Hank Johnson: “I thank my friend Buddy Carter for yielding to me. For the record, I want it to be known that it was he who called me…”

“I thank my friend Buddy Carter for yielding to me. For the record, I want it to be known that it was he who called me yesterday to find out what color suit and tie I was going to wear. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Georgian and a great American, former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell Miller, who died at the age of 86 in March. He was a north Georgia mountain boy of humble beginnings, who was raised by a single parent after his daddy died when he was just 2 weeks old. He was raised in a house that his momma built with her own hands. Former Presidents, Governors, and dignitaries from all over the country and the world have honored Mr. Miller, who launched the State's HOPE Scholarship and led Georgia into the 21st century. He was a true statesman, who served Georgia and his country as, first, a United States Marine, then as mayor of Young Harris, later serving as a State senator, thereafter as Lieutenant Governor, and then as Governor, and finally as United States Senator. Zell Miller dedicated his life to public service. He was a man physically compact and a bit short, but he walked tall and he walked strong, and he left a towering legacy. A small town mountain boy from the little town of Young Harris, Zell Miller made a big impact on the affairs of Georgia and, indeed, the affairs of the Nation. Zell Miller left a huge impact on Georgia's judicial system. He literally changed the face of the State bench.…”