[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 115 (Thursday, July 1, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E730-E731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO FORMER ALABAMA CONGRESSMAN SONNY CALLAHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 2021

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy 
heart to pay tribute to the memory of one of my closest friends, former 
Congressman H.L. ``Sonny'' Callahan, the gentleman from the great state 
of Alabama, who peacefully passed away on June 25, 2021. Sonny and I 
became quick friends upon his arrival to Washington in 1985. His humor 
and zeal for practical jokes were as endearing on Capitol Hill as his 
ability to forge alliances across the aisle to create effective policy 
and legislation for the American people.

[[Page E731]]

  As colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, Sonny and I traveled 
the world together, meeting with leaders from Singapore to Argentina to 
Israel and many nations in between. His gregarious nature was as 
prevalent during those international meetings as it was at home in the 
heart of Alabama. Sonny extended genuine kindness and friendship to 
folks across all walks of life and never lost the staunch work ethic 
that helped him build a successful trucking business in Alabama. Before 
being elected to Congress as a registered Republican, Sonny dedicated 
12 years to the Alabama state legislature, serving both chambers as a 
registered Democrat--proving he could get along with leaders of all 
political persuasions.
  I always had great admiration for the fact that Sonny was a Navy 
Veteran of the Korean War. There was no one he fought harder for in 
Washington than our veterans and current members of the U.S. Armed 
Forces. He believed in building a stronger national defense, advocating 
for better care for our veterans, and reenforcing foreign aid for key 
allies in the Middle East, especially Israel.
  It is one of the greatest honors of my lifetime to have served 
alongside my friend Sonny for 18 years in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. As President Abraham Lincoln once wrote, ``the better 
part of one's life consists of his friendships.'' Sonny Callahan is one 
of the most beloved leaders of Alabama and Washington, D.C., and I will 
always consider him one of my closest friends. My wife Cynthia and I 
extend our deepest heartfelt sympathy to the Callahan family and the 
great wealth of friends he made across the country, and indeed around 
the globe.

                          ____________________