Karen Thurman: “I too rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman and someone I call a friend, the Honorable Tillie K. Fowler.…”

“I too rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman and someone I call a friend, the Honorable Tillie K. Fowler. Representative Fowler is a dynamic and compassionate leader, who I am sorry to say is retiring this year from Congress after 8 years of dedicated service to the people of Florida. As the daughter of an esteemed and respected member of the Georgia legislature, Mrs. Fowler grew up with a commitment to public service. Certainly, in the Fowler family, you could say the apple does not fall far from the tree. After serving as a White House aide during the Nixon administrations, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Fowler) moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to start a political career of her own. From 1985 to 1992, she served on the Jacksonville City Council with distinction. During that period, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Fowler) became the council's first woman president. Her experience in Jacksonville prepared her to seek higher office by shaping her into an innovative and effective leader. After being elected to Congress in 1992, Representative Fowler secured appointments on both the House Committee on Armed Services and on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She also earned the esteemed title of Vice Chair of the Republican Conference, making her the highest ranking woman in the Congress and the first Floridian to hold a position in the elected majority leadership. She also serves as the deputy majority whip.”