Lamar Smith: “I thank my friend and colleague from Texas, Roger Williams, for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commemorate…”

“I thank my friend and colleague from Texas, Roger Williams, for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commemorate the life and public service of our 41st President, George Herbert Walker Bush. President Bush was simply one of the most honorable people I have ever met in or out of politics. As a fellow Texan, I was privileged to know and work with him over the years. One of my happiest memories was when I was a junior Member of Congress. I was invited by the President to accompany him on Air Force One. This was my first flight. We went down to my hometown of San Antonio for the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement. After we were in the air, the President asked me to join him and the First Lady, Barbara Bush, in the forward cabin. I expected the visit to last about 5 minutes, but, instead, I ended up spending the entire 2\1/ 2\-hour flight with them all the way down. {time} 1945 Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I felt a twinge of guilt because I felt like he should have been spending this time making phone calls or writing those well-known personal notes that he was famous for. This was an election year and, certainly, he could have taken my support for granted. But instead, this gesture on his part I think showed his big heart and how gracious and friendly he was. Earlier this year, I arranged for a tree to be planted on the Capitol Grounds to honor President Bush. It was the first tree to be dedicated to a President.…”