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HONORING THE LIFE OF LUKE LETLOW
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Bourdeaux). Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Louisiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, our Special Order tonight is to honor a dear friend, one who would have been a colleague of ours here, and a great tragedy.
Congressman-elect Luke Joshua Letlow, from Start, Louisiana, passed away from complications due to COVID-19 on December 29, 2020. He had just been elected to Congress December 5, and he was only, as we know, weeks away from taking the oath of office and serving here with us.
He was 41 years old. He was in the prime of his life and, so far as any of us could tell, otherwise the picture of health and energy and excitement and positivity. He was excited to serve with us here. His death came as a terrible shock to all the people of Louisiana and to millions of people around this country.
Luke was known in Louisiana for having a servant's heart. He had a peaceful nature about him. When he talked to a constituent, or a friend, or anyone, he made them feel they were the most important person in the world. He was one of those guys who was a great statesman, and he would have left a big mark here.
I have also been encouraged since his passing to know that my friend was guided by his faith in Christ. A good friend of ours told me shortly after his passing that Luke was drawn even closer to the Lord in his final days. In fact, he called this trusted prayer warrior to share briefly about an experience he had just a few nights before he passed away.
He was in the hospital, and Luke said he felt the certain presence of God and his peace. Luke Letlow knew the truth of Christ and the peace of his salvation, and we all have taken great comfort in that.
Luke leaves behind his devoted wife, Julia, and their two young children, Jeremiah and Jacqueline. He leaves his parents, Johnny and Dianne Letlow; his grandmother, Mary Taylor; his brothers, Paul and Matt, and their families; and a huge network of people who were like family to Luke and loved him as their own.
He was raised in Start, Louisiana, just east of Monroe. For the people who don't know the geography, it is northeast Louisiana. Throughout his entire adult life, it was very clear how deeply he cared about the people of our State and those who live in the Fifth Congressional District, which is a sprawling 24 parishes, the largest by land area in our State.
He worked for Bobby Jindal during Jindal's stint here in the U.S. House, and also later when Bobby was elected Louisiana's Governor.
Luke also worked as chief of staff for his predecessor and our good friend, Dr. Ralph Abraham, who just retired and left the seat open.
Throughout Luke's time in each of those positions, he made it a priority to work every day to benefit those that he served. He wanted to make life better for the people of his home State and, in those efforts, he worked closely with our farmers and the oil and gas industry and countless small businesses to ensure they were given every opportunity to succeed.
Judging from his accomplishments and a remarkable record of public service, there is no doubt at all that he would have made an outstanding Member of Congress.
Many people are aware now that there will be a special election in March, March 20, to fill that seat that he has left open, and we are delighted to tell you that his beloved bride, his widow, Dr. Julia Barnhill Letlow, will be running for that seat, and we expect that she will be taking her place here shortly thereafter.
She is a native of Monroe, a dedicated mother, of course, and an education professional who has dedicated her life to promote and advocate for higher education, traditional family values, and our quality of life in Louisiana. We are excited to soon welcome her here to fill the giant void that our dear friend and brother, Luke, has left us.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins), another member of our delegation.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, Congressman-elect Luke Letlow was called home far too soon. He was a friend and we were looking forward to working together here in the people's House.
His passing was so sudden and unexpected that it caused many of us--
it certainly caused me to reflect upon my life and to be renewed in my determination to serve the people and to become a better man every day, because that is the kind of spirit that Luke delivered to the world.
He was a charming and brilliant man with a beautiful smile, a wonderful spirit, a compassionate man, driven to serve.
I had the opportunity to break bread with Julia, Luke's wife, last week, and I saw in speaking to her that Luke lives in the light in her eye, in her children, and everyone that Luke touched during the course of his life.
So I am prayerful that this child of God's presence will be felt, that Representative-elect Luke Letlow's service will, indeed, be felt within this Chamber, if we can just take a moment to seek that guidance that he clearly pursued and listened to during the course of his life. He brought that to those that he worked with and the citizens that he served. So I thank my colleagues for arranging this Special Order tonight.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Louisiana, Mr. Higgins, for his remarks. We sat together at the funeral of Luke, and it was a great service. There were so many kind words said about him. And he is remembered to just be the great spirit and the great Louisiana homegrown talent that he was.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice), who is also the freshman class president, the class that Luke of course would have been a part of.
Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding.
I rise today as the president of the 117th Congress Republican freshman class to express our profound sadness that we all share for the loss of our friend and colleague, Luke Letlow.
Luke was a great American who was committed to serving his country and the people of his home State of Louisiana. Sadly, Luke was taken from us way too early.
I never actually had the chance to meet Luke. He was elected on December 5, which was the last day of the second week of New Member orientation. But as the freshman class president, I felt it my duty to make sure that he felt included by texting him, connecting him with other Members, and making sure that he had all of his needs met as he joined this 117th freshman class.
Our entire class looked forward to being sworn in together on January 3, and we were devastated by the news of his passing on December 29 of 2020. We all know that Luke would have been a tremendous addition and someone who would have made a positive impact on this great Nation.
I join with all of my colleagues in sending our thoughts and support to Luke's family, including his wife, Julia, son, Jeremiah, daughter, Jacqueline, and I am keeping them all in my prayers.
It is interesting to see In God We Trust above the Speaker's chair because one thing I do know is that Luke trusted God.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership of the freshman class and for those kind remarks.
I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), another leader from that class.
Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my friend, Luke Letlow.
Luke and I spoke many times as we both prepared to enter Congress, and we shared the privilege of both representing districts that are centered around a couple of very important things, faith, family and agriculture. I looked forward to serving with him and working together to better the lives of our farmers and our ranchers across the district and across the entire country.
Luke led a life of public service to the good people in the great State of Louisiana from a young age, beginning as a young college graduate serving on the staff of Congressman John Cooksey, the Representative of Louisiana's Fifth District at that time.
He went on to serve the people in multiple capacities before launching a successful Congressional bid of his own.
He was a man of faith in Jesus Christ, and he lived his life in accordance with His guiding principles. There is no way for us to know the thousands of lives that he had already touched before he entered into a plan to run for Congress, and how many lives he touched in those years of service, and the countless others who were blessed just by knowing him.
There was nothing that he loved more than serving others and primarily, his love of being a husband and a father, a husband to his wife, Julia, and a father to their two children, Jeremiah and Jacqueline, something that his legacy will live on forever in our hearts.
Today, we give glory to God for his life and pause to reflect on that legacy which will live on through Julia, Jeremiah, and Jacqueline. My prayers are with all of them.
His passing is a tremendous loss to this U.S. Congress, to the State of Louisiana and, more importantly, to his family and friends who loved him and cherished him.
{time} 1945
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, we have a few others from the class that Luke Letlow would have been proud to serve in, some of the rising leaders here. I will call on them in no particular order here, but I yield to another gentleman from Texas (Mr. Fallon), if he is ready.
Mr. FALLON. Madam Speaker, I never had the privilege and blessing to meet Luke Letlow in person and to share our hearts and enjoy the blessed gift of fellowship. But to be honest, I still feel a bond and a connection and a friendship with Luke because we were both married to beautiful, successful women, and we certainly outkicked our coverage; we both had two children; and we both chose public service and eventually ran for Congress.
Luke left this world far too early, only 41. The scourge of an evil virus whose growth across the globe was fostered by the nefarious denial and negligence of a Communist regime in Beijing.
COVID-19 has claimed millions, 500,000 here at home, and it stole Luke from us. Luke Letlow, a man in his prime who had everything to live for, is now gone. And it shouldn't be that way.
He should be with us today. He should be with us here, voting, visiting, talking, learning, and leading. But COVID robbed our country and this Chamber of Luke Letlow.
This same scourge, Madam Speaker, crossed my path 3\1/2\ weeks ago, and it damn near killed me. I experienced the worst pain in my life. I had bacterial and viral pneumonia, along with the virus thriving in my body at the same time. I thought I was going to die. Prayers and terrific American medical care spared me. So I am not going to hold back, and I am just going to talk frankly and from the heart.
I am consumed today, right now, this very moment, with why. Why is Luke gone? Why was I spared? Why are 500,000 Americans dead? I don't know. But I do have a strong belief that we all have a purpose, and everyone in this Chamber has a purpose the Almighty has for us, and we just don't know what it is yet.
I feel, now that I have been gifted bonus decades, I want to know what I should do with those years. How should I lead my life? The bottom line is, we all should ask ourselves that question and exercise the power that we have within each of our souls to be kinder, to be gentler, to be more understanding, to smile when somebody walks on an elevator. It costs us nothing to do these things. We should live for others. And above all, we should love and never be ashamed to be vulnerable and love thy neighbor.
We want to honor Luke Letlow? You want to honor his legacy and his life? Then live and love and be joyous and be kind. Live for others with all of your hearts. I am not the least bit ashamed to say that I am going to try.
That is what we are here for, and that is our purpose. Let's acknowledge the bounties and the blessings and the very gift of life itself because life is short, and it is delicate, and it is fragile, and it is fleeting, and it is also so very beautiful.
Luke, we are praying for you. We miss you; we love you; and we are going to be there for Julia and your kids.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson), another classmate of Luke's.
Mrs. HINSON. Madam Speaker, tonight, we are here to honor the life of Luke Letlow, who was taken from us far too soon.
Luke led a life of public service, and he was dedicated to bettering the lives in Louisiana. I know he was so looking forward to serving the great people of the State of Louisiana here in Congress.
Most importantly, though, he was a dedicated husband to his wife, Julia, and a loving father to their two young children. We are all grieving with them during this time, their entire family. I hope the Letlow family can seek some comfort in knowing that so many people here in D.C., back in Iowa, Georgia, and around the country are lifting up prayers for them every single day.
Although Luke is no longer with us, he does leaves behind, and he reminds us about, a remarkable legacy that we and, most importantly, his two children will always be able to remember him by long after we are all gone from this place, too.
Thank you, Madam Speaker, for letting me speak tonight on behalf of our classmate, Luke Letlow, and his entire family.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida, Mrs. Kat Cammack, another bright light in this class and my friend.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life of Luke Letlow.
As a Member-elect of this freshman class, Luke was one of us. We didn't get the privilege of serving alongside him, but in getting to know his family, I have no doubt that he would have been an energetic leader among us.
In talking with Luke's wife, Julia, I have come to know the very best of what Luke stood for and why he will forever be with us as a Member of this body.
Luke's love of Louisiana ran as deep as the roots of generations that came before him. Luke revered leaders ranging from Ronald Reagan, whose optimistic vision of conservatism transformed the Republican Party and the world, to the local Richland Parish police jurors who ensured residents received the essential services that local government was charged with providing.
Luke loved studying Louisiana political history and voraciously read every out-of-print book on the subject that he could get his hands on. Luke's passion for preserving the history of Richland Parish and his forebears took him from documenting gravesites and local churches to building a website that chronicled the history of the rural community where he was raised.
Luke's love of America, Louisiana, and Richland Parish defined him as a person and motivated him to pursue a career in the noble profession of public service.
Tonight, we honor his memory. But moving forward, we will strive to embody his passion for people, our history, and our Nation.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to introduce another member of the Louisiana delegation for remarks in our Special Order tonight. We are going in, it seems to be, reverse order by seniority, but I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), my friend. He knew Luke very well, and I know he will bring some good thoughts to us tonight.
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Mr. Johnson, for yielding and for organizing this.
Madam Speaker, I sat here and listened to all of these people talk about Luke Letlow, and I don't know who they are talking about.
Luke was a redneck. There is this iconic picture of Luke where he is wearing this hat, and it says: ``Start Fire.'' The only thing that comes to mind is this is parent material, right?
Luke was a good ol' boy, and I know, in many instances, that term is associated with negativity. That is not Luke. Luke was a force for good, and he did that before the Navy even coined that term.
I have known him for 15, 20 years. We staffed together up here in Congress. We worked together in the Governor's office in Louisiana. Luke was always a workhorse, always, not a show horse.
Madam Speaker, Luke was a public servant. He wasn't a politician. He had a heart for the public. He had a heart for fixing things, and he was good at it. Luke brought folks together, and he got things done.
There wasn't a prejudiced or discriminatory bone in his body. Everybody was a friend. Everybody Luke met, he looked you in the eye, he gave you that little grin, which was a little bit cockeyed, and he truly wanted to know you.
He truly wanted to get to know people, to find out what you were about. He loved finding out about the background or history of people, their ancestry, their relatives, where they were from, what they did, what they cared about.
Madam Speaker, the people in the Fifth District of Louisiana saw that as well. There are 24 parishes that comprise the Fifth District, and Luke won 23 of those, 23 of them in the election. This district, his predecessor used to brag, and Luke serving as the chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham used to brag, has more acres of row crops than any other district in Congress. This wasn't an urban area. This wasn't New York City or even New Orleans. This was a rural area. Madam Speaker, these were the people that Luke had a heart for.
I have never in my life been as excited as I was to have a colleague like Luke. Years and years ago, I told him, I said: ``Luke, look, if Doc, if Ralph Abraham, ever steps down, you have to run. You have to do it.''
There are a lot of people up here that are good. Luke would have been great.
Madam Speaker, you look at this place, you watch the network TV, the news, and you wonder why in the world anyone would want to come to do this. You have really got to question people's sanity, looking at how dysfunctional, how partisan, how divisive this place is.
One of the previous speakers hit it on the head when they said Luke is exactly what we need. He is exactly what we need here. I will say it again: Luke is a workhorse, not a show horse. He brings people together. He doesn't care about your race, your ethnicity. He doesn't care about your political party. What he cares about is doing things right.
Luke's dream was to find a good life partner, and knowing him when he was a little younger, I think many of us thought that was a pretty lofty goal for Luke. But, man, he nailed it. He did. Julia, his partner, his life partner, his spouse, his wife, is just amazing, and Luke was just so excited, so giddy, about that relationship.
Luke's dream was to be a good son, and he is. He is a great son. He is a great brother.
Before I leave you all with the wrong impression, I should have clarified that his dad actually started the volunteer fire department in Start, S-t-a-r-t, where he was from. I didn't mean to suggest that he was a pyro. He was a good son.
Luke's dream was to be a Member of Congress, and he did that, too. He won the election. His dream was to be a good father to Jeremiah and the apple of his eye, Jacqueline. He loves them, absolutely loves them.
And his dream was to be a good Christian. Look, all of us are sinners, but Luke was a difference-maker.
He didn't run for Congress for the name recognition, for the ego, or for the popularity. He did this, he ran, to represent the underrepresented, to stand up for these small communities, like Start, Louisiana, and the people of these small communities so they would have a voice, so they would be represented.
I will never in my life forget when we were at the burial, following the hearse to the burial ceremony, seeing that hearse driving and the water tower of Start right there in the background, and this just ominous sky. All I could think about is Luke doing what was right and wanting to be here because he really cared. He did. It was so genuine.
Madam Speaker, people often talk about term limits, and term limits make a lot of sense. There are some people that should be term-limited after they have been in Congress for about 2 months, and there are some people that should be term-limited after 40 years. Luke was one of those people who should be here forever because you couldn't change his genuine heart and care for the people and doing what is right.
{time} 2000
So, Madam Speaker, I want to thank, again, my friend from Louisiana for organizing this. It was absolutely well deserved. Filling the void Ralph Abraham's retirement created was a big void, but, certainly, Luke was absolutely up for that task. He was going to do an amazing job.
To Julia, to Jeremiah, to Jacqueline: Luke is looking down at us from heaven right now probably playing Xbox or PlayStation, and he is looking over this place. He is looking over this family. What Louisiana lost was heaven's gain.
God bless you, brother.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Garret Graves of Louisiana, for those poignant words. The funeral service was like that, with recollections from close friends. We could have sat there all afternoon and reveled in it.
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the whip, my dear friend, and one of the guys who helped guide Luke on his path to get here.
Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Louisiana for yielding.
Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I stand here today to pay tribute to Luke Letlow. Just like earlier tonight when we stood out on the steps of the Capitol to pay respects to the 500,000 people who we have lost from COVID-19, Luke, unfortunately, is in that number. He is not somebody you would have expected. He was young, healthy, and he had his whole life in front of him.
He had already lived a rich life. He had already left such a powerful impact on people in the right kind of way, like my colleague, Congressman Graves, talked about. He had a big heart, Madam Speaker. He had a servant's heart.
Luke was the kind of person who you want to get into public service to do it for the right reasons, to actually believe in something and want to make people's lives better.
When he would go through the rural communities of his district--which is a very rural district--he would just talk to people, strike up conversations. He would want to hear their stories and he would want to help people. He had a lot of opportunities to do that, Madam Speaker.
He started working for Congressman John Cooksey out of college at Louisiana Tech. He had already garnished a desire for public service.
After he worked for Congressman Cooksey, I met him in 2004, when he was working on the campaign of my predecessor, Bobby Jindal, who got elected to Congress. Luke served with him there. When Bobby got elected Governor, Luke went to serve with him in the State to make our State a better place.
And then when Ralph Abraham came to Congress, Luke spent the last 6 years working for Ralph as his chief of staff, going around the rural parts of that district in northeast Louisiana, just reaching out, finding out about people.
He was very much into genealogy. He wanted to know not just about people, but about their history, where they came from, what made people tick, and how he could keep making a difference.
Ultimately, when Ralph retired, Luke made that decision to run. And he didn't make that decision alone. His lovely wife, Julia, was all in. They were a family that was a partnership. They were a true love story of two people who cared deeply about each other and who cared deeply about their young children: young Jeremiah; and young Jacqueline, who we also grieve for.
It is heartbreaking when you think of the promise and what was lost, what we as colleagues lost. You hear members of his own freshman class who never got to serve with him--some have might not even met with him, just knew about him or heard about him--and miss him. That is the kind of person who Luke Letlow was.
I got to talk to Luke a lot in those last few days and in the last few weeks before he even got COVID. He was so excited to come up here and get sworn in as a Member of Congress and to start helping people in a different way.
He had already helped so many people working for others, but now was his chance to make his own mark. He was talking about what committees he wanted to be on. He wanted to serve on the Agriculture Committee. He wanted to serve on the Appropriations Committee. And he had big ideas, ideas that inspire other people to want to do better as well.
So, Madam Speaker, when we remember Luke Letlow, it is that big smile that Luke had. It is that servant's heart, the heart of a person who cares about other people and wanted to make a difference for all of the right reasons. Thank God we still have people like Luke Letlow who care enough to want to get into public service for the right reasons.
It is sad that we didn't get that opportunity to serve with him. I so looked forward to serving with him as a colleague in the Louisiana delegation. He was only 5 days away from getting sworn in when we lost him.
So, Madam Speaker, as we remember the life of Luke Letlow, I know he is up in heaven looking down. He was a man of deep, deep faith, and that faith carried him and his family through those difficulties in the last few days when he was struggling and fighting for his life. I know that faith is what got him into heaven. He would probably be looking down and saying: Y'all shouldn't be making such a big fuss.
But you know what? He deserves this kind of tribute because this would have been a richer body if we had Luke Letlow.
We will all remember him and keep him in our thoughts and our prayers.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the whip for those great remarks and his great leadership, and I know Luke appreciated that as well.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Boebert).
Mrs. BOEBERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding and for setting up this Special Order to honor Congressman-
elect Luke Letlow.
Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Congressman-
elect Luke Letlow, whose tireless work for his community, passion for public service, and love for his constituents will long be an inspiration to many Americans.
He spoke glowingly of the mighty Mississippi and his district's rich Louisiana soil, both of which flowed freely through his veins as he passionately advocated for the people who elected him to be their voice.
His life of service working for Governor Bobby Jindal, serving as chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham, and then successfully running for Congress himself, exemplified his commitment to win the day.
Congressman-elect Letlow shared my great love for our Western States, and he was a fierce advocate for the issues facing everyday Americans. His calling to public service was only surpassed by his calling to be a loving husband, father, brother, and son. He cared deeply for his beloved wife, Julia; son, Jeremiah; and daughter, Jacqueline.
After he won his race, Congressman-elect Letlow's wife, Julia, spoke of God's sovereignty over the life of her husband, quoting the words from scripture: ``Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.''
God set Luke apart with a calling, with an anointing, and that same calling and anointing is now in that Godly heritage that he has left behind. God's wraparound presence is surrounding the Letlow family.
God's plan for Luke's life was one of service, and his legacy will live on through his family. His wife, Julia, is a woman of deep faith. A calling to public service is on her life. She was his rock for all of his years in public life. I am honored to call her my friend now.
May his family find comfort in the words of the scripture: ``The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. . . .'' and in knowing that Congressman-
elect Letlow fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the faith.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado for her words. That was very appropriate. I was going to cite the same scripture.
I will just say this as we close tonight: The night we got word of Luke's passing was December 29, and that word, the phone call we got shook my whole family, as it did everybody in the State.
As we were putting our children to bed at night, I reminded my youngest son, my 10-year-old son, that while grieving is part of our human experience, the Lord mourns with us. We know that from Isaiah 53:4. And as Lauren just said, He always remains close to the brokenhearted. Psalm 34.
So many are mourning this loss and so many remain brokenhearted. But I will close with these words from the Apostle Paul, as he wrote to the church in Rome, Romans 8:38-39: ``For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.''
Luke believed that and he lived it, and he would want us to remember it, too.
Madam Speaker, this concludes our Special Order tonight, and I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 34
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