[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 15792]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO BOB STUMP

  (Mr. SHADEGG asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, last Friday the Nation lost a distinguished 
public servant. Bob Stump humbly and admirably served his country and 
represented Arizona for nearly 60 years.
  His service began as a Navy medic during World War II and continued 
in Arizona in the State legislature and then here in the United States 
House of Representatives. From his Stetson hat down to his dusty 
leather boots, Bob personified the independence and western 
congeniality of Arizona. The soft-spoken conservative was true to his 
beliefs and always represented his constituents with integrity and 
determination.
  Like so many courageous young men of his time, Bob enlisted in the 
Navy at the age of 16, too young to legally do so, in the midst of the 
second world war. He was elected to Congress in 1976 and, drawing on 
his military experience, Bob established himself as the preeminent 
champion for active military personnel and veterans.
  His insight and knowledge on issues landed him the chairmanship of 
the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in 1995, and then in 2000, the 
chairmanship of the House Committee on Armed Services. Even still, he 
never let the power go to his head. He was one of the few Congressman, 
indeed probably the only committee chairman, to personally answer his 
office telephone.
  I looked to Bob Stump on so many issues. His advise was always 
thoughtful, solid, and consistent. He was the dean of our delegation, 
and I will sorely miss his leadership and friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, for more than 25 years, he served this body with dignity 
and earned the admiration of not only myself, but of every Member of 
this House. He possessed the unwavering reliability and good judgment 
not commonly found in the politics of today.
  Bob remains with us in spirit as a model of devoted service to 
Arizona and the Nation. He is and always will be missed.

                          ____________________