[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3978-H3982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1930
HONORING CONGRESSMAN BILL POSEY
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr.
Haridopolos of Florida was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of
the majority leader. )
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, with a heavy heart today, we recognize
our former colleague of 16 years here in the House of Representatives,
Congressman Bill Posey.
Sadly, on May 9th he passed away surrounded by his lovely family, led
by his fantastic wife, Katie; and their two children, Cathi and Pam.
We have many Members here tonight who would like to express their not
only condolences to the family but, of course, talk about his success
serving our country, State, and community.
I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), chairman of the
Science Committee.
Mr. BABIN. The first thing I would like to say is I appreciate this
Special Order for our good friend, sponsored by my good friend, Mike
Haridopolos, who is representing that great district on the Florida
Space Coast.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of our friend
and former colleague, Congressman Bill Posey. For more than a decade in
Congress, Bill faithfully served the people of Florida's Space Coast
with integrity, humility, and a deep love of his country.
Before coming to Washington, he dedicated years to serving his
community in local and State government, always guided by the belief
that elected
[[Page H3979]]
officials should answer first and foremost to those that they
represent.
Today, I remember Bill not only as a colleague but as a good friend.
For eight years, my wife Roxanne and I were neighbors across the hall
from Bill and his wife Katie. Bill and Katie were the kind of friends
who were always there when you needed them. Roxanne and I used to joke
that if you ever needed to borrow a cup of milk or an egg in
Washington, we knew exactly where to go, and that was across the hall.
Bill represented one of the most fascinating districts in America:
home to Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. Over the years, I made
many trips to Florida's Space Coast, and Bill was always very, very
proud to show me around.
We attended launches and events together. We marveled at America's
achievements in space exploration. We shared dinners, including Florida
rock shrimp. As an east Texan, I wasn't sure what a rock shrimp was.
Bill convinced me they were worth trying, and he was right.
Bill's enthusiasm for America's space program was contagious. He
understood better than most the importance of innovation, exploration,
and maintaining our Nation's leadership in space. He championed the men
and the women whose work keeps America at the forefront of discovery
and inspired future generations to reach for the stars.
Bill, as a young man, even worked on the Apollo program in the late
sixties and early seventies, and he shared those experiences with me.
Many people may not know that Bill was also a race car driver. That
adventurous spirit never left him. Whether he was racing down a track
or advancing America's space program, Bill approached life with energy
and determination. He was a fierce champion of keeping America's
science, space, and technology secure from our adversaries' prying eyes
as well.
Roxanne and Katie became the closest of friends over the years, and
that friendship is something that our family will always cherish.
For those who served alongside Bill, they will remember not only his
accomplishments but also his no-nonsense conservatism and his presence.
Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and our prayers are with Katie, his family,
his friends, former staff, and countless Floridians whose lives were
touched by his long service. Bill Posey was a good man, a faithful
public servant, a great friend, and he will be deeply missed. I am
jealous of you being able to represent that great district.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the kind words
for our good friend.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Thompson), the chairman of the Agriculture Committee.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
sponsoring this Special Order hour, recognizing my dear friend, Bill
Posey. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this opportunity.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to share a few words
about my dear friend, former Congressman Bill Posey.
Bill was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to
many. He dedicated more than 20 years to public service in this Chamber
and as a Florida State legislator.
Bill's reputation as a Florida legislator was one of a changemaker.
As the Florida Governor noted: Bill Posey earned a reputation in the
Florida legislature as a principled conservative, a problem-solver, and
a pioneer in government transparency and accountability, serving in
both the Florida House from 1992 to the year 2000, and in the Florida
Senate from 2000 to 2008. He was widely respected for constituent
service and principled leadership.
Bill and I were first elected to Congress in 2009. It was really
during the November orientation after the election that I found my
friend, when we were sitting in new Congress Member school, basically.
That was also the same time that my wife, Penny, and Katie started a
relationship as dear friends that continues to this day. They both
quickly became dear friends.
Bill was a mentor, helping me to find my legislative feet, as someone
who had never served in the State legislature. He and his wife, Katie,
helped Penny and I navigate life in Washington, D.C. He truly was an
esteemed colleague who was unwavering in his commitment to American
values.
Bill's love for Katie was undeniable. Katie and my wife Penny
continue to be the closest of friends.
Bill served on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology, fitting for a man who represented
Florida's Space Coast and one who spent part of his career working at
the Kennedy Space Center.
I remember fondly his personal tour of Cape Canaveral and his pride
in sharing the behind-the-scenes tour of the industry, from the
launchpad to the rubber room.
During a personal visit to Florida, Penny and I spent time with Bill
and Katie at their church camp for a couple's faith retreat. The
messages were inspiring, and the fellowship was outstanding.
I was troubled by the fact that they actually swam and canoed in
water shared by alligators. I guess that is a Florida thing, definitely
not a Pennsylvania thing.
I had the opportunity to experience firsthand Bill's passion for
racing, a.k.a., driving fast. I rode with Bill in his muscle car to a
local car show, and that is a ride I will not soon forget.
Bill poured his heart into all he did. He served with dignity and
humility. His character and his wisdom will be sorely missed. He was a
patriot. He was a conservative. He was a family man. He was a man of
faith, and he was my friend.
I find comfort in knowing that he was welcomed into the arms of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Penny and I will be attending a memorial
and celebrating Bill's life this coming Saturday in Florida.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless Bill's loved ones. I thank the gentleman
from Florida.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind
words. I know they were dear friends.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Congressman from Arizona
(Mr. Biggs). Actually, the first time I had the pleasure of meeting him
is because of Bill Posey. I remember that event we did in Vero Beach
and I look forward to serving together in years to come.
Mr. BIGGS of Arizona. I remember that well, and I thank you for
allowing me to speak a little bit about our friend.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Congressman
Bill Posey, who represented Florida's 15th and Eighth Districts for
more than 16 years and devoted his career to serving the people he
loved.
Bill's public service began in the 1970s on the Rockledge City
Council, and he went on to serve in both the Florida House and the
Florida State Senate. He earned a reputation as champion of fiscal
responsibility, government accountability, and policies that
strengthened working families.
He never viewed public office as a platform for himself. He saw it as
a responsibility to serve others with integrity and purpose.
Bill's commitment to his district was unmatched. He loved his
district. He loved the Space Coast. He understood its history,
industries, and people. No one fought harder for America's leadership
in space exploration.
Drawing on his own experience working on the Apollo program at
Kennedy Space Center, he became one of Congress' strongest advocates
for NASA, domestic manufacturing, and the aerospace workforce that
defines Florida's Space Coast.
He showed how a Member can fiercely defend a district's core
industries without falling into subsidies and cronyism, staying true to
his principles of limited government and free market strength. Bill was
also a national leader in advancing transparency.
{time} 1940
He pushed Congress to read the bills it votes on and was instrumental
in securing the rule that requires legislation be publicly available
for 72 hours before a vote. Wouldn't it be nice to go back to that?
Sure would be nice to go back to that standard that Bill worked so hard
to set up.
He worked to reform and strengthen trust in the institution and
reminded all of us that accountability begins right here at home in
Congress.
[[Page H3980]]
I had the privilege of serving with Bill in the House Freedom Caucus,
where we fought side by side for limited government, fiscal discipline,
and the belief that Washington works best when it works within the
Constitution.
Bill lived those principles every day.
Getting back to what we were talking about, he invited me to come
down to his district. I was the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, and he
said: I need you to come on down to my district. We went, and it was
basically a day-and-a-half of real education for me in campaigning
because there was not a free moment to sit down.
I will tell you this: I couldn't understand why he thought I needed
to be down there, because he was so well loved. It was amazing.
Bill Posey approached public service with humility, steadiness, and a
deep love for the people he represented. He will be missed. I miss him.
I wish to express my condolences to his wonderful wife, Katie. What a
gracious host she was for me when I was down there. She made sure I had
everything I needed and more.
I will say this: Bill leaves behind a legacy of principled
leadership, tireless advocacy, love of family, love of country, love of
God, and an example of how to be a Member of Congress.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Biggs for his
personal visit, as well. It means a lot to us. I thank him for being
here tonight.
Next, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Bilirakis), my colleague from Florida. He and I, of course, served
together with Congressman Posey in the Florida Legislature in the early
2000s as part of that memorable election of 2000, as well.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I did serve with Bill Posey in the
legislature, and I remember my first year in 1998. I had made a
campaign promise, and I was going to keep that promise.
I am not going to get into the legislation, but the leadership was
pushing a particular bill. I had made a promise to my constituents that
I would not be for that particular policy. Bill stuck up for me. It is
tough when you are a freshman, and he stuck up for me. He said: Just go
right ahead and do what you think is right and what is in the best
interests of your constituents. I never forgot that.
Also, Bill endorsed me when I first ran for Congress. He was one of
the first ones to do that.
Integrity, he kept his word.
Now, I will tell you this: He had a great sense of humor, as well.
When I first ran in 1998, my opponent, I guess because of my stature,
called me Danny DeVito. So Bill, on the floor of the House of
Representatives for 16 years, called me Danny. When he did it publicly,
other Members would whisper in his ear and say: Bill, that is not his
name. His name is Gus. He would say: I know that. It is a joke between
the two of us.
He was just a genuine great guy and cared about this country so very
much.
I rise to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend and former
colleague, Congressman Bill Posey, whose decades of public service left
an indelible mark on the State of Florida and, of course, our Nation.
Bill was a dedicated public servant. Again, he never deviated from
his principles. He was a conservative and, above all, a man of
integrity.
Long before we served together in the House of Representatives, as I
said, Bill and I had the privilege of serving alongside one another in
the Florida Legislature. He was a senior member, and I was a junior
member; but he never treated me differently.
During those years, I came to know him as a thoughtful policymaker,
and a tireless advocate for his constituents. He was someone who
approached every issue with humility, common sense, and a deep respect
for the people he represented.
When Bill was elected to Congress, he carried those same values with
him to Washington, D.C. He never lost sight of who sent him here. He
worked diligently to ensure that the voices of Florida's families,
seniors, veterans, small businesses, again, taxpayers, were heard.
His commitment to fiscal responsibility, government accountability,
and public service earned the respect of his colleagues, as we can see
here, on both sides of the aisle. Even if the other side didn't agree
with him, they certainly respected him.
What I will remember most, however, is not Bill's legislative
accomplishments, as impressive as they were, but his character, Mr.
Speaker. He was a loyal friend, a devoted husband, father, grandfather,
and a man of deep faith whose actions reflected his values every single
day. He treated everyone with kindness and respect and conducted
himself with a level of civility that serves as an example for all who
choose a life of public service. He truly was a throwback.
My thoughts and prayers are with his wonderful wife, Katie. What a
great individual and what a wonderful person. He loved her so much very
much. My thoughts and prayers are with his children, his grandchildren,
his friends, his former staff, and all who had the privilege of knowing
him.
While he will be greatly missed, his legacy of service, leadership,
and dedication to the people of the State of Florida and the United
States of America will endure for generations to come. He was a great
role model. May his memory be eternal.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Bilirakis for his
comments for our good friend, Congressman Posey.
Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs.
McClain Delaney). I thank her for joining us tonight.
Mrs. McCLAIN DELANEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory
and legacy of Representative Bill Posey and his long legacy in public
service to the State of Florida, to our country, and to the field of
science and innovation.
My husband, John Delaney, served with him on the Committee on
Financial Services and considered him a friend and greatly admired his
knowledge of the banking sector, his integrity, his ability to always
reach across the aisle and to always be pragmatic.
I admire him now as a current Member, looking back on my long
experience on SST, where he had a commitment to aerospace, to NASA, to
satellite services, and to innovation generally.
Most especially, I was a friend of Katie Posey for many years while a
congressional spouse at the Congressional Club. Both of them served
well in terms of their bipartisan relationships, lifting up to know the
other congressional families. They were always full of faith, civility,
and a deep sense of service to country and to others.
May God bless their family. I send my deepest condolences, and I
thank him for his service. I give my best to Katie and family.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman McClain Delaney
for her kind words. I know she is dear friends, especially with Katie,
and it means a lot to us that she is here tonight.
I know there are others who are coming in and out tonight, but I
wanted to kind of give those who were listening some background, as
some had mentioned, about Bill's storied career in Florida politics. It
is a memorable one.
I had the opportunity to know Bill for almost 30 years. He was a true
mentor of mine as I was elected back to the House of Representatives in
2000 when he had moved over to the State Senate. He always offered a
guiding, smart hand to a young member of the legislature. It was that
confidence that allowed me to find some success in the legislature
because he treated me like a son. It really meant a lot to me that a
person who was just such a storied person in our community would take
the time for new members to get up to speed on some of the challenges
we faced in Tallahassee at that time.
{time} 1950
One of the people who really made a difference on me, as well, was
one of his former staffers, now my staffer, Valentina Valenta. She is a
remarkable person and understands the budget inside and out because
Bill focused so much on the transparency angle in the budget. That was
his passion.
As Congressman Biggs talked about earlier, this idea of a 72-hour
rule is something we have in the State of Florida. We are the Sunshine
State, and he really believed that when you are spending other people's
money, you should allow time so that it goes into the sunshine. He
would like to say: Good ideas in the sunshine prosper and grow. Bad
ideas will wither under that powerful sunshine, as well.
[[Page H3981]]
That was the vision of what Bill Posey had when he served in not only
the United States Congress but before then, the State Senate; before
then, the State legislature; and before then, in local government on
the city council in Rockledge. Bill was a person who, put simply, when
there was a problem, like a good NASCAR or maybe a NASA mechanic, he
went out and fixed it.
Bill didn't care about the headlines. In fact, whenever I talked to
him, he tried to avoid the press. He wanted to do his work behind the
scenes, work with people and just go out and solve problems and then
get back to his family and friends, who understood his commitment to
his home community, known as Brevard County.
That is what Bill--we already mentioned this--as I think Congressman
Babin and others talked about, his heart was always in Brevard. Though
he served here in Washington for 16 years, he was always focused on
Brevard County and making sure we did not have some of the challenges
we faced after the Apollo program.
He did so much to make sure that when the shuttle program was ended
in 2011 and 2012, we made a successful transition over to what we now
know as the Artemis project that is so successful, which, back in
April, found, of course, so much success, going around the Moon for the
first time since 1972.
It was his work behind the scenes with so many other Members here in
Congress. I am proud to say that, with NASA, as my colleague, Debbie
Wasserman Schultz, is here today, it was a bipartisan project to make
sure that Florida stayed the epicenter of space flight in America, and
we are seeing that success today.
It is, again, that work behind the scenes that no one saw, and no one
really thought possible, that we could find the amazing success we are
seeing today with new companies along the lines--in fact, one of those
being SpaceX, which is being potentially valued at over $1.75 trillion,
to show where we are going in space.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to my former senate colleague in the legislature
and now congressional colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman
Schultz. I recognize her and thank her for joining us tonight.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding and for his leadership and, really, compassion for our dear
friend Bill Posey. The term ``friend'' is thrown around loosely in
politics, and Bill was someone who had a wry sense of humor, someone
who you knew where you stood with him. He was someone who didn't mince
words and someone who didn't take himself or, really, almost anything
too seriously.
He always had kind of a joke that was on his lips, but he was, as
Congressman Haridopolos mentioned, really someone who lived and
breathed the Space Coast. He was really the voice of NASA here in
Congress, and he always fiercely stood up for his community and his
people.
He was humble. He was someone who did not swing from the rafters. You
knew that he cared about the issues that he worked on, but he kept his
head down, his nose to the grindstone, and he focused on his core set
of priorities.
That is why I am here today to honor our late colleague, Congressman
Bill Posey. He was a man who loved his home State of Florida and
someone who was willing to put aside partisan politics to make it a
better place for all of us.
I can personally vouch for this because he and I worked together
since we began our public service work all the way back in 1992, when
we were both elected to the Florida House of Representatives, in the
legislature. We were also subsequently elected in the same year to the
State senate, and it continued well into our time here in Congress.
Congressman Posey was a no-nonsense, principled legislator. Of
course, we had our differences. We had many of them, in fact. We used
to laugh about how little we agreed on, but when we came together and
when we could find an issue on which we could work together, really, it
was always incredibly impactful.
Bill Posey was committed to making Florida's coastlines and our
children safer. He could drop his partisan flags and cross the aisle
even in our most recent times when so many others would waver or
refuse.
I saw it immediately, too, when he and I both worked in Tallahassee,
Florida's capital. We joined forces to prevent children from drowning
by ensuring our pools and spas were safer. That is no small matter in
the Sunshine State.
I will tell you that I was working for 3 years to pass the Preston de
Ibern/McKenzie Merriam Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act in Florida,
and it was tough. There was a lot of Republican opposition. I remember
the day like it was yesterday, when Bill came over to me and said: You
make a lot of sense. We have to stop the kids from drowning. These are
entirely preventable tragedies.
He just got it, so he spent political capital because he knew that it
mattered, and he knew it would save lives. He was someone in Congress
who just continually kept at the issues that mattered to his
constituents. He was a fierce advocate for the Space Coast, as well as
Florida's estuaries.
Those are the common bonds, really, that draw all Floridians
together. We are a delegation that there is a boatload of things that
we don't agree on, but when it comes to fiercely protecting our
coastline, whether it is from oil drilling, or whether it is making
sure that we can continue to restore the Florida Everglades, or if it
is ensuring that we can protect our homeowners, condominium owners,
kids in our year-round warm-weather State who really have a much higher
likelihood of drowning, Bill was right there on so many issues.
Another example is, after the Nation saw the tragic death of 98 souls
in Surfside, Florida--you remember when the Surfside condominium
building came crashing down in the middle of the night, 1:30 in the
morning. That Champlain Towers South was in my congressional district
at the time. I went to Bill, and we knew we had to do something about
making sure that those condominium buildings, especially on the
coastline, were safe.
I asked him to co-lead the Making Condos Safer and Affordable Act.
People all over our State need that help, so we worked together to push
legislation that would help maintain their structural integrity and
keep residents safe.
There are other bright moments over his long career, as my colleagues
have attested to, and for that, he will be truly missed.
My heart is with his beloved wife, Katie, who was always by his side,
never far. She was a true life partner. My condolences to their loved
ones. May Bill's memory be a blessing.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz
for her kind words. It is great to see her. I know Bill spoke highly of
how you all worked together across party lines. I am really grateful
that she is here tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to close tonight by walking through some of the
things that Bill did work on, as the Congresswoman just spoke of.
Again, it was a passion for him. He saw problems, and he fixed them.
That is what, again, I loved about Bill, as I mentioned earlier. He
was a person who stayed out of the limelight. He didn't really care
about who got the credit, but he wanted to just go out and solve
problems. He was, again, a mechanic at heart.
One of those issues, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz talked about,
was the Indian River Lagoon. This is a lagoon that historically has had
challenges, and Bill was passionate about taking this on. One of the
issues that he did, again, work across the aisle on was what he created
with Members of the other side of the aisle on the Congressional
Estuary Caucus.
That is where we are focused on solving the problem, where it is not
happening just in our home State but around the country, how we can
clean up our rivers that eventually work into our oceans.
It was mentioned with NASA--again, a champion for NASA, not just
because he represented the area, but he literally worked on the Apollo
program, and it was something that he knew would bring America
together, even in the most partisan of times.
{time} 2000
Before entering politics, he was a person who, after leaving his work
at
[[Page H3982]]
the Kennedy Space Center, went into the real estate business and found
tremendous success. But he was willing to put aside that incredible
economic success for his own family because he wanted to serve this
country. That is why he entered public life and left a lot of,
candidly, resources on the sideline because he chose to serve in public
life.
He was known as Mr. Fix-It. I will be talking about this at his
celebration of life on Saturday in Melbourne. But one of the issues
that really separated him, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz talked
about on some fronts, was everybody remembers the election of 2000.
That was the year where we had the hanging chads and, of course, that
incredibly razor-thin election where Florida would decide the election.
Candidly, we were embarrassed of what happened in the election of
2000. So when people looked around the room in the Florida House and
Florida Senate and when Jeb Bush was Governor, they said: Who are we
going to bring in to fix the election laws in the State of Florida?
They brought on Bill Posey.
If you haven't noticed, guess who is running the best elections right
now in the entire country: The State of Florida.
I remember when I was elected last November, in 2024, within 7
minutes we knew not only who won the election, but almost all the
results were in after the polls closed at 7 p.m. in Florida. That is
how remarkable and that is how efficient we want it to be. We were
counting those early votes, counting those absentee ballots, and once
those ballots were tabulated, within minutes you knew the verdict,
which is very different than what we are seeing right now in some
States.
That is who Bill Posey was. He saw a problem, he wanted to fix it,
and he never talked about it again. That was the ironic part about it.
Here is a person who should be known around the country for fixing
elections in a positive way and getting the tabulations done quickly
and correctly. That is what we need more of in America is a problem-
solver like him.
Also mentioned was Bill being on the Financial Services Committee.
When I was thinking about what committees to serve on as I enter
Congress, I went to him and said: Where was your passion? He said:
Mike, I held out for one job, and that was to be on Financial Services.
He really felt like some of the banking laws in our country needed
commonsense reforms, and he worked all 16 years on the Financial
Services Committee. So many people saw his work with NASA, but as
French Hill, our current chairman, talks about, Bill Posey was always
diligently there pushing for the idea of transparency.
Through the years, we have seen horrible situations, whether it be
Enron or the housing market crash. He was making sure that when people
put those dollars in banks or in investments, there was more
transparency, that the investor actually had the information in front
of them. That was the kind of person he was.
I am just so grateful that his colleagues who served with him so long
showed up tonight because it was that work behind the scenes that
really made a difference.
What I saw firsthand in our 25-year-plus relationship was that it was
always remarkable watching Bill, a tried-and-true fiscal conservative,
be willing to listen to whoever came before him. He was a person who
said you can disagree without being disagreeable. That is what I loved
about him. He could be a little cantankerous at times, but he always
took the time to listen.
As I mentioned and I will mention again over and over, he never left
Brevard County. Whenever he could get out of Washington, he got out of
Washington. He and Katie loved to get back home and be around the
people they loved most, especially their daughters Pamela and Cathi.
After he left Congress in 2024, after those elections, he spent
really the last 18 months being involved in those passion projects. One
of those is he was actually involved in a car rally across the country
as he and Katie went around the country. I am still amazed they
actually did it because it was a challenging race, but he had such a
passion for cars.
I remember he even went to New Smyrna racetrack for the Governor's
Cup for many years because he just loved stock car racing. That was his
passion and it was in his blood.
Most recently, he spent so much time with his grandkids, whether it
was out West in California or in Alabama, and spending a ton of time
with his daughters, especially those who lived in Brevard County.
He was a guy who put family first. It wasn't a cliche. He was a
person who, again, was passionate about things when other people took
passion in those same ideas.
I am just so grateful that I had the opportunity to know him for so
long as he served our country so ably, and he gave back so much and
took on so many financial challenges because he loved this country so
much.
General Leave
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona.) Is there objection
to the request of the gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, as I close, before I yield to our
friends on the other side of the aisle: Bill Posey will not be
forgotten because he never forgot those folks who gave him the
opportunity to be here.
I am looking forward to seeing so many friends back home on Saturday
as we celebrate his life.
I was with him sadly that Thursday before he passed on that Saturday.
To see the love that his family expressed in those days as they knew
they were going to leave him for a period of time, it just shows the
commitment that his family had for him because he loved his family and
he loved this country.
I will try to leave it on a lighter note. I remember he said to me
when I got elected to the legislature: Mike, I remember when I first
was elected to the legislature, and I couldn't believe I was in the
Florida Legislature. Here was a guy from Rockledge, Florida, who grew
up loving cars and space and had a beautiful family and a young wife.
Then he said: After about a month or so, I couldn't believe how these
other people got here.
That was the thing about Bill Posey. He had that wry sense of humor,
as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz spoke of.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity for us to speak about
our good friend Bill Posey. He will be dearly missed. He was a true
patriot and friend to our community, and I know I have very big shoes
to fill here in the United States Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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