Roy Cooper: “We are here tonight to pay tribute to a truly remarkable man. I was privileged to attend the memorial service in Falls…”

“We are here tonight to pay tribute to a truly remarkable man. I was privileged to attend the memorial service in Falls Church. Mr. Tiberi delivered an awesome eulogy on that day. The synagogue was full. What was perhaps most remarkable was that there was almost an equal number of Republican Members and Democratic Members. That is indeed rare, and it is sad that it is rare in this day and age. We all respected, admired, and loved Steve LaTourette because he was a great Member. Eighteen years of service is a good long time and he did wonderful things, I am sure, for Ohio. We heard from Marcy Kaptur about many of the projects he was involved in, but I want to reflect for a moment on a project that I think could have and should have benefited the entire United States. It was a huge lost opportunity, but he put body and soul into it in 2012, which turned out to be his last year in Congress. Back then, there was a bipartisan commission appointed by President Obama, headed up by Republican Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming and also by the former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. It was called the Simpson-Bowles Commission. It was tasked with finding a bipartisan solution to our Nation's debt and deficit problems. Back then, in 2012, we thought the debt was astronomical. It was $15.6 trillion. Now, 4 years later, it is $19.6 trillion. It is $4 trillion higher, $4 trillion of extra burden on future generations, including Steve's own children.…”