[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 6, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2179-H2180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

  (Mr. BLUNT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I am here today as we set aside this week as 
Teacher Appreciation Week. If every Member of this House, and if, in 
fact, the people who are gathered in the gallery today and the people 
who are watching on television would just take a minute to carefully 
reflect on the people that have affected their lives, they would 
determine, as they tried to

[[Page H2180]]

pick out the three people that had had the most impact on their lives, 
I think very few Americans, even very few Members of this Congress, 
would determine that one of those people was the President of the 
United States or that one of those people was a Governor of a State or 
that one of those people was even a Member of Congress. I think the 
overwhelming majority of people in our country, and certainly in this 
House, would think of, as they thought of people that had affected 
their lives, they would think of a mother and a father, they would 
think of grandparents, a Sunday school teacher. Almost everybody, if 
asked to name three people, would name a teacher, would name a member 
of that profession whose job it is to really expand human potential. 
There is no greater calling.
  And as we recognize the teachers this week and as we appreciate 
teachers, I want to take a minute to reflect on one of my teachers. As 
I thought about the teachers I had had throughout school, I had a long, 
long list of great teachers, but one of my teachers, my 6th grade 
teacher, Mrs. Norma Knight, who is still living in Springfield, MO, 
really had an impact on me.
  I have a picture of her here today, in fact. I have not had a picture 
that large of Mrs. Knight in my office for my entire career, but 
perhaps I should have, because she was the first person that really 
convinced me that it was OK to read.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to be given 1 additional minute.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is only allowed 1 minute under 
this order of business. The gentleman's time has expired.
  Mr. BLUNT. Well, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate her efforts and appreciate 
the great job she did as a classroom teacher and her inspiration to me.

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