[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15073]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING HON. HOWARD COBLE ON BECOMING LONGEST-SERVING REPUBLICAN 
                       IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY

  (Mr. HAYES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HAYES. Madam Speaker and ladies and gentlemen of the House and my 
follow colleagues, today Congressman John Howard Coble from the Sixth 
District of North Carolina makes history by becoming the longest-
serving Republican in the history of the North Carolina delegation.
  Mr. COBLE. Will the gentleman yield to me?
  Mr. HAYES. Not yet.
  Madam Speaker, the dean and the daddy of the delegation is not known 
as one of the rich and famous in Washington, D.C., but is the most 
eligible bachelor on the Hill.
  And as I say that, I yield to my daddy.
  Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I did not know this was coming.
  I thank my friend from North Carolina. And my colleagues, thank you 
for the very generous ovation. I appreciate that very much.
  Mr. Majority Leader, at Pinehurst, North Carolina, the golf capital 
in my district, some days ago a man came up to me and said, ``Are you 
planning on retiring?'' I told him I was not planning on voluntarily 
retiring, but I did say to him that I will not try to emulate Strom 
Thurmond's record.
  But I thank you again, gentlemen.
  Mr. HOYER. Would the gentleman from North Carolina yield?
  Mr. HAYES. I'm happy to yield.
  Mr. HOYER. I want to rise and join my friend from North Carolina in 
recognizing my good friend. Howard Coble and I vote together about 1 or 
2 percent of the time, I'm sure, but he has become a very dear and 
close friend of mine. Howard, I want to congratulate you on your 
service to your State and to your country.
  Mr. COBLE. Thank you, Mr. Leader. Thank you very much.

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