[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 24, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 MAIDEN SPEECH OF THE HONORABLE BEN CHANDLER AS NEWEST MEMBER OF 108TH 
                                CONGRESS

  (Mr. CHANDLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CHANDLER. Mr. Speaker, Members of this body, I thank you very, 
very much for this wonderful reception. It is obviously an unusual 
event because I won a special election. I think that lends itself to a 
more singular reception. But I do appreciate the attention very much.
  This has been a whirlwind for me, and I can assure you that it is a 
tremendous honor to have the opportunity to serve with everyone here.
  I am pleased to be a member of the Democratic Caucus. I am pleased to 
be a member of the Kentucky delegation. I am honored to represent my 
State that I think everyone here from Kentucky knows I am very proud 
of. I am also very pleased to have my wife Jennifer with me in the 
crowd and our three children, Lucie, Albert, and Branham, all of whom 
got to come down here since they are all under the age of 12. It is 
nice to have them here, too.
  Nearly 65 years ago, my grandfather, whom Mr. Rogers mentioned, 
entered this grand building much as I have today, thrust into office in 
the middle of a term. In October of 1939, when he came to this august 
place, our country stood at the brink of world war. Naziism, fascism, 
and tyranny threatened to destroy American security and the values that 
we all hold dear.
  Today many of our families face not those same kinds of challenges, 
but challenges in many ways just as difficult and just as important, a 
new set of challenges, and I am very honored to have the opportunity to 
work with every one of you to face those challenges and hopefully to 
surmount them. I am very much looking forward to that.
  I consider it a great privilege to represent not only the 
Commonwealth of Kentucky but the Sixth Congressional District in our 
Commonwealth, which includes the central part of our State, central 
Kentucky, which is the horse-racing capital of the world, the bluegrass 
region of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And as was mentioned, it was 
represented by one of the most illustrious Members of this august body, 
Henry Clay, among many others, and it is truly an honor to have the 
opportunity to follow in his footsteps.
  I want you to know that I am excited about this. I am really looking 
forward to being a contributing Member who brings good things to all of 
the people of this wonderful Nation of which we are a part. Thank you 
for the honor. Thank you for the privilege. Thank you for having me 
here today, and I am very much excited about getting to work.

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