Rob Portman: “I hear the remarks from my colleagues from Alaska and appreciate her leadership on the Energy and Natural Resources…”

“I hear the remarks from my colleagues from Alaska and appreciate her leadership on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where I have the privilege to serve, and she makes a lot of great points with regard to some of the student loan issues that affect our State of Ohio as well as Alaska. But today I am here to talk about something else, and that is the 90th birthday of a mentor of mine, a former boss of mine, and the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. In addition to honoring him by wearing some colorful socks today, I also want to make a statement in the Congressional Record, so this statement can go down in the ages and some of the young folks who are in the Chamber today and their kids and grandkids will have this as part of the Congressional Record, talking about truly one of our great American patriots and public servants in the history of our country. Like so many in his generation, President George H.W. Bush, when he heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor, answered the call to serve his country. He was 18 years old. So his service started long before he was sworn in as President of the United States. At 18 years old he became the youngest naval aviator in the U.S. Navy. He served greatly in the Pacific, famously completing one bombing after his aircraft was fired upon. In fact, his aircraft was on fire. Yet he completed that mission.…”