[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E560-E561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO SONNY CALLAHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE ROGERS

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 25, 2003

  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, from the cab of an 18-wheeler to 
a seat on one of the most influential committees in Congress, the road 
Sonny Callahan has traveled getting to our nation's capital was never 
dull.
  Congressman Callahan was first elected to the United States House of 
Representatives on November 6, 1984 and served the people of Alabama's 
First Congressional District for eighteen years.
  Prior to coming to Congress, Sonny Callahan was a successful small 
businessman who knew what it was like to meet a payroll each month. 
This experience taught him valuable lessons in paperwork and management 
and solidified his views as an outspoken advocate of less govenment.
  A veteran of the Alabama legislature, Sonny Callahan came to 
Washington in 1985 committed to providing a conservative voice in 
Congress. Ten years later Callahan was tapped to chair the powerful 
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations. In so doing, 
he became one of the 13 ``Cardinals,'' an honorary title bestowed on 
the Appropriations subcommittee chairmen who, by virtue of their 
positions, are among the most influential members of the House.

[[Page E561]]

  During this same time, Callahan won rave reviews for his skills as a 
legislator, with The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post 
praising on him as ``an unlikely champion.'' He later became the 
chairman of the influential House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy 
and Water Development in the 107th Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, Sonny Callahan was a dedicated public servant and an 
honorable Alabamian. Let us take this time to reflect on his work in 
this historic chamber and thank him for his dedication to his country 
and the people of Alabama.

                          ____________________