Thomas E. Petri: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3572, which would name a bridge on U.S. 231 over the Ohio River near Owensboro, KY, in honor of our…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3572, which would name a bridge on U.S. 231 over the Ohio River near Owensboro, KY, in honor of our late and former colleague, William Natcher, is identical to legislation which was passed unanimously by this House on September 22, 1994. Unfortunately, the Senate never acted on this legislation during the previous Congress. A compilation of tributes to Chairman Natcher has recently been published and in the near future will be distributed throughout the State of Kentucky by members of the Kentucky delegation. We are considering this bill today in conjunction with those activities. Representative Natcher was born in Bowling Green, KY, in 1909 and was educated at Western Kentucky State College and the Ohio State University law school. His life was dedicated to public service-- serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and holdings a series of local and State offices before being elected to Congress in 1953. He moved up the ranks of the Appropriations Committee, eventually assuming the chairmanship of the full committee in 1993. I am proud to have had the privilege of serving in the House with Congressman Natcher. Although well-known for having cast 18,401 consecutive votes during his 40 years here, Congressman Natcher's accomplishments are much more than that voting record. He put a very high value on public service and set a very high standard for himself.”