The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO FORMER ALABAMA CONGRESSMAN SONNY CALLAHAN
______
HON. HAROLD ROGERS
of kentucky
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 1, 2021
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to the memory of one of my closest friends, former Congressman H.L. ``Sonny'' Callahan, the gentleman from the great state of Alabama, who peacefully passed away on June 25, 2021. Sonny and I became quick friends upon his arrival to Washington in 1985. His humor and zeal for practical jokes were as endearing on Capitol Hill as his ability to forge alliances across the aisle to create effective policy and legislation for the American people.
As colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, Sonny and I traveled the world together, meeting with leaders from Singapore to Argentina to Israel and many nations in between. His gregarious nature was as prevalent during those international meetings as it was at home in the heart of Alabama. Sonny extended genuine kindness and friendship to folks across all walks of life and never lost the staunch work ethic that helped him build a successful trucking business in Alabama. Before being elected to Congress as a registered Republican, Sonny dedicated 12 years to the Alabama state legislature, serving both chambers as a registered Democrat--proving he could get along with leaders of all political persuasions.
I always had great admiration for the fact that Sonny was a Navy Veteran of the Korean War. There was no one he fought harder for in Washington than our veterans and current members of the U.S. Armed Forces. He believed in building a stronger national defense, advocating for better care for our veterans, and reenforcing foreign aid for key allies in the Middle East, especially Israel.
It is one of the greatest honors of my lifetime to have served alongside my friend Sonny for 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. As President Abraham Lincoln once wrote, ``the better part of one's life consists of his friendships.'' Sonny Callahan is one of the most beloved leaders of Alabama and Washington, D.C., and I will always consider him one of my closest friends. My wife Cynthia and I extend our deepest heartfelt sympathy to the Callahan family and the great wealth of friends he made across the country, and indeed around the globe.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 115
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