Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank my colleague from Houston for yielding, and I would like to address all of us on the floor tonight as my fellow…”

“I thank my colleague from Houston for yielding, and I would like to address all of us on the floor tonight as my fellow Texans. That was a favorite of George W. Bush, the son of Barbara Bush, when he would greet us during his Presidency, which I had the privilege of being here in the United States Congress, and he would always greet me as his fellow Texan, and how proud we are to be able to call President George H.W. Bush and the extended family, and his wonderful First Lady, the matriarch, the first girlfriend, if you will, and as has been told over and over during the time of her memorial, the first man that she kissed. How proud we are to call both of them our fellow Texans. Now we are standing here today to mourn Barbara Pierce Bush. And as I do that, let me, first of all, acknowledge President George H.W. Bush, and wish him a speedy recovery for him to regain his strength; for all of us watched as he sat in the viewing of her repose on that Friday, as he came and sat and remained for a period of time to greet the many people that came to honor her during that viewing. I was one of those who had the privilege to go and to pay my respects on that day. But again, they are one of America's greatest families, although Barbara Pierce Bush would never acknowledge that by her attitude or the way she addressed people. She was just Mrs. Barbara Bush, a very humble but strong and firm and straightforward First Lady.…”