Wayne Gilchrest: “we rise here today to say good-bye to Congressman Herb Bateman, and to extend the depths of our condolences to Mrs.…”

“we rise here today to say good-bye to Congressman Herb Bateman, and to extend the depths of our condolences to Mrs. Bateman and to his family. Mr. Bateman was known around here, the House floor, simply as Herb. He was a quiet statesman. I served on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment with Herb, and also on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and I can tell the Members that Herb was very generous with his opinions. In fact, I can tell the Members that there are few people who are more pleasantly opinionated than Herb Bateman, and we endured and enjoyed each other's company through the legislative process. But Herb was also generous with something else. This is what I will always remember him by. That is, his smile and his greeting on the House floor. When we came up to Herb, he would smile, put his hand on our shoulder, and say good morning, and then use our name. Then we would say good morning back. Herb was, and will always be, a quiet statesman who has done great things for America.”