[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 109 (Tuesday, September 6, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H7658-H7659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MAIDEN SPEECH BY THE HONORABLE JEAN SCHMIDT
(Mrs. SCHMIDT asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in the same shoes,
though with a slightly higher heel, as thousands of Members who have
taken the same oath before me. I am mindful of what is expected of me
both by this hallowed institution and the hundreds of thousands of
Americans I am blessed to represent. I am the lowest-ranking Member of
this body, the very bottom rung of the ladder; and I am privileged to
hold that title.
This House has much work to do. On that we can all agree. We will not
always agree on the details of that work. Honorable people can
certainly agree to disagree. However, here today I accept a second
oath. I pledge to walk in the shoes of my colleagues and refrain from
name-calling or the questioning of character. It is easy to quickly
sink to the lowest form of political debate. Harsh words often lead to
headlines, but walking this path is not a victimless crime. This great
House pays the price.
So at this moment, I begin my tenure in this Chamber, uncertain of
what history will say of my tenure here. I come here green with only a
desire to make our great country even greater. We have much work to do.
In that spirit, I pledge to each of you that any disagreements we may
have are just that and no more. Walking in each other's shoes takes
effort and pause; however, it is my sincere hope that I never lose the
patience to view each of you as human beings first, God's creatures,
and foremost. I deeply appreciate this opportunity to serve with each
of you. I very much look forward to getting to know you better, and I
humbly thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to address this humble
body.
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