Nydia M. Velazquez: “I thank my colleague for yielding time to me and thank my friends for organizing this tribute. Louise was a remarkable…”

“I thank my colleague for yielding time to me and thank my friends for organizing this tribute. Louise was a remarkable woman, an astute legislator, a skilled negotiator, and a gifted debater. She will be remembered for all those traits. But she will also be remembered for her compassion, her humor, and the many kindnesses she extended to all of us. I will always recall the many times coming down to this very floor to speak and hearing Louise arguing for fairness and opposing policies bad for our Nation. She was a fierce orator with a sharp wit. When she disagreed with how this House was doing business, she let it be known. She was a passionate voice for progressive values. Like a New Yorker, she never backed down from a fight. If she wanted to get something done, she dug in her heels and fought like hell for it. But, as a daughter of the South, she will equally be remembered for her amazing wit, her gentle touch, her disarming smile, and her genuine friendships on both sides of the aisle. What is remarkable is that, at the end of the day, when the debate concluded and the votes were taken, Louise was known for sharing a laugh with her colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle. Someone once described her as ``a combination of Southern charm and backroom politics, a Southern belle with a cigar in her mouth.'' She truly was larger than life. When Louise came to Congress, there were far fewer women in this body.…”