Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and service of someone I admire greatly for his wisdom and humility, by dear friend and mentor, Chairman Bill Young. While I always referred to him as ``Chairman'' because of the respect he commanded, he used to beg me not to use that term, insisting, in his typical humble fashion, as Mr. Farr alluded to, that we were all equal in this Chamber. Over the past five decades, the Chairman graciously served Florida and the Tampa Bay area, leading many projects and initiatives to promote economic growth and create jobs back at home. His contributions to his district, the entire Tampa Bay area, and to the military in particular, are immeasurable. He was instrumental in saving MacDill Air Force Base and helped grow Tampa Bay into a hub for our defense industry. In addition, he played a significant role in winning critical funding for Bay Pines Veterans Administration Medical Center, which supports a large number of veterans in our area. For his efforts, my colleague and I have joined together in support of renaming this valuable medical facility in his honor. His contributions also extend to higher education with his role in developing centers of excellence in technology and marine science at the University of South Florida. Finally, we will all remember his work on behalf of sick children in creating a national registry for bone marrow donors.…”