Mike Pence: “I thank the gentlewoman for calling this Special Order, and I am very humbled to be able to stand on behalf of the…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for calling this Special Order, and I am very humbled to be able to stand on behalf of the people of eastern Indiana and express my deepest sympathies to the family and colleagues of my friend, the late Julia Carson. The Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn and to grieve with those who grieve. Tonight on the floor of Congress, we gather to do just that. To mourn with the many tens of thousands of grateful constituents who are remembering Julia Carson this week and who owe a debt of gratitude to her for 30 years of service to the people of Indianapolis that they know in their hearts they will never be able to repay. I grieve the passing of Julia Carson for a variety of reasons. First, for her service. She will be remembered as a pioneering leader in the State of Indiana. As the first woman and the first African American elected to Congress from Indianapolis, she will be long remembered in Indiana public life. I will remember her throughout my own years in politics in trying to get into politics, seeming to see her contribute first as a State legislator, then as a legendary Center Township Trustee in Indianapolis, and later elected to the United States Congress. She was, and I say with affection, a fierce political competitor and succeeded at everything she tried to do, in politics and public service. The gentle demeanor that we are remembering tonight belied a freight train of effectiveness that was Julia Carson.”