[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 86 (Thursday, June 19, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BILL EMERSON

  (Mr. CHAMBLISS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I have many fond memories of my close 
personal friend and colleague, Bill Emerson. Probably one of my fondest 
memories is of the very first day that I was sworn in as a Member of 
Congress in 1995. My wife and I attended the Speaker's prayer service 
that morning, and Bill stood up and he said something that I will never 
forget. He introduced us freshman Members to the prayer breakfast that 
is held by Members of the House every Thursday morning and he said, 
``If you attend that prayer breakfast and you pray with your colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle, when you disagree with those colleagues on 
the floor of the House, you will do it in a much more civil manner.''
  Bill Emerson was right. As we are starting off here today, it looks 
like it is one of those days that, if Bill were here, he would remind 
us of that. Bill represented in this body everything there is about 
honesty, decency, and integrity. There are only two things that Bill 
loved better than this House, and that was his God and his family. I 
thank God that Bill Emerson served in this body, and I thank Jo Ann and 
the girls for sharing Bill with us. This great country that we live in 
is a much better country because Bill Emerson served with us.

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