[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 139 (Friday, November 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIVES OF FORMER REPRESENTATIVES PHIL CRANE AND LANE EVANS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. SAM JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 2014

  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my 
good friend and former colleague, Phil Crane.
  Phil was one of the first members I met when I came up here.
  Later on, I had the great honor and pleasure to serve with Phil on 
the Ways and Means Committee.
  As a fellow conservative on the Committee, I had the good fortune to 
work with Phil--from fighting to provide tax relief to making health 
care more affordable for Americans.
  As someone who got to know him well, I can say that he was more than 
just a great public servant.
  He was a great conservative leader. Phil passionately believed in 
freedom and free-enterprise.
  Back in 1973, he helped create a group for House conservatives known 
as the Republican Study Committee. In fact, he served as the group's 
first Chairman.
  Years later, I was proud to follow in his footsteps by helping to 
bring House conservatives together again through the Conservative 
Action Team, the forerunner to today's Republican Study Committee.
  I am forever grateful for Phil's longstanding fight for conservative 
principles. And I am forever blessed by his friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, above all Phil was a great American.
  While he will be greatly missed, his legacy to make this country a 
better place lives on.
  May God bless Phil and his family.

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