On the recordOctober 28, 2013
Chairman Mica, thank you for bringing us together today. Madam Speaker, you have heard of Bill Young, the statesman, and that he was. We all know how he was, perhaps, the best friend and strongest ally of our troops, men and women in uniform, those in battle, those currently in uniform, and those who are veterans. But those of us who worked with him and got to know him here know him, frankly, almost as like a godfather to all of us. There is not one time that we didn't go to him that he would not be helpful. I remember after those storms in Florida, when we had a bunch of hurricanes, going to see Bill Young about getting help for the folks who had been hurt by the storms. His wisdom and his desire to help was always so present. He was always helpful, whether it was Everglades restoration, because he was also such a champion for the environment. Again, always with a smile. Then I got to know him better when I, again, served with him in Appropriations and was able to see how he mastered that appropriations process like, frankly, potentially nobody before him and I think potentially nobody after him will again. But I will tell you, Madam Speaker, the part that to me was a real privilege was that he was one of the people that I whipped. He was on my whip card. So I would go on different issues and talk to him about the issue and find out if he was leaning one way or another. Every time I went there, what I got from Bill Young was, frankly, a lesson. He instructed.…
