Elijah Lewis: “I rise to pay tribute and honor to the memory of a good man, a special man, Congressman Bill Emerson. Bill was a good…”

“I rise to pay tribute and honor to the memory of a good man, a special man, Congressman Bill Emerson. Bill was a good Congressman, a good friend and more than anything else a good human being. He was a man who truly cared about his fellow man, here at home and across the world. Bill Emerson was a gentle man. In 1992 I had the great privilege of cochairing a congressional delegation to Somalia with Bill. It was a dangerous trip. Somalia was still filled with gangs of armed warlords and we had to wear flak jackets as we drove through the streets. But Bill Emerson was committed to the starving people of Somalia. He put their health and their welfare above his own personal security. that was the kind of man Bill Emerson was. Bill had a warm, caring and sharing spirit. His sense of humor was able to overcome any situation, to break down any barrier. I will miss Bill Emerson. I will miss his wit and his wisdom. I will miss his caring and his compassion. More than anything else I will miss his companionship. Bill Emerson was my friend and I will miss him, as we all will, greatly. My condolences and my love go out to Bill's family and friends.”