Doc Hastings: “I want to congratulate our Members for being here to honor Catherine May Bedell. I regret that I did not know her. She…”

“I want to congratulate our Members for being here to honor Catherine May Bedell. I regret that I did not know her. She represented the Fourth Congressional District. I did not know her. I knew of her. I did cast ballots for her before I got actively involved in politics. But she was certainly somebody that had leadership qualities. I recall that in one of the articles announcing that she had passed away, one of my friends serves in the State legislature, Mary Skinner said that she first remembers when she met Catherine May, and she was impressed by the presence that she had in a group of people talking about policy. I thought that was a very high compliment. Catherine May Bedell just turned 90 last month. My mother also just turned 90 last month. He told me that she passed away very quietly in her sleep; and she had a very, very good life. Obviously, when you lose somebody as close as your mother, it is a shock to you, but he said she lived a very, very good life. I am certainly pleased to be here on the floor with my colleagues to honor one of my predecessors who represented my district in Washington State.”