John Cornyn: “the House will lose a true class act and the epitome of a self-made success with the retirement of Congressman Bill…”

“the House will lose a true class act and the epitome of a self-made success with the retirement of Congressman Bill Flores. At just 9 years old, Congressman Flores began tending to cattle with his dad in the Texas Panhandle, and he hasn't quit working since. He is a ninth generation Texan, representing Waco, College Station, and parts of North Austin and Pflugerville. You would be hard-pressed to find a more deeply divided district than Texas 17, and I don't mean divided in terms of politics or geography. You have the Aggies, the Bears, and the Longhorns--three of Texas's proudest fan bases--squeezed into one congressional district. Ever the diplomat, Bill considers himself tripartisan. Although he is an Aggie himself, he would gladly throw up the ``Hook `em Horns'' or the ``Sic `em Bears.'' Throughout his time in Congress, I have been proud to work with Bill on a number of shared priorities. We teamed up on legislation to designate the Waco Mammoth site as a national monument. We worked together to rename the Waco Veterans Affairs Medical Center after World War II Hero Petty Officer Doris Miller. We both had the pleasure of attending the long overdue Purple Heart ceremony honoring the victims of the Fort Hood attack after a long fight here in Congress to give these heroes the recognition and the benefits they deserve.…”