Nancy Pelosi: “I thank the chair of our California Democratic Delegation for her wonderful words about Bob Matsui. Anyone who did not…”

“I thank the chair of our California Democratic Delegation for her wonderful words about Bob Matsui. Anyone who did not know Bob Matsui and just turned on the television tonight would have to be impressed by the array of comments from so many different Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle about this exceptional person. There is no way to exaggerate how wonderful he was. He was a person of great intellect and great passion. He was a person of great gentility and of great strength when it came to debating his points. Ever since Members and colleagues and staff on the Hill and reporters and the media learned of his death, they have come and said, Bob Matsui would go out of his way to come by and say hello. He always smiled, he always asked about people's well-being and how they were doing and could he be helpful. He was a gentle man. But again, he had a strength about him that if he thought on a matter of public policy someone was abandoning the children of America or the seniors of America or America's working families, he made it quite clear to them that in his eyes he was losing respect for them because he thought that is what we came here to do. So many Members have talked about his talent, his personality, his love of family which was preeminent because at the end of the day that is, of course, what matters most.”