Joe Barton: “today, we honor the memory and celebrate the life of former First Lady, Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird) Johnson, and the…”

“today, we honor the memory and celebrate the life of former First Lady, Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird) Johnson, and the contributions she has given to the people of a country she so dearly loved. I had the privilege of knowing Lady Bird through the White House Fellows program and as anyone who knew her as an individual would agree, she was a person of grace, charm, and an absolute delight to know. As a native Texan, a wife, a mother, a businesswoman, and First Lady, she emitted beauty through her presence and through her actions leaving a legacy that will not soon be forgotten. Lady Bird met Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1934 and in seven short months, had captured his heart as he asked for her hand in marriage. Mrs. Johnson stood by her husband and supported his endeavors with a perseverance and tenacity that one rarely finds. When LBJ volunteered for naval service during World War II, Lady Bird stepped in and kept his congressional office running and except for voting, served the need of every constituent.”