Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bid farewell to a dear friend and a colleague who has been with me from the very beginning. In the spring or summer of 2020, I received a call from a number I did not recognize, from an area code I had never seen. I answered the phone, and on the other end was a gentleman by the name of Kelly Armstrong. He told me he had been watching my race, that he was very impressed, that he heard about me because of connections through the oil and gas industry, and that he wanted to support me. Why, I didn't know, and to this day I still wonder. That began an incredible friendship. For the last 4\1/2\ or 5 years, he has been an incredible mentor, a wonderful friend, and the best strategist in Congress. He makes us laugh, and that is something that money can't buy. It was mentioned earlier that this is a lonely place. It is one of those institutions that you really don't understand it unless you are here. It is hard. There are hard days, and you need those people that you can look at, smile at, and recognize that they get it. They understand what you are going through. Then they can pop off some sarcastic comment and make you smile. That is why we love Kelly. Kelly has given me hope when I didn't think there was much there. He has sat across the table from an amazing group of people and negotiated deals that no one thought could get done, and he has provided a path for many of us. His guidance and his wisdom will be incredibly missed in this institution.…”