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Floor Speech

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Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I have the privilege to speak briefly about my friend, Bishop Larry Brandon, who opened up the Senate with prayer. I feel like, with all these pastors--you and Chaplain Barry Black and Bishop Brandon--he is also a remarkable man who has a church in Shreveport, LA, and also in Oakland, CA.

I say: How do you do it?

He goes: Every other week.

He regards his ministry not just to the soul but also to the body. I say that as a doctor, recognizing how the two can be intertwined.

When I first met him, he was about twice as big as he is now. We saw each other at breakfast, and I said: Bishop, you lost weight, man?

He said: I am glad you noticed. Eight-five pounds. If you don't notice 85 pounds, boy, are you blind.

He has done that not only for his own health but for the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of his congregation.

We know I am a doctor. At times, people slip off that diet. We are in Louisiana; so you always have good food.

He says: We never condemn; we never condone. We just always support.

I am speaking about his ministry to their health and also his ministry to their spirit. When we in this Congress adopt that--we don't condemn each other, we don't condone bad behavior, but we work together to support one another for the betterment of our physical, our emotional, and spiritual health--that is a tribute to our bishop.

Thank you.

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