David Obey: “I have known Bill since the first day he walked into this institution, and I have never seen a day when he did not bring…”

“I have known Bill since the first day he walked into this institution, and I have never seen a day when he did not bring honor to this House by his service. He has, as our chairman has already indicated, a wonderful sense of humor. He has a wonderful sense of music. He also has a wonderful sense of honor. Those that know him know that religion means a lot to him. But as we have seen him demonstrate often on this floor, he also has a very healthy skepticism about the use to which some politicians put religion, or at least their professed religiosity. The gentleman has indicated time and time again that he recognizes all too often the propensity of some people in public life to wrap an economic or political message in a religious ribbon and call it religion when it is, in fact, something very, very different, something which demeans God and demeans religion. He, I think, understands that there are some things in life that are too important to politicize, religion being one of them. I have admired for so long his ability on an issue to be righteous without being sanctimonious.”