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[Page H8831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING FORMER MISSISSIPPI SPEAKER BILLY McCOY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Kelly) for 5 minutes.
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the
former speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, the
Honorable Billy McCoy, who is pictured here.
Former Mississippi Speaker Billy McCoy passed away on November 12
after an incredible, lifelong career of public service.
Billy was directly responsible for revolutionizing the economy of
Mississippi and bringing thousands of jobs to our great State. As
speaker, Speaker McCoy championed the 1987 infrastructure plan that
created four-lane highways throughout Mississippi. The four-lane
highways brought industries and added more than 1,300 miles of highways
to the State.
Billy was also dedicated to improving public education in Mississippi
and giving every child a chance for success. His influence on the lives
of numerous Mississippians will not be forgotten, but his honorable
demeanor and commitment will be greatly missed.
I just think back to being at Jacinto, an ancient courthouse that
predates the Civil War in Mississippi near Rienzi, where Speaker McCoy
was from. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, when you got
ready to run, you had better go pay homage to the great Speaker Billy
McCoy, who did so much for Mississippi.
And I can still see him sitting on the front lawn in front of the
trailer with the hay bales on it, where I would speak for my first
political speech, and seeing Speaker McCoy out there, knowing that I
would have gone by and gotten advice from him, even though we were on
opposite political parties.
May Mr. Speaker rest in peace.
Recognizing Judge Sadie Holland
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize
Judge Sadie Holland, another icon in history. And thank goodness she is
still here with us. She is just retiring.
She is retiring from Lee County Justice Court as a judge, after 16
years of service in that capacity. She also has a history of being Lee
County's first female justice court judge. She served, before that, as
the Tupelo court administrator and mayor of Nettleton, a small
community in Lee County.
Judge Holland's influence in the community has been so significant,
Lee County proclaimed November 3 as Sadie Holland Day.
I also have to mention that one of her sons is retiring as a State
representative of over 36 years, who I will recognize next, and her
other is a supervisor in her home county of Lee County.
The Hollands are icons in Lee County, and I thank Judge Sadie Holland
for her service.
Recognizing State Representative Steve Holland
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize
soon-to-be former--he is about to retire from the Mississippi House of
Representatives--Representative Steve Holland.
Steve has served in the House of Representatives in the Mississippi
legislature for 36 years. He was also a desk mate, I think, of former
Speaker McCoy, and they were good friends.
Steve has represented the 16th District of Mississippi proudly, as he
has represented all of the people of his district. He is a true
Mississippian who prioritized legislation that would create a brighter
future for Mississippi.
And, if you have never met Steve Holland, he is a character who is
not large enough for this body to contain. What a gentleman. Always for
the State of Mississippi and a true Mississippian at heart, but always
with a quip and quick humor. He was always willing to never take
himself too seriously, although all the matters that he achieved were
very serious.
Steve Holland is an icon in Mississippi politics. I look forward to
working with Steve in his retirement and thank him for his service.
Impeachment Process
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I just want to talk a little
bit about this impeachment process, or whatever you want to call it
that we have going on.
The American people deserve the facts--and just the facts--not
supposition from witnesses who have second- and third- and fourth- and
fifth-hand information.
They have a right to not have lawyers and alleged whistleblowers, who
the lawyer has--the coup started in 2017 as soon as our President took
office, or impeachment next.
Mr. Speaker, the people of America deserve the facts. They don't
deserve secret proceedings, leaks, misinformation, and disinformation.
And I just want to make a small point. A whistleblower is not
afforded anonymity by the statute. They are afforded the protection
from firing or retaliation, not anonymity. It is not a hotline or an
anonymous tip line.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the misinformation and disinformation stop.
Just the facts.
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