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U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia delivered a farewell address on the Senate floor Tuesday, ripping cancel culture and "dangerous narratives" on her way out.
"The American people are alarmed by the effort to censor conservative voices. We're witnessing a constitutional crisis that threatens to erode the First Amendment and silence people across our country," Loeffler said.
"As a Republican, a conservative American who still believes in the Constitution and the core principles on which our country was founded, I refused to be intimidated by the cancel culture, and its dangerous narratives. However, not every American feels free to speak up. Their voices are being lost," she continued.
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Loeffler conceded to Democrat Raphael Warnock in one of Georgia's two Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff elections, after months of high-stakes campaigning to defend her seat. Warnock, who beat Loeffler by more than 73,000 votes, became the first African-American from Georgia elected to the Senate.
She opened the farewell address by declaring it has "been the honor of my lifetime" to serve Georgia in the U.S. Senate, adding that there hasn't been a day when she doesn't walk the halls of the Capitol in "awestruck by the magnitude of this job."
The senator thanked her staff, family, Georgia residents, and colleagues while also touting accomplishments made during her time in office. Loeffler joined the Senate in January 2020, appointed to the seat by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after Sen. Johnny Isakson decided to retire.
Her appointment reportedly set off a rift between Kemp and some Republicans who wanted U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., named to the Senate instead. Collins then ran in the November Senate race but finished behind Warnock and Loeffler.
Loeffler added that Americans are looking for leadership. She said it's clear the country needs more outsiders and "with all due respect -- fewer politicians."
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"And they certainly don’t want their way of life overwhelmed by radical change and costly policies that will push them out of their job, limit their children’s educational opportunities, and threaten their right to worship and speak freely," Loeffler said.
"At the same time, while those on the left feign a desire for unity, they say they cannot tolerate it without accountability. In essence, there can be no unity without conforming to their views," she continued. "Disagree, and you will be canceled and not just your social media account, but your job, your family, your educational opportunities, even your God-given rights. Only those who meet their ideological purity test can claim moral superiority and retain their voice."
Loeffler said she has experienced this first hand "many times" over the last year.
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"Yes, I’ve been a proud champion of conservative values, but I always put Georgia first, ahead of politics," she added. "For a shy farm girl who was the first in her family to graduate from college, who could have never imagined that one day I would serve as the United States senator from the great state of Georgia -- thank you all, it has been my deepest honor."
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