Expressing the Condolences of the House of Representatives on the Death of the Honorable Jo Ann Davis, a Representative of the Commonwealth of ...

Floor Speech

EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE JO ANN DAVIS, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA -- (House of Representatives - October 09, 2007)

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Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman.

Along with my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, I too rise with a very heavy heart today as we mourn the passing and reflect on the life of our dear friend and colleague, Jo Ann Davis. In life, Jo Ann amazed so many of us with her determination and her fighting spirit. In politics, as has been noted before, she made history, becoming the first Republican woman from Virginia to serve in this House. In fighting for everything she believed in up until the last day of her bout with cancer, Jo Ann taught us how to make every moment on this Earth count. Jo Ann was a true gentlelady from Virginia. She was a woman of faith and family who had an unshakable commitment to the principles of our Nation's Founders and of our Nation's military.

As was indicated by my colleagues before, Jo Ann was a true patriot. And though she spent only a mere 10 years in elected office, she left a profound imprint on national and State politics. The State of Virginia and our country will miss her greatly. All of us talk about the experiences and recall with much sadness, but yet appreciation, that we did have the time we did with Jo Ann Davis.

I, like many of my Virginia colleagues, served with Jo Ann in the Virginia legislature. I had 3 years with Jo Ann. We served together on the General Laws Committee in the Virginia House of Delegates. It was there that I first saw this incredibly strong woman with a will to make sure that she did the right thing regardless.

We had adjoining districts. We shared many of the same community interests. Jo Ann was a believer and a promoter of the James River. As was noted earlier by my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Scott), she cared greatly about the Ghost Fleet there as well as making sure that Virginia was no longer a dumping ground for out-of-state trash.

As has been noted, Jo Ann was a great person of faith. I had the tremendous fortune of visiting the Land of Israel with Jo Ann and Chuck and saw firsthand how much her faith meant to her. Regardless of what you say about Jo Ann Davis, I think we can all agree that Jo Ann Davis was never concerned about being politically correct. She carried the bill to make sure that we recognized the holiday of Christmas and that the issue of faith and God was not taken out of the public realm.

Jo Ann spoke her mind when she had opinions about this war in Iraq. When it came down to it, she cared about her troops, her constituents, her family, and her God. We all will miss Jo Ann tremendously. I want to, at this time, also extend to her family, to Chuck, to her two sons, her granddaughter, a great deal of sympathy. We will miss her.

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