JOHN LINDER: “it is a treat for me to be able to be here on this Tribute to Jerry Solomon Day. About 3 years ago a huge battle over an…”

“it is a treat for me to be able to be here on this Tribute to Jerry Solomon Day. About 3 years ago a huge battle over an amendment broke out on the floor of this House and it created quite a stir, and people came running to the floor of the House to see what the problem was, and I figured and discovered that Jerry Solomon was right in the middle of it. A senior leadership aide, those are the ones who are quoted more often in Roll Call than leadership, a senior leadership aide walked over to me and said, what is Jerry doing? I said, you need to understand something. Jerry is a Marine, and he is going to take that hill whether you like it or not. He has been since he was a Marine a public servant, both to his neighborhood and his community, his State and his Nation. And he has been an inspiration to all of us. I have been privileged for 4 years to serve on the Committee on Rules with him, and he is a fighter, but a fair fighter. Always insisting that the minority have an opportunity to be heard too, always insisting that all sides of an important issue get aired on this floor in terms of an amendment or an opportunity for debate. I do not know that I have ever seen anyone enter into more fights and scraps and battles than the chairman of the Committee on Rules, but I do not believe he ever has left behind an enemy. Adversaries, yes; enemies, no. This is a great tribute to a public man, and I am honored to have served with him.”