Political Quotes

“the wound of this loss is so fresh for all of us that it is difficult to place into words the kind of love and respect and admiration that we held for our friend, and truly Bill Emerson was a personal friend. He was not just a friend, he was a personal friend to all of us. Mr. Speaker, it is rare that we will find this many Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle that would take the time and feel compelled to come here and say these words, whatever we say, to our friend, Bill, and yet that was the kind of magnetism that this personality, this loving, kind person, held for all of us. There was always something personal that he would find between himself and another person that bound them together. He and I came here together. He always bragged that he was one day younger than me, born just the next day after I was, and that was his way of forming that friendship. All of my colleagues had some kind of connection in that respect with Bill. And yet it was much more than that because Bill Emerson, as has been said here, was a patriot. He loved history, was a great student of history and felt extremely and highly honored that he was serving in this body because it represented, so much, the history of our Nation and his participation in it. As has been said many times here today, Bill Emerson loved this House.”