[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 23, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H566-H569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF LUKE LETLOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Bourdeaux). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Johnson) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, our Special Order tonight is 
to honor a dear friend, one who would have been a colleague of ours 
here, and a great tragedy.
  Congressman-elect Luke Joshua Letlow, from Start, Louisiana, passed 
away from complications due to COVID-19 on December 29, 2020. He had 
just been elected to Congress December 5, and he was only, as we know, 
weeks away from taking the oath of office and serving here with us.
  He was 41 years old. He was in the prime of his life and, so far as 
any of us could tell, otherwise the picture of health and energy and 
excitement and positivity. He was excited to serve with us here. His 
death came as a terrible shock to all the people of Louisiana and to 
millions of people around this country.

  Luke was known in Louisiana for having a servant's heart. He had a 
peaceful nature about him. When he talked to a constituent, or a 
friend, or anyone, he made them feel they were the most important 
person in the world. He was one of those guys who was a great 
statesman, and he would have left a big mark here.
  I have also been encouraged since his passing to know that my friend 
was guided by his faith in Christ. A good friend of ours told me 
shortly after his passing that Luke was drawn even closer to the Lord 
in his final days. In fact, he called this trusted prayer warrior to 
share briefly about an experience he had just a few nights before he 
passed away.
  He was in the hospital, and Luke said he felt the certain presence of 
God and his peace. Luke Letlow knew the truth of Christ and the peace 
of his salvation, and we all have taken great comfort in that.
  Luke leaves behind his devoted wife, Julia, and their two young 
children, Jeremiah and Jacqueline. He leaves his parents, Johnny and 
Dianne Letlow; his grandmother, Mary Taylor; his brothers, Paul and 
Matt, and their families; and a huge network of people who were like 
family to Luke and loved him as their own.
  He was raised in Start, Louisiana, just east of Monroe. For the 
people who don't know the geography, it is northeast Louisiana. 
Throughout his entire adult life, it was very clear how deeply he cared 
about the people of our State and those who live in the Fifth 
Congressional District, which is a sprawling 24 parishes, the largest 
by land area in our State.
  He worked for Bobby Jindal during Jindal's stint here in the U.S. 
House, and also later when Bobby was elected Louisiana's Governor.
  Luke also worked as chief of staff for his predecessor and our good 
friend, Dr. Ralph Abraham, who just retired and left the seat open.
  Throughout Luke's time in each of those positions, he made it a 
priority to work every day to benefit those that he served. He wanted 
to make life better for the people of his home State and, in those 
efforts, he worked closely with our farmers and the oil and gas 
industry and countless small businesses to ensure they were given every 
opportunity to succeed.
  Judging from his accomplishments and a remarkable record of public 
service, there is no doubt at all that he would have made an 
outstanding Member of Congress.
  Many people are aware now that there will be a special election in 
March, March 20, to fill that seat that he has left open, and we are 
delighted to tell you that his beloved bride, his widow, Dr. Julia 
Barnhill Letlow, will be running for that seat, and we expect that she 
will be taking her place here shortly thereafter.
  She is a native of Monroe, a dedicated mother, of course, and an 
education professional who has dedicated her life to promote and 
advocate for higher education, traditional family values, and our 
quality of life in Louisiana. We are excited to soon welcome her here 
to fill the giant void that our dear friend and brother, Luke, has left 
us.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins), 
another member of our delegation.
  Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, Congressman-elect Luke 
Letlow was called home far too soon. He was a friend and we were 
looking forward to working together here in the people's House.
  His passing was so sudden and unexpected that it caused many of us--
it certainly caused me to reflect upon my life and to be renewed in my 
determination to serve the people and to become a better man every day, 
because that is the kind of spirit that Luke delivered to the world.
  He was a charming and brilliant man with a beautiful smile, a 
wonderful spirit, a compassionate man, driven to serve.
  I had the opportunity to break bread with Julia, Luke's wife, last 
week, and I saw in speaking to her that Luke lives in the light in her 
eye, in her children, and everyone that Luke touched during the course 
of his life.
  So I am prayerful that this child of God's presence will be felt, 
that Representative-elect Luke Letlow's service will, indeed, be felt 
within this Chamber, if we can just take a moment to seek that guidance 
that he clearly pursued and listened to during the course of his life. 
He brought that to those that he worked with and the citizens that he 
served. So I thank my colleagues for arranging this Special Order 
tonight.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from 
Louisiana, Mr. Higgins, for his remarks. We sat together at the funeral 
of Luke, and it was a great service. There were so many kind words said 
about him. And he is remembered to just be the great spirit and the 
great Louisiana homegrown talent that he was.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice), 
who is also the freshman class president, the class that Luke of course 
would have been a part of.
  Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Louisiana for yielding.
  I rise today as the president of the 117th Congress Republican 
freshman class to express our profound sadness that we all share for 
the loss of our friend and colleague, Luke Letlow.
  Luke was a great American who was committed to serving his country 
and the people of his home State of Louisiana. Sadly, Luke was taken 
from us way too early.
  I never actually had the chance to meet Luke. He was elected on 
December 5, which was the last day of the second week of New Member 
orientation.

[[Page H567]]

But as the freshman class president, I felt it my duty to make sure 
that he felt included by texting him, connecting him with other 
Members, and making sure that he had all of his needs met as he joined 
this 117th freshman class.
  Our entire class looked forward to being sworn in together on January 
3, and we were devastated by the news of his passing on December 29 of 
2020. We all know that Luke would have been a tremendous addition and 
someone who would have made a positive impact on this great Nation.

  I join with all of my colleagues in sending our thoughts and support 
to Luke's family, including his wife, Julia, son, Jeremiah, daughter, 
Jacqueline, and I am keeping them all in my prayers.
  It is interesting to see In God We Trust above the Speaker's chair 
because one thing I do know is that Luke trusted God.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
her leadership of the freshman class and for those kind remarks.
  I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), another leader 
from that class.
  Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of my friend, Luke Letlow.
  Luke and I spoke many times as we both prepared to enter Congress, 
and we shared the privilege of both representing districts that are 
centered around a couple of very important things, faith, family and 
agriculture. I looked forward to serving with him and working together 
to better the lives of our farmers and our ranchers across the district 
and across the entire country.
  Luke led a life of public service to the good people in the great 
State of Louisiana from a young age, beginning as a young college 
graduate serving on the staff of Congressman John Cooksey, the 
Representative of Louisiana's Fifth District at that time.
  He went on to serve the people in multiple capacities before 
launching a successful Congressional bid of his own.
  He was a man of faith in Jesus Christ, and he lived his life in 
accordance with His guiding principles. There is no way for us to know 
the thousands of lives that he had already touched before he entered 
into a plan to run for Congress, and how many lives he touched in those 
years of service, and the countless others who were blessed just by 
knowing him.
  There was nothing that he loved more than serving others and 
primarily, his love of being a husband and a father, a husband to his 
wife, Julia, and a father to their two children, Jeremiah and 
Jacqueline, something that his legacy will live on forever in our 
hearts.
  Today, we give glory to God for his life and pause to reflect on that 
legacy which will live on through Julia, Jeremiah, and Jacqueline. My 
prayers are with all of them.
  His passing is a tremendous loss to this U.S. Congress, to the State 
of Louisiana and, more importantly, to his family and friends who loved 
him and cherished him.

                              {time}  1945

  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, we have a few others from 
the class that Luke Letlow would have been proud to serve in, some of 
the rising leaders here. I will call on them in no particular order 
here, but I yield to another gentleman from Texas (Mr. Fallon), if he 
is ready.
  Mr. FALLON. Madam Speaker, I never had the privilege and blessing to 
meet Luke Letlow in person and to share our hearts and enjoy the 
blessed gift of fellowship. But to be honest, I still feel a bond and a 
connection and a friendship with Luke because we were both married to 
beautiful, successful women, and we certainly outkicked our coverage; 
we both had two children; and we both chose public service and 
eventually ran for Congress.
  Luke left this world far too early, only 41. The scourge of an evil 
virus whose growth across the globe was fostered by the nefarious 
denial and negligence of a Communist regime in Beijing.
  COVID-19 has claimed millions, 500,000 here at home, and it stole 
Luke from us. Luke Letlow, a man in his prime who had everything to 
live for, is now gone. And it shouldn't be that way.
  He should be with us today. He should be with us here, voting, 
visiting, talking, learning, and leading. But COVID robbed our country 
and this Chamber of Luke Letlow.
  This same scourge, Madam Speaker, crossed my path 3\1/2\ weeks ago, 
and it damn near killed me. I experienced the worst pain in my life. I 
had bacterial and viral pneumonia, along with the virus thriving in my 
body at the same time. I thought I was going to die. Prayers and 
terrific American medical care spared me. So I am not going to hold 
back, and I am just going to talk frankly and from the heart.
  I am consumed today, right now, this very moment, with why. Why is 
Luke gone? Why was I spared? Why are 500,000 Americans dead? I don't 
know. But I do have a strong belief that we all have a purpose, and 
everyone in this Chamber has a purpose the Almighty has for us, and we 
just don't know what it is yet.
  I feel, now that I have been gifted bonus decades, I want to know 
what I should do with those years. How should I lead my life? The 
bottom line is, we all should ask ourselves that question and exercise 
the power that we have within each of our souls to be kinder, to be 
gentler, to be more understanding, to smile when somebody walks on an 
elevator. It costs us nothing to do these things. We should live for 
others. And above all, we should love and never be ashamed to be 
vulnerable and love thy neighbor.
  We want to honor Luke Letlow? You want to honor his legacy and his 
life? Then live and love and be joyous and be kind. Live for others 
with all of your hearts. I am not the least bit ashamed to say that I 
am going to try.
  That is what we are here for, and that is our purpose. Let's 
acknowledge the bounties and the blessings and the very gift of life 
itself because life is short, and it is delicate, and it is fragile, 
and it is fleeting, and it is also so very beautiful.
  Luke, we are praying for you. We miss you; we love you; and we are 
going to be there for Julia and your kids.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson), another classmate of Luke's.
  Mrs. HINSON. Madam Speaker, tonight, we are here to honor the life of 
Luke Letlow, who was taken from us far too soon.
  Luke led a life of public service, and he was dedicated to bettering 
the lives in Louisiana. I know he was so looking forward to serving the 
great people of the State of Louisiana here in Congress.
  Most importantly, though, he was a dedicated husband to his wife, 
Julia, and a loving father to their two young children. We are all 
grieving with them during this time, their entire family. I hope the 
Letlow family can seek some comfort in knowing that so many people here 
in D.C., back in Iowa, Georgia, and around the country are lifting up 
prayers for them every single day.
  Although Luke is no longer with us, he does leaves behind, and he 
reminds us about, a remarkable legacy that we and, most importantly, 
his two children will always be able to remember him by long after we 
are all gone from this place, too.
  Thank you, Madam Speaker, for letting me speak tonight on behalf of 
our classmate, Luke Letlow, and his entire family.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Florida, Mrs. Kat Cammack, another bright light in this class and 
my friend.
  Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life of 
Luke Letlow.
  As a Member-elect of this freshman class, Luke was one of us. We 
didn't get the privilege of serving alongside him, but in getting to 
know his family, I have no doubt that he would have been an energetic 
leader among us.
  In talking with Luke's wife, Julia, I have come to know the very best 
of what Luke stood for and why he will forever be with us as a Member 
of this body.
  Luke's love of Louisiana ran as deep as the roots of generations that 
came before him. Luke revered leaders ranging from Ronald Reagan, whose 
optimistic vision of conservatism transformed the Republican Party and 
the world, to the local Richland Parish police jurors who ensured 
residents received the essential services that local

[[Page H568]]

government was charged with providing.
  Luke loved studying Louisiana political history and voraciously read 
every out-of-print book on the subject that he could get his hands on. 
Luke's passion for preserving the history of Richland Parish and his 
forebears took him from documenting gravesites and local churches to 
building a website that chronicled the history of the rural community 
where he was raised.
  Luke's love of America, Louisiana, and Richland Parish defined him as 
a person and motivated him to pursue a career in the noble profession 
of public service.

  Tonight, we honor his memory. But moving forward, we will strive to 
embody his passion for people, our history, and our Nation.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to introduce 
another member of the Louisiana delegation for remarks in our Special 
Order tonight. We are going in, it seems to be, reverse order by 
seniority, but I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), my 
friend. He knew Luke very well, and I know he will bring some good 
thoughts to us tonight.
  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Mr. 
Johnson, for yielding and for organizing this.
  Madam Speaker, I sat here and listened to all of these people talk 
about Luke Letlow, and I don't know who they are talking about.
  Luke was a redneck. There is this iconic picture of Luke where he is 
wearing this hat, and it says: ``Start Fire.'' The only thing that 
comes to mind is this is parent material, right?
  Luke was a good ol' boy, and I know, in many instances, that term is 
associated with negativity. That is not Luke. Luke was a force for 
good, and he did that before the Navy even coined that term.
  I have known him for 15, 20 years. We staffed together up here in 
Congress. We worked together in the Governor's office in Louisiana. 
Luke was always a workhorse, always, not a show horse.
  Madam Speaker, Luke was a public servant. He wasn't a politician. He 
had a heart for the public. He had a heart for fixing things, and he 
was good at it. Luke brought folks together, and he got things done.
  There wasn't a prejudiced or discriminatory bone in his body. 
Everybody was a friend. Everybody Luke met, he looked you in the eye, 
he gave you that little grin, which was a little bit cockeyed, and he 
truly wanted to know you.
  He truly wanted to get to know people, to find out what you were 
about. He loved finding out about the background or history of people, 
their ancestry, their relatives, where they were from, what they did, 
what they cared about.
  Madam Speaker, the people in the Fifth District of Louisiana saw that 
as well. There are 24 parishes that comprise the Fifth District, and 
Luke won 23 of those, 23 of them in the election. This district, his 
predecessor used to brag, and Luke serving as the chief of staff to 
Congressman Ralph Abraham used to brag, has more acres of row crops 
than any other district in Congress. This wasn't an urban area. This 
wasn't New York City or even New Orleans. This was a rural area. Madam 
Speaker, these were the people that Luke had a heart for.
  I have never in my life been as excited as I was to have a colleague 
like Luke. Years and years ago, I told him, I said: ``Luke, look, if 
Doc, if Ralph Abraham, ever steps down, you have to run. You have to do 
it.''
  There are a lot of people up here that are good. Luke would have been 
great.
  Madam Speaker, you look at this place, you watch the network TV, the 
news, and you wonder why in the world anyone would want to come to do 
this. You have really got to question people's sanity, looking at how 
dysfunctional, how partisan, how divisive this place is.
  One of the previous speakers hit it on the head when they said Luke 
is exactly what we need. He is exactly what we need here. I will say it 
again: Luke is a workhorse, not a show horse. He brings people 
together. He doesn't care about your race, your ethnicity. He doesn't 
care about your political party. What he cares about is doing things 
right.
  Luke's dream was to find a good life partner, and knowing him when he 
was a little younger, I think many of us thought that was a pretty 
lofty goal for Luke. But, man, he nailed it. He did. Julia, his 
partner, his life partner, his spouse, his wife, is just amazing, and 
Luke was just so excited, so giddy, about that relationship.
  Luke's dream was to be a good son, and he is. He is a great son. He 
is a great brother.
  Before I leave you all with the wrong impression, I should have 
clarified that his dad actually started the volunteer fire department 
in Start, S-t-a-r-t, where he was from. I didn't mean to suggest that 
he was a pyro. He was a good son.
  Luke's dream was to be a Member of Congress, and he did that, too. He 
won the election. His dream was to be a good father to Jeremiah and the 
apple of his eye, Jacqueline. He loves them, absolutely loves them.
  And his dream was to be a good Christian. Look, all of us are 
sinners, but Luke was a difference-maker.
  He didn't run for Congress for the name recognition, for the ego, or 
for the popularity. He did this, he ran, to represent the 
underrepresented, to stand up for these small communities, like Start, 
Louisiana, and the people of these small communities so they would have 
a voice, so they would be represented.
  I will never in my life forget when we were at the burial, following 
the hearse to the burial ceremony, seeing that hearse driving and the 
water tower of Start right there in the background, and this just 
ominous sky. All I could think about is Luke doing what was right and 
wanting to be here because he really cared. He did. It was so genuine.
  Madam Speaker, people often talk about term limits, and term limits 
make a lot of sense. There are some people that should be term-limited 
after they have been in Congress for about 2 months, and there are some 
people that should be term-limited after 40 years. Luke was one of 
those people who should be here forever because you couldn't change his 
genuine heart and care for the people and doing what is right.

                              {time}  2000

  So, Madam Speaker, I want to thank, again, my friend from Louisiana 
for organizing this. It was absolutely well deserved. Filling the void 
Ralph Abraham's retirement created was a big void, but, certainly, Luke 
was absolutely up for that task. He was going to do an amazing job.
  To Julia, to Jeremiah, to Jacqueline: Luke is looking down at us from 
heaven right now probably playing Xbox or PlayStation, and he is 
looking over this place. He is looking over this family. What Louisiana 
lost was heaven's gain.
  God bless you, brother.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Garret 
Graves of Louisiana, for those poignant words. The funeral service was 
like that, with recollections from close friends. We could have sat 
there all afternoon and reveled in it.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the whip, my dear friend, and one of the guys 
who helped guide Luke on his path to get here.
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Louisiana for 
yielding.
  Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I stand here today to 
pay tribute to Luke Letlow. Just like earlier tonight when we stood out 
on the steps of the Capitol to pay respects to the 500,000 people who 
we have lost from COVID-19, Luke, unfortunately, is in that number. He 
is not somebody you would have expected. He was young, healthy, and he 
had his whole life in front of him.
  He had already lived a rich life. He had already left such a powerful 
impact on people in the right kind of way, like my colleague, 
Congressman Graves, talked about. He had a big heart, Madam Speaker. He 
had a servant's heart.
  Luke was the kind of person who you want to get into public service 
to do it for the right reasons, to actually believe in something and 
want to make people's lives better.
  When he would go through the rural communities of his district--which 
is a

[[Page H569]]

very rural district--he would just talk to people, strike up 
conversations. He would want to hear their stories and he would want to 
help people. He had a lot of opportunities to do that, Madam Speaker.
  He started working for Congressman John Cooksey out of college at 
Louisiana Tech. He had already garnished a desire for public service.
  After he worked for Congressman Cooksey, I met him in 2004, when he 
was working on the campaign of my predecessor, Bobby Jindal, who got 
elected to Congress. Luke served with him there. When Bobby got elected 
Governor, Luke went to serve with him in the State to make our State a 
better place.
  And then when Ralph Abraham came to Congress, Luke spent the last 6 
years working for Ralph as his chief of staff, going around the rural 
parts of that district in northeast Louisiana, just reaching out, 
finding out about people.
  He was very much into genealogy. He wanted to know not just about 
people, but about their history, where they came from, what made people 
tick, and how he could keep making a difference.
  Ultimately, when Ralph retired, Luke made that decision to run. And 
he didn't make that decision alone. His lovely wife, Julia, was all in. 
They were a family that was a partnership. They were a true love story 
of two people who cared deeply about each other and who cared deeply 
about their young children: young Jeremiah; and young Jacqueline, who 
we also grieve for.
  It is heartbreaking when you think of the promise and what was lost, 
what we as colleagues lost. You hear members of his own freshman class 
who never got to serve with him--some have might not even met with him, 
just knew about him or heard about him--and miss him. That is the kind 
of person who Luke Letlow was.
  I got to talk to Luke a lot in those last few days and in the last 
few weeks before he even got COVID. He was so excited to come up here 
and get sworn in as a Member of Congress and to start helping people in 
a different way.
  He had already helped so many people working for others, but now was 
his chance to make his own mark. He was talking about what committees 
he wanted to be on. He wanted to serve on the Agriculture Committee. He 
wanted to serve on the Appropriations Committee. And he had big ideas, 
ideas that inspire other people to want to do better as well.
  So, Madam Speaker, when we remember Luke Letlow, it is that big smile 
that Luke had. It is that servant's heart, the heart of a person who 
cares about other people and wanted to make a difference for all of the 
right reasons. Thank God we still have people like Luke Letlow who care 
enough to want to get into public service for the right reasons.
  It is sad that we didn't get that opportunity to serve with him. I so 
looked forward to serving with him as a colleague in the Louisiana 
delegation. He was only 5 days away from getting sworn in when we lost 
him.
  So, Madam Speaker, as we remember the life of Luke Letlow, I know he 
is up in heaven looking down. He was a man of deep, deep faith, and 
that faith carried him and his family through those difficulties in the 
last few days when he was struggling and fighting for his life. I know 
that faith is what got him into heaven. He would probably be looking 
down and saying: Y'all shouldn't be making such a big fuss.
  But you know what? He deserves this kind of tribute because this 
would have been a richer body if we had Luke Letlow.
  We will all remember him and keep him in our thoughts and our 
prayers.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the whip for those 
great remarks and his great leadership, and I know Luke appreciated 
that as well.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. 
Boebert).
  Mrs. BOEBERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for 
yielding and for setting up this Special Order to honor Congressman-
elect Luke Letlow.

  Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Congressman-
elect Luke Letlow, whose tireless work for his community, passion for 
public service, and love for his constituents will long be an 
inspiration to many Americans.
  He spoke glowingly of the mighty Mississippi and his district's rich 
Louisiana soil, both of which flowed freely through his veins as he 
passionately advocated for the people who elected him to be their 
voice.
  His life of service working for Governor Bobby Jindal, serving as 
chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham, and then successfully 
running for Congress himself, exemplified his commitment to win the 
day.
  Congressman-elect Letlow shared my great love for our Western States, 
and he was a fierce advocate for the issues facing everyday Americans. 
His calling to public service was only surpassed by his calling to be a 
loving husband, father, brother, and son. He cared deeply for his 
beloved wife, Julia; son, Jeremiah; and daughter, Jacqueline.
  After he won his race, Congressman-elect Letlow's wife, Julia, spoke 
of God's sovereignty over the life of her husband, quoting the words 
from scripture: ``Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before 
you were born, I set you apart.''
  God set Luke apart with a calling, with an anointing, and that same 
calling and anointing is now in that Godly heritage that he has left 
behind. God's wraparound presence is surrounding the Letlow family.
  God's plan for Luke's life was one of service, and his legacy will 
live on through his family. His wife, Julia, is a woman of deep faith. 
A calling to public service is on her life. She was his rock for all of 
his years in public life. I am honored to call her my friend now.
  May his family find comfort in the words of the scripture: ``The Lord 
is close to the brokenhearted. . . .'' and in knowing that Congressman-
elect Letlow fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the 
faith.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Colorado for her words. That was very appropriate. I was going to cite 
the same scripture.
  I will just say this as we close tonight: The night we got word of 
Luke's passing was December 29, and that word, the phone call we got 
shook my whole family, as it did everybody in the State.
  As we were putting our children to bed at night, I reminded my 
youngest son, my 10-year-old son, that while grieving is part of our 
human experience, the Lord mourns with us. We know that from Isaiah 
53:4. And as Lauren just said, He always remains close to the 
brokenhearted. Psalm 34.
  So many are mourning this loss and so many remain brokenhearted. But 
I will close with these words from the Apostle Paul, as he wrote to the 
church in Rome, Romans 8:38-39: ``For I am convinced that neither death 
nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, 
nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all 
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in 
Christ Jesus our Lord.''
  Luke believed that and he lived it, and he would want us to remember 
it, too.
  Madam Speaker, this concludes our Special Order tonight, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________