Political Quotes

“I would like to take a moment to respond to Ms. Crockett's comments about breaking precedent today with this naming bill. Sam Johnson was a prisoner of war for 7 years. He was held in solitary confinement for more than 3 of those years in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. After enduring hell on Earth, as he actually put it during his time in uniform, he kept serving our Nation, first as a commander of a tactical fighter unit, then as a State legislator, then as a Member of Congress. Sam was everything that Americans should aspire to be. He was a hero. I understand and respect the precedent that we have had regarding naming bills, but in this case the reason for breaking that precedent is we are not going to sit here and play silly D.C. politics and take longer than he was a prisoner of war to pass a bill for naming this after Chairman and Colonel Sam Johnson. I know Ms. Crockett would have liked to have had her naming bill that is pending for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson on the floor today, and I would be happy to work with the gentlewoman and both leadership teams to see if there is something we can do to move that forward. However, today we are here to honor Sam Johnson. I will put this plainly. If you can find someone as deserving as Sam Johnson, then I will be glad to bypass precedent for them, as well. I encourage everyone to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).”