[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 74 (Monday, May 19, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H4227-H4232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE LARRY COMBEST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) is 
recognized for

[[Page H4228]]

60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my special 
order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, over the next hour we will be paying 
tribute to our colleague and friend, Representative Larry Combest, who 
announced in November of 2002 that he was retiring from Congress at the 
end of this month.
  It is a real privilege and honor for me to participate in this 
special order, because Larry has been a friend and a mentor to me for 
more than 10 years now since I first became a Member of the House and 
joined the House Committee on Agriculture. He served as our chairman 
for 4 years. He has very graciously traveled to my district to meet 
with my farmers and community leaders and talk about matters of concern 
to them and has truly been a great help to many of us here in the 
Congress.
  Larry Combest has also faithfully served his own constituents, his 
home State of Texas and his country, for the past 18 years.
  His greatest legislative accomplishment lies in his shepherding 
through of the landmark 2002 Farm Bill, which President Bush signed 
into law last year. He and other members of the committee began work on 
the bill 3 years ago when the agriculture community was in the throes 
of a severe economic depression. Under Larry's leadership, the farm 
bill was eventually signed into law, reflecting his goal of providing a 
dependable safety net that farmers could rely on when tough economic 
times arise, as they inevitably will.
  President Dwight Eisenhower once remarked, ``Farming looks mighty 
easy when your plow is a pencil and you are 1,000 miles from the 
cornfield.''
  Larry understood the fundamental concept that legislators in 
Washington cannot craft effective farm policy if they are not in touch 
with the day-to-day struggles of rural America. With this in mind, the 
Committee on Agriculture, under Larry's leadership, held 10 field 
hearings across the country before actually sitting down to craft the 
farm bill. They drew high attendance and over 200 witnesses.
  For his tireless work on behalf of the farm community, he received 
countless accolades, among them the Gerald W. Thomas Outstanding 
Agriculturalist Award for Public Service, the Lubbock Area Foundation 
Hero of the Year Award, and the Legislator of the Year from the 
National Association of Farm Service Agency Employees.
  While Larry was a consistent voice for agriculture, his work in 
Congress did not end there. He is a senior Member of the Committee on 
Small Business, where he has earned a reputation as a fiscally 
responsible Member of Congress who serves as a reliable steward of 
taxpayer money.

                              {time}  2030

  As evidence of this commitment, his first day in Congress he 
cosponsored the balanced budget amendment. He has also been a leader on 
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and has lent previous 
experience in the military affairs and in intelligence matters to the 
Congress, and that has also been widely recognized and acknowledged.
  In recognition of his efforts, he has been the recipient of many 
recent awards, including the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce's 
Distinguished Service Award, Leader of the Year in Service to 
Agriculture by Progressive Farmer Magazine, the Independent Bankers 
Association of Texas 2002 Trailblazer Award, and the Heritage of Odessa 
Foundation's 2002 Award for Excellence in Community Service in 
Government.
  Additionally, each year the National Federation of Independent 
Businesses recognizes Larry as a guardian of small business, and the 
U.S. Chamber of Commerce has consistently honored him with their 
Prestigious Spirit of Enterprise Award.
  In addition to his abundant legislative accomplishments, Larry 
remained attentive to the needs of his constituents, never forgetting 
where he came from and who sent him here. His office has an excellent 
reputation for case work which flowed from his enthusiastic spirit of 
service. Voters recognized this about Larry, expressing their 
confidence in his representation by ever-increasing electoral margins.
  I am honored to follow him as chairman of the Committee on 
Agriculture and am committed to ensuring that the farm bill that he 
guided through Congress is implemented according to its original 
intent. He has been a valued colleague.
  After nearly 2 decades of distinguished public service, it is an 
understatement to say that Larry Combest can return home with his head 
held high. But those who know him doubt that will happen; for, in spite 
of all that he has accomplished, Larry has maintained his humility, a 
character trait which is increasingly rare in this city.
  I know he is anxious to return to west Texas, to his friends and 
family; and we wish him and his wife, Sharon, all of the best. His 
consistent voice on behalf of rural America will be terribly missed.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Stenholm), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on 
Agriculture who has served long in this body and served the entire time 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) served.
  Mr. STENHOLM. I thank the gentleman very much for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with very mixed emotions that I join in tonight's 
Special Order to recognize the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) on 
his departure from the halls of Congress. I say mixed emotions because, 
while it is more than fitting for the House to recognize him for his 
many years of service to this body, both as a staff member and as a 
Representative, I am sorry to see the departure of a colleague, a 
neighbor, and a friend.
  Many times over the past two Congresses I would, sometime during my 
speech, say, well, at first it was the first Congress in the history of 
our Nation, then it was the second, this would have been the third 
Congress in which one State, Texas, had the chairman and the ranking 
member of the Committee on Agriculture. At no time in our history has 
this ever happened. Not only were we from the same State, but we were 
neighbors and we were friends.
  That is the spirit in which I come tonight. Since Larry came to 
Congress in 1985, we have had many occasions to work together for the 
mutual benefit of Texas, our Nation, and particularly our Nation's 
agriculture.
  In fact, it was a year ago this month that the 2002 farm bill was 
enacted into law, and about a year and a half of the time and effort of 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) went into writing that bill. It 
was a collaborative effort, very typical of the bipartisan manner for 
which the Committee on Agriculture is recognized.
  As much as I would have enjoyed being the chairman during that period 
of time, that was not to be; but Larry made sure that, as ranking 
member, I was a full participant throughout the legislative process, 
and I greatly appreciated the opportunity of riding shotgun and working 
side by side with him in that endeavor.
  I do not believe it would be an overstatement tonight to say that 
without Larry's devoted work on that farm bill in a bipartisan way, it 
would not have become law. I think that is a very fair and accurate 
statement. Many times we might stretch it a little bit; but knowing as 
much about the inner workings of what happened in that bill, without 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest), we would not have gotten it 
done. I think the colleagues on the gentleman's side of the aisle agree 
and those on my side agree.
  Larry's departure from the House of Representatives marks the end of 
a very distinguished record of service to the folks of the 19th 
Congressional District of Texas. Larry throughout this time has been a 
man of great character and sound judgment who has served his 
constituents well. I personally will miss his company, his counsel, and 
the true spirit of bipartisanship with which he conducted himself 
throughout his tenure in Congress.
  Sadly, such bipartisanship and good will has increasingly become a 
rare

[[Page H4229]]

commodity in the halls of Congress, but not on the House Committee on 
Agriculture.
  Larry, Cindy and I wish you and Sharon all the best as you embark 
upon a new chapter in your lives. I hope and trust there will be many 
more occasions for our paths to cross in the future. It has truly been 
a pleasure to work with you. We will miss you; but we know, suspect 
highly, that those paths will cross again in some constructive way. 
Good luck and God speed to you and Sharon.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. I thank the gentleman.
  It is my pleasure to recognize the distinguished gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Granger).
  Ms. GRANGER. I thank the gentleman, Mr. Speaker. I imagine that most 
of us in this House particularly admire or respect someone for various 
reasons: their use of power, their talent in persuasion, their deep 
commitment to a cause or an issue. I admire Larry Combest because he 
has the right balance of things. He knows what is really important in 
politics and in life. He maintains his dignity, his honesty, and his 
commitment while giving us his best for nearly 20 years.
  He served this Nation and the State of Texas in an extraordinary way 
in standing firm for the farmers of this country, for rural America, 
and for business interests. Larry's quiet and often serious demeanor 
fooled me for a while, but we often get to really know each other in 
this House either by working on a particular issue together or by 
traveling together. That is how I got to know Larry and his wonderful 
wife, Sharon. You don't really know Larry until you have experienced 
the love and closeness that Larry and Sharon share.
  This Congressman from west Texas has much to be proud of; but Larry 
would probably say, I am just doing my job. I will miss Larry in this 
Congress, we all will, but we could not do better than to pattern our 
service after his.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Burns).
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who crafted and 
delivered a strong farm bill to the farmers of the Twelfth 
Congressional District of Georgia.
  Although I serve on the Committee on Agriculture now, I did not have 
the opportunity to serve on the committee under the leadership of the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest). I thank the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Combest) for his support for the Georgia farmers that I now 
represent, and for his commitment to the benefit of American 
agriculture.
  In his 4 years as chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Combest) worked to improve Federal risk-management programs and 
Federal farm policy. His work went beyond that of the livelihoods of 
farmers. He worked to improve rural infrastructure, university 
research, broadband access, child nutrition, conservation efforts, and 
even food to aid other countries.
  Mr. Speaker, Larry Combest is well respected among the farmers I 
represent. His masterpiece, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, 
is farm policy that my producers support. The legacy of the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Combest) will be remembered and appreciated for years 
to come.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Imagine for a moment the late 1990s where many farmers were going 
broke. There were auctions, and farmers had to sell out farms that had 
been in their family for generations.
  Imagine running for reelection in 1998, being reelected, and being 
asked to serve as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture to pass a 
new farm bill to try to keep a viable agriculture in the United States, 
a huge challenge. Every commodity group is coming forward to suggest 
that they should have more money from the Federal Government, but being 
chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Larry Combest was still under 
pressure to limit total spending.
  I think it should be repeated that where we ended up on the subsidies 
for agriculture were actually less under this farm bill that the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) guided through. Subsidies for 
farmers ended up less than what they were for the prior 3 years.
  Larry Combest came to Congress as a leader in Texas agriculture. He 
came with the knowledge of how farm programs work. I had my 
disagreements with some of the provisions of the farm bill, like I 
suspect every member of the Committee on Agriculture might have written 
it a little bit differently if they had their personal desires. But 
what we ended up with is a help for American agriculture, faced with a 
situation of challenging subsidies in a world atmosphere. Let me give a 
couple of examples.
  Europe, for example, subsidizes their farmers five times as much as 
we subsidize our farmers. Japan subsidizes their farmers between 20 and 
25 percent as much as we subsidize our farmers. We ended up with a farm 
bill that is going to help assure, at least, that we have a strong, 
viable agriculture in the United States.
  On Larry Combest's retirement, I wish him Godspeed and thanks for the 
effort.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. I thank the gentleman.
  It is my pleasure to recognize the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Thornberry) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia, the 
chairman, for taking this time to pay tribute to our departing Member, 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest).
  Mr. Speaker, my connections with Larry go back some distance. We were 
raised in towns about 30 miles apart in the Texas panhandle and our 
families knew each other, but I really got to know him when I went to 
work for him as his administrative assistant in 1985, shortly after he 
was first elected to Congress.
  Of course, Larry was not just any freshman Congressman. He had worked 
for Senator John Tower and came to Congress with that background, 
experience, and network all working for him. Needless to say, I learned 
a lot and benefited tremendously from my time as part of the Combest 
team.
  For the last 8\1/2\ years, Larry and I have represented adjoining 
districts, and even shared in the representation of several cities and 
counties. I have continued to learn from him and to benefit from our 
work together.
  Mr. Speaker, Larry Combest's public record of accomplishment is well 
known in Washington and in Texas. From leadership positions, such as 
chairman of the select Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and 
then chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, he has made a bright 
mark on the public policy agenda of the last decade.
  The farm bill, which he shepherded through the 107th Congress, was 
landmark legislation, important not just to agriculture but to the 
country's economy and to the health and standard of living of all 
Americans.
  But along the way, as he was leaving his mark on public policy for 
the Nation, he was providing outstanding representation to the people 
of the 19th Congressional District of Texas. Every day he was their 
advocate. Every day he was their voice. Every day he was their biggest 
fan.
  Of course, none of us do this job alone. Other than the handicap of a 
certain AA in the middle of the 1980s, Larry has been fortunate to have 
an outstanding group of dedicated public servants assisting him. And I 
think it is important to mention those that have been with Larry nearly 
20 years: Lynn Cowart, Patti Murphy, Jenny Welch, Mary Whistler, Jay 
Ibarra, Jimmy Clark.
  Any Member of the House or Senate would be fortunate indeed to have 
such dedicated, loyal, capable staff members.
  In addition, Larry has been fortunate to have outstanding help on the 
political side. Jane Anne Stinnett has been the director of Larry's 
team since the beginning of his political career. I have never met 
anyone who works harder or cares more in such a selfless way. She is a 
remarkable lady, and it is a combination of Larry's good fortune and 
good judgment that led to Jane Anne playing a key role in Larry's 
political and public life for 20 years.

[[Page H4230]]

  Lisa Nowlin has also played an important part in Larry's political 
world, as has Ken Towery. Mr. Speaker, it is impossible for me to 
catalog the career and contributions of Ken Towery, from Pulitzer Prize 
winner to chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Among 
other things, he has helped guide the tremendously successful political 
career of Larry Combest, among others.
  It is said that first-rate people hire first-rate people, while 
second-rate people hire third-rate people. If that is true, Larry 
Combest ranks at the top because he has truly had first-rate people 
working with him throughout his career.

                              {time}  2045

  Finally, one cannot speak about Larry Combest without acknowledging 
the central role played by his wife, Sharon. Their partnership made all 
of Larry's other accomplishments possible.
  Mr. Speaker, Larry Combest has been a caring mentor, an outstanding 
representative, a thoughtful leader and a good friend. Like so many 
other Members and friends, I will miss having him around Washington, 
but I will also know that his impact on the lives of so many people in 
Texas and throughout the Nation will last for many years to come. I 
thank the gentleman.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his excellent 
statement.
  At this time I am pleased to recognize the chairman of the department 
operations, oversight, nutrition, forestry, dairy, et cetera, et 
cetera, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht).
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  I am so honored to be here tonight to pay tribute to our friend, 
Larry Combest. A lot has already been said, and I do not want to be 
redundant and repeat some of the things that have been said, but I 
would like to mention a couple of things.
  One is that he is probably one of the best dressers in the U.S. 
Congress. I have been with him at meetings with farmers, and he is 
always appropriately but the best dressed person there. And I think 
anybody who knows Larry knows that I am saying exactly the truth.
  The other thing I should mention about Larry is the first time I ever 
met him was for a retreat for Republicans at some god-awful Xerox 
center about 50 miles west of here. It was my first chance to spend any 
time with Larry, and the one thing that was very obvious to me in our 
first real meeting and discussion, he is an incredibly good listener. 
Now, in this town that is a quality that is not developed in many of 
us, not the way it should be. But Larry is an amazing listener. He 
listens to what people have to say, and it is reflected in the success 
that he has had in his congressional career.
  He came from west Texas. The district that he represents is one of 
the biggest energy-producing districts in the country, and yet he took 
the time to listen to our farmers and to other people on the importance 
of biofuels and ethynyl and biodiesel and came to the conclusion that 
it made an awful lot of sense long term for our energy policy. He did 
not put his own parochial interests above what was in the best 
interests of American agriculture.
  So much has already been said, but it was because of that deep 
feeling that he was able to go to the Committee on the Budget a few 
years ago and get an unprecedented $73.5 billion out of the fiscal year 
2001 budget so that we could create that farm bill. And he taught us so 
much about what it takes to make a farm bill, but it was his character 
that pushed it all the way through, and I mean that. Because passing a 
farm bill is much tougher than I ever thought. What he did was he 
demonstrated one of those things that we need to learn more about here 
in Washington and that is he was firm on principle but flexible on 
policy; and, ultimately, it was his vision of this farm bill that 
really won the day.
  Now, Larry, we are going to miss you a lot. I am going to miss you 
more than you can even imagine. We will miss you a lot more than you 
will miss us. Certainly you deserve a little respite from this rat 
race. I can only say that I hope that you will not forget us rats.
  Thank you very much and God bless you.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from Oklahoma 
(Mr. Lucas), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, 
Rural Development and Research and a whole host of other 
responsibilities.
  Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, on the last day of this month 
this body will lose a Member who has for almost 18\1/2\ years been a 
critical part of several committees. The Committee on Small Business 
has been noted, serving as chairman of the House Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence. But for me personally his chairmanship of 
the House Committee on Agriculture probably provides me with my 
greatest memories and has had the most tremendous impacts on my 
legislative judgment, certainly on my constituents in Oklahoma.
  I think back to 1996 when, in the heat of debate, at one of the most 
critical points of that farm bill, of sitting in a room with the then-
Speaker and the late Bill Emerson and the soon-to-be-Chairman Combest 
as we discussed agriculture and southern crops and watching Larry make 
quite clear what the needs were of his constituents and what he felt 
like the needs were for agriculture in the United States and changing 
the course of the farm bill that day.
  Then in 2002 under his chairmanship and leadership with the gavel, 
setting about as he said at the time to go forth and listen to our 
farmers, yes, to listen to the experts and, yes, to listen to all the 
academic input, but to create a farm bill for the producers, a farm 
bill based on the things that they thought should be in a farm bill. 
Many at the time thought it was a pretty amazing concept, not always 
the way things are done in Washington, D.C. But, lo and behold, 
hearings across the country, hearings beyond belief here in the 
Nation's Capital, and the result of that was an amazing farm bill.

  And, oh, yes, the chairman's patience in conference committee, 
dealing with the, shall we say, other side of the building and dealing 
with some of our own membership, patience that would make Job extremely 
proud. And the result of that was a farm bill that locked in a 
tremendous amount of resources that, had we dug around that farm bill 
in 2003, would not have been there. Yes, a farm bill based on what our 
neighbors back home told us they wanted, crafted in a way that could 
build almost two-thirds majorities in both the House and the Senate 
placed on the books.
  But, ultimately, I think when Larry and Sharon return home to west 
Texas, the final observation will be that they have been good servants 
of their constituents; and that is what it is all about, representing 
those folks back home to the best of your ability in a way that they 
would be proud of.
  That, Mr. Chairman, you have accomplished. That is a goal I think we 
should all work towards.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
  At this time it is my pleasure to recognize the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran).
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding 
to me. I am delighted to be here. It is an honor to have served in this 
Congress these last 7 years with the gentleman from the 19th District 
of Texas (Mr. Combest).
  Mr. Speaker, when I came to Congress I knew it was important to me to 
be associated with people who understood and cared about agriculture 
and who cared about farmers and ranchers of America; and it was my 
honor to become acquainted with Chairman Combest. He has been a role 
model and mentor for me since that time of my arrival 7 years ago.
  Those of us who represent agriculture in the House of Representatives 
are a minority. There are not enough of us, and what it takes is people 
who go beyond their numbers, who more than 1 out of 435 can make a 
difference. And the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) has done that. 
He has done that because he is knowledgable and understands the issues. 
It is in his blood. That is where he comes from. It is who he is. 
Agriculture, farming and ranching is Larry Combest.
  It is because he is a leader, because he cares about using that 
information

[[Page H4231]]

and knowledge on behalf of those engaged in everyday activities trying 
to earn a living on the farms and ranches of America.
  His leadership in the Committee on Agriculture is extraordinary. It 
is just something that we have relied upon. As we have worked our way 
through a farm bill in this last Congress, it is clear to me that 
because of his leadership things happened. He has a commitment to what 
he believes in, and he believes in farmers and ranchers of America. He 
wants to see our family farms survive and prosper. He wants that way of 
life to continue. He has a commitment to serving his constituents and 
helping American agriculture be here today and tomorrow.
  And, perhaps most importantly, he has integrity. I have never known 
anyone who I could trust more than Larry Combest. His word can be taken 
for what it was, his word. What he said is what he meant. His advice 
was honestly given. I have never known him to mislead anyone. And it 
was that character and that integrity that made it possible for us to 
do things in agriculture on this House floor because people trusted 
him, they respected him, and they honored what he was about.
  As he returns home to Texas, it is with some sadness that we see my 
friend Larry Combest leave. We all invest in other people in this 
place. Oftentimes I suppose we spend too much time worrying about 
things that are not so important. But the thing that is important is 
the relationships, friendships, and understandings that we have with 
other Members of Congress; and I consider it a high honor to have been 
associated with Larry Combest during his term as a Member of Congress.
  His relationships with other Members of the House will not end with 
his departure. His friendship with President Bush has really been 
beneficial to those of us who care about rural America, and we look 
forward to his continued involvement in issues that matter to us and to 
farmers and ranchers across the country.
  Public service is something that we all talk about, something that we 
engage in as Members of Congress, but we all have a lot to learn from 
Larry Combest who exemplifies the role of a true public servant, who 
did what he thought was right, who fought the fight and made a 
difference on behalf of the people of Texas and on behalf of the people 
of America.

  Mr. Speaker, I wish Larry and Sharon the absolute best in their 
future years. I thank them both for their friendship. I honor and 
respect them, and I hope the fish bite. Thank you, Larry.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, at this time it is my pleasure to 
recognize the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).
  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight, like many others, 
proud of our colleague and chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, 
Larry Combest. They say that you make a living by what you get but you 
make a life by what you give, and by that measure Larry Combest has 
enjoyed a very rich life. He has given back so much to his community, 
to our State of Texas, and, of course, to the Nation he loves so much.
  At times like this it is tempting, I think, to focus on his 
achievements because there are so many ways, so many ways he has made a 
difference for the better in this country. But I think you need to be 
most impressed by Larry Combest's attributes, his qualities as a man.
  He has so much integrity, remarkable amount of integrity. He is so 
thoughtful about the issues. He does his homework so much. He is like 
the rural community he represents, incredibly hard working. His advice 
truly is honest. And he not only has principles and values, he lives 
his principles and he lives his values each day. He is a wonderful role 
model for younger Members of Congress, for his colleagues, his peers, 
for all who have worked with him. He is just a remarkable man.
  And as much as we are going to miss him, the fact is we are overjoyed 
that he and Sharon will be sharing their time together. They have given 
so much back to America. We are anxious to give them time together. God 
bless.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I thank all of 
those who participated in this today, and I wonder if I might prevail 
upon the man of the hour to say a few words to us himself.
  A lot has been mentioned about the possibility that the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Combest) might spend some time fishing in the next few 
months. That will be a well-deserved recreation for he and his wife, 
Sharon. But I find it especially refreshing, given that he represents a 
district that includes, as I understand it, the town of no trees, and I 
do not think he has much by the way of national forestland. So I am 
glad he will get the opportunity to enjoy it all across the country.
  So at this time I am pleased to yield to the distinguished gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Combest), the former chairman of the House Committee on 
Agriculture and my friend.
  Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, I am touched deeply by the gentleman's 
comments and the fact that you will take this special order to do this. 
One never expects to find themselves in this position, and we have seen 
it over the years as others make their departures, and you never know 
exactly how it feels until that time comes for yourself. But I 
appreciate so much the gentleman's kind words opening this and those of 
my friends and my colleagues that had very kind things to say.
  It is the friendships, I think, that one can develop here that is 
important. It is not just the work. It is the friendships that you can 
develop and the growth and the years that you can watch occur to your 
colleagues and to your friends and to your staff.
  I appreciate so much the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) 
mentioning so many people that have been involved in the making of the 
success of the office, not my success, but the success of the office 
that the people of the 19th District through 10 elections gave us the 
opportunity to sit in because they are important. He knows them well. 
As he mentioned, as a former chief of staff, he is one of those that 
should definitely be mentioned when you think about hiring the best. 
You all see that every day in the work that he continues and that he 
does in this House, his thoughtfulness, his integrity, his 
intelligence, his character.
  Sharon and I fondly remember watching him and his now-wife and mother 
of their children when they were dating and attending their wedding and 
watching Mary Kemp and Will as they grew up and as they were born and 
as they have turned into young adults; and they are dear, dear friends 
and very dear in our hearts.

                              {time}  2100

  And to others, I am just sorry that when Gil Gutknecht was here we 
did not have a little Rodney Dangerfield episode. I encourage any of my 
colleagues who have never had the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Gutknecht) do Rodney Dangerfield that it is worth your time.
  To, obviously, all of those who put in the hard work on the committee 
and those who came tonight that were not part of the committee, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Granger) are dear Texas friends for coming and sharing with us. They 
are both dear, dear friends, dear people to us, and their families.
  That will be the thing, I suppose, more than anything that is missed. 
It has been a wonderful ending to a career that we have seen an 
opportunity to visit with a lot of groups. I always find that the 
person whose name is on the letterhead is the one who gets the award or 
the one who gets the acclaim, but certainly not the one that solely is 
responsible for any of the work that is done. I think back to the most 
recent thing, of course that has been the farm bill, but back to the 
years on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a wonderful 
dedicated staff of public servants. Most of their work no one will ever 
know.
  We wrote a piece of work over a 2-year period of time that was called 
IC-21, the Intelligence Community for the 21st Century, and it created 
a lot of turf battles. It did not get far, but I told the staff as that 
was completed that the good news was and the thing they could rest in 
was that someday the intelligence community would look like that 
product. And following September 11, it is becoming to look more like 
it, because it was a work in what should be done.
  Certainly the most recent effort, the farm bill, was a tremendous 
dedication

[[Page H4232]]

by a lot of people. The committee and all of the members of the 
committee were so dedicated to producing a product and laying aside any 
partisan bickering and certainly laying aside even parochial interest 
for the better of the whole. And it was a success. It was something 
that took a lot of work.
  I have often said to those groups that I have had a chance to meet 
with that I only wish that they knew the work that was put in by the 
committee staff. It is something they will never have an appreciation 
of, the time that they spend away from family; literally the nights 
that were spent on the floor, on couches, in chairs, wherever they 
could grab a quick nap, wherever they could get a little rest and then 
plod on from there. They never quit. They never gave up. They did it 
with wonderful smiling faces. American agriculture, I think, has never 
seen such a capable staff assembled, nor do I suspect they will ever 
see one that is more capable ever assembled in the future. They did 
such great work.
  Bill O'Conner, chief of staff, who was in and around the committee 
nearly 20 years ago when I started, and who knows a great deal about 
the institution, about agriculture, and about the process. And it was 
many, many long hard hours under his leadership and direction that that 
staff continued to work. And everyone worked together. Tom Sell, who 
was the deputy chief of staff, one of the great young men that I have 
gotten to know over the years. It does not hurt also that his son and I 
share the same birthday. Noah and Gil Gutknecht and I have the same 
birthday, and it is something we will obviously always remember.
  I could tell a story about every member of that staff and the work 
that they put into the end product that became the farm bill. There 
were some, Alan Mackey, who literally was so wracked with pain that it 
was difficult at times for him to even get out of bed, but was always 
there, every day, long, long hours every day. Dr. Elizabeth Parker was 
undergoing chemo at the time and set a new style for women's hair 
fashions in the Committee on Agriculture. She was there every day. 
Debbie Smith, whose home was less than a quarter of a mile away from 
those hit by a tornado, spent 3 days up here and never went home to see 
how things were because it was at a critical time here.

  So many others on both the majority and the minority. There was an 
effort put into this in a bipartisan fashion, as my dear, dear friend 
Charlie Stenholm said that was not for politics but for the good of the 
cause of American agriculture.
  There are so many people over the years that I could spend a lot 
longer than any of my colleagues want to spend mentioning the staff and 
the work they do. They make us look awfully good. All of us know that. 
They are the ones that produce the work that really makes a difference, 
that keep the fires burning. I will be very remiss in not mentioning 
every one of them, and I could, and you are all in my thoughts; but I 
will particularly mention Lynn and Patty, who were there the day the 
door opened and will be there the day the lights are turned out, and 
have just kept things going, and so many in the district.
  It has reminded me a great deal over the past several months of a 
particular translation from Corinthians that says, ``What do you have 
that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from God how can 
anyone boast as having accomplished anything on their own?'' And I 
think we have to always recognize there are a lot of others, including 
much more powerful than we, who direct our lives and who direct the 
things that we do.
  And I will just close with this, Mr. Speaker, again giving my 
appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, but saving the best for last, I want 
to thank Sharon. This is, as all my colleagues know, a family effort. 
This is not something we, anyone, does alone. It takes a tremendous 
amount of sacrifice and dedication on the part of our spouses. Mine is 
extra special.
  I have very fond memories of this place, but one of the things that 
she and I have talked about is that we hope that we have spent our last 
night apart, as so many nights we spend apart from our families when we 
are in Congress. And to those of you who we will miss greatly not being 
here, the fact that 24 hours of every day I will spend with her, I can 
take missing you all a little bit. We are looking very forward to the 
next phase in our lives, spending it together.
  It was quite ironic, I think, when we made the announcement publicly 
that we were going to make this move. We just simply could not quit. 
Everyone was just so interested, particularly the media, about what was 
wrong. There has to be a problem. You cannot just walk away from this. 
And I think she summed it up quite well when she said, isn't it really 
sad that people do not think you can leave that to spend more time with 
your wife? And it is, I guess, if people think that with all of the 
wonderful opportunities that we have here, that that is more important 
to us than those that we care about.
  And so we are looking forward to this next phase, I will assure you, 
as much as we were 18\1/2\ years ago when we came here preparing for 
this phase; but it will be done in a different setting. We intend to 
continue in our service. It will be in an unpaid capacity, and it will 
be done out of dedication and love for each other and for people. But 
this has been a wonderful opportunity, and I am proud of the 
accomplishments that this House has made over the years and that I have 
been able to just sit here and be a part of it.
  We will continue to watch you occasionally, to see how you are doing. 
But come about middle of the summer, when it is really hot and humid 
here, we will be somewhere under the cool trees in the mountains of 
Colorado, maybe spending enough time there that I could almost become a 
constituent of my good friend Governor Bill Owens. We will not be there 
quite that long, we will always have a home in our beloved Texas, but 
we are looking forward to that adventure in our lives.
  So next week, when you are out doing your Memorial Day parades, we 
are going to start the fishing trip. Thank you very much.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for sharing those 
wonderful remarks with us, and I thank him also for sharing nearly 2 
decades of his life with the American people and with all of us here in 
the Congress. We thank Sharon for sharing you with us because it has 
been a blessing for all of us. So we wish you the best.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to note that we have a large contingent of 
staff members of the House Committee on Agriculture and other friends 
and supporters of Larry in the gallery. I mentioned earlier that the 
Record will remain open for an additional 5 days for Members to submit 
statements for the Record, and a number already have.
  I would also note that the vice chairman of the committee, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), and the chairman of the Subcommittee 
on Livestock and Horticulture, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Hayes), the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and 
Foreign Agriculture Programs, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Everett), 
have submitted statements for the Record, and I know others have been 
submitted and will be in the coming days because, Larry, many of us 
want to let you know how highly we regard you and we wish you happy 
trails and abundant streams. May God abundantly bless you and Sharon in 
all of your future travels.

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