[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         EXTENDING CONDOLENCES AND SYMPATHY TO THE BUSH FAMILY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Al Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, once again, I rise to speak from 
the well of the House of Representatives.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I would call to our attention the fact that there 
is a time when we should put all politics aside. This is such an 
occasion, Mr. Speaker.
  I rise today to extend my condolences and sympathies to the Bush 
family. I rise today, Mr. Speaker, because I want the world to know 
that I have great respect for the family.
  Politics aside, Mr. Speaker, Ms. Barbara Bush, the First Lady--not 
currently, but in my world, once a First Lady, always a First Lady. I 
rise because this First Lady demonstrated something that this country 
can be proud of.
  She was a person who has left a legacy of respectability as it 
relates to being a First Lady of the United States of America. She 
respected herself. She had standards. She had principles. She had 
boundaries. There were certain things that she wouldn't do and would 
not allow to be done while she was in the White House. Respectability: 
she respected others which engendered respect for her.
  I rise because she will be missed. I rise because she has left this 
legacy of respectability.
  I also rise because, as a neophyte newly elected to Congress, I 
received an indication that her husband wanted to speak to me. I went 
over to speak to him. I had no idea as to why he would ask for an 
opportunity to visit with me, but I did visit with him. I thought it 
would be a 5-minute meeting. It went much longer than 5 minutes.
  He obviously was in one party and I in another. We did not know each 
other, but we spoke at length. The thing that I remember as we were 
bringing our meeting to closure, I remember his calling to my attention 
that one of my greatest challenges in Congress would be to develop an 
agenda for myself.
  There are many people who will have agendas for you. The great 
challenge in Congress is to develop your own agenda. So on my agenda, I 
want my record to show that I stood in the well of the Congress of the 
United States of America to thank the First Lady, Ms. Barbara Bush, for 
her service to her family, to her country, and indeed to the world.

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