[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 105 (Thursday, July 14, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H5023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING FORMER FIRST LADY BETTY FORD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
a great American with a legacy of being a passionate advocate for the 
issues that she believed in.
  Former First Lady Betty Ford passed away earlier this week at the age 
of 93. She was known as a beacon of warmth and kindness. She was also a 
tough lady. She's being buried today next to her husband, Jerry Ford, 
in Grand Rapids at the Presidential museum.
  My entire family and I had opportunities to meet her over the years, 
and I have to say, it's truly an honor now to represent part of the 
district that Jerry Ford had so long served in this very House.

                              {time}  1020

  We are all deeply saddened by her passing. Mrs. Ford cared deeply 
about others, as evidenced in her work helping people through their 
addiction and recovery from chemical dependency through the Betty Ford 
Clinic, and her work to raise awareness of breast cancer and many other 
issues, all at a time when those things really were not discussed much 
in public.
  Above all, she led the Ford team as she supported her husband's 
service to a Nation with admirable love and mutual respect, at times 
literally being his voice, like she did that evening that he made his 
concession speech in 1976.
  Well, this spring, at the dedication ceremony of the statue of 
President Ford here in the Rotunda lying just beyond, we were reminded 
of his calm, steady leadership, and his ability to reach out to others. 
They were always a team. And it was as much a tribute to her as it was 
to President Ford.
  Again, we continue to pray for the Ford children, Susan, Jack, Mike, 
and Steve, and the entire Ford family as we pay tribute to their mother 
and the legacy that she leaves behind.
  Rest well, Mrs. Ford, rest well.

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