[church bells gong] i am the recollection and the life, say the lord. And whosoever shall believe in me shall never die. I know that my redeemer live et and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though this body be destroyed, yet shall i see god whom i shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold and not as a stranger. For none of us lives to himself and no man dies to himself. For if we live we live onto the lord and if we die we die onto the lord. Whether we live or die, we are the lords. Blessed are the dead, who die in the lord. Even so, says is the spirit, for they rest from their labors. [music] [singing] [singing] [singing] [singing] [singing] the lord be with you. Oh god, whose mercies cannot be numbered accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant benjamin. And grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship. Through jesus christ, thy son our lord, who live with thee and the holy spirit, one god now and forever. Amen. Most merciful
Country. Ben matter my mother tony. By 1960 there was a huge pileup of seven kids in the georgetown house and ben was at the center of this vortex with his ruthless teasing and his amazing told ends for helping out with homework. At 6 00 p. M. Sharp hed whistle through the front door and the whole household would rush to meet him like filings to a magnet. The poem im going to read is bens favorite. We think he may have first heard this laying flat on his back at age 14, paralyzed by polio. The people is by william earnest henley and his last line was on spoken to us in the family. Either as an exhortation or as an, about sun he admired like the plumber fixing the sink. Ben was stopped in his tracks by anyone who had authentic dignity, who was the captain of his soul. Out night that covers me, black is the pit from pole to pole. I thank whatever god may be, for my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance, i have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance
The speaker the house will be in order. The prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. Chaplain conroy let us pray. Loving god, we give you thanks for giving us another day. As this chamber lies silent and members disperse to celebrate the holy days with their families, we ask your blessing upon them and upon us all. Ask that pressures hang over them and our nation during these days of quiet, send an abun das of an abundance of your gifts of knowledge, understanding and goodlogical, that the concerns of americas citizens might be assuaged by good policy and solutions that will guarantee a secure future. May all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory, amen. The speaker the chair has examined the journal of the last days protings and announces to the house his approval thereof. Pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1rk the journal stands approved. The chair will lead the house in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of ameri
Good afternoon. Thank you for coming i am ben teeeighteen, jr. His first child from his first wife and i am proud to be his namesake. Might first memory of my fathers of the dramatic side due 1951 was not quite three years old he threw me in the Swimming Pool at of the blue thinking you to give real wakeup of learning how to swim there were no foodies in those days and of course, i was thrashing around gasping for air after watching me he hopped into the pool and casualty scooped be up and abused by the entire scene. It was an act of tough love. I think. [laughter] it happened aboard the ocean liner as resale from york to paris review was embarking on a new career as the press attache at the American Embassy as correspondent for newsweek. Four years later by parents were divorced and my mother and i returned to u. S. Settling in boston. Decade back to washington as bureau chief for newsweek to join the post in 1965. He remarried and i began a routine of coming down to d. C. For visits
Sliding in. Ben with a killer smile on his face as he raised a fist in triumph. I watched all of this and thought, maybe i should have gone. Because i possible was being raised at a time and a wase when we thought ramen able in the rodeo. There was no crown and shield. The end of his life and the end of the days we spent together, for me, it was just enough to know him and to love him. To his family, i want to say, we share your solid your sorrow and your pride. A Common Source of all that was, his love in his heart for journalism, his style, his character, and as i came to know and get his deep love of his country. His deep love of his country. When benarried 1960, hey mother, by was at the center of the vortex with his ruthless teasing and his amazing tolerance for helping out with homework. At 6 00 p. M. Sharp, he would doorle through the front and the whole household would come to meet him. The poem i will read was his favorite. We think he may have first heard this lying on his ba