[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18562-18563]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING CONGRESSMAN IKE SKELTON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow

[[Page 18563]]

colleague, Mr. Garamendi, for being so generous with this hour. To our 
chairman, Ike Skelton, thank you. Thank you very much.
  What I have learned, sitting for 14 years, my full time here in the 
Congress on this committee, has been invaluable. And you were actually 
the first to ask me to go on a congressional delegation, the first to 
take me before some of the world leaders, the first to tell me about 
what it was to be in the military. And all the information you gave me, 
``Learn the ranks, Loretta. Learn what a star means. Learn what two 
stars mean.'' Just all the very beginning information 14 years ago when 
I got to the committee, I cannot say enough, Ike. I really can't.
  Aside from being somebody who has loved the troops, and you have, and 
I have seen that just as my colleague, Mrs. Davis, and I sitting on the 
Personnel Subcommittee have seen that from you, aside from really being 
the champion for the troops, and that's how I will always remember you, 
you are really a Congressperson's Congressperson. You are somebody that 
we model ourselves after.
  And, Ike, from the bottom of my heart, we will miss you. Thank you. 
Thank you for all the memories, for all the learning, and in particular 
for taking some of the women on the committee under your arm and 
showing us what it is to serve proudly on the House Armed Services 
Committee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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