On the recordDecember 1, 2010
I want to just add my voice to these remarks this evening about our friend and colleague, Ike Skelton of Missouri. He first came to this Congress in 1976 with my predecessor, Congressman Dick Gephardt. That was the first year I voted, 1976. I was a senior in high school that year. And to watch him grow in leadership to become what I believe is really a national treasure--his voice advocating for American troops and their families, his leadership on national readiness for current conflicts and future conflicts that we may face--has really been unparalleled. We respect his leadership and what he has done for the strength of this country. In Missouri, he has been a leader. He has been the dean of our delegation. I had the honor to work with him. I also had the honor to travel with him to visit our troops in Kosovo and elsewhere. And we've seen what he's done to transform two vital military facilities in Missouri-- Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood--to become what they are today. He's not only a student of history, but he has been a great teacher and a great mentor. He's been a family friend. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with him, to call him 'colleague,' but also to see his example for public service. He has been a model for what public service is all about.
