TEXAS — In the wake of Henry Kissinger's passing Wednesday, several Texas politicians have shared statements honoring the former U.S. Secretary of State, who served under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

Former President George W. Bush was a friend and admirer of Kissinger. In a statement, Bush called him "one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs."

“America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs with the passing of Henry Kissinger. I have long admired the man who fled the Nazis as a young boy from a Jewish family, then fought them in the United States Army," Bush wrote. "When he later became Secretary of State, his appointment as a former refugee said as much about his greatness as it did America’s greatness. He worked in the Administrations of two Presidents and counseled many more. I am grateful for that service and advice, but I am most grateful for his friendship. Laura and I will miss his wisdom, his charm, and his humor. And we will always be thankful for the contributions of Henry Kissinger.”

Attached to his words were an oil painting of Kissinger that Bush painted himself. It's from a collection titled "Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants."

Kissinger died at age 100 in his home in Connecticut. He was born in the Bavarian city of Fuerth on May 27, 1923. He left Nazi Germany in 1938 and settled in Manhattan, where he changed his name from Heinz to Henry.

Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressing his condolences and praising Kissinger for his contributions to American politics.

Burgess represents Texas' 26th congressional district, which includes all of Cooke County and portions of Denton, Wise and Tarrant counties.