[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 155 (Monday, October 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S12859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JO ANN DAVIS

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the First Congressional District of 
Virginia is, like all of Virginia, a unique treasure. Beginning not far 
from the Nation's Capital, it stretches down Virginia's eastern coast 
along the Chesapeake Bay, as far south as the cities of Newport News 
and Hampton. Today, the First District is home to crucial national 
defense resources, like the Marine Corps' installation at Quantico and 
Langley Air Force Base. It is also home to national historic landmarks 
like Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, places that gave birth to 
Virginia and that are forever tied to the independence of our Nation 
and our Constitution.
  On October 6, 2007, the people of Virginia's First Congressional 
District lost one of its most respected and admired leaders, a 
dedicated Member of Congress and loyal friend, Representative Jo Ann 
Davis. It is with deep sadness that I share my thoughts on the passing 
of my colleague.
  Born in North Carolina, Jo Ann Davis attended Hampton Roads Business 
College in Virginia, later obtaining her real estate license and real 
estate broker's license over the next several years. In 1990, she 
started her own company, Jo Ann Davis Realty, and followed this 
successful endeavor with a run for public office in 1997. Serving as a 
delegate in the Virginia General Assembly for 4 years, Jo Ann Davis 
became the first Republican woman to serve Virginia in the U.S. 
Congress after winning election in 2000.
  Representative Davis was a relentless champion for the needs of the 
First District. It was my privilege to work with her on many matters, 
ranging from national defense to the environment, and in that regard 
she worked hard to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Also, I 
commend her diligent leadership in the removal of the James River 
Reserve Fleet from Newport News. From her support for the Rappahannock 
River Valley National Wildlife Refuge to her concern with the 
preservation of Dragon Run or providing funding for oyster restoration, 
she always put the quality of Virginia's environment above politics.
  With sincere passion and concern, Representative Davis worked to 
improve our Nation's armed services and the lives of the men and women 
who bravely answer the call to duty. She provided strong representation 
for the communities in and surrounding the Naval Surface Warfare Center 
at Dahlgren and the Marine Corps base at Quantico, ensuring that these 
facilities continue to make important contributions to protecting the 
Nation and to the economic foundations of their respective areas. Her 
initiative to increase the life insurance benefit paid to survivors of 
military members and her advocacy on behalf of the rights and benefits 
of Federal employees will continue to be appreciated in the years 
ahead.
  I have always admired Representative Davis for her strong convictions 
and the tenacity that she brought to bear in acting on them. She fought 
a courageous struggle against cancer, and I will miss her insights and 
her friendship in our Virginia congressional delegation.
  I close with a personal note that we both shared interests in 
equestrian activities. There is an old English saying that ``the 
outside of the horse is good for the inside of the man.'' As an avid, 
accomplished rider, she often quipped with me that the saying applies 
equally to a woman. She loved the noble horse.
  I join with my colleagues from the Commonwealth and from the entire 
U.S. Congress in expressing my deepest sympathies to her husband, her 
two sons, and her extended family. They will remain in our thoughts and 
prayers during the difficult days ahead.

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