Pell to be honored on Senate floor

WASHINGTON, DC (WPRI) - The late Sen. Claiborne Pell was honored Tuesday evening on the floor of the U.S. Senate. by Sen. Jack Reed and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

Reed and Whitehouse also offered a resolution honoring the life and work of Sen. Pell. (Click here to see the presentation in its entirety.)

Pell, 90, died New Year's day in his Newport home after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

The Democrat represented Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate for 36 years, before retiring in 1997. During that time, he became known as an advocate for education and the arts. He was the force behind the federal Pell Grant program, which made it easier for millions of Americans to afford college.

Hundreds of people, including dozens of dignitaries, attended Pell's funeral Monday morning in Newport. Former President Bill Clinton ,  Vice President-elect Joseph Biden , Sen. Edward Kennedy , Sen. Reed , and Pell's grandson, Nicholas Lorillard Pell , all delievered eulogies.