Political Quotes

“Today I am joined by part of our Rules Committee family, members of the Rules Committee who would like to welcome back to our Nation's Capital a very dear friend, Celeste West. Celeste is part of our Rules Committee family who retired last July after 25 years of service. On Friday, September 6, Celeste tragically and unexpectedly lost her only son, Barker, in a car accident. Today would have been Barker's 19th birthday. We all in the Rules Committee watched Franklin Barker West as he grew up. Barker brought a smile to everybody he met. He was a gregarious young man who had an unlimited amount of energy and zeal with an unlimited future. He was an outstanding young man who believed in himself and others. Barker was also a fraternity brother of mine in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Barker's fraternity brothers have called him a ``legend.'' As we know, lives live on despite us being in other places. His spirit is with us today. In the wake of this tragedy, we are here today with Celeste and her family, Barker's father, Frank, and his stepmother, Suellen. We are here to celebrate Barker's short but remarkable life, a life that was part of our United States Capitol family. As a father myself, I cannot even fathom the difficulties that the family is going through. But we want you to know, all of us here today, that the life that has been lived of Franklin Barker West was important, and is important to us. ____________________”