[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1715
             REMEMBERING GOVERNOR KENNETH ``BUDDY'' MacKAY

  (Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a treasured 
Florida statesman, the Honorable Governor Kenneth ``Buddy'' MacKay.
  Today, his hometown and family will celebrate this compassionate 
fighter who served 26 years in the State house and senate, Congress, as 
Florida's Lieutenant Governor, and briefly as Governor.
  A righteous fighter for what he believed in, he fought the Cross 
Florida Barge Canal and defended a fellow University of Florida 
classmate from racist taunts.
  When others of his generation saw an issue to exploit, Buddy remained 
steadfast to protect civil rights, reproductive freedoms, and our 
precious ecosystem. Political foes used his decency against him, but 
Buddy MacKay remained a man of principle. He was a proud liberal who 
never abandoned causes that helped the less fortunate, even if it cost 
him votes.
  I came of age watching Buddy MacKay masterfully maneuver against 
powerful adversaries and work tirelessly behind the scenes to help 
people. Buddy MacKay embodied all the values of decency and honesty, 
and his public service legacy is a model we desperately need.
  May his memory be for a blessing.

                          ____________________