The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING CAT DAVIS
______
HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS
of washington
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 11, 2021
Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Madam Speaker, my heart is heavy as I rise today to honor the life of my dear friend, Cat Davis, who passed away on May 26, 2021. Cat was a remarkable soul, and she was one of God's greatest gifts to everyone who knew her. My prayers are with Cat's family as we mourn her passing.
I first met Cat and her mom, Sally, at a unity dinner that I hosted several years ago in Spokane, Washington. Cat had bright purple hair that caught everyone's attention. When she first approached me, she gave me a big hug, and I knew right away that her stand out hair color was the perfect match for the clear vibrancy she had for life.
In that moment, not I, nor anyone else could have imagined the depth of suffering she had been enduring. Under the surface, Cat was fighting for her life as she battled Scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease without a cure. During our first meeting, Cat told me she needed a stem cell transplant, but Medicare refused to cover the surgery. This would have devastated most people, but not Cat. Instead, her will to live and her desire to fight this illness only grew stronger.
In June 2017, Cat and Sally travelled to D.C. to meet with the Director for the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services in my office in the Capitol. Cat passionately shared her story and pleaded for them to grant the transplant surgery, and they responded positively. It had been worth the difficult trip from Spokane to D.C.
Cat would eventually be granted approval for surgery, and with it, a second lease on life. I watched as Cat continued to approach each day with hope, enthusiasm, and deep understanding of the impact a life lived for others has. As our friendship continued to deepen over the years, she and her mom became a special example to me of love enduring all things.
As the Bible says in I Corinthians, ``Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.'' Cat's love and friendship will forever be imprinted on my heart, and for that, I will always be grateful.
Madam Speaker, Cat Davis lived an amazing life that deserves to be celebrated. In honor of Cat's love, legacy, and passion that has inspired all those who knew her, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Cat Davis. May God grant her eternal peace in His kingdom.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 102
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