[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE LATE HONORABLE BILL EMERSON

  (Mr. POSHARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POSHARD. Mr. Speaker, I have known Bill Emerson for nearly 20 
years. I worked with Bill closely for the past 12 years. He was one of 
the most solid people that I know. He was common sense, he was decency. 
He exemplified the principle of integrity in this body and in his life 
as much as anyone I have ever known.
  Some years ago, Bill and I shared a problem between our districts. We 
needed to keep an old bridge open to Chester, IL, over the troubled 
waters of the Mississippi River. We worked together. The bridge is 
still open today, still serving the basic needs of the people of our 
districts.
  The old bridge symbolizes for me in many ways the life of Bill 
Emerson. Bill was always reaching out, always trying to help, always 
building bridges over troubled waters somewhere in his life. I do not 
know that Bill ever really demanded a political solution. He was too 
interested in practical solutions to help his people and to help this 
country. I will forever be grateful for his true sense of 
bipartisanship.
  I offer my condolences to his family on this day. We will miss Bill a 
great deal in this body.

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