Senator John Kerry resigned to became Secretary of State.
Massachusetts voters picked Kerry's permanent replacement when a majority backed Democratic Congressman Ed Markey in the June 25th Special Senate Election.
"Not one person was given a chance to vote for or against me but I have gone about my work every day as if they had. I came to this body beholden to Massachusetts, her residents, and the country only, and leave confident that I have stayed true to that honor," said Cowan, who lives in Stoughton with his wife, Stacy, and their two young sons, Miles and Grant.
Cowan acknowledged the short amount of time he was in the Senate.
"I rise today in my final full work week, and not yet 150 days into my Senate career, yet at the precipice of the close of that career," said Cowan, who was wearing his trademark bow tie.
"When it comes to Farewell Speeches few will top the words offered by John Kerry on this floor a few months ago. After 28 years of distinguished service to the people of Massachusetts, now Secretary Kerry spent nearly an hour reflecting on his service in this body. By the same measure...as merely an interim Senator serving but for a few short months, I probably should have ended my remarks about 45 seconds ago," Cowan said, just moments into his address.
But, he sought to make his five months in the Senate meaningful.
"With my work here - though my time was short - I sought to uphold not only Secretary Kerry’s legacy in this body, but the work of all those esteemed Senators who have dedicated their service to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts… and I pledged to be the best partner with Senator [Elizabeth] Warren I could be," Cowan said.
Prior to being appointed to the U.S. Senate, Cowan was Governor Patrick's former Chief of Staff.
"In January of this year, I planned to leave Deval Patrick’s administration and transition back into private life. I was looking forward to more conventional hours, a reprieve from working under the public scrutiny of the press, and to spending more time with my wife and our young sons. So, I came to the United States Senate. Go figure," Cowan quipped.
"I was surprised, but deeply honored, when Governor Patrick sent me here to represent the folks back home. And I am eternally grateful for the Governor’s faith and trust in my ability to serve," he continued.
Cowan thanked his colleagues on both sides of the Senate aisle, listing many Democrats and Republicans he was able to work with or interact with during his tenure.
Cowan also thanked his wife for making his service in the Senate logistically possible.
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"Over the past few months I missed many homework assignments, birthday dinners, pediatric appointments, school performances, and parent-teacher meetings. But our sons never felt that their Dad was absent and unaccounted for because their Mom – a Super Mom – more than made up for my absence," he said. "Stacy has been my rock and salvation for nearly 20 years now and I am better every day for it."
Cowan expressed confidence in his successor, Markey, and complimented Markey's opponent, Republican businessman Gabriel Gomez, who finished with 45-percent of the vote to Markey's 55-percent in the June 25 Special Election.
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"After 37 distinguished years in the House, Senator-Elect Markey now has the opportunity to offer his voice, wisdom, accumulated experiences, humor, esprit de corps, and tireless commitment to justice and equality to the United States Senate," Cowan said.
"And I, for one, believe that Massachusetts and the country will be better for it. Like the majority of Massachusetts voters who expressed themselves [Tuesday], I am quite confident that Senator-Elect Markey will serve with distinction and act in the best interests of the citizens he now is privileged to represent."
Cowan continued, "The Senator-Elect bested a strong candidate who brought a new voice and – yes – a new visage to the Massachusetts political scene. I applaud Gabriel Gomez on a well-run campaign and, most importantly, his willingness to sacrifice so much in an effort to serve the people of the Commonwealth. He started this journey as a relative unknown but I suspect we have not heard the last of Mr. Gomez. I thank him and his family for their sacrifices and their willingness to engage."
Cowan was just the second black senator from Massachusetts, with Republican Edward Brooke having served from 1967-1979.
Cowan and Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, were the only two black senators currently in the U.S. Senate. Both were appointed by their state's respective governors. This was the first time two black senators served at the same time in the U.S. Senate, according to NBC news.
"Senator Scott and I are, respectively, the seventh and eighth black Senators to serve in this body [in this history of the Senate]," Cowan noted.
"While I believe this number to be far too few, I am also hopeful that it is a sign that these United States will soon be represented by a more diverse population that more closely reflects the diverse country that we are, and the diversity of opinions that exist across and within our diverse nation," he continued.
"With different perspectives, different backgrounds, different races, religions, and creeds, we are better equipped to confront the issues that face our vast and changing nation."
Click here to read Senator Cowan's complete Farewell Address.
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