John Culberson: “It is my singular honor to stand before the House today to support H.R. 1154, a bill that Mr. Green is the lead author…”

“It is my singular honor to stand before the House today to support H.R. 1154, a bill that Mr. Green is the lead author of, which he has coauthored with Mr. Burgess and I and other members of the Texas delegation, which Senator Hutchison has carried in the Senate, to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Michael DeBakey. Al Green and I are proud to represent the Texas Medical Center in Houston, the largest assembly of medical institutions and hospitals, learning facilities in the world, and certainly the greatest collection of medical talent, human talent in the entire world. And Dr. Michael DeBakey has had an impact on medicine based out of the Texas Medical Center that just simply cannot be overstated. And my friend Al Green has spoken so eloquently and so well of many of Dr. DeBakey's accomplishments. I could not agree more that if the Congressional Gold Medal did not exist, it certainly should be created just for Dr. Michael DeBakey. He is an educator, surgeon, innovator. As Mr. Green has said, Dr. DeBakey comes from Louisiana, the oldest of five children. He was born in 1908. And it is important for people listening to know that this great good man is 99 years old, in great good health, is still active, and is, I hope, watching this afternoon.”