Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
Watch Kennedy’s remarks here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the Senate floor to commemorate William Clifford Smith, a south Louisiana native and advocate for preserving Louisiana’s coast and wetlands, who passed away last Thursday.
Key excerpts from Kennedy’s speech include:
“I lost a good friend in Louisiana, and Louisiana lost a good friend, last week: Mr. Clifford Smith. Clifford happened to be a civil engineer, but he was so much more.”
. . .
“Clifford Smith was one of the first Louisianians, if not the first, to talk about the need for coastal restoration in my state. . . . He was on every board imaginable. When his church burned down in Houma, Clifford said, ‘I’ll be responsible for raising the money and rebuild the church.’ Took him five years—and he did it.”
. . .
“He was whip-smart. He was visionary. He was wise. He was very charming. . . . I miss Clifford. I’m going to miss him. . . . I went down to the funeral on Monday to say goodbye, but I wanted to say goodbye on the floor of the United States Senate and recognize my friend, and a Louisiana favorite son, William Clifford Smith.”
Video of Kennedy’s comments is available here.