Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of one of the great voices for American agriculture here in our Nation's Capital, Steven L. Kopperud. His death this past year was sudden and a shock to all of us who knew him. Steve was always the same, from the first day I met him almost 25 years ago until the last time we talked. He was a great friend, one whom you could trust to shoot you straight. As are so many in the agriculture arena, he was a down-to-earth, great guy; the type you could pick up a conversation with as though you had just talked yesterday when, in fact, it could have been a year or more; the type who would always be there for you. And if it was a policy question, he always, always, had the facts. He believed in his work, and he was passionate about it. After growing up in Minneapolis and attending the University of Minnesota, Steve started his career in journalism, writing for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the San Diego Union-Tribune. He eventually became the Washington bureau chief for Feedstuffs, which further introduced him to the world of agriculture. From there, he launched a long, distinguished career in advocacy, lobbying on all things animal, everything from food, livestock, poultry, trade, and animal welfare, to biotech, among countless other agricultural issues. He was a founder of the Animal Alliance Association, and eventually started his own firm to represent clients across the Nation's agriculture sector.…”