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2001 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 332
On the death of Congressman Herbert H. Bateman.

Agreed to by the Senate, January 19, 2001
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 26, 2001

WHEREAS, Congressman Herbert H. Bateman of Newport News, a former member of the Senate of Virginia and nine-term representative of Virginia’s First Congressional District, died on September 11, 2000; and

WHEREAS, a native of Newport News, Herbert Bateman was a graduate of Newport News High School, The College of William and Mary, and the Georgetown University Law Center; and

WHEREAS, before commencing his political career, Herbert Bateman was a teacher at Hampton High School, served in the United States Air Force, and served as a law clerk for U.S. Judge Walter Bastian of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals; and

WHEREAS, Herbert Bateman was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1967 and served with great distinction for 15 years, counting among his many achievements the sponsorship of the legislation that created the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission; and

WHEREAS, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, Congressman Bateman built an enviable legislative career based on the virtues that characterized his life: hard work, selflessness, integrity, and an uncommon ability to build consensus; and

WHEREAS, as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Bateman strove tirelessly to ensure that the defenses of the United States remained superior to any military threat; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Bateman was convinced that our nation's defenses could ultimately maintain such superiority through forward presence and force projection, and since he also knew our nation's diplomacy often hinged on the presence of carrier battle groups, he consistently endeavored to ensure the maximum number of deployable carrier battle groups were available to the President; and

WHEREAS, respected on both sides of the aisle, Congressman Bateman worked assiduously and with great success on behalf of his First District constituents, battling to keep federal defense contracts for his district and promoting military readiness; and

WHEREAS, working with other members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation, from both parties, Congressman Bateman put aside political differences and used his formidable legislative and parliamentary skills to achieve notable legislative victories, usually without worrying about who got the credit; and

WHEREAS, the very antithesis of the grandiose, publicity-seeking politician, Congressman Bateman relied on his innate civility, his capacity for hard work, and his reputation for consistency, decency, and common sense to build a matchless record of public service; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby mourn the passing of an exceptional Virginian, Congressman Herbert H. Bateman; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Virginia Advanced Shipbuilding and Carrier Integration Center, authorized by the General Assembly in 1998 and currently under construction in Newport News, be renamed the Herbert H. Bateman Center for Advanced Shipbuilding and Aircraft Carrier Integration of Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Congressman Herbert H. Bateman as an expression of the high esteem in which his memory is held by the members of the General Assembly and the people of Virginia.