The current and former Senator Warners greet each other at a June 9, 2011 reception on Capitol Hill hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Senator Warner’s close political ally and predecessor, former Senator John Warner, was honored today by the Association of Former Members of Congress with its highest honor -- the "Distinguished Service Award." The award is presented each year to a former member of Congress who has made a difference in the lives of others through their service and dedication to promoting a better world, according to the FMC. More than 600 former Senators and Representatives belong to the Association.

“I’m still relatively new here in the Senate, and I could have no better role model and friend than John Warner,” Senator Mark Warner said. “In his 30 years in the Senate, John Warner set the gold standard for bipartisanship and statesmanship.”

Interestingly, Mark Warner’s first attempt at political office was a 1996 challenge to Sen. John Warner’s fourth bid for re-election to the Senate – a race in which the younger Warner “received the silver medal,” as he likes to say, and he was elected to the seat after John Warner announced his retirement in 2008.

Since that time, the two Warners have become great friends and effective political allies, and the two worked closely together when Mark Warner was elected Virginia Governor five years later.

“John Warner exemplifies the U.S. Senate at its best: his influence came from hard work on behalf of Virginia and America, civility and statesmanship,” Mark Warner said. “He always demonstrated a willingness to reach across the political aisle to make sure this institution operates the way it’s supposed to, and he has remained a great friend and mentor and an excellent role model for me. I congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.”