Date: 2014-11-13
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Thank you to my good friend from Illinois . who had the opportunity to get to know Lane Evans not only as an intern but also as a colleague. I never had that opportunity to serve with either Mr. Crane or Mr. Evans. but I had the opportunity to be able to work for the dean of our Republican Illinois delegation. Mr. SHIMKUS. who was here earlier tonight. and I got to meet both of these men during my time in working for Mr. SHIMKUS in the late nineties and throughout the last decade. I can tell you that both gentlemen were pillars of public service for very different reasons. They both served their State well. They served their districts well. and they served their constituents well. As a matter of fact. I had the opportunityand it might have been during one of the times that Mr. SHIMKUS mentioned. It was a flight that Mr. Crane was taking through Springfield that ended up in Vandalia. where Mr. Crane appeared at an event on behalf of Mr. SHIMKUS. and I got a chance to hear him speak personally. His passion for free markets. his passion for economic development and economic growth. and his passion for free trade was evident during his discussion. That was one of the few times I got the chance to actually experience what many. when I was growing up. experienced when watching Phil Crane. in person. run for the Presidency in 1980. Let me remind you. Mr. Speaker. that. in 1980. we had many Illinoisans vying to send to the Presidency. not only President Reagan. who was born in Illinoisin Dixon. Illinoisbut we also had Mr. Crane. Congressman Phil Crane. and also John Anderson. Congressman John Anderson. It looks like Illinois was the center point of the Presidential election in 1980. and Illinois still. obviously. plays a great role in the White House today. This is an opportunity that we have to stand here to talk about bipartisanship in Washington. D.C.. something that. when many people turn their TVs on. they dont see. They dont see the bipartisanship that we are seeing here tonight. That chance to see Congressman Crane in action helped inspire me to want to become a Member of this institution. He served the 13th District that I am now blessed enough to representthat district starting with Marguerite Church and Donald Rumsfeld and then Phil Crane. Then we had Robert McClory and John Erlenborn. Harris Fawell. and Judy Biggert. who served the 13th District of Illinois before I did. Now I get the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of people like Phil Crane and those aforementioned Members of this great institution. and it humbles me every day to know that I get the chance to follow in their footsteps. With Congressman Lane Evans. I got a chance to know him and his successor. Congressman Phil Hare. who was once a fellow staffer for Lane Evans. We sat next to each other in Hillsboro. Illinois. talking about how Republicans and Democrats can work together to make sure that water infrastructure needs and sewer infrastructure needs are addressed in Montgomery County. Illinois. I now get a chance to serve Montgomery County. Illinois. I think back to that time when Lane Evans never thought he would leave the Rock Island area and the Adams County area and represent places like Montgomery County. Illinois. but he did. and he did it well. We got a chance to work together as fellow staffersPhil Hare and I and Jerry Lack. who was another one of his economic development coordinators in the district that I worked so closely with. Opportunities like that to see leadership in action and bipartisanship in action is another reason I wanted to be a Member of this great institution. Lane Evans never thought that he would come down and represent areas like Pana. Illinois. and my home county. Christian County. Illinois. With Lane Evans. I remember the first time he was in Pana and actually called it "Pannah." Do you know what? Lane Evans was the type of guy who could laugh at himself. If you make a mistake in this business. sometimes that mistake is turned into a 30second ad. but Lane Evans was able to take that mistake and turn it into humor and to represent Pana. Illinois. extremely well. Mr. Speaker. I learned a lot about constituent service from my former boss. JOHN SHIMKUS. but I also learned a lot about constituent service from Lane Evans. Lane Evans taught many of us that it is the most important part of our job to make sure you answer every phone call. that you answer every time a constituent writes you a letteror. in todays day and age. an emailand that you make sure you respond to their requests because members of our communitiesthe citizens of the 13th District of Illinoisdont call us at the beginning of their problems. They call us to help break through the bureaucracy of Washington. D.C.. when they are at the end of their ropes. when they have already called the Federal agencies. when they have already not gotten the answers that they needed or deserved. What JOHN SHIMKUS and Lane Evans taught me while seeing them in action was that responding to our constituents needs is what matters most. and it is a part of our job that I appreciate the most. Now. I mentioned Lane Evans came down to central Illinois in a new district that included a county that I now am blessed enough to represent. It is Macoupin County. Illinois. I would be remiss if I didnt take this opportunity in this time that we are honoring the service of Congressman Phil Crane and honoring the service of Congressman Lane Evans to honor another gentleman. another public servant from Macoupin County. Illinois. who also passed away unexpectedly at the age of 50 this week. His name is Brad Demuzio. Brad was the son of longtime State Senatoran institution in central IllinoisVince Demuzio. I got to know Brad when I got the chance to meet his dad. Vince. and Vince was a powerhouse in Illinois politics. We didnt share the same partisan affiliation. but what we shared was friendship and opportunities to serve central Illinois together. Vince passed away from colon cancer a few years back. and he was succeeded in the Illinois State Senate by his wife. Deanna. who happens to currently be the mayor of Carlinville. Illinois. and somebody I am blessed enough to be able to work with today. Before her. Brad Demuzio served Macoupin County and Carlinville as mayor for multiple terms. Brad was also the director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police. Brad served in that position until he passed away unexpectedly last week. Brad was a public servant. true and true. for his community and for our communities. There was a time in the Illinois State Capitol when we had somebody who was mentally ill walk in with a loaded gun and fire a shot that killed a friend of mine. Bill Wozniak. who was guarding the door. Brad Demuzio helped lead the charge to make sure that we created an Illinois State Capitol Police force that secured the Illinois State Capitol to ensure that Bill Wozniak was the last person to be killed in the line of duty. guarding the Illinois State Capitol. Brad Demuzio worked with our secretary of state. Jesse White. to make sure that this police force was put into action. That is true leadership. That is public service. That is why I stand here. on the floor of the House today. to also honor my friend who died way too young. at age 50former mayor. former director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police. and my friend. Brad Demuzio. So it gives me great pleasure tonight to honor these three great men because they are inspirations to me. and they are going to be inspirations to future generations of central Illinois public servants. Thank you. Phil Crane. for your service to this country and to our great State. Thank you. Lane Evans. for your service to this great institution. And thank you. Brad Demuzio. for your service to the great State of Illinois and Macoupin County. And with that. I see no other Members down here to recognize the service of these great men. so. Mr. Speaker. I will take this opportunity to yield back the balance of my time.