Peoria Standard

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) paid tribute to Congressman Harris Fawell (R), sharing a video from a Feb. 15 speech about the Congressman and the passage of Illinois House Resolution 647 in his honor.

"House Resolution 647 honors the life of Illinois Congressman Harris Fawell, who passed away last year. Fawell gave me a shot when I was a young kid fresh out of college and taught me more in six months than in four years earning my college degree. He was a leader as a budget hawk who founded the Porkbusters' Coalition in Congress to curb billions in pork-barrel spending," said  Butler.

Fawell's death on Nov. 11, 2021, was due to complications from Alzheimer's disease, the Chicago Tribune reported. He died at home in Naperville, where he had lived for half a century.

"Answering phones, greeting constituents, giving tours of the capitol was a great way to start my professional career, thanks to Congressman Fawell. He's one of the many people who made a significant impact on where I am today, but the person who gives you the first real break means more than most," Butler said in the five-minute YouTube video.

In 1993, the Chicago Tribune highlighted the creation of the Porkbusters Coalition, a bipartisan group created by Fawell and Minnesota Rep. Tim Penny (D). It was comprised of 68 House members, with the support of 11 national taxpayer groups.