[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: January 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       ANNOUNCEMENT OF RETIREMENT

  (Mr. FORD of Michigan asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FORD of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I am honored and privileged to be 
where I am at this point in the Nation's history. We have an exciting 
and challenging President whose agenda is dear to my heart--improving 
the quality of life and the personal security of all Americans.
  As chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, I will devote 
myself tirelessly to his goals. I want to spend the next year here as a 
full-time chairman and an agent of change for President Clinton without 
the demands and distractions of an election campaign. After 40 years of 
public service, this year--my 30th in Congress--will be my last.
  My polls tell me that my district is a stronger Democratic district 
than it was 2 years ago and that my chances of reelection are 
excellent. But time has snuck up on me. As I approach my 67th birthday, 
it is time for me to focus on my remaining years. I want to spend more 
time doing the things I enjoy and concentrating on my family whose 
sacrifices because of my career have been immense and often painful.
  I began my congressional career with the Presidency of Lyndon Johnson 
and am proud to have been here during the enactment of many ambitious 
Great Society Programs. I leave in the President of Bill Clinton whose 
proposals renew the Johnson Legacy. Truly, I have seen the pendulum 
swing.
  To my colleagues, thank you for your friendship, your support, and 
the opportunity to realize the goal of my freshman year--the 
chairmanship of the committee I love.

                          ____________________