John Rice Carter: “I thank Representative Scott for putting this together. Indeed, it is something well deserved. I rise today to recognize…”

“I thank Representative Scott for putting this together. Indeed, it is something well deserved. I rise today to recognize a great Georgian and a great Senator. I have been blessed in my life. I am the grandson of a tobacco farmer and the son of a paper mill worker, and here I am, walking the Halls of Congress. In the short period of time that I have had to serve here, I have witnessed many great things. I got to listen to the Pope, something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do, one of the great religious leaders in the world, right here in this room. But when I think of what I saw just a few minutes ago, when I saw not only two great Georgians but two great Americans, John Lewis and Johnny Isakson, embrace, I pinch myself sometimes. How did this happen to me? How did I get to witness all of these great things in my life? Madam Speaker, I thank both of these gentlemen. Madam Speaker, I thank especially Senator Isakson. I have been fortunate to call him a friend and a mentor for many years. I have had many political mentors in my life: Tom Triplett, Tom Coleman, just to name a few, and Johnny Isakson. I can remember hearing the story from the then-minority leader of the house of representatives in the Georgia statehouse, when Senator Isakson would tell the story of leading such a small group that General Custer had had better odds than he had at that time. {time} 1615 I will never forget that. It taught me perseverance.…”