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Floyd Spence

LATE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM

SOUTH CAROLINA

÷

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES

AND OTHER TRIBUTES

HON. FLOYD SPENCE ÷z 1928–2001

HON. FLOYD SPENCE ÷z 1928–2001


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U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2001

Memorial Addresses and

Other Tributes

HELD IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AND SENATE

OF THE UNITED STATES

TOGETHER WITH MEMORIAL SERVICE

IN HONOR OF

FLOYD SPENCE

Late a Representative from South Carolina

One Hundred Seventh Congress

First Session

÷

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Compiled under the direction

of the

Joint Committee on Printing 

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CONTENTS 

Page 

Biography .................................................................................................. v 

Proceedings in the House of Representatives: 

Tributes by Representatives: 

Bereuter, Doug, of Nebraska ..................................................... 11

Brown, Henry E., Jr., of South Carolina .................................. 13

Buyer, Steve, of Indiana ............................................................ 20

DeMint, Jim, of South Carolina ................................................ 19

Everett, Terry, of Alabama ........................................................ 21

Gilman, Benjamin A., of New York .......................................... 14

Graham, Lindsey O., of South Carolina ................................... 15

Hansen, James V., of Utah ....................................................... 10

Hastert, J. Dennis, of Illinois .................................................... 3

Hayworth, J.D., of Arizona ........................................................ 9

Hilleary, Van, of Tennessee ...................................................... 25

Hunter, Duncan, of California .................................................. 12

Johnson, Sam, of Texas ............................................................. 8

Ortiz, Solomon P., of Texas ....................................................... 5

Rush, Bobby L, of Illinois .......................................................... 24

Ryun, Jim, of Kansas ................................................................. 18

Skelton, Ike, of Missouri ............................................................ 7, 27

Spratt, John M., Jr., of South Carolina ................................... 4, 13

Stearns, Cliff, of Florida ............................................................ 16

Stump, Bob, of Arizona .............................................................. 6, 27

Underwood, Robert A., of Guam ............................................... 17

Watts, J.C., Jr., of Oklahoma .................................................... 21

Weldon, Curt, of Pennsylvania ................................................. 22, 26

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Thurmond, Strom, of South Carolina ....................................... 29

Tribute from the Reserve Officers Association ...................................... 31

Funeral Service ......................................................................................... 35 

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[ v ]

BIOGRAPHY

Congressman FLOYD DAVIDSON SPENCE, 73, the Dean of 

the South Carolina delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives, died on Thursday, August 16, 2001, at Saint 

Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital, in Jackson, Mississippi. 

His death was due to complications following the removal of 

a subdural hematoma on August 9, 2001, while he was being 

treated for Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Serving in his 16th 

term in the House, Congressman SPENCE was the chairman 

emeritus of the House Committee on Armed Services and the 

chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Procurement. 

Congressman SPENCE was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on April 9, 1928, the son of James Wilson Spence and 

Addie Jane Lucas Spence. He was married to the late Lula 

Hancock Drake Spence, of Drake, South Carolina, for 25 

years. On July 3, 1988, he married the former Deborah Ellen 

Williams, of Lexington, South Carolina. 

Congressman SPENCE graduated from Lexington High 

School, where he achieved ‘‘All-State’’ honors in football and 

participated in the 1947 Shrine Bowl game. In 1987, he was 

inducted into the Lexington County High School Athletic 

Hall of Fame. 

Congressman SPENCE attended the University of South 

Carolina on an athletic scholarship, and he received the degree of bachelor of arts in english in 1952. He was elected 

president of the student body, president of the South Carolina Association of Student Governments, junior class president, and was a member of the student council. He was also 

named to the dean’s list, the honor council, and the honor 

board. He was initiated into Kappa Alpha Order (social fraternity), Omicron Delta Kappa (honorary leadership fraternity), and Kappa Sigma Kappa (honorary service fraternity). 

He was selected as an ‘‘Outstanding Senior,’’ and he was the 

recipient of the Algernon-Sydney Sullivan Award (as the outstanding male student for 1952), as well as listed in Who’s 

Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.

He was a member of the Young Men’s Christian Association 

(YMCA) Cabinet, the German Club, and the Compass and 

Chart Society. An accomplished athlete, he played football 

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and basketball, and was the captain of the varsity track 

team, of which he was a member of the record-setting mile 

relay team. 

Congressman SPENCE enlisted as a recruit in the U.S. 

Naval Reserve when in high school, and, as an undergraduate, he was a battalion subcommander of the U.S. 

Navy ROTC unit at the University of South Carolina. He 

was commissioned as an ensign upon graduation from college, and entered active duty during the Korean war. He 

served on the USS Carter Hall (LSD–3) from 1952 to 1953 

and the USS LSM–397 from 1953 to 1954. Later in his military career, he was the commanding officer of a Naval Reserve surface division and the group commander of all Naval 

Reserve units in Columbia, South Carolina. He was a graduate of the Defense Strategy Seminar of the National War 

College and of the National Security Seminar of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. In 1988, he retired as a 

captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Additionally, he was a 

former member of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval 

Academy. 

In 1956, Congressman SPENCE received the degree of bachelor of laws from the University of South Carolina School of 

Law, which was replaced with the degree of juris doctor in 

1970. While in law school, he was elected editor of the South 

Carolina Law Quarterly, chief justice of the Phi Alpha Delta 

Law Fraternity, vice president of the Law Federation, and 

was a member of the Law Federation Cabinet. Upon graduation in 1956, he began the practice of law as a partner in the 

firm of Callison and Spence, in West Columbia, South Carolina, where he practiced until becoming a Member of Congress in 1971. He was admitted to the bar of the Supreme 

Court of the United States, and he was a former member of 

the American Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, and 

the Lexington County Bar Association. 

FLOYD SPENCE began his political career in 1956, as a 

Democrat in the South Carolina House of Representatives. 

In 1962, he helped pioneer the development of the two-party 

system in South Carolina by becoming the first member of 

the General Assembly to switch to the Republican Party. In 

1966 he was elected as a Republican, to the South Carolina 

Senate. He served as the Senate Minority Leader and as the 

chairman of the Joint Senate-House Internal Security Committee. 

In 1970, FLOYD SPENCE was elected to the U.S. House of 

Representatives. Throughout his service in the House, ConVerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:22 Jun 19, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\75502.TXT APPS25 PsN: DICKT
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gressman SPENCE maintained one of the highest voting attendance records, while consistently supporting a strong national defense and fiscal integrity. Congressman SPENCE was 

recognized around the world as an authority on defense 

issues. From January 1995 to January 2001, Congressman 

SPENCE was the chairman of the House Committee on National Security, which, during his chairmanship, returned to 

its former name of the Committee on Armed Services. For 13 

years, he was the ranking member of the Committee on 

Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics Committee). He was 

selected by his colleagues to serve as a member of the Republican Committee on Committees for a number of years, 

and he was also elected to serve as the representative for the 

Tidewater Region on the Republican Policy Committee for 

the 104th through 107th Congresses. 

Congressman SPENCE was a member of Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church, in Lexington, South Carolina, where he 

served on the Church Council and as a Sunday School teacher. He was also a member of the Advisory Board of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, in Columbia, South 

Carolina. 

An active supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, Congressman SPENCE served as a scoutmaster, a council executive board member, a council advisory board member, and a 

district chairman. He was also the recipient of the Silver 

Beaver Award. 

Congressman SPENCE was a charter member of the University of South Carolina Association of Lettermen, as well 

as a former vice president for the Eleventh Circuit and 

Councilor-at-Large of the University of South Carolina 

Alumni Association. He was also a former member of the 

Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

Congressman SPENCE was named in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, and Who’s Who 

in American Politics. In 1978, he was awarded the Order of 

the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest honor, by Governor 

James B. Edwards. He was a former commander of the Wade 

Hampton Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, as well 

as a member of numerous civic, fraternal, and military organizations. 

Congressman SPENCE received the honorary degree of doctor of laws from The Citadel on May 13, 1995. He received 

the honorary degree of doctor of public service from the University of South Carolina on August 12, 1995. On September 

3, 1996, the Floyd Spence Wing of the Lexington Medical 

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Center Extended Care Facility was dedicated in his honor. 

On November 4, 1996, the Congressman Floyd D. Spence 

U.S. Army Reserve Center was dedicated in his honor at 

Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The Spence Center for Composites Technology, in West Columbia, South Carolina, was 

named in honor of Congressman SPENCE on May 22, 1999. 

Congressman SPENCE was the recipient of a successful 

double lung transplant on May 6, 1988, and a successful kidney transplant on May 26, 2000. He actively supported organ 

donor awareness programs. 

He is survived by his wife, Deborah Williams Spence, of 

Lake Murray; four sons from his first marriage: Floyd Davidson ‘‘David’’ Spence, Jr., Zachariah William ‘‘Zack’’ Spence, 

Benjamin Dudley ‘‘Ben’’ Spence, and Caldwell Drake Spence, 

all of Lake Murray; brothers and sisters: Allan Johnson 

Spence, Sr. and Anna ‘‘Ann’’ Spence Clement, both of Lake 

Murray, Robert O. ‘‘Buck’’ Stevenson of Ballentine, Juanita 

Stevenson Smith of West Columbia, and Johnny Spence of 

Lexington; and nine grandchildren: Caldwell Drake Spence, 

Jr., Clint Alexander Spence, Rutledge Lucas Spence, 

Montford Whitfield Spence, Courtney Blaine Spence, Zachariah Julian Spence, Kylie Elizabeth Spence, Lauren Hancock 

Spence and Corrie Brooke Spence. 

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MEMORIAL ADDRESSES

AND

OTHER TRIBUTES

FOR

FLOYD SPENCE 

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Proceedings in the House of 

Representatives 

WEDNESDAY, September 5, 2001

The House met at 2 p.m. 

The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered 

the following prayer: 

God of our forebears in faith, and ever-present Lord of life, 

Be with us as we begin this fall session of the 107th Congress. 

Bless the families of all of the Members of the House of 

Representatives. 

Bless also the workers in district offices and all the people 

met during summer recess. 

Now, help all Members to focus their attention on the priorities set before them by the deepest desires of the American people and the honest dialog of colleagues in this House. 

Encourage them in sincere debate until the best ideas surface. 

Guide them to sound resolution on complex issues so that 

Your Holy Will will be accomplished in our time and bright 

hope be instilled in Your people. 

Grant eternal peace to former Member, the Honorable 

FLOYD DAVIDSON SPENCE and former Chaplain, Dr. James 

David Ford, who died since our last gathering. May their 

families and friends be surrounded with the consolation and 

peace which You alone can offer. 

May all Americans catch a glimpse of Your glory that they 

may risk everything to bring about Your Kingdom of truth, 

justice and love now and forever. 

Amen. 

IN HONOR OF OUR GREAT COLLEAGUE 

Mr. HASTERT. Madam Speaker, it is my sad duty to announce to the House of Representatives the death of the late 

Honorable FLOYD SPENCE of South Carolina on August 16, 

2001. His funeral was held in Columbia, South Carolina, on 

August 21, 2001. 

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Later today, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 

Spratt), the dean of the South Carolina delegation, will offer 

a resolution in memory of our beloved colleague. Members 

are invited to contact the gentleman from South Carolina 

(Mr. Spratt) or the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 

Graham) if they wish to participate in this tribute. Members 

will be advised of plans for a subsequent special order in 

memory of FLOYD SPENCE. I think we will all remember 

FLOYD SPENCE for his love of this Nation, his love of this 

House, and his strong and spirited defense always for the 

armed services members of this country. 

EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE REGARDING DEATH OF THE 

HONORABLE FLOYD SPENCE FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA 

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution 

(H. Res. 234) and ask for its immediate consideration. 

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: 

H. RES. 234

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 

of the Honorable FLOYD SPENCE, a Representative from the State of South 

Carolina. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and 

transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as a further 

mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for 1 hour.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 

may consume. 

Mr. Speaker, while we were on recess, FLOYD SPENCE, a 

native South Carolinian, a friend of us all, and a Member of 

excellent standing passed away. 

FLOYD was a star athlete, a student leader, a naval officer 

in Korea, a State legislator, and a pioneer Republican in a 

State that, at the time, was thoroughly Democratic. 

For 30 long, dedicated years he served here proudly, with 

total loyalty to this grand old institution of the Republic and 

to the Armed Forces of the United States, which he effectively represented on the Committee on Armed Services for 

all of that time, 6 of those years as a very able chairman of 

the committee. 

Many Members overcome obstructions or hurdles or suffer 

hardships to serve here. Few of us endure what FLOYD

SPENCE endured, a double lung transplant. At the time, he 

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was one of the few in America ever to survive such a procedure. I can recall his recounting how after the operation 

every movement of his body was excruciatingly painful. Yet, 

even though he had reason, I never heard him complain. I 

never heard him express anxiety about his condition. I never 

heard him boast. 

I often heard him stand before groups, particularly from 

South Carolina, and tell them, ‘‘I am glad to be here.’’ He 

would pause a minute and say, ‘‘Heck, I am glad to be anywhere.’’ It was that kind of understated humor, that kind of 

affability, that kind of civility, that made him the gentleman 

from South Carolina on this floor, in the committee, not just 

in name but in the truest sense of the word. He left us all 

a worthy example to emulate, personally and professionally. 

To his family, to his four proud sons, to Debbie, his wife, 

we extend our heartfelt sorrow. We will miss FLOYD too, but 

rest assured, we will always, always, remember him, and 

never forget his courage, his spirit, and the sterling example 

he left us of what it means to serve in this great institution. 

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from 

Texas (Mr. Ortiz).

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of knowing 

FLOYD SPENCE for about 20 years. He was my good friend. 

Just like my good friend, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), says, he had a great sense of humor. I can 

remember when one day he said, ‘‘You know, I have more 

spare parts than a used car dealer.’’

He was a great gentleman. I loved him. My family loved 

him, and Debbie, who nourished him when he had the double lung transplant. When we would see FLOYD, as the gentleman said, we would ask, ‘‘You have a new suit?’’ And he 

would say, ‘‘No, it is secondhand used.’’ This was the kind of 

guy he was. We loved him. 

To Debbie and his sons: We are going to miss this great 

American. 

Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I rise with a heavy heart 

today as we pay tribute to a friend, a colleague, and a stalwart for our Nation’s armed services and the country. FLOYD

SPENCE and I were friends for as long as I have been in Congress. 

In addition to his zeal and dedication on behalf of his constituents in his beloved South Carolina, I admired his outlook on life. 

FLOYD was determined to squeeze every drop of life he 

could from his time on this Earth—and he succeeded. 

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From the double lung transplant to the kidney transplant, 

FLOYD said he had more spare parts than a used car dealer. 

What was amazing was that he survived all this for so long. 

He had an amazing ability to recover from deadly afflictions. 

He was supremely dedicated to his duty to South Carolina, 

to our armed services, and to the United States of America. 

I know this because I traveled with FLOYD to places on every 

part of this planet to inspect our military bases. Wherever 

we went, he insisted we talk to enlisted men, not just the 

generals. 

Our Nation has lost a great hero. I have lost my friend, 

mi amigo. 

I offer Debbie and his children—David, Zack, Benjamin 

and Caldwell—my deepest condolences for their loss. 

FLOYD loved his family so very much. It was Debbie, when 

FLOYD had the double lung transplant and was at his lowest, 

who gave him the support and encouragement he needed, 

and nursed him back to health. 

FLOYD had a stubborn resolution to live, to enjoy life. He 

knew his time was one day at a time—he told me that each 

day was extra icing on the cake of his life. The anti-rejection 

medicine he took greatly diminished his ability to ward off 

simple infections. 

I will miss that giant of a man with a laugh he was quick 

to share. The camaraderie often noted as now missing in the 

House of Representatives had led our critics, and ourselves, 

and leads people to say that we lack either bipartisanship or 

simple human trust. 

But because of my friendships with so many of my Republican colleagues, most notably my friend FLOYD SPENCE, I 

know the trust we engender here is real and it works on behalf of the American people. 

We may disagree on the issues of the day, but we are 

united in our belief that close bipartisan relationships serve 

all of us and the American people we represent. 

I will miss you, FLOYD. I thank the gentleman from South 

Carolina for speeding our consideration of this resolution 

today.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), chairman of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. 

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution recognizing the tragic and untimely death of our friend, colleague, 

and former chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, 

FLOYD SPENCE. He was a patriot, most of all a gentleman, 

and one of Congress’ most ardent supporters and tireless advocates for our Nation’s military. 

During his long and distinguished career in the military 

and then public service, FLOYD devoted his life to the belief 

that there are certain principles worth defending: freedom, 

democracy, and the promise of global stability achieved 

through a policy of peace through strength. 

As chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, FLOYD

led our committee and this country through many tough 

times. It was largely due to his efforts that we were able to 

reverse the trend of the decline in spending for our military. 

FLOYD leaves behind a proud legacy of accomplishment 

and service to our Nation and to the Armed Forces to which 

every public servant should aspire. It was a privilege to 

serve with him. I will miss him as a leader, a colleague, and 

most of all, a friend. 

It is only fitting that we send FLOYD off with a traditional 

Navy farewell wish: fair winds and following seas.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), a ranking member of 

the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 

South Carolina for yielding time to me. 

Mr. Speaker, FLOYD SPENCE was a true Southern gentleman, a good friend, a dedicated Congressman, and a 

champion of a strong national defense. I had the privilege 

and pleasure of serving with him on the Committee on 

Armed Services during his chairmanship, and I found that 

he always worked for the betterment of our men and women 

in uniform and for our national security. I will miss him. I 

will miss him very much. 

Almost a year ago, an overflow crowd gathered in the 

Committee on Armed Services hearing room for the unveiling of FLOYD’s portrait as chairman of the committee. Often 

we do not have the chance to let friends know how we feel 

about them before they are gone, so I am very grateful that 

we had that evening together to enjoy FLOYD’s company, and 

to let him know personally how much he meant to us. 

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FLOYD SPENCE began serving this country as an active 

duty member of the U.S. Naval Reserve during the Korean 

conflict. That service continued until the end of his life. 

Our former chairman understood that our Nation needs a 

strong national defense, and he worked tirelessly with Members on both sides of the aisle to strengthen our Armed 

Forces and to take care of the men and women in uniform 

and their families. No one spoke out more forcefully on the 

need to maintain readiness. 

On rare occasions we disagreed, but never disagreeably. 

Our relationship was one of mutual respect based upon values which we both learned in small towns named Lexington, 

one in South Carolina and one in Missouri. 

During the years FLOYD SPENCE served on the Committee 

on Armed Services, he blessed us with his leadership, honored us with his friendship, and inspired us with his courage. FLOYD SPENCE was courteous, he was thoughtful, he 

was respectful of others. It was a pleasure for me to serve 

in Congress with this decent, fair, and honorable man. We 

are all the richer for his years of dedicated service to the 

Committee on Armed Services, the Congress of the United 

States, the people of South Carolina, and our Nation. 

I extend my deepest sympathy to his wife, Debbie, to his 

four sons, and to his entire family.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), a true American hero 

and a former POW.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the 

gentleman for yielding time to me. 

Tonight I rise to pay tribute to a great American. He was 

a true patriot, my friend, FLOYD SPENCE. 

FLOYD and I first became friends when I came to the Congress in 1991. As a career Air Force fighter pilot for 29 

years, I felt inclined to keep abreast of issues of importance 

to our national security and Armed Forces. Knowing my passion for the military, FLOYD went out of his way to update 

me early and often, even though I had not served on his committee. 

In fact, because I was a POW in Vietnam and also a veteran of the Korean war, FLOYD turned to me in confidence 

regarding issues before his committees, the Committee on 

Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services, and 

he found it important to hear an outside perspective. 

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He was a true conservative. He did support our American 

military and our American way of life in all that he did. 

FLOYD was a true friend and a faithful leader for our men 

and women in the Armed Forces, and he always put our 

services’ interest first and foremost. 

Mr. Speaker, just this year FLOYD traveled with us to the 

Paris air show, where he looked there at foreign airplanes 

and ours in demonstration, and how proud he was of our 

own Armed Forces when they were out there performing before the world. It was a reflection that just made me admire 

him all the more. 

In reflection, I am sad that I can no longer turn to my 

friend FLOYD on the floor. His family and friends are in my 

thoughts and prayers. I know he is in a better place. FLOYD

SPENCE was and is a great American.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth).

Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Committee on the Budget and the gentleman from 

South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for yielding me time as we join 

tonight in true bipartisan fashion to remember and pay tribute to our great and good friend, FLOYD SPENCE. 

The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) outlined 

the resume of accomplishments of our friend FLOYD, the fact 

that he was a star athlete at the University of South Carolina. Now that football season has started, I think of his beloved Gamecocks that have had great success last year and 

show promise in this season. He was captain of the track 

team, one who served this country with distinction as an officer in the Navy. The gentleman from South Carolina is right: 

he set the pace for a Republican birth in the 20th century 

in South Carolina in 1962. 

He came to this institution 3 decades ago. Mr. Speaker, I 

think of the lives he has touched, the difference he made for 

this Nation, not with grand and glorious orations, but with 

simple acts of kindness and repeated instances of a healthy 

dose of common sense. 

He understood that our Constitution clearly calls for this 

Nation and this government to provide for the common defense. He made no bones about his feelings and his priority 

for national security. And through it all in his days here he 

showed us the gift of being able to disagree without being 

disagreeable. Mr. Speaker, no Member of this House is as beloved as our friend FLOYD. 

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We thank him for his service. We thank his family and the 

State of South Carolina for giving us in this House a remarkable public servant.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).

Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I walked in this place in 1980, 

and I was asked to sit on the Committee on Ethics. Nobody 

wants to serve on the Committee on Ethics, but the ranking 

member of the Committee on Ethics happened to be FLOYD

SPENCE. FLOYD served there for years and years and years. 

We had a horrible case right off the bat. It was called the 

sex scandal with pages made up by CBS and one of their reporters. FLOYD handled that with more dignity than I have 

ever seen anyone handle anything. He was the ranking 

member, and he served longer on that committee than anybody in this House. 

I hate to admit it, but I matched it at 14 years when I was 

on the Committee on Ethics. He did that with great distinction. I remember when we used to watch FLOYD come across 

in a wheelchair with his girl Caroline pulling him across 

there with the oxygen. He heard of a doctor down in Mississippi who could do a double lung transplant, a doctor from 

India. He did this with a young boy who was killed on a motorcycle. He became very close to the family. 

He called the mother Mom. She used to come up here. 

They were very close. That is what we would expect from a 

man like FLOYD SPENCE, a man who was a Navy captain 

himself, who had more compassion for people than most I 

have ever seen in my life. I stand amazed at the compassion 

he had and point out what a gentleman he was. It is too bad 

there are not more Southern gentlemen left in America 

today, a person who always opened the door for somebody, 

a person who took somebody for what they were and not 

what they could give them. This is the kind of person that 

FLOYD SPENCE was. 

I have to say that the people who wear the uniform today, 

if you are watching this today and you are a private or a 

general, you owe an awful lot to FLOYD SPENCE. I do not 

know a man among this bunch of 435 of us who looked out 

more for the military. He used to say, I make no bones about 

it. I will take care of our military boys, our enlisted kids, our 

officers; and we will have the best we can. 

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He left a legacy for all of us. I appreciate FLOYD SPENCE. 

To his wife, Debbie, and his family, we wish them the very 

best.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, FLOYD SPENCE was a good, 

valued, and valuable Member of this House. He will be 

missed greatly. I want his family to know and all of his 

friends and constituents what a tremendous contribution he 

has made to the country. The gentleman from Utah (Mr. 

Hansen) just outlined in brief form the contributions he 

made to our armed services. 

FLOYD SPENCE was a living, breathing, walking miracle 

and he knew it. It affected his life, and it affected all of us 

who knew FLOYD. 

I had a friendship with him my entire 23 years here. He 

began his service earlier than that. We shared a passion for 

planting trees on our respective acreage in South Carolina 

and Nebraska. We are members of the same religious denomination. We talked about religion and its importance to 

us many times. Mostly, I knew FLOYD SPENCE because of his 

involvement with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, formerly known as the North Atlantic Assembly. I chair that 

delegation and have since 1995. FLOYD, much senior to me, 

was a very valuable member of that delegation. All of us on 

that delegation, Republicans, Democrats and our spouses 

and staff, miss the tremendous contributions that he has 

made. We miss them already. 

He was a member of the Defense and Security Committee 

of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and, of course, as a 

chairman and then former chairman of our House Committee on Armed Services, his word was greatly respected 

and sought after in that Assembly. FLOYD did not speak 

often; but when he did, people listened. At our last meeting 

he was an important contributor on a discussion about national missile defense. Regardless of how one feels about that 

subject, he made us proud that he was a Member of the 

House of Representatives. 

So to Debbie and his four sons, whom he talked about all 

the time, and their families, we offer our most sincere condolences. FLOYD made a major contribution to this country. We 

thank him, we thank you, his family, for sharing his talent 

and his courageous character with this House.

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Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), one of FLOYD’s closest 

friends.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I recall when a number of us 

went down a few days ago to the memorial service in South 

Carolina, I thought one of the great parts of the eulogy was 

when FLOYD’s doctor who did the double lung transplant 

read the nurse’s notes that were transcribed the day that 

FLOYD got married, shortly after the operation. He read the 

nurse’s notes saying, ‘‘It appears now people are filing into 

the hospital room for a marriage.’’ She seemed to be somewhat surprised by that, and later on it said in fact the marriage ceremony had taken place; and she concluded, ‘‘The patient has tolerated the marriage well so far.’’

I thought that was a great remark and reflection on FLOYD

SPENCE’s life because FLOYD SPENCE tolerated a lot of things 

well. He tolerated discord and disharmony and tough times 

and times when it seemed like all of political opinion was 

going against you. He was a man of steel. It has been mentioned he was a man of great civility. He also had literally 

an absolute iron backbone. I can remember watching FLOYD

SPENCE tell a Speaker of the House in no uncertain terms, 

‘‘no,’’ something that is pretty difficult to do. 

I recall his days talking to Strom Thurmond back in the 

early 1960s, and he said, ‘‘I think I am going to change parties and become a Republican.’’ Strom Thurmond said, ‘‘I do 

not think the district is ready for that.’’ The district was not 

ready for it. I think he lost his first campaign for the Congress, but later on was elected to the seat that he has held 

for more than 30 years. He talked about that day, and 

whether you are a Democrat or a Republican you have to admire the absolute iron will of this guy who walked down the 

streets of his hometown having changed parties in a State 

that still remembered the War between the States, and 

where lots of folks had lots of ancestors who lost parts of 

their bodies in the Civil War and lost lots of other things and 

was still a place where there were feelings about that war 

and about Mr. Lincoln’s armies. 

FLOYD SPENCE walked down the streets of his hometown 

and had people, friends and neighbors, who had known him 

for years turn their backs on him. I recall he said he walked 

into the post office and an old friend who had been with him 

for years walked up to him, turned his back to him deliberately and said, ‘‘I used to have a great friend but now he 

is dead,’’ and walked away. 

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I thought, what a remarkable resolution and resolve and 

strength this guy had to have to do that at a time when it 

was very, very difficult politically. Yet, with this great 

strength and determination and resolve that resided in 

FLOYD SPENCE’s heart, we never heard him brag. The only 

people he talked about, if he was talking about his family, 

were his grandkids and his kids and all of his wonderful 

daughters-in-law. 

FLOYD SPENCE left us with a legacy of civility. If we follow 

that legacy of civility, along with the resolve to follow our 

principles as strongly as he did, we will continue to be a 

great Nation.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to 

add to what the gentleman just told. The best part of the 

doctor’s story was he said he was beeped. He thought surely 

something happened to FLOYD. He was well away from the 

hospital so he rushed to the telephone. He called the number. They put FLOYD on the phone; and he said to the surgeon, ‘‘Doctor, I’m getting married.’’ The doctor said, ‘‘Fine. 

That is wonderful. When?’’ FLOYD said, ‘‘Right now.’’

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 

South Carolina (Mr. BROWN).

Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, we honor a 

great American and a great South Carolinian who will be 

sorely missed not only here in the halls of Congress but in 

the entire Nation. 

His leadership in the area of national security is without 

equal. FLOYD SPENCE had been hailed by Democrats and Republicans for devotion to God and country. He spent his career fighting for our men and women in uniform. He was a 

strong advocate of improving the life of military personnel 

including pay raises and better living conditions. He understood that a well-trained and equipped military is the first 

priority by the Federal Government and the best way to preserve the peace. 

FLOYD leaves behind a legacy of accomplishment that includes service in the U.S. Navy, 6 years in the South Carolina House, 4 years in the Senate and 3 decades in the U.S. 

House of Representatives. 

In 1971 he was the first House Member to sponsor a constitutional amendment calling for a balanced budget. 

He served for 13 years as the ranking Republican on the 

Committee on Ethics, and he also chaired with distinction 

the House Committee on Armed Services from 1995 to 2001. 

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FLOYD SPENCE was one of our most distinguished patriotic 

public servants as well as a Southern gentleman in the best 

of the tradition. He was a great colleague and a wonderful 

friend. His guidance, optimism, statesmanship, and strong 

leadership will be missed by all that knew him. He was a 

mentor to me and a great friend. God bless FLOYD SPENCE

and his family.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).

Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise on this occasion to join our colleagues in paying tribute to our good 

friend FLOYD SPENCE, to the people of South Carolina, of expressing our heartfelt condolences to the family of our distinguished friend FLOYD. 

FLOYD was a true Southern gentleman, a good friend to 

many of us, a committed husband and father, and a dedicated public servant to the men and women of our Armed 

Forces and to the people of South Carolina and to his beloved Nation. 

I have had the pleasure and honor of serving in the Congress with FLOYD for more than 3 decades. 

As a Navy veteran, he was a staunch, unwavering advocate for our men and women in uniform. As chairman of the 

Committee on Armed Services, he fought tirelessly to improve the quality of life for our military personnel. 

FLOYD was a man of great perseverance. From his early 

football injury through his more recent lung transplant, 

FLOYD continued to give all he had to others, and he committed his life to fully serving his people in South Carolina. 

FLOYD SPENCE was elected to serve the Second District of 

South Carolina in the House of Representatives in 1970 and 

served some 15 terms. In 1971, he was the first House Member to sponsor a constitutional amendment calling for a balanced budget. He served for 13 years as the ranking Republican on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, 

and in 1995 was named chairman of the Committee on 

Armed Services, where he served with distinction, always 

keeping in mind the national security of our great Nation. 

Georgia and I join the many friends and Members of this 

body in sending our prayers and condolences to his wife, 

Deborah, his four sons, David, Zack, Benjamin and Caldwell, 

and to all of the members of the Spence family. FLOYD’s public service was a testimony to his life, a model for all of us. 

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He will be sorely missed, not only by his colleagues, but by 

the entire Nation.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 

may consume. 

Mr. Speaker, being from South Carolina and in politics, 

having people around for awhile is not an unusual circumstance. Senator Thurmond, most people recognize his 

name, was elected in 1954; I was born in 1955. We tend to 

keep people around. 

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 

Spratt) led this debate, and I know that the family is very 

appreciative of all of the kind words. In South Carolina we 

pride ourselves on being a delegation that comes together for 

the good of the State, and remembers our upbringing pretty 

well. Every now and then we fuss and fight, but I doubt if 

my colleagues will find any Democrat or Republican in this 

body that ever had a disagreement with FLOYD, that they 

walked away from that disagreement believing anything less 

of the man. That is something we are losing in the country. 

I have been in politics since 1994. It has been a contentious time, but we have done a lot. In a delegation this 

small, Members get to know each other pretty well, and 

FLOYD SPENCE was the nicest person I have ever met in political life. That is saying a lot coming from my State, because most of us try to be nice to each other. And the fact 

that so many Members came to speak of his kindness and 

his commitment to the men and women in the military 

proves that Members can be quiet and make loud statements. 

FLOYD will not be known by the volume that he carried, 

but by what was in his heart. FLOYD did change parties. At 

the time that was tough, but I do not know of any Democrats 

back home that thought that FLOYD SPENCE was anything 

other than a gentleman. Any disagreements with FLOYD

were political, never personal. 

He had a devoted wife, Debbie, and many Members know 

about that situation. The marriage that the gentleman from 

South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) was referring to was to his second wife, Debbie Spence, who was a devoted wife and friend 

to FLOYD, and they were married in the hospital right after 

his historic double lung transplant. I have never met anyone 

more devoted to their spouse than Debbie. FLOYD often said 

he was blessed to have two special women in his life—his 

first and second wives. FLOYD was also very proud of his four 

sons. He said he had four boys that all married female 

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women. To know FLOYD, that made sense. He was very 

proud of his family and his grandchildren. 

In the 10 years-plus after he received a double lung transplant and eventually a kidney transplant, he said, this is my 

second life. 

Mr. Speaker, FLOYD appreciated every day the good Lord 

gave him. He has a group of grandchildren, varied ages, 

some of them very, very young. They have something exciting to behold in their life. They will not be able to know their 

grandfather like we knew him. They will hear about him 

through family and friends. They will hear about FLOYD

through a thousand different ways. 

They will hear about their grandfather from statements in 

the post office, ‘‘Was your grandfather FLOYD SPENCE?’’ And 

they will say, ‘‘Yes.’’ People will say, ‘‘Let me tell a story, 

how he helped me.’’

I do not think there is any better legacy than what FLOYD

left behind: kindness to everybody, a smile on his face. This 

body has lost a real gentleman and a true friend to the men 

and women who serve in the military. 

Mr. Speaker, if we could all be more like FLOYD SPENCE, 

we would be a better Nation. 

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns).

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I was with FLOYD on his last 

trip. We flew into Paris to go to the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial, a memorial to recognize 60 Americans in World War 

I who fought with the French against the Germans. These 60 

individuals were killed in France, and they were memorialized at the Lafayette Escadrille, a large memorial. Congressman SPENCE led the delegation, and I gave a speech on their 

behalf, and he was a strong participant. 

I will cherish that trip because that was the last time I 

spent any time with FLOYD. I think, as pointed out by other 

speakers, he was a gentleman in the real sense of the word, 

but he also had a spirit, a spirit of survival, a spiritual 

makeup that one felt he was in tune with the Lord, and that 

he continually reminded all of us to appreciate each and 

every day. 

I will miss him when he used to come up on the House 

floor and say hello. He would always have that kind of expression, and when asked how he was doing, he would respond, ‘‘I am here and I am very thankful.’’

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tive thing, and I think we are here tonight to say in many 

ways he brought joy to our lives with his spirit. I am speaking tonight about his accomplishments, but also about his 

spirit. 

Mr. Speaker, I served 10 years on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs with him, and in addition to the active military personnel, he was very interested in the retired military, particularly veterans. He was very religious in his attending of subcommittee assignments. I was impressed that 

he, as chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, would 

still have time to come to our Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and his participation was very active and commendable 

considering how much he had on his plate. 

Mr. Speaker, I think it should be pointed out that many 

of us did not see him in his prime athletic years when he 

was a great athlete. We saw him here with the various replacements he had with his lungs, his kidney, but we did not 

have the opportunity to see him when he was a strong athlete. He was a leader, a naval officer, and when Members 

look at the spectrum of his career, it was magnificent and 

impressive; and when one tops that with his love for the 

country, it was a perfect package, and I close on that note.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood).

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, FLOYD SPENCE was a remarkable individual. He was remarkable for his accomplishments: The fact that he was a steady voice for the national 

security of this country; the fact that he led the Committee 

on Armed Services with such great distinction. He was a 

statesman in the truest sense of the word. 

In a way it is not so much all of the things that he did, 

but his demeanor, the way that he carried himself throughout his efforts that really I think inspires many Members to 

come to the floor this evening to make commentary on 

FLOYD. 

He came to the chairmanship of the Committee on Armed 

Services at a time when the majority took over the House, 

and in a way, the majority was very fortunate to have a 

leader like him because he was steadfast in his principles, 

yet he was not personally very polarizing; and as a consequence, he was able to sustain his positions very well and 

successfully. 

Frequently we hear the phrase, kind of a trite phrase, 

‘‘Courtesy is contagious,’’ but with regard to FLOYD SPENCE, 

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it really was. He was a very kind man. In my personal interactions with him, he always found the time to talk and ask 

me about how the military was doing in Guam, and what he 

could do to help us. In that sense, courtesy was contagious. 

He was the quintessential Southern gentleman. There are 

still many examples of that around, and we are happy to see 

that, and I hope it continues to infect the rest of us here who 

are not from the South. 

Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to FLOYD who was my chairman 

for 6 years. He was a joy to work with, and certainly an inspirational figure in his own way, and it demonstrates that 

in politics it is not the power of words, but the power of spirit that carries the day. He provided ample evidence of that 

in his own work.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun).

Mr. RYUN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I have very fond 

memories of FLOYD SPENCE. As a freshman on the Committee on Armed Services looking for direction, he was always there as a friend, and he was willing to give counsel. 

I particularly remember when I asked him to come to Fort 

Riley in my district to visit the soldiers and see the installation and meet the people. As I visit with people back in the 

district, they still remember him as being very warm, very 

committed, very sincere, and a great leader. 

Mr. Speaker, most people have a birthday every year in 

their life just to celebrate life, but the one thing that always 

interested me with Mr. SPENCE was, the Committee on 

Armed Services had a birthday to celebrate his lungs because he had been given a special gift as a result of complications he had in his life. 

My family and I loved him very much. He was always very 

kind to them. He was willing to give time whenever he could 

provide it. He was a man who knew he had been given a 

great gift from God. He fought for what was right for this 

country, even if it meant going against members of his own 

party because he had that kind of commitment. Debbie was 

a great contribution to his life. 

Mr. Speaker, I want to finish by saying Mr. SPENCE will 

be missed, and we thank him very much for his great contributions to this great Nation.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint).

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Mr. DeMINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true 

champion of freedom from the great State of South Carolina, 

Congressman FLOYD SPENCE. It was an honor and a personal 

privilege to serve with FLOYD in Congress and get to know 

him over the past few years. He served his district, his State 

and his country by fighting for the values that we all cherish. He was a true patriot and a remarkable man. 

FLOYD became a personal friend of mine, and I remember 

so many occasions on the back of this floor just talking with 

him. It was his encouragement and sense of humor that gave 

me a good perspective of our work here: to keep the focus on 

our country and security and what is best for those who live 

here. He was an inspiration to me, and I want to honor him 

tonight. 

As you know, FLOYD was a walking medical miracle. In 

1988, at age 60, he underwent a then rare double lung transplant. In 1990 when asked to reflect about this operation, 

FLOYD said ‘‘I thank my maker for allowing me to have a 

second life.’’ This past year he also had a kidney transplant. 

His doctor characterized FLOYD as a man of extraordinary 

courage who respected and embraced life. He often said that 

he was ‘‘grateful for any additional day God granted him.’’ 

Through those experiences, FLOYD continued to serve and became an active supporter of organ donor awareness programs. 

Congressman SPENCE was recognized around the world as 

an authority on defense issues. Vice President Dick Cheney 

recently said Mr. SPENCE was one of the watchmen over 

America’s security. He had a deep respect for the military, 

and that respect was returned. He was a patriot who served 

his country well. FLOYD was chairman emeritus of the Committee on Armed Services, and a senior member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. He was the only Member of Congress to have served as chairman of the Committee on National Security. 

A decorated veteran himself, he received many military 

honors. Most recently, Congressman SPENCE received the 

2001 Distinguished Service Award from the Military Order 

of the World Wars. 

Before coming to Congress in 1970, Congressman SPENCE

was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1956 to 1962 and the South Carolina Senate from 

1966 to 1970. He was a man of faith, a solid conservative, 

a wise mentor and a shining example of service to myself 

and the rest of the delegation. 

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My heart goes out to his wife Debbie and the entire 

SPENCE family. Our prayers are with you as you grieve—

thank you for sharing such a man of integrity with us.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come to the floor 

tonight and also join in the eulogy of a friend of the House 

and a friend of the country. FLOYD SPENCE, I think, was an 

individual whom many of us here in this body could call a 

friend, because FLOYD in his aw-shucks kind of Southern 

gentleman demeanor would come up and ask you, ‘‘how is 

your health, how are you doing, how is your family.’’ And he 

always put the needs of others ahead of himself. Even 

though FLOYD may have been failing in his health, he always 

wanted to know how you were doing and how you were feeling. That was a lot about who FLOYD was and the impact he 

had on a lot of us and the impact he left upon a country, because he dedicated his life to public service. 

It was truly honorable in the manner in which he conducted not only his everyday life but also his profession. He 

had so many positive attributes that he could not help but 

have an impact upon each of us and as a Nation. I think as 

an individual that dedicated his efforts to national security 

and making sure that the men and women who wear the 

uniform, when they take that uniform off, in his dedicated 

service to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, he made sure 

that that solemn oath that that veteran took, that the government in fact fulfilled their commitments to the veterans 

of this Nation. He taught each of us every day that freedom 

is not free and that we must be vigilant as a Nation, leaning 

forward so that we could respond. 

FLOYD may not be with us in body but the lives FLOYD

SPENCE touched will be forever with us in spirit. There is a 

song and the lyrics of that song may have been heard but 

not listened to by many and it is that life is about more than 

who we are, it is about what we do with the span of time 

in which we have. FLOYD embodied that. He made sure that 

the imprint that he left upon each of us and the Nation was 

one that was very positive. 

FLOYD, to your family, you spoke often of your sons and of 

your grandchildren, we wish you and your family well. One 

day we will join you, my friend.

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 

time.

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Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy 

heart that I join my colleagues in bidding a fond farewell to 

our colleague and ‘‘my chairman,’’ FLOYD SPENCE, who died 

last month. Our condolences to his wife Deborah and his four 

children. FLOYD SPENCE was a hero, a patriot, a family man, 

a man of God, and, above all, a gentleman. In his more than 

30 years in this body, he demonstrated civility, respect and 

kindness toward his colleagues. He was in the finest tradition of Southern gentlemen. 

Mr. Speaker, FLOYD SPENCE served his country honorably 

in the U.S. Navy, on active duty in the Korean war era, and 

then as a reservist, even while a Member of Congress for 

decades thereafter. His commitment to our troops in uniform 

was unsurpassed and obvious to those of us who served with 

him. 

In his role as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee for the 6 years ending in January, FLOYD really came 

into his own, in highlighting the deteriorating condition of 

our Armed Forces and strengthening congressional resolve to 

address this issue. 

I was honored to be in attendance at his funeral, along 

with Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld and so 

many others. His voice will be missed in this body, but never 

forgotten.

Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that 

I stand here today to honor the memory of a dear friend and 

respected colleague, FLOYD SPENCE. FLOYD was a patriot and 

a statesman who devoted his 30 years in Congress to securing America’s defense and supporting our Nation’s veterans. 

As such, he was a well-known voice of experience and leadership on both the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs 

Committees, on which he proudly served for much of his career. 

FLOYD assumed the powerful chairmanship of the Armed 

Services Committee when Republicans gained control of the 

Congress in 1995. He quickly proved himself a skilled chairman, pushing for and securing billions more in desperately 

needed defense funding when the Clinton administration 

was seeking to gut the military to pay for the massive 

growth of government social programs. FLOYD helped to save 

and protect our national defense and laid the groundwork for 

the current drive to rebuild and redefine our defense capability to better respond to the challenges of the new century 

battlefield. 

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Winning tough battles was not uncommon for FLOYD. During his tenure, the gentleman from South Carolina was successful in instituting instrumental legislative initiatives 

while gaining the admiration and friendship of Members 

from both sides of the aisle. 

His quiet strength also got him through some very rough 

health challenges. Despite these problems, I never heard 

FLOYD complain. In fact, I can’t recall him ever walking into 

a room without a smile and kind word. 

FLOYD was a great American and a personal friend. I 

greatly value my days serving with him, especially on the 

Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. He was a 

source of wisdom and counsel on difficult issues, and his 

presence in these hallowed halls will be sorely missed.

Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, also on the note earlier 

echoed by the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Buyer, we will 

miss FLOYD but he has made us all richer. 

APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF THE LATE 

HONORABLE FLOYD SPENCE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kirk). Pursuant to the 

order of the House of Thursday, August 2, 2001, the Speaker 

on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, appointed the following Members to attend the funeral of the late Honorable FLOYD

SPENCE: 

Mr. Spratt of South Carolina; 

Mr. Hastert of Illinois; 

Mr. Watts of Oklahoma; 

Mr. Clyburn of South Carolina; 

Mr. Graham of South Carolina; 

Mr. DeMint of South Carolina; 

Mr. Brown of South Carolina; 

Mr. Young of Florida; 

Mr. Hunter of California; 

Mr. Saxton of New Jersey; 

Mr. Hefley of Colorado; 

Mr. McNulty of New York; 

Mr. Bartlett of Maryland; 

Mr. McHugh of New York; 

Mr. Chambliss of Georgia. 

NATIONAL DEFENSE 

Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like 

to pay my personal tribute to one of our colleagues who 

passed away over the break, the Honorable FLOYD SPENCE. 

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I had known FLOYD SPENCE as many of our colleagues did 

in a very personal way over the past 15 years that I have 

served in the Congress. He was a leader on national security 

issues when I came to the Congress. He was one of those individuals that I looked up to for guidance and for early orientation to fully understand the role of the Congress in making sure that our military was being properly supported. 

Congressman SPENCE, Chairman SPENCE, was one of those 

unique individuals who had severe health problems, in fact 

had a major double lung transplant, and had gone through 

turmoil in his life from the health standpoint. I can remember the days when they wheeled him to the floor of the 

House in a wheelchair with a ventilator, yet he came back 

and rose to become the full chairman of the House Armed 

Services Committee and for 6 years he led this body in 

issues affecting our national security. 

He was a quiet man, a gentle man, someone that never 

had a cross word for anyone, even those he disagreed with 

and was someone who would be a role model for someone aspiring to become a Member of this body. He had a profound 

influence. During a time of difficulty in the 1990s when defense budgets were not what they should have been, it was 

Chairman FLOYD SPENCE who rose above the political fray 

and led this Congress in a very bipartisan way to increase 

defense spending by approximately $43 billion over President 

Clinton’s request for defense over a 6-year time period. If it 

had not been for Chairman SPENCE fighting tirelessly for our 

military, for the quality of life for our troops, if it had not 

been for Chairman SPENCE fighting for modernization and 

fighting for the basic dignity of our military, I do not know 

where we would be today. 

Thank goodness Chairman SPENCE was here. Thank goodness he was fighting the battle. Thank goodness he was 

building bipartisan coalitions on behalf of the sons and 

daughters of America serving in uniform. He did a fantastic 

job in this body. He was someone who had many friends on 

both sides of the aisle and someone who will be terribly 

missed. I could not attend the funeral of Chairman SPENCE

because I was in Huntsville, Alabama, giving a major speech 

to 800 people on missile defense. 

It was only because of Chairman SPENCE’s leadership that 

we have moved missile defense along as far as it has gone. 

As a tribute to him on that opening day of the conference, 

the entire group joined in a prayer together, a prayer of sympathy for the family of FLOYD, for his wife and his sons, and 

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to let all of America know that FLOYD SPENCE has been a 

true champion, one of our real patriots. 

It was just last April, Mr. Speaker, when I had the pleasure of recognizing Chairman FLOYD SPENCE at our annual 

National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner. We have two 

types of defenders that we support in America: Our international defenders, our military, and FLOYD SPENCE was 

definitely their champion. That night as we have for the past 

14 years, we honored our domestic defenders. 

Our domestic defenders are the men and women who serve 

in the 32,000 organized fire and EMS departments all across 

the country. We honored FLOYD SPENCE that night because 

6 months prior, in last year’s defense authorization bill, it 

was FLOYD SPENCE as chairman working with the gentleman 

from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), who just left this Chamber, who 

allowed me to move forward legislation that created a grant 

program to provide matching funds for local fire and EMS 

departments so that they can better equip themselves to be 

America’s domestic defenders. On that night, 2,000 leaders of 

the fire and emergency services from all over America gave 

FLOYD SPENCE a standing ovation for the work that he had 

done on behalf of our domestic defenders. 

So FLOYD SPENCE’s legacy is a legacy that all of us could 

look up to and hope to achieve, one of supporting those people who wear the uniform, the uniform to protect America 

overseas, and the uniform to protect America at home. To 

FLOYD’s family, his wife, his sons, we say thank you for giving us a tireless public servant whose legacy will live on forever, who did so much in such a short period of time and 

who will be so sorely missed in this body and in the minds 

and hearts of military leaders across this country and 

around the world where our troops are stationed. FLOYD

SPENCE was a true American hero. 

EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE REGARDING DEATH OF THE 

HONORABLE FLOYD SPENCE FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA 

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, Like most of my colleagues, I was 

in my district—the southside of Chicago—when the news of 

the death of our friend, FLOYD SPENCE came. I was shocked 

and saddened by the knowledge that this institution had lost 

yet another Member. 

Born in 1928 in South Carolina, FLOYD SPENCE was a 

product of the South Carolina schools and a member of the 

U.S. Naval Reserve. He was first elected to public office in 

1956, the South Carolina House of Representatives, and he 

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served there until 1962. He was elected to the South Carolina Senate in 1966 and served until 1970. 

FLOYD SPENCE began his 30 years of service in this body 

in 1971 and he served three terms as chairman of the Armed 

Services/National Security Committee in the House before 

yielding the gavel to his successor at the beginning of the 

current Congress. Throughout his congressional career, 

FLOYD SPENCE served the citizens of South Carolina’s Second 

Congressional District, and the citizens of this Nation, well. 

Mr. Speaker, FLOYD SPENCE was my neighbor in the Rayburn Building. I will remember his cheerful greetings as we 

passed in the hallways and in the elevators. He was always 

optimistic, always upbeat, always energetic, always courtly, 

always the gentleman. I will also always appreciate the unfailing kindness and courtesy of his staff. 

Mr. Speaker, my prayers go with his family, his friends, 

his constituents and his staff, at this time of sorrow. I ask 

my colleagues to join me in support of this Resolution expressing the condolences of this House on the passing of the 

Honorable FLOYD SPENCE. 

COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE FLOYD SPENCE 

OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1928–2001

Mr. HILLEARY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute 

to the life and public service of a great advocate for our Nation’s defense, a true gentleman in the finest Southern tradition, and my good friend, FLOYD SPENCE. 

For those of us who knew him only later in life, it may 

come as a surprise that this gentle soul spent his early life 

as a terror on the gridiron at Lexington High School and the 

University of South Carolina. It’s less of a surprise that he 

had a distinguished 36-year career in the Naval Reserve, because his knowledge of our Nation’s military was rivaled 

only by his deep affection for it. 

Mr. SPENCE was a leader with the courage of his convictions. He became a Republican in 1962, when Republicans in 

the South were still a rare commodity. That party switch 

cost him an election, but the people of South Carolina came 

to respect his courage and shortly thereafter sent him to 

Congress in 1970. By the time I first came to Capitol Hill in 

1994, Southern Republicans had become relatively commonplace. That happened because people like FLOYD SPENCE followed their conscience and accepted the consequences willingly. 

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When I met FLOYD, he was then the newly installed chairman of what was then called the House National Security 

Committee. He handled his considerable responsibility with 

grace and dignity, displaying fairness to all Members, regardless of party, and showing considerable patience with us 

freshmen who showed up full of enthusiasm but short on experience. 

Chairman SPENCE knew that freedom isn’t free and deeply 

believed that lasting peace could best be achieved through 

unquestioned strength. He pushed for better funding for 

training, modernization, readiness and qualify of life initiatives. His leadership was instrumental in finally stemming 

the tide of declining defense budgets and placing our military on the road to recovery. The soldier enjoying his new 

pay raise, the military families moving into improved post 

housing, the pilot stepping into a much-needed new fighter 

jet—each of these people, and many others, can thank FLOYD

SPENCE for fighting for them. We would be well-advised to 

continue along the path to recovery that this remarkable 

man worked so hard to put us on. 

An old historian once noted that, ‘‘Great men are not often 

good men.’’ Well, FLOYD SPENCE was certainly both. Those of 

us who have had the great opportunity to know him are far 

better for the privilege. 

ADJOURNMENT

Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to 

House Resolution 234, I move the House do now adjourn in 

memory of the late Honorable FLOYD SPENCE. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 11 o’clock and 

29 minutes p.m.) pursuant to House Resolution 234, the 

House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, 

2001, at 10 a.m. in memory of the late Honorable FLOYD

SPENCE. 

PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS 

Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions 

were introduced and severally referred, as follows: 

By Mr. Spratt: 

H. Res. 234. A resolution expressing the condolences of the 

House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable 

FLOYD SPENCE, a Representative from South Carolina; considered and agreed to.

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TUESDAY, September 25, 2001

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2002

Mr. STUMP. Madam Chairman, as the House is about to 

move to final passage on this defense authorization bill, I 

think it is appropriate that we take a moment to note that 

this will be the first defense bill in over 30 years that we 

have passed that FLOYD SPENCE did not have a part in. 

FLOYD had a hand in shaping and guiding all the defense 

bills for the last 3 decades, and particularly in the last 6 

years where he served as chairman of the House Committee 

on Armed Services. 

Madam Chairman, there was not a stronger defender of 

our military, no truer friend of the men and women in uniform, and no tougher critic on those who allowed our defenses to deteriorate over the years. FLOYD SPENCE had vision, he had sense of purpose, and he had a clear commitment to ensuring that the Congress fulfill its constitutional 

obligation to provide for the common defense. 

We all miss FLOYD, but I did not want this moment to go 

without the record reflecting his leadership, his commitment, 

and his wise counsel on national security matters, which still 

burns bright in many of us that were privileged to work with 

this quiet, unassuming and passionate American patriot.

Mr. SKELTON. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman 

yield?

Mr. STUMP. I yield to the gentleman from Missouri.

Mr. SKELTON. Madam Chairman, I applaud the gentleman on his comments and his memory of FLOYD SPENCE. 

He was truly a gentleman’s gentleman, a true Southern gentleman, from his infectious laugh to his strong support of the 

troops. We will recall him very, very fondly; and I thank the 

gentleman for his remembrance of him. 

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Proceedings in the Senate 

THURSDAY, September 6, 2001

MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE 

At 12:29 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bills, in 

which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: 

The message also announced that the House has agreed to 

the following resolution: 

H. Res. 234. Resolution stating that the House has heard 

with profound sorrow of the death of the Honorable FLOYD

SPENCE, a Representative from the State of South Carolina. 

IN MEMORY OF CONGRESSMAN FLOYD SPENCE 

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, last month, the U.S. 

Congress lost one of the finest public servants I have had the 

honor to know. As my colleagues may know, Congressman 

FLOYD SPENCE, who represented South Carolina’s Second 

District, passed away on August 16, 2001. FLOYD SPENCE

may no longer walk the halls of Congress, but the countless 

contributions he made over the last 3 decades will continue 

to influence South Carolina and this great Nation. 

FLOYD was a humble public servant who was proud of his 

modest background, often introducing himself as ‘‘FLOYD

SPENCE, dirt farmer.’’ He was a principled man who could 

disarm anyone with his friendly disposition and his distinct 

chuckle. It was difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to dislike FLOYD. 

Too often we take life for granted, but not FLOYD SPENCE. 

As a beneficiary of two organ transplants, he knew too well 

he had been given not just a second, but a third chance at 

life. As a result, FLOYD lived life to the fullest, dedicating it 

to the service of others and his Nation. 

FLOYD’s generosity was demonstrated by his willingness to 

lend an ear to those who faced the frightening prospect of a 

transplant, or the even scarier possibility of not receiving an 

organ in time. Having faced these fears himself, he welcomed 

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the opportunity to comfort individuals from across the 

United States who called to ask him about his own experience. 

My friend, ever the Southern gentleman, leaves behind a 

legacy of dedicated public service. For almost 50 years he 

loyally served the people of South Carolina. FLOYD was also 

an outspoken advocate for our armed services and had 

served as chairman for the House Armed Services Committee. As a retired Naval Reserve officer, he recognized the 

importance of a strong military and worked tirelessly to ensure that the needs of our armed services were addressed. 

He was a true patriot, a dedicated public servant, and he 

will be greatly missed by all who knew him. FLOYD is an inspiration to all, and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to his 

devoted wife Debbie, and his fine sons, David, Zack, Ben, 

and Caldwell, and to his dedicated staff. 

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The Gentleman from the

Land of the Palmetto

a Tribute to the Hon. FLOYD DAVIDSON SPENCE

Rep. FLOYD SPENCE, a retired Naval Reserve captain and 

ROA Life Member, died on Thursday, 16 August 2001. Rep. 

SPENCE, a graduate of the University of South Carolina and 

its law school, never recovered from surgery on 9 August to 

remove a blood clot from his brain. FLOYD SPENCE was a 

strong proponent of Pentagon funding requirements and was 

chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) 

from 1995 until January 2001. He served as chairman of the 

HASC procurement subcommittee until his death and was a 

senior member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. 

‘‘I was in Scotland attending an international legislative 

symposium when I received word of the passing of my good 

friend Congressman FLOYD SPENCE,’’ Rep. Howard Coble 

(R.–N.C.) told The Officer. It’s humorous what thoughts pop 

into your head at times such as these, but I began thinking 

about the first time I heard FLOYD SPENCE’s name. 

‘‘I was elected to Congress in 1984.’’ Representative Coble 

continued, ‘‘and after winning that first election, I began receiving congratulatory calls. One friend told me about a 

friend of his who was serving with distinction in Washington, FLOYD SPENCE from South Carolina. My friend had 

played high school football against FLOYD, and despite the 

fact they were on different teams, they became good friends. 

He told me to be sure to contact FLOYD SPENCE when I went 

to Washington, which I did. 

‘‘I am so proud that I had the chance to serve alongside 

FLOYD in the U.S. House. He was a tenacious fighter for his 

district, his state, and his nation. He fought the good fight 

in both his personal and professional life. We all know the 

stories about his personal health battles—including his double lung transplants. While he was still in the hospital recovering from that major event, I noticed that none of his South 

Carolina colleagues had said anything on the House floor 

about FLOYD’s recovery. Finally, I decided that I would make 

some remarks about FLOYD’s valiant struggle. I reserved the 

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time from the Speaker, and as I was preparing my remarks, 

I asked one of FLOYD’s colleagues, the colorful Arthur 

Ravenel of Charleston: Should I refer to FLOYD as the gentleman from South Carolina? Arthur replied, ‘You should say 

the gentleman from the Land of the Palmetto.’ So, I closed 

my remarks with Arthur’s words, and I immediately received 

a call from FLOYD’s office thanking me for my kind remarks. 

Of course, I gave the oft-quoted Arthur Ravenel the credit for 

my closing words! 

‘‘Everyone knew of FLOYD’s devotion to our nation’s military personnel, but I think it was even deeper than most realized. Many times we would be in a conference and the subject of defense spending and priorities would arise, and some 

would be in favor of reducing our commitment to America’s 

fighting men and women. FLOYD’s arguments in favor of our 

military would be passionate and eloquent. Inevitably, he 

would conclude his well thought out arguments with these 

words, ‘We’re talking about your country, man!’ Indeed he 

was. FLOYD’s life was an example of duty and devotion to 

family and country.’’ 

As friends and colleagues mourned the passing of Rep. 

FLOYD SPENCE, they repeatedly noted this devotion to family, 

friends, and, above all, his country and those who served in 

its armed forces. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R–S.C.) remembered his friend thus in a statement to The Officer: ‘‘Floyd 

was a dedicated champion for all of our men and women in 

uniform. As a retired Naval Reserve Officer, he always recognized the importance of a strong military and worked tirelessly to ensure that the needs of our armed services were 

addressed. He was a true patriot, a friend to all service 

members, and he will be greatly missed.’’ 

Lt Col Ira A. Edens, USAF (Ret.) and ROA Life Member, 

a close friend of Representative SPENCE for more than 50 

years, remembers attending numerous ROA conventions 

with the congressman. ‘‘Floyd and I shared the mutual belief 

that the first priority of Congress is the defense of America 

and preservation of freedom,’’ Colonel Edens said. ‘‘We both 

believe that if we lose our freedom, all else that we hold dear 

as a nation—our homes, churches, schools, institutions and 

way of life as free citizens—fall on the ash heap of civilization.’’ 

In addition to his patriotism, Representative SPENCE was 

recognized as a ‘‘true Southern gentleman’’ and a man of 

‘‘unsurpassed integrity.’’ Colonel Edens also noted in his 

memo to ROA: ‘‘Floyd was a humble public servant, loved 

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and respected by legions of friends and supporters in his 

home state and across the United States. FLOYD and I believed, as do others, that the first and foremost requirement 

for public service is moral integrity and high standards of 

character in all areas of public service. FLOYD set a high 

standard of moral leadership . . .’ Indeed, Rep. Lindsey 

Graham (R-S.C.) said that ‘‘if he has an enemy in Congress, 

I don’t know it . . . I’ve never met a more gracious person at 

any level.’’ 

Representative Coble recalled FLOYD SPENCE’s graciousness recently when he was invited to appear on a television 

program in his congressional district. ‘‘When I arrived at the 

station, a gentleman greeted me with the phrase: ‘Come on 

in the house.’ Again, my mind flashed to FLOYD SPENCE . . . 

I told him that no matter where FLOYD was, on the House 

floor or in his personal office, he would greet friends and 

newcomers alike by saying, ‘Come on in the house.’ That was 

the kind of man he was, someone who never met a stranger.’’ 

Funeral services were held in the historic First Baptist 

Church in the congressman’s home city of Columbia, S.C. 

Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald 

Rumsfeld, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (with a House delegation), Secretary of the Navy Gordon England, and Commandant of Marine Corps General James L. Jones were 

among the dignitaries who joined friends and supporters to 

honor Rep. FLOYD SPENCE. The Vice President eulogized 

FLOYD SPENCE during the ceremony: ‘‘I am here today on behalf of the president of the United States to honor a man 

who has served our nation long and well . . . He had a deep 

respect for the military. That respect was returned in kind. 

He understood the values and virtues of our military, not 

only as a political leader but as a veteran himself. Life 

brought more than a few hardships to this good man. He 

bore them with courage . . . President Bush and I will miss 

his counsel and his steadfast presence in the House of Representatives.’’ 

His casket was placed on a cassion drawn by six white 

horses; a seventh riderless white horse followed the cassion, 

signifying a fallen comrade. Representative SPENCE’s funeral 

marked one of the few times in the history of South Carolina 

where a horse-drawn cassion was used in a state funeral. 

Rep. FLOYD SPENCE’s lasting impression on the Congress 

and the nation may best be summed in these words of Rep. 

Stephen E. Buyer (R–Ind.), sent to ROA: ‘‘I am deeply saddened by the death of my friend and colleague Congressman 

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Reprinted with permission from The Officer, a publication of the Reserve Officers Association, vol. LXXVIII, no. 8, September 2001, pp. 12, 44.

FLOYD SPENCE. For eight years, I had the privilege of working alongside FLOYD, and I had the opportunity to witness 

his steadfast support of our nation’s military. We shared the 

same values and beliefs: duty, honor, courage and commitment to God, country, family and our fellow man. FLOYD was 

a true Southern gentleman and his honor and integrity were 

unparalleled. It is a true loss to this nation. Although he will 

be greatly missed, his spirit and legacy will live on.’’ 

‘‘The nation has lost a patriot and a dedicated public servant. Floyd Spence served his nation with distinction as a 

Naval officer and as a member of Congress for more than 30 

years. As a leader on the House Armed Services Committee, 

he cared deeply about our men and women in uniform and 

helped secure peace through his commitment to the strength 

of our armed forces.’’

—Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld 

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FUNERAL SERVICE

FOR

FLOYD DAVIDSON SPENCE

April 9, 1928–August 16, 2001

First Baptist Church

Columbia, South Carolina

Tuesday, August 21, 2001

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Organ Prelude

The Entrance Rite

Pastor: 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the source of all mercy and the God of all consolation. He 

comforts us in all our sorrows so that we can comfort others in their sorrows with the consolation we ourselves have 

received from God.

Congregation: 

Thanks be to God.

Pastor: 

When we were baptized in Christ Jesus, we were baptized 

into his death. We were buried therefore with him by Baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead 

by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. 

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, 

we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like 

his.

(The Congregation Stands)

The Processional 

‘‘Highland Cathedral’’

‘‘Going Home’’

Cadet W. Reed Kastner 

Cadet Paul Robinson 

Bagpipers, The Military College of South Carolina

(The Congregation is Seated)

The Greeting 

The Reverend Dr. Wendell R. Estep 

Pastor of the First Baptist Church, 

Columbia, South Carolina

Hymn 

‘‘How Great Thou Art’’

Stuart K. Hine, b. 1899

Words of Tribute 

The Honorable Richard B. Cheney 

The Vice President of the United States of America

Dr. Seshadri Raju

The Honorable Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. 

Former Governor of the State of South Carolina

The Honorable Addison (Joe) G. Wilson 

Member of the Senate of South Carolina

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The Honorable Richard B. Cheney 

Reverend, Deborah, members of the Spence family, I’m 

here today on behalf of President Bush and the people of the 

United States of America to honor a man who served our Nation long and well. I am also here as a former colleague of 

FLOYD SPENCE and as one who for a quarter of a century 

knew him as a friend. 

That is a distinction I share with many. It is recorded that 

the first time FLOYD ran for his House seat they did a poll 

here in South Carolina to measure his support. Not only did 

the poll find signs of public approval, it turned out that 

21,000 people counted him as a personal friend. That number has only grown these past 30 years and many are those 

who feel deeply the loss that came last week. 

He called this his second life because of the transplant operation more than a decade ago. And he put the gift of those 

extra years to good use. It was not in his nature to waste a 

day or take time for granted, especially where the affairs of 

the Nation were concerned. In Congress, FLOYD was one of 

the watchmen over America’s security and the well-being of 

those who defend us. 

He was considered an authority of military matters long 

before 1995 when, after 24 years in Congress, he became the 

first Republican chairman of the House Committee on Armed 

Services in more than 40 years. How he must have enjoyed 

that, but I can attest as can many of his colleagues here 

today that FLOYD worked tirelessly to preserve the bipartisan, fair, and thorough tradition of the Armed Services 

Committee. No one has ever assumed that critical position 

with a greater commitment to the U.S. military, or had a 

stronger grasp of its responsibility than FLOYD SPENCE. He 

had a deep respect for the military and that respect was returned in kind. He understood the values and the virtues of 

our military, not only as a political leader but as a veteran 

himself. He understood that a prepared military is the work 

of years and is never complete. He understood the great part 

our country plays in the world and the great choices always 

before us. As he said recently, ‘‘Either we accept our role as 

a sole global superpower and provide our military with the 

necessary resources or we decline this difficult responsibility.’’ 

From the very beginning of his career, Congressman 

SPENCE himself was never known to decline any difficult responsibility. When I first knew him in the mid-1970s, Washington was bitterly divided by Watergate. We needed leaders 

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who kept their eyes on the Nation’s interests. We needed 

solid, serious men who took the long view of things. We 

needed patriots. That word more than any other describes 

the gentleman from South Carolina. FLOYD was a bit of an 

anomaly in Washington. A soft-spoken gentle man who was 

proudly one of the staunchest hawks in Congress. A man 

who worked hard for his district, for his State. 

I loved the quote I saw in one of your local papers from 

someone who had known FLOYD SPENCE very well. He said 

‘‘FLOYD SPENCE has done more things for more people and 

said less about it than any man in American politics.’’ 

He was never known to draw away from any personal 

challenge either. Life brought more than a few hardships to 

this good man. He bore them with courage, preferring to 

think and speak of all he had given and all he had hoped to 

do. I was proud to serve with FLOYD SPENCE. President Bush 

and I will both miss his counsel and his steadfast presence 

in the House of Representatives. 

It was only about 7 months ago that the President and I 

met in Austin with FLOYD and his Democratic colleague 

Norm Sisisky who also passed away this year. We invited 

them to come down to offer their advice and wisdom to the 

new incoming team. Norm Sisisky made a comment to the 

President which he then repeated to the press afterward. He 

said, ‘‘We will give you a lot of advice. We will argue with 

you. But when it comes out, once you have made a decision, 

people in the room are going to support you on national defense. That is the legacy that Norm Sisisky and FLOYD

SPENCE leave to us—the strong tradition of pulling together 

rather than tearing apart on matters affecting our Nation’s 

security and our standing in the world. FLOYD SPENCE was 

a patriot who served his country well. We will miss him.

Dr. Seshadri Raju: 

Vice President Cheney, colleagues, friends, and family of 

FLOYD SPENCE. I first met Congressman FLOYD SPENCE

nearly 14 years ago when he was admitted to the University 

Hospital in Mississippi for a double lung transplantation 

procedure. Lung transplantation is pretty much routine now, 

but it was very much experimental at that time and the outcome was not at all certain. I think it took extraordinary 

courage for him to undergo the procedure at that time in the 

first place. Life after double lung transplantation is not always easy, and it can be pretty rough at times. I know for 

a fact that FLOYD went through several such periods of great 

difficulty in the years after transplantation that would have 

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broken a lesser man, yet he never complained, never indulged in self-pity, and overcame those numerous hurdles 

that were thrown in his way with quiet determination. His 

spirit and sheer strength of will were truly amazing. He 

often said he was thankful for every additional day God 

granted him on this earth, and I know he meant it and lived 

it. I think he understood that any such additional time God 

granted him was meant for a purpose and he did not waste 

a minute of it. 

He chaired the House Armed Services Committee during 6 

of those years and routinely put in 16- or 17-hour days. It 

used to make me feel tired just looking at his typical daily 

itinerary, and I’m quite a bit younger than him. 

He traveled all over the world oftentimes to places where 

there would be no help if something related to his lung 

transplantation went wrong. His only backup was his wife, 

Mrs. Debbie Spence, who often traveled with him on these 

occasions. She studied up on lung transplantation and all the 

problems related to it. She was deeply devoted to him and 

watched over him. He used to refer to her only partly in jest 

as Dr. Debbie. It has been my deep privilege to come to know 

Mrs. Spence, whose goodness of heart and inner strength 

matched every bit of that of the Congressman. The 13 years 

of productive life that the Congressman enjoyed after transplantation was largely due to her loving care and attention. 

And there were periods of joy during those 13 years. Some 

weeks after the double lung transplantation, I got a call from 

the hospital regarding the Congressman. He was still in the 

hospital, not quite ready to be discharged. I was actually out 

of town visiting my brother, and the hospital had tracked me 

down in Houston at my brother’s residence. I was afraid that 

something bad might have happened. No. It was the Congressman himself on the phone from his hospital room. In a 

very cheerful voice he said, ‘‘Doctor, I’m getting married.’’ I 

said, ‘‘congratulations. Have you set the date?’’ He said, 

‘‘right now, right here.’’ So FLOYD and Debbie got married in 

the very hospital room where he was still recovering. The 

nurse who was taking care of him kept meticulous notes regarding the wedding ceremony. She noted in his chart that 

the preacher was in the room at 5:00 p.m., and the wedding 

ceremony was in progress at 5:15 p.m. Her notation at 5:30 

p.m. stated that the wedding ceremony was over; and in typical nursing lingo, she commented that the patient tolerated 

the wedding ceremony well. 

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FLOYD often said he was a simple, common man. His politics were certainly straightforward—faith in God, service to 

country, and devotion to family. Rock solid integrity. He was 

a power in Washington, yet he was always humble and courteous to all around him. He was very much a true Southern 

gentleman—always polite, never ostentatious. Yet, his quiet 

external demeanor hid astonishing willpower and spiritual 

strength. 

To what purpose did he will himself to live the extra 13 

years with a double lung and then a kidney transplantation? 

Partly, the answer must lie in his love for his wonderful family who were at his bedside during his last days and are 

gathered here today. David donated one of his own kidneys 

to his father last year, and others were lined up beside him 

if the tissue match was better. 

The other part of his work was in Washington. I was 

present during the ceremony last year when they honored 

him on Capitol Hill and hung his portrait for his work as 

chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. It was a 

proud moment for his family, for him personally, his loyal 

and super efficient staff, and many, many others from all 

walks of life whom he had befriended during his many years 

of service. The room was full; many of his colleagues from 

both sides of the aisle were present. All of the service chiefs 

were in attendance, and there were more stars in the room 

than I am used to seeing on a typical muggy Mississippi 

night. Secretary Cohen thanked FLOYD for his distinguished 

service, and then the time came for FLOYD to respond. 

Of the many things he had done, he was most proud of the 

pay increase for the men and women of the military he was 

able to implement despite considerable opposition. Seeing 

the glint of fervor in his eye at that moment, I realized that 

he saw himself, not as a powerful Congressman, not as a 

mover and shaker in Washington. His self image was that of 

the Navy ensign who signed up to serve when he was just 

17 years old. He understood that our freedoms ultimately 

rest on the strength of our armed services and that the wellbeing of the men and women who wear the uniform is fundamental. He saw strengthening of our military as the ultimate 

form of service to his country and a mission worthy of the 

additional precious time God gave him on this earth. 

He had extreme, almost intolerable pain in the last few 

months. Yet, he was on the job to the last minute, including 

punishing overseas trips to Lithuania and Bosnia during 

that period. Yes, he said he was a common man, but he was 

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a very uncommon man, an extraordinary man. He was tried 

in his life many times in many ways, and he endured those 

trials with grace, always full of hope, aiming to serve, thankful for every additional day God gave him to live. As we 

mourn his passing, we rejoice in his exemplary life, his many 

accomplishments, his indomitable spirit, and the proud legacy he leaves behind for others to cherish and follow. Borrowing from Mr. John Monk, noted newspaper columnist, 

‘‘well done, salute, and Godspeed, FLOYD.’’

The Honorable Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. 

As I look out across this congregation, I realize that everybody here has been touched by one man. What a tribute. As 

we travel this road of life and all others too, we will meet 

in the end one day. But we meet so many people, some are 

special. FLOYD SPENCE was one of the special people, he was 

a person that I felt really blessed to have known. He loved 

his State. He loved his family in which he was so very, very 

proud. And as we look at this, and we look for champions to 

lead us, we look no further than FLOYD. When times were 

bleak, FLOYD was upbeat. FLOYD was the kind of person that 

loved his family, he loved his fellow man. And I have to tell 

you he’s the kind of person that everybody in this State and 

in his family was proud of, extremely proud. 

I served in Congress for 8 years with FLOYD. One of the 

things that impressed me the most about him was how much 

he cared for others. He always put what was in the best interest of the people above the political agenda. Having been 

in the Congress myself, as others, Mr. Speaker and others, 

you know it’s hard to put other people in front of you. FLOYD

SPENCE always stepped back to let someone else do the right 

thing. He was unique, he was someone we may never see 

again in a lifetime. He always put the best interests of the 

people above the political agendas, as I said. 

As a freshman Congressman, and I mean very fresh, 

FLOYD went out of his way to help me with the transition, 

to teach me the ropes so to speak, and what a teacher he 

was. This transition gave me the advice on how to get things 

done on Capitol Hill, things which I will always be grateful 

for. And one thing I will always remember about FLOYD is 

just about every night in Washington there is some kind of 

dinner or reception being hosted by this group, or that group, 

trying to get your support for some particular thing in the 

Congress of the United States, and all of you Congressmen 

know what I am talking about. Well let me just say this to 

you. Remember this about FLOYD. Every night in WashVerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:22 Jun 19, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 C:\DOCS\75502.TXT APPS25 PsN: DICKT
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ington where there was some kind of dinner or reception 

being hosted by this group or that group trying to get your 

support for their particular cause, he would rarely attend. 

Why did he rarely attend? He rarely attended because he 

said he didn’t want to be around that much sinning at night. 

FLOYD loved God, FLOYD loved life, FLOYD loved his fellow 

man. And even before the medical miracles, FLOYD treated 

every day of life as the precious gift it is. He never met a 

stranger. If you met him on the street he would greet you 

as an old friend with a smile that would light up your day 

and say, ‘‘hey man, how are you?’’ I can picture FLOYD in 

heaven at the pearly gates and saying to St. Peter, ‘‘hey 

man, how are you?’’ And those of you that know it, know 

what I am talking about. FLOYD SPENCE is in heaven now 

but he will never be forgotten. I feel that I am a better person for having known him. I will miss him and his friendship 

and I know that all of you will. God bless you FLOYD, God 

bless your family.

The Honorable Addison (Joe) G. Wilson 

Debbie Spence, David, Zack, Ben, Caldwell, grandchildren, 

Spence family, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, friends from 

across South Carolina, Washington and points between and 

beyond. Congressman FLOYD SPENCE was truly an amazing 

man. He made history but he always did it without boasting. 

He set high personal standards but he never judged others 

harshly. He created records but he always left his imprint 

quietly and without self-promotion. Like all truly great men, 

Congressman SPENCE lived a life dedicated not to self but to 

service. That was his mission on earth. 

I count it as one of my life’s blessings that Congressman 

FLOYD SPENCE was my friend. I was able to work closely 

with the Congressman over a period of many, many years. 

In fact I was given the honor of being his campaign manager 

for about half a dozen of his re-election campaigns. I’ll never 

forget the first campaign we waged back in 1970. The legendary pollster, Arthur Finklestein conducted a survey. Arthur decided to ask a question of potential voters. Do you 

consider FLOYD SPENCE to be your personal friend? The Vice 

President has already referenced this event but it was so remarkable, it needs to be cherished. The results came back 

and 7 percent of the electorate said yes, Congressman 

SPENCE is my personal friend. We ran the math on that 

number which meant 21,000 people identified Congressman 

SPENCE as their personal friend. That was 31 years ago, long 

before he rose to prominence as a national leader. There was 

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something about the man that touched our hearts, inspired 

our confidence, and made us know that indeed he was our 

Congressman. 

The most difficult part of being the campaign manager for 

Congressman SPENCE was having to deal with the fact that 

he would simply not brag about himself. He was so humble 

that we had to drag his achievements out of him. When we 

would go to festivals, or community drop-ins I would tell 

him, ‘‘now Congressman be sure to tell these people about 

the legislation you sponsored, tell them how you fought for 

this and that.’’ And he would say ‘‘those folks don’t want to 

hear about me, I want to hear about them,’’ and he would 

listen. He would cry with them, laugh with them, relate to 

them and most of all he would help them from beginning to 

end. For Congressman FLOYD SPENCE, holding office was all 

about service. That’s why we loved him, that’s why he was 

elected and re-elected more than any other public official 

from the South Carolina Midlands in the 20th century. Most 

often we think of Congressman SPENCE as a Congressman, 

and he was one of the greatest. But most people don’t realize 

what a tremendous impact he had on the quality of life back 

when he was a member of the State house or in the State 

senate. 

Again, he never bragged about those achievements so I am 

going to brag for him because today the record is so very 

meaningful for our families. In the General Assembly, he 

served on a study committee that led to the founding of Midlands Technical College. He was instrumental in the legislation that established the Lexington Medical Center, which 

now provides world class health care to the people throughout the region. Also he secured major industrial developments for both Lexington and Richland Counties, developments that brought us the jobs and tax base we needed to 

fund our nationally ranked school systems. Later, in Congress, his record was even more amazing. He fought tirelessly for health care, for education, for free enterprise and 

for a strong national defense. He saw his vision fulfilled—a 

victory in the cold war, working with President Reagan and 

Senator Thurmond for Americans to live in peace, and people 

from Russia to Bulgaria to live in freedom. His hard work as 

a Congressman enabled him to rise from a minority back 

bench role to the chairmanship of the powerful House Armed 

Services Committee. This is the highest position ever 

achieved by a resident of the Midlands in modern American 

history. But as he rose to prominence on the national stage, 

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Congressman SPENCE never lost touch with the folks back 

home. He was always happiest when he was here listening, 

laughing, and joking, surrounded by all of us who loved him. 

And we all loved his sense of humor. We remember how he 

enjoyed complimenting friends he would run into on our new 

store bought suit. 

He also loved the institution of marriage. Often when he 

saw me and my wife Roxanne together he would say in a 

voice just loud enough for others to hear, ‘‘boy Joe you sure 

married over your head,’’ which indeed I did, and so did he. 

Twice. First to his late wife Lou, and now, his beloved 

Debbie, who stood by him, loved him, and brought him abundant happiness. In a single word Congressman FLOYD

SPENCE was a miracle. The quality of life lived, the wellchronicled donations of life given, and the measure of life 

given back to others. Three parts to a whole, the sum total 

of which gives us comfort and reassurance in our own lives. 

May God bless his family and May God bless all of us as we 

seek to keep his legacy alive. To preserve for ourselves and 

future generations the miraculous gift of a life well lived. 

The wise prophet Isaiah reminds us of God’s promise: ‘‘Fear 

not for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name, 

you are mine.’’ And so it is. God has redeemed the Congressman. He has called him by his name. He is with God, God 

bless Him.

The Salutation and Prayer 

The Reverend Dr. George E. Meetze 

Chaplain of the Senate of South Carolina

Pastor: 

The Lord be with you.

Congregation: 

And also with you.

Pastor: 

Let us pray. O God of grace and glory, we remember before 

you today our brother, FLOYD. We thank you for giving 

him to us to know and to love as a companion in our pilgrimage on Earth. In your boundless compassion, console 

us who mourn. Give us your aid, so we may see in death 

the gate to eternal life, that we may continue our course 

on Earth in confidence until, by your call, we are reunited 

with those who have gone before us; through your Son, 

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Congregation: 

Amen.

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Solo 

‘‘Amazing Grace’’ 

John Newton, 1725–1807

Eliza Caughman Spence

The Word of God

The Verse

Congregation: 

Alleluia. Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead; to him 

be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Alleluia.

(The Congregation Stands)

The Holy Gospel

Hymn 

‘‘I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry’’

John Ylvisaker, b. 1937

Used by permission.

Copyright 1985 John Ylvisaker, PO Box 321, Waverly, Iowa 50677

(The Congregation is Seated)

The Sermon 

The Reverend Leon A. Rawl 

Pastor of Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church, 

Lexington, South Carolina

The Anthem 

‘‘The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Done’’

Francis Pott, 1832–1909

The Choir of Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church, 

Lexington, South Carolina

(The Congregation Stands)

The Creed

Pastor: 

God has made us his people through our Baptism into 

Christ. Living together in trust and hope, we confess our 

faith.

Congregation: 

I believe in God, the Father almighty, 

creator of heaven and Earth. 

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit 

and born of the Virgin Mary. 

He suffered under Pontius Pilate 

was crucified, died, and was buried. 

He descended into Hell. 

On the third day he rose again. 

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He ascended into heaven, 

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, 

the Holy Catholic Church, 

the Communion of Saints, 

the forgiveness of sins, 

the resurrection of the body, 

and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers 

Pastor: 

Let us pray. 

Almighty God, you have knit your chosen people together 

in one communion, in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus 

Christ our Lord. Give to your whole Church in heaven and 

on Earth your light and your peace.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

Pastor: 

Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ’s death 

and resurrection may die to sin and rise to newness of life 

and that through the grave and gate of death we may pass 

with him to our joyful resurrection.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

Pastor: 

Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk 

as yet by faith, that your Holy Spirit may lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

Pastor: 

Grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we 

may be cleansed from all our sins and serve you with a 

quiet mind.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

Pastor: 

Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in your loving 

care, that, casting all their sorrow on you, they may know 

the consolation of your love.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

Pastor: 

Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that 

they may have strength to meet the days ahead in the 

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comfort of a holy and certain hope, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

Pastor: 

Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the 

forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

Pastor: 

Grant us grace to entrust FLOYD to your never-failing love 

which sustained him in this life. Receive him into the arms 

of your mercy, and remember him according to the favor 

you bear for your people.

Congregation: 

Hear us, Lord.

The Conclusion of the Intercessions 

Pastor: 

God, the generations rise and pass away before you. You 

are the strength of those who labor; you are the rest of the 

blessed dead. We rejoice in the company of your saints. We 

remember all who have lived in faith, all who have peacefully died, and especially those most dear to us who rest 

in you. Give us in time our portion with those who have 

trusted in you, and have striven to do your holy will. To 

your name, with the Church on Earth and the Church in 

heaven, we ascribe all honor and glory, now and forever.

Congregation: 

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer 

Congregation: 

Our Father, who art in heaven, 

hallowed be thy name, 

thy kingdom come, 

thy will be done, 

on Earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread; 

and forgive us our trespasses, 

as we forgive those who trespass against us; 

and lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 

forever and ever. Amen.

(The Congregation is Seated)

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Solo 

‘‘Softly and Tenderly’’

Will Thompson, 1847–1909

Constance Flemming

The Commendation 

Pastor: 

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your 

servant, FLOYD. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a 

sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner 

of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your 

mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into 

the glorious company of the saints in light.

Congregation: 

Amen.

Pastor: 

Let us go forth in peace.

Congregation: 

In the name of Christ. Amen.

(The Congregation Stands)

The Recessional 

‘‘Eternal Father, Strong to Save’’

William Whiting, 1825–1878

Reprinted from The Lutheran Book of Worship, copyright 1978.

Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress license #2184–L.

Interment at Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church 

1130 Saint Peter’s Church Road 

Lexington, South Carolina

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[ 49 ]

They that go down to the sea in ships, 

that do business in great waters; 

these see the works of the Lord

—PSALM 107

Miss Me, But Let Me Go 

Fred Gerhardt

When I come to the end of the road 

and the sun has set for me, 

I want no rites in a gloom-filled room—

why cry for a soul set free? 

Miss me a little—but not for long 

and not with your heads bowed low. 

Remember the love that we once shared 

Miss me—but let me go! 

For this is a journey we all must take 

and each must go alone; 

It’s all part of the Master’s plan, 

a step on the road to home. 

When you are lonely and sick at heart 

Turn to friends you know 

And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds; 

Miss me—but let me go!

Æ