[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 211 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6918-H6919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING DIANNE HAMILTON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New Mexico (Ms. Herrell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. HERRELL. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor a great friend of 
mine, a true patriot in New Mexico, Representative Dianne Hamilton, who 
passed away very recently at the age of 87 after serving for 18 years 
in the New Mexico House.
  Dianne was more than a representative. She was truly my mentor, a 
colleague, a friend, and a person whom everyone looked up to and 
aspired to be. When I say ``looked up to,'' she was over 6 feet tall. 
She had an incredible personality; she was very quick-witted; and her 
gift was public service.
  She was a military wife, so working for our veterans was something 
that she held very deeply in her heart. She also had an interest in the 
people of the communities that she served. She opened up the first 
domestic violence shelter, so this will be something that lives on in 
her memory.
  Mr. Speaker, to tell you the number of stories about her would take 
up more than the time allotted today to share with you what an 
inspiration she was.
  What was very unique about Dianne was she was a radio host before she 
got into the New Mexico House of Representatives. She had a knack for 
making everybody feel important, whether they were a student who had 
shown an animal at the local fair or if she was meeting with the 
Governor or somebody beyond.
  She was worthy of every award she was ever given, which were things 
like the Governor's Award for Outstanding New Mexican Women. She was 
given the Citizen of the Year from her respective counties.
  The world needs more Dianne Hamiltons because, truly, her gift was 
her heart. Her gift was helping people like me pioneer the way to 
public service where we could learn from a true champion. We learned 
how to work across the aisle, and we learned how to carry bills and 
negotiate to get what we wanted.
  She was an inspiration and will continue to be even after her life 
because her family is beautiful. She was an inspiring mom, and she is a 
woman of such great character.
  I can't sit here and say enough about her because there just isn't 
enough time to really give you, Mr. Speaker, all the aspects and all 
the benefits of having somebody like Dianne Hamilton not only as a 
friend but also someone who served and served with purpose.
  Again, she pioneered the way for people like me to come up behind 
her. She taught me how to do things, to make relationships happen, and 
to be successful as now a U.S. Representative and before as a State 
representative.
  The world needs more Dianne Hamiltons. She was a patriot. She was a 
mom who gave everything to her loving family. She was someone who gave 
of herself to her community, to her peers, to her friends. Dianne 
Hamilton is truly a woman's woman, a person who I will dearly miss. I 
know her family and her community will miss her as well.
  And I just will always take with me the two biggest pieces of advice 
she ever gave me. First, she said, never let anybody see you cry. Fight 
for what you believe in and do it with all of the character and class 
that you can.
  And number two, never leave your house or your office without your 
lipstick. Those are the important things I will always remember.

[[Page H6919]]

  I am forever indebted to her, her family, and we will miss her.

                          ____________________