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[Page H3134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MARYLAND MOURNS THE PASSING OF SPEAKER MICHAEL BUSCH
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 5 minutes.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the last day of the session of
the General Assembly in Maryland.
Sadly, the day before, on Sunday, the longest serving speaker of the
house of delegates--as we call our house of representatives--died on
Sunday, and I rise to pay tribute to him.
He was a great American, a great public servant, and a very dear
friend.
Maryland lost a champion. Michael Busch, Speaker of the Maryland
House of Delegates, passed away after a long and distinguished career
serving the people of our State.
He was young; he was 72 years of age, and the longest serving
speaker, as I said, in the history of the house of delegates.
He had served as speaker of the house since 2003, having first been
elected to represent Anne Arundel County in the house of delegates in
1986.
His title was Mr. Speaker; many, however, knew him as ``Coach,'' a
reminder of his days as a teacher and athletics coach at St. Mary's
High School in Annapolis.
It was at St. Mary's High School that Michael Busch first made a name
for himself as a very excellent football player. He later played at
Temple University, and for 40 years, he worked with the Anne Arundel
County, Department of Parks and Recreation with young people, teaching
them, mentoring them, giving them values.
Many who served with him in the legislature called him ``Coach,'' not
just because of his history, but because Speaker Busch was like a coach
and a mentor to so many of those who served in the house of delegates.
He was a man of deep intellect, poise, steadiness under pressure, and
a wellspring of compassion.
He led efforts to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare for
Marylanders. He helped lead efforts to make Maryland one of the first
States to adopt marriage equality by legislative action, an action that
was later confirmed by the voters of our State.
He led the State in its effort to abolish the death penalty, and he
oversaw the enactment of Maryland's $15 minimum wage. And he worked
hard to ensure a cleaner Chesapeake Bay and its watershed for future
generations while increasing investments in renewable energy.
Earlier this week, the General Assembly overrode the Governor's veto
to enact Speaker Busch's bill to protect five oyster sanctuaries in the
Bay.
Michael Busch's positive impact on Maryland will be felt for,
literally, decades to come.
He was a good and decent person who sought to elevate our politics
during an age when too many, unlike him, had brought our politics low.
I hope my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, would join me in expressing our
condolences to his wife, Cindy, their daughters, Erin and Megan, and to
the entire Busch family and to the people of Maryland he served so
faithfully for so many years.
I hope all of us in this House will find inspiration in Speaker
Busch's life and legacy as we strive to do right by those we serve, as
he did for so many years, and to do so together in a way that is
bipartisan, as was his inclination and performance; and be reflective
of the way he lived his life and approached the work of governing.
In an age where, as I said, politics has been brought low by
divisiveness, and in some respects, hatefulness and attacks on one
another, Michael Busch was somebody who treated others with respect,
with consideration, and with fairness.
Michael Busch served Maryland well. He served our people well. He
will be missed.
____________________
