In an America constantly reminded of its divisions and polarization, members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 2 could agree on at least one thing: Dolly Parton.
Parton, 80, who died Aug. 25, was a native of east Tennessee, the congressional district represented by Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tennessee, who took to the House floor in the afternoon to recognize country music legend's life and achievements – and to ask for a moment of silence in her memory.
"She never forgot where she came from. Her music told the truth about hard work and faith and family and that truth is why the whole world fell in love with Dolly," Harshbarger said.
'Tennessee lost an icon' in Dolly Parton
Harshbarger yielded the floor
to fellow congressman Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, who said, "Dolly Parton was a phenomenal Tennessean, probably the best representative we ever had."
"She never looked down on anybody. She had a big heart. Whenever there was a tragedy or somebody in need, she came forward and wanted it to be anonymous," Cohen continued. "She will be remembered forever for all she did for humanity."
At that, Harshbarger said, "We lost an icon, not just to us in Tennessee, but to the world."Then, she asked for a moment of silence in her memory, which was approved and observed, with some members bowing their heads.
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See the US House observe moment of silence to remember Dolly Parton
