[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12278]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE CARRIE MEEK, MEMBER OF CONGRESS

  (Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I want to add my words of 
tribute to the spontaneous demonstration this afternoon on behalf of 
our colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek), who has 
recently announced her retirement. This is an announcement that caught 
us by surprise and that we regret; but we welcome this chance to pay 
tribute to the gentlewoman from Florida for whom we have great 
admiration and affection.
  I have sat next to the gentlewoman from Florida on both of my 
Appropriations subcommittees for some years now, both the Subcommittee 
on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies and the Subcommittee on Treasury, 
Postal Service and General Government. We have sat through many 
hearings and many markups together. We have had some good times, and we 
have had some real challenges. I have developed great affection and 
respect for the gentlewoman from Florida during this period of service.
  The gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek) is a fighter. I will never 
forget the kind of fight she made for the hurricane victims when her 
district was stricken some years ago. This very day, I have seen her 
fighting for people without adequate banking services in our Committee 
on Appropriations.
  The gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek) does not always win these 
fights, but she always fights with conviction, with a compelling case, 
and with the kind of style that makes her a very hard person to oppose. 
She has a warm and winning way; she wins admiration and friendship on 
both sides of the aisle. She is a unique Member of this body. I have 
counted it a real privilege to serve with her and am looking forward to 
several months more of service as we go through the appropriations 
cycle.
  I wanted to rush over here when I saw this spontaneous tribute 
arising on the House floor, because I am so fond of Mrs. Meek and so 
admiring of her. I am pleased this afternoon to add my words of 
tribute, to wish her well, and to say that in her months remaining here 
I anticipate many more good fights and good times as we serve together.

                          ____________________