[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17340]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO RALPH HALL

  Mr. CORNYN. I came to the floor to talk about another topic, and that 
is about my friend and fellow Texan Congressman Ralph Hall, who at the 
end of this year will be retiring from representing Texas's Fourth 
District in the House of Representatives for more than three decades. 
It is hard to speak to the entirety of Ralph's 34 years in Congress in 
just a few minutes. I will try. I would be remiss if I didn't mention 
some of his greatest hits, so to speak.
  Let me begin with what I admire most about Ralph Hall and why he is 
so beloved back home in Texas. Why would they return him election after 
election over these many years?
  First, Ralph is someone whom a lot of Texans look up to as a role 
model. He is a happy warrior. Having proudly served this country and 
Texas for over 50 years, he is a man of extraordinary character and 
remarkable integrity.
  Thinking about Ralph, the first thing that comes to mind is his 
service to others, from his military service to being the oldest and 
among the longest serving Members of Congress. Ralph has lived a life 
of service to others and leaves behind a considerable legacy--one that 
will be long remembered and celebrated by people in my State and I 
believe the people of the United States too.
  Those who know Ralph know he is the man who, wherever he goes--
whether it is back home or here in Washington--before leaving a room, 
he will have hugged or shaken the hand of every person in the room, not 
to mention telling a few bad jokes and leaving everybody laughing in 
the process. He is a man who truly cares about others, and that is 
evident by the way he arranged his desk in his Washington office. He 
said one of his favorite things about his office is the view. Even so, 
he arranged his desk with his back to the window so others could sit 
and enjoy the view. This speaks to the kind of man he is, always 
putting other people first.
  As I said, he is also well known for his excellent sense of humor and 
an occasional bad joke. He is a great storyteller and raconteur. He 
does have some pretty good stories to tell, though, from selling 
cigarettes to the famous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, to putting President 
Reagan on hold, to his interesting encounters and friendships with 
Mickey Mantle, Muhammad Ali, Ted Williams, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, 
among others. There are his many stories about flying Hellcat fighter 
aircraft in the U.S. Army during World War II.
  Ralph has led a full and exciting life. During his time in Congress, 
he has not just been the hometown Congressman from Rockwall, TX; he has 
been the hometown Congressman to everyone he has encountered. It 
doesn't matter who you are--Ralph just naturally wants to try to find 
out how he can be helpful to you, from the person he met on the street, 
to the colleagues in the Texas delegation, to the President of the 
United States. That is just the way he is.
  Knowing Ralph, he probably has something up his sleeve that he is not 
telling us about what he is going to do after he leaves Congress next 
month. In fact, when asked about his plans after leaving Congress, 
Ralph mentioned he would probably go to work at Walmart because he has 
to have a job.
  Ralph has always got to have something to do. But it goes to show 
that no matter what he does next, he will not be slowing down anytime 
soon.
  Ralph Hall will be greatly missed in this Congress. I am privileged 
to call him a colleague and a friend. I would like to wish him Godspeed 
and all the best as he continues to recover from a recent car accident 
at home in Rockwall. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in 
the next chapter of his long and storied life.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont

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