HONORING FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES HATCHER OF GEORGIA

On 2026-09-03, Representative Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES HATCHER OF GEORGIA" in the House.

HONORING FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES HATCHER OF GEORGIA

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 140 (Thursday, September 3, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 140 (Thursday, September 3, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5488-H5489] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1030 HONORING FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES HATCHER OF GEORGIA (Mr. BISHOP asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, 2 days ago, Georgia lost a true public servant and leader. Former Congressman Charles Hatcher was born in Georgia, served our country in the United States Air Force, earned his law degree, and returned to Southwest Georgia to practice his profession. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1973 to 1980 and subsequently in the U.S. House of Representatives, this House, from 1981 to 1992. He loved rural, Southwest Georgia. During his years of public service, he was a champion for agriculture and rural development. While we competed in the 1992 Democratic primary for Georgia's Second Congressional District, which I won, I was glad to have his support and counsel, nonetheless, as I started my tenure on Capitol Hill. He and his wife, the Honorable Krysta Hardin, became friends of longstanding, and I will always cherish that friendship. He continued to serve Americans as a Presidential appointee in the U.S. Department of Agriculture during both Clinton administrations, and he continued to serve the Virginia community in which he resided thereafter, volunteering his time with a number of local charities, including Meals on Wheels, and through his local church, the Washington Street United Methodist Church in Alexandria. He leaves behind a legacy of love and compassion through his work and the relationships that he built. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife, Krysta; his children; his grandchildren; and loving family; as well as all of those whose lives he touched and helped make better. I will miss him dearly. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott), my colleague and friend. Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Bishop for yielding. Charles Hatcher was a good man. He was a good Representative, and my family supported him in his last election. I remember him on the farm with my Uncle Dan Raines and with many of our friends and colleagues. He was good for agriculture. He was from Doerun, Georgia, right down the road from where I live. He joined the State bar, and he practiced law in Albany, Georgia. I will just tell you, he was just a good, solid man, and he was also replaced by a good, solid man. I honor the life and the legacy of Charles Hatcher, and my condolences go out to his family. Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the Members of this House and all persons in the Chamber rise for a moment [[Page H5489]] of silence in memory of the Honorable Charles Hatcher. Mr. Speaker, I yield back. ____________________