Connecticut leaders are paying tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away at the age of 87 on Friday.

Ginsburg is one of only a handful of American Supreme Court justices to have become a household name ­­­-- a cultural icon who embraced her label as "a force of feminism." Well into her 80s, she never allowed her old age to interfere with everything that was near and dear to her, from protecting women's rights to fighting gender discrimination.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal remembers Ginsburg not just for her record as a jurist, but as a compassionate person who, at the same time, was never afraid to raise her voice in dissent.

Blumenthal looked back at Ginsburg's career on the high court, spanning from 1993 until her death, as somebody he got a chance to work with many times during his 20 years as Connecticut's attorney general.

In an interview recorded Friday, Blumenthal said Ginsburg will always be remembered for her powerful intellect and persuasive legal arguments.

"She was sleight of stature and soft of voice, but she packed a powerful punch," Blumenthal recalled.

"She will always be an American icon, breaking barriers from the courtroom and the classroom to every place in America and leaving her mark on immigration, gun violence prevention, gender equality, civil rights and civil liberties," Blumenthal added. "I will always remember the incisive, strong questions she asked when I was arguing before her, but also the compassion and caring that she demonstrated."

For Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the passing of this popular colleague in the great fishbowl of American government, is more than a milestone moment -- it's one of those rare points where some say history stands still for a moment, unsure on how to proceed with such a giant force absent.

Blumenthal said he agrees with a statement made by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia - that the replacement of a Supreme Court justice this close to a presidential election, "should wait until after the inauguration, so voters can have their say."