David Schweikert: “I thank Judge Carter. Mr. Speaker, this is something I, actually, have never done; but have you ever had one of those…”

“I thank Judge Carter. Mr. Speaker, this is something I, actually, have never done; but have you ever had one of those moments in your life when you want to come to the microphone and share it with whomever is willing to listen? This has been a tough few days here. Many of us, as we come to these microphones, have these heavy hearts because we are fearful that what is going on around us may be one of those momentous moments where we remember this for the rest of our lives, where it is one of those votes--one of those debates--where you affect the world. There is another side to this on a personal basis where you realize how incredibly honored, lucky, blessed you are to get to be behind this microphone. Last week, a woman from my community passed away. We all in our lives have those handfuls of people who actually make a difference and affect our lives. She is partially responsible for my being behind this microphone. A woman named Elanor Benson, from Fountain Hills, died last week--I believe at age 95--and she changed my life. I was a 20-, 21-, maybe 22- year-old kid. I was selling real estate in our little town as a way to finance my way through Arizona State University at night. She, in her retirement at that age, decided to take on another job at our little office. She sat me down, and she knew I had an interest in conservative politics. I still to this day remember her looking at me and saying: ``David, I like you.…”