On the recordNovember 12, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding and for scheduling this Special Order here on our first night back in town for the very important purpose of paying tribute to our dear friend and colleague, Howard Coble. I am very happy to join in this, as many other colleagues will be tonight as well. I have served with Howard since I first arrived here in 1987. He had beaten me by 2 years. He was first elected in 1984 to represent North Carolina's Sixth District. I think when you hear the tributes tonight from both sides of the aisle you are going to, quite accurately, conclude that Howard Coble is one of the best-liked Members of this body, and that affection extends across the entire political spectrum. Howard is always ready with a kind word for everyone, from fellow Representatives to Capitol Police and constituents. It is difficult to walk anywhere with Howard in Washington, D.C., or in North Carolina without being stopped several times because he has so many friends who just want to catch up with him. I have always especially enjoyed introducing my staff to Howard. His first question usually is: ``What high school did you go to?'' And then the second question is something like: ``What's it like working for this scallywag?'' We've sometimes disagreed, of course, on politics and policy, but we have had many, many occasions for fruitful collaboration and cooperation on issues important to North Carolina.…





