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| Honoring the Memory of Joe Skeen |
September 22, 2004 |
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| House Bill Designates the “Joe Skeen Federal Building”
Washington, DC – Joe Skeen’s life of service to New Mexico was honored today by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Legislation was passed designating the Federal Building at Fifth and Richardson Avenues in Roswell as the “Joe Skeen Federal Building.” The legislation was sponsored by the entire New Mexico House delegation: Representatives Heather Wilson, Tom Udall, and Steve Pearce. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman sponsored companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Joe Skeen passed away Dec. 7, 2003. He served 22 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before his retirement at the end of the 107th Congress. The bill was met with immediate support from Joe Skeen’s longtime friends and colleagues in Congress.
“Joe Skeen honored us with his life of service to New Mexico,” Wilson said. “Today we are honoring his memory with this simple indication of deep respect. Joe was a great New Mexican, a gentleman, a statesman, an able legislator and an advocate for the people of New Mexico. It was a blessing to serve with him.”
“While Joe and I served on opposite sides of the aisle, I had a genuine respect for the service he gave the citizens of the Second Congressional District of New Mexico,” Udall said. “He served his constituents with distinction, and we should honor his life`s work. As New Mexico’s longest-serving U.S. Representative, it is fitting that the Federal Building in Roswell bear his name.”
“Joe Skeen was a man of deep convictions, a true statesman and a dedicated public servant to his state and his country,” Pearce said. “The naming of this federal building will serve as a reminder of his hard work and dedication to his constituents. It’s an honor to his legacy and to his wife Mary, his kids and grandkids.”
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