[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 2 (Thursday, January 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H49-H50]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRESS BIDS FAREWELL TO SIX OUTSTANDING PAGES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pence). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, as the delegate from the District of 
Columbia welcomes us back, she is also going to say good-bye to six 
residents. I would like to have Lindsey Beck, Matthew Dinusson, Ashley 
Gallo, Jennifer Hsieh, Gregory Hyde, and Zachary Stanton come on down 
here. Grab some seats in the front row.
  Mr. Speaker, as the chairman of the House Page Board, it is my 
distinct pleasure to recognize these six outstanding pages that are 
departing today. This year's page class is a remarkable group of 
students. They came to Washington full of ambition and promise. Little 
did they know, nor did their friends and colleagues in the back, that 
they would be witness to such tragic events in history. Far from their 
families and friends, and so new to Washington that homesickness barely 
had a chance to ease, this page class refused to let fear chase them 
away from their dreams of working with Congress. They relied on each 
other, and on the day-to-day tasks before them; and they knew in their 
hearts they were working toward a common goal shared by all of us, to 
prove to our enemies that the American spirit cannot be extinguished. 
The courage, determination, and sense of purpose shown by this class 
and their colleagues in the back set an example for us all. They have 
proven that adversity does build strength and that the human spirit is 
resolute when it is tested.
  Mr. Speaker, not only did this group carry on their work as pages, 
but they did so with enthusiasm, excitement, and as I found out, in 
good humor, which at such moments in history is kind of hard to do. 
There is no question that this class has made us very proud. This class 
is a credit to their families, their communities, and to the page 
program.
  The six who are leaving today will be returning home on Saturday. 
They leave here with our thanks and congratulations. We share in their 
joy of being reunited with their families and share in their sadness of 
saying good-bye; but this group probably will not miss those 6:15 
breakfasts we have all endured.
  Mr. Speaker, these pages have left their own indelible mark on the 
page program, and I want them to know that their shoes will be hard to 
fill. As they return home with suitcases and boxes, memories and 
experiences, I

[[Page H50]]

want them to take our sincere thanks. I thank Lindsey Beck, Matthew 
Dinusson, Ashley Gallo, Jennifer Hsieh, Gregory Hyde and Zachary 
Stanton. I thank them for having the courage and the strength to 
persevere when others would have given up. I thank them for approaching 
every day with curiosity and hope, and for encouraging others to do the 
same.
  There is no doubt that these six pages will go on to do great things, 
and we hope they come back and share their accomplishments with us.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish them a lifetime of success and happiness. And now 
my colleague on the House Page Board, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Kildee), would like to speak.

                          ____________________