South Dakota Searchlight – President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday joined the chorus of tributes for former U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, D-South Dakota, who died Tuesday at age 77.
Biden issued the following written statement:
“Tim Johnson served the people of South Dakota with distinction, and it was an honor to serve alongside him in the United States Senate for over a decade.
“He always put South Dakotans first, and he never forgot where he came from. He worked tirelessly to bring clean drinking water to Americans wherever they lived: rural towns, inner cities, and Tribal lands. And he steered critical investments toward Indian Country and to South Dakota’s development and infrastructure.
“As a Senator, Tim improved access to health care for millions of Americans by providing a critical vote on the Affordable Care Act, advocating for veterans’ health care funding, and fighting to expand Medicaid in South Dakota.
“We also worked together to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to defend the backbone of our economy—hardworking Americans.
“Over the years, Jill and I got to know Tim and Barb as true friends. Our hearts are with Barb, his three children, his eight grandchildren, and the people of South Dakota, whose lives Tim touched.
“May God bless Tim Johnson.”
Harris also issued a statement:
“Senator Tim Johnson was a tenacious fighter for the people of South Dakota.
“Throughout his career—as a member of the South Dakota legislature, as the state’s sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, and as a U.S. Senator—he brokered compromise and advanced commonsense solutions that improved the lives of South Dakotans and all Americans.
“Senator Johnson secured support for critical water infrastructure that delivered clean water to communities across South Dakota, including Native reservations and rural communities across the state. He played a vital role in passing the Affordable Care Act, which delivered high-quality, affordable health care to millions of Americans, including tens of thousands of South Dakotans. And as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, he championed community banks and housing finance reforms to help ensure that rural communities across the nation have the support they need to access safe and affordable housing.
“His life and legacy will be felt by generations of South Dakotans and all Americans to come. Doug and I send our prayers to his wife, Barbara, and the entire Johnson family.”
Johnson, a Democrat like Biden and Harris, served a combined 36 years in state and federal offices, more than any other South Dakotan, and never lost an election despite running in a Republican-leaning state.
He suffered stroke-like symptoms from a cerebral arteriovenous malformation in 2006 that continued to affect his speech and mobility until his death.
Johnson served in the state House, state Senate, U.S. House and finally the U.S. Senate before retiring rather than seeking reelection to another U.S. Senate term in 2014.
Johnson’s funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 18 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls.