[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 177 (Monday, December 15, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING CONGRESSMAN JOE SKEEN

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2003

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to pay 
tribute to former Congressman Skeen of New Mexico, who passed away this 
week after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Joe was a good 
friend and a dedicated public servant, and we will miss him terribly.
  Joe Skeen was a gentleman in the finest sense of the word. He treated 
everyone with respect and offered his friendship to all. The entire 
Congress would agree that Joe's character was of the highest quality. 
He had a wonderful sense of humor.
  Joe was a man of his district. Born and raised in New Mexico, he 
understood and worked for rural America. A sheep and cattle rancher, he 
understood the needs of his district--including schools, utilities, 
health care, and the many other particular requirements of a rural 
area--and he always fought to meet those needs. His attention to his 
district is just part of why his constituents made him the longest-
serving Member of the House of Representatives from New Mexico.
  It was my good fortune to serve with Joe on the Appropriations 
Committee, where he served as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Interior. It was on the Appropriations Committee that I learned how 
special he was. Throughout the often difficult process of writing and 
passing Appropriations bills, Joe was always known for his fairness and 
civility. He listened to his colleagues and tried to respond to their 
needs.
  Since his retirement last year, we have missed Joe in the Congress. 
He always put his country ahead of party and desired accomplishments 
for the American people most of all. He cared about the House of 
Representatives as an institution and about bipartisanship as a noble 
part of our work here. He elevated the character of the House of 
Representatives, and we are so grateful for his service here.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Mary, and their two 
children, Elisa and Mikell. I hope it is a comfort to them that so many 
people share their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.

                          ____________________