Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate and honor the life and legacy of former Congressman Bob Smith. An Oregon native--born in Portland and raised in Burns--he had a deep understanding of what it meant to be an Oregonian and he knew the needs of the surrounding communities, especially the rural part of our State. He went to Willamette University in Salem and received a degree in agriculture. He would go on to put that degree to work on his own ranch. In 1960, Bob's career as a public servant began when he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. He served in the State house until 1972. He was speaker of the Oregon House during the 1969 and 1971 sessions. I remember as a 13-year-old youngster going with my father, whom they were recruiting to run for the legislature, down to Salem to see Bob Smith and the speaker of the house. I was about this tall. I looked up, and here was this giant of a man. He was a giant of a man in Oregon politics, but a very kind soul. He then served in the State senate from 1973 to 1982. When Oregon got its fifth congressional seat, he ran for that and was elected. He actually ran 31 different times for election and never lost a single one. In the State house, Bob passed a number of pieces of legislation. He always stood up for farmers and ranchers in eastern Oregon and for lower taxes. He led the effort in the Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment.…”