U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, Iowa’s second-term Democrat who represents the 1st District, mourned the loss of a great U.S. leader today in an official statement regarding the death of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy:

With the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy, our nation has lost a great leader. Senator Kennedy fought for what he believed in and cared deeply for our country. He never stopped fighting for working families and those less fortunate than himself. Respected by leaders from both sides of the aisle and people from all walks of life, his tremendous legacy will live on in the Democratic Party and in the Senate.