[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 27242]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN JOE WAGGONNER

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, it is with sadness that I come to the 
floor today to pay respects to one of our former congressional leaders 
who passed away earlier this week.
  Congressman Joe Waggonner represented the Fourth District of 
Louisiana from 1961 to 1979. Literally up until the last weeks of his 
life, he stayed very active in the Fourth District. He was active on 
what went on there both at a political level and a civic level, lending 
his voice to many important efforts in the community--and I emphasize 
literally up until the last few weeks of his life.
  He was always engaged, always open, always welcoming to leaders 
coming into the Shreveport area. He was not from the big city in that 
district, Shreveport, LA; he was from a small town called Plain 
Dealing. It was actually a very fitting name for this Congressman 
because he was a very straightforward, plain-speaking, progressive-
leaning Congressman from this small town called Plain Dealing of only a 
thousand people. That small community of loving and supportive 
families, made up of farmers and small business owners and churchgoers, 
provided a great foundation for Joe Waggonner as he grew and came into 
his professional life and then became a Congressman from this small 
town. He was down to earth, he was honest, and he was a Congressman who 
represented his constituents with a lot of enthusiasm and intelligence. 
He was a Congressmen who would see an issue from all different sides 
and then make the best decision he could. His favorite saying was: ``Do 
unto others as you would have them do unto you.'' So he was always 
quite courteous and respectful in the way he treated other people.
  He was a natural leader. He was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. 
Navy during World War II, and after returning from service there, he 
began his political career as a school board member. Throughout his 
career, he carried an enthusiasm and excitement and energy for school 
issues and for the children of the Fourth District in our State. In 
1961, he won a special election after longtime U.S. Representative 
Overton Brooks died in office and again continued that great tradition 
of representing the Fourth District.
  I can't name all the things Joe did for our State. It would be such a 
long list. But there are a few things that cannot be overlooked. 
Because of Congressman Waggonner's work in his congressional district, 
Barksdale Air Force Base is now one of the largest and strongest Air 
Force bases and is home to the mighty 8th Air Force. This base had been 
scheduled to close some decades ago, but because of his efforts and 
others, led by many of the business and civic leaders in that district 
but primarily because of this Congressman, Barksdale is not only open, 
but it is now going to be the proud home of U.S. Strategic Command's 
Cyber Command.
  Joe was also known for being a pioneer of interstate highways in 
their early days, wanting to put Shreveport on the map. Shreveport and 
Bossier City today are growing in large measure because of his fierce 
advocacy for ports and airports and transportation hubs, as well as the 
Barksdale Air Force Base.
  Along with my predecessor, Senator Bennett Johnson, Joe's efforts 
created a whole new image for Shreveport because of the work they did 
regarding the Red River. With their hard work they opened it to trade 
and transportation. Also, this river is now home to several 
``floating'' casinos that have transformed Bossier City and Shreveport, 
LA, from very sleepy small towns to really booming commercial 
developments attracting gaming interests from all over the region and 
contributing mightily to the economy in north Louisiana.
  I personally say many thanks to his family--his wife Mary Ruth Carter 
Waggonner, his two children, Carol and David, and his three 
grandchildren--for the contributions they made supporting a man through 
many careers in public service in Louisiana. David is a personal friend 
and I know him and his son, Peter, are mourning the loss of their 
father and grandfather. He was a man of tremendous faith. He made 
Louisiana proud. He served us with distinction and with honor. He will 
be remembered as a very distinguished and dignified leader for our 
State, particularly north Louisiana.
  Joe Waggonner was a straightforward, straight-thinking man from Plain 
Dealing, LA. He was a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and was 
very proud of his alma mater and very proud to call Plain Dealing home. 
His leadership and friendship will be missed.

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