Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am touched deeply by the gentleman's comments and the fact that you will take this special order to do this. One never expects to find themselves in this position, and we have seen it over the years as others make their departures, and you never know exactly how it feels until that time comes for yourself. But I appreciate so much the gentleman's kind words opening this and those of my friends and my colleagues that had very kind things to say.

It is the friendships, I think, that one can develop here that is important. It is not just the work. It is the friendships that you can develop and the growth and the years that you can watch occur to your colleagues and to your friends and to your staff.

I appreciate so much the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) mentioning so many people that have been involved in the making of the success of the office, not my success, but the success of the office that the people of the 19th District through 10 elections gave us the opportunity to sit in because they are important. He knows them well. As he mentioned, as a former chief of staff, he is one of those that should definitely be mentioned when you think about hiring the best. You all see that every day in the work that he continues and that he does in this House, his thoughtfulness, his integrity, his intelligence, his character.

Sharon and I fondly remember watching him and his now-wife and mother of their children when they were dating and attending their wedding and watching Mary Kemp and Will as they grew up and as they were born and as they have turned into young adults; and they are dear, dear friends and very dear in our hearts.

And to others, I am just sorry that when Gil Gutknecht was here we did not have a little Rodney Dangerfield episode. I encourage any of my colleagues who have never had the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) do Rodney Dangerfield that it is worth your time.

To, obviously, all of those who put in the hard work on the committee and those who came tonight that were not part of the committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger) are dear Texas friends for coming and sharing with us. They are both dear, dear friends, dear people to us, and their families.

That will be the thing, I suppose, more than anything that is missed. It has been a wonderful ending to a career that we have seen an opportunity to visit with a lot of groups. I always find that the person whose name is on the letterhead is the one who gets the award or the one who gets the acclaim, but certainly not the one that solely is responsible for any of the work that is done. I think back to the most recent thing, of course that has been the farm bill, but back to the years on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a wonderful dedicated staff of public servants. Most of their work no one will ever know.

We wrote a piece of work over a 2-year period of time that was called IC-21, the Intelligence Community for the 21st Century, and it created a lot of turf battles. It did not get far, but I told the staff as that was completed that the good news was and the thing they could rest in was that someday the intelligence community would look like that product. And following September 11, it is becoming to look more like it, because it was a work in what should be done.

Certainly the most recent effort, the farm bill, was a tremendous dedication

by a lot of people. The committee and all of the members of the committee were so dedicated to producing a product and laying aside any partisan bickering and certainly laying aside even parochial interest for the better of the whole. And it was a success. It was something that took a lot of work.

I have often said to those groups that I have had a chance to meet with that I only wish that they knew the work that was put in by the committee staff. It is something they will never have an appreciation of, the time that they spend away from family; literally the nights that were spent on the floor, on couches, in chairs, wherever they could grab a quick nap, wherever they could get a little rest and then plod on from there. They never quit. They never gave up. They did it with wonderful smiling faces. American agriculture, I think, has never seen such a capable staff assembled, nor do I suspect they will ever see one that is more capable ever assembled in the future. They did such great work.

Bill O'Conner, chief of staff, who was in and around the committee nearly 20 years ago when I started, and who knows a great deal about the institution, about agriculture, and about the process. And it was many, many long hard hours under his leadership and direction that that staff continued to work. And everyone worked together. Tom Sell, who was the deputy chief of staff, one of the great young men that I have gotten to know over the years. It does not hurt also that his son and I share the same birthday. Noah and Gil Gutknecht and I have the same birthday, and it is something we will obviously always remember.

I could tell a story about every member of that staff and the work that they put into the end product that became the farm bill. There were some, Alan Mackey, who literally was so wracked with pain that it was difficult at times for him to even get out of bed, but was always there, every day, long, long hours every day. Dr. Elizabeth Parker was undergoing chemo at the time and set a new style for women's hair fashions in the Committee on Agriculture. She was there every day. Debbie Smith, whose home was less than a quarter of a mile away from those hit by a tornado, spent 3 days up here and never went home to see how things were because it was at a critical time here.

So many others on both the majority and the minority. There was an effort put into this in a bipartisan fashion, as my dear, dear friend Charlie Stenholm said that was not for politics but for the good of the cause of American agriculture.

There are so many people over the years that I could spend a lot longer than any of my colleagues want to spend mentioning the staff and the work they do. They make us look awfully good. All of us know that. They are the ones that produce the work that really makes a difference, that keep the fires burning. I will be very remiss in not mentioning every one of them, and I could, and you are all in my thoughts; but I will particularly mention Lynn and Patty, who were there the day the door opened and will be there the day the lights are turned out, and have just kept things going, and so many in the district.

It has reminded me a great deal over the past several months of a particular translation from Corinthians that says, ``What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from God how can anyone boast as having accomplished anything on their own?'' And I think we have to always recognize there are a lot of others, including much more powerful than we, who direct our lives and who direct the things that we do.

And I will just close with this, Mr. Speaker, again giving my appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, but saving the best for last, I want to thank Sharon. This is, as all my colleagues know, a family effort. This is not something we, anyone, does alone. It takes a tremendous amount of sacrifice and dedication on the part of our spouses. Mine is extra special.

I have very fond memories of this place, but one of the things that she and I have talked about is that we hope that we have spent our last night apart, as so many nights we spend apart from our families when we are in Congress. And to those of you who we will miss greatly not being here, the fact that 24 hours of every day I will spend with her, I can take missing you all a little bit. We are looking very forward to the next phase in our lives, spending it together.

It was quite ironic, I think, when we made the announcement publicly that we were going to make this move. We just simply could not quit. Everyone was just so interested, particularly the media, about what was wrong. There has to be a problem. You cannot just walk away from this. And I think she summed it up quite well when she said, isn't it really sad that people do not think you can leave that to spend more time with your wife? And it is, I guess, if people think that with all of the wonderful opportunities that we have here, that that is more important to us than those that we care about.

And so we are looking forward to this next phase, I will assure you, as much as we were 18\1/2\ years ago when we came here preparing for this phase; but it will be done in a different setting. We intend to continue in our service. It will be in an unpaid capacity, and it will be done out of dedication and love for each other and for people. But this has been a wonderful opportunity, and I am proud of the accomplishments that this House has made over the years and that I have been able to just sit here and be a part of it.

We will continue to watch you occasionally, to see how you are doing. But come about middle of the summer, when it is really hot and humid here, we will be somewhere under the cool trees in the mountains of Colorado, maybe spending enough time there that I could almost become a constituent of my good friend Governor Bill Owens. We will not be there quite that long, we will always have a home in our beloved Texas, but we are looking forward to that adventure in our lives.

So next week, when you are out doing your Memorial Day parades, we are going to start the fishing trip. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Lennard Christensen, who has been named Male Athlete of the Year of Texas Tech University.

Lennard began playing with the Texas Tech football team in 1999. In the fall of 2000-2001 he was named to the Big Twelve Academic first team. He excelled on special teams and always inspired his teammates with his positive attitude. Even though he was not a starter on defense, Lennard nonetheless earned enough respect from his teammates to receive many votes for Team Captain.

In addition to his dedication to Red Raider football, Lennard served as President of the Texas Tech Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the Big Twelve Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In 2001, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas Tech with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and is currently maintaining a 4.0 in Tech's M.B.A. program. As if these accomplishments on the athletic field and in the classroom were not enough, Lennard is currently applying his many talents and work ethic in my office as an intern under the Texas Tech President's Congressional Intern Program for the Spring 2003 semester. He is a valuable asset to me and my staff under this program which enables students to learn firsthand about the legislative process.

It is with great pride and pleasure, Mr. Speaker, that I call to my colleagues' attention the outstanding achievements of this dedicated and motivated young man, who is has brought a great credit to his generation, his school and our fine State. Lennard is truly a born leader, whose future is bright. I am confident that he will continue to set lofty goals, and will not stop working hard to attain them. I congratulate him on this distinct honor and wish him all the best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Marsha Sharp for her outstanding accomplishments as the head coach of the Texas Tech Lady Raiders. Her efforts have gained her 500 career wins at the helm of this storied basketball program.

Marsha Sharp has become the 22nd women's basketball coach in NCAA Division I history, and just the second in Texas, to achieve 500 wins. Her career record of 500-156 and winning percentage of .762 ranks in the top 10 among all-time Division I coaches. Marsha Sharp's success as a coach and mentor has been nationally renowned during her 20 years at Texas Tech.

Her commitment to excellence has earned many successes for both her and the teams that she has led. Coach Sharp is in her 21st season as the head coach of the Lady Raider Basketball program. She guided the Lady Raiders to the NCAA National Championship in 1993 and has led Texas Tech to the NCAA Tournament 15 times, including 13 straight. She has taken her team to the Sweet 16 nine times and the Elite Eight three times. She has also led her teams to numerous conference titles.

Marsha Sharp's achievements go far beyond wins and conference titles. She has volunteered her precious time for numerous civic activities and non-profit organizations. She helps these worthy groups generate awareness and raise much needed funds. Texas Tech and the Lubbock Community are very privileged to have an individual that is as caring and generous as Coach Sharp.

It is with great pride that I commend Marsha Sharp for her accomplishments as a coach and community leader, and I congratulate her on winning her 500th game as the head coach of the Lady Raiders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call my colleagues' attention to an honor recently bestowed on my constituent and friend, Mr. David Seim.

Recently, David was awarded the Rita Harmon Volunteer Service Award from the Lubbock Area United Way in recognition of his lifetime of community service. David's work with various organizations such as the South Plains Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Lubbock Country Club, the Southwest Lubbock Rotary Club, YWCA, Covenant Health System and Trinity Church exemplify his selfless nature and dedication to the public good. Through his hard work and giving nature, the Lubbock community has benefited immensely.

David attended Texas Tech and graduated from the Southern Methodist University's Graduate School of Banking. While he works for Plains Capitol Corp. in Dallas, he still lives in Lubbock and continues to serve as a board member of the Lubbock Area United Way.

It is with great pleasure, Mr. Speaker, that I honor this dedicated man for his commitment to give back to his community. David Seim has given much of his life to serving his community, and his efforts are greatly appreciated. I wish to congratulate David on his recent award and thank him for his continuing dedication to the public good.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements of Jessica Hughes, an individual who has overcome her physical disabilities and has become an inspiration to all with whom she comes in contact.

Jessica Hughes, a determined 16-year-old from Idalou, Texas, was born with cerebral palsy, is visually impaired, and is confined to a wheelchair, but does not let her disabilities slow her down. She actively participates in State and local stock shows, in which she proudly shows lambs. She has been showing lambs since she was in the third grade and has won several ribbons at fairs in Lubbock.

At her home, she trains and exercises the lambs every day, sometimes with the assistance of her father. Although she lacks the physical strength to lift the lambs, as many of the children showing them do, she has overcome that barrier with a modification to her motorized wheelchair. All who witness her compete in these shows cannot help but be encouraged by her indomitable spirit.

I would like to call the attention of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to the achievements of this remarkable young lady. Jessica Hughes is indeed an inspiration to all and a fine role model for young people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the Cheerleaders of Frenship Junior High. Through their hard work and dedication, these young women won the National Cheerleading Association National Championship.

Since September, the girls of Frenship Junior High have practiced their routines at least two hours a week. The competition began on December 28th, where the girls qualified for the finals competition the next day. They overcame nerves and last minute alterations in their routine to take the championship on December 29, 2002 with a score of 9.05 on a scale of 10. After so many months of practice and determination, the squad pulled through with a spectacular victory.

It is with great pleasure, Mr. Speaker, that I honor these dedicated young women for their commitment to their sport. The Frenship Junior High School cheerleaders stand out as very dedicated and motivated individuals. I wish to congratulate these girls on their success in such a competitive sport.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Marsha Sharp for her outstanding dedication to the athletic and academic achievement of her student-athletes. Her efforts have gained her an induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame for spring 2003.

Marsha Sharp will be among the fifth class of inductees into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. The six individuals inducted in this class will bring the total number of individuals in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame to 73. Marsha Sharp is more than a coach; she is also a leader and role-model for many athletes and students not only at Texas Tech, but all across the country.

Her commitment to excellence has earned many successes for both her and the teams that she has led. Coach Sharp is in her 21st season as the head coach of the Lady Raider Basketball program and in that time has established a career record of 479-153, She guided the Lady Raiders to the NCAA National Championship in 1993 and has led Texas Tech to the NCAA Tournament 15 times, including 13 straight. She has taken her team to the Sweet 16 nine times and the Elite Eight three times. She has also led her teams to numerous conference titles.

The Women's Basketball News Service and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association named her coach of the year in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Marsha Sharp has not only led her teams to success on the court, but also in the classroom, as 99 percent of her student athletes have graduated during her tenure at Texas Tech.

It is with great pride that I commend Marsha Sharp for her active involvement and leadership both on and off the court, and I congratulate her on being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.