[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 159 (Tuesday, December 13, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H11484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         EXPRESSING THANKS TO FELLOW MEMBERS FOR THEIR REMARKS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Poe). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank my good friend and 
colleague from Michigan, John Conyers, my dear friend of long standing, 
for his gracious kindness in this Special Order tonight, and I thank 
all of my good friends and colleagues who have participated in that. I 
am deeply grateful, and I am very proud of the friendship that they 
show me and that I have for them and the kindness that they have shown 
me throughout these years I have had the privilege of serving in this 
body.
  I want to say that I have been uniquely blessed. Not only have I had 
the privilege of serving wonderful people in the southeast corner of 
Michigan, people who are uniquely loyal, decent and good, hardworking 
and patriotic, who believe in their country and who work to make it 
better and who raise good kids and who are concerned not just about 
their well-being but about the country and its future, I have also been 
uniquely blessed in having an extraordinary staff which has stood 
loyally by me and which has provided me the basis of knowing how to be 
a good and effective Congressman.
  I have had one unique and special blessing, and that is a beautiful 
woman who has stood by my side all of these years, the lovely Deborah, 
who has worked with me, worked for me, worked with and for the people 
that I have the honor to serve and who is much loved in Michigan and 
here in Washington, whose good works and whose talents are 
extraordinary and whose decency and loyalty are absolutely unique.
  I want to say how proud I am to have served in the Congress. I am 
proud of my colleagues and grateful to them for their words, and I 
repeat my thanks to my good friend from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and to 
my other colleagues who have been so gracious to me today, to the 
Speaker and to the minority leader for their gracious remarks, for the 
resolution which this body passed and for the privilege of serving with 
all of my dear friends and colleagues.
  I have only good memories of having served in this institution, and I 
think if there is one characteristic about the service that I have had 
here it is with what blinding speed those 50 years have gone by and how 
many wonderful human beings I have known and served with: Members of 
Congress, members of the staff, people who work in and around the 
Congress, lobbyists, the constituents that I have had the privilege of 
serving and the people in the executive branch. We are fortunate, 
indeed, that we have men and women who will do the things that my 
colleagues have done here in terms of coming to Washington to serve.
  I cannot tell my colleagues how proud I am of them or how grateful I 
am to them and the appreciation which I feel for all of them, including 
not just my friend Mr. Conyers, but I look at my good friend Mr. Kildee 
and the gentlewoman from Texas who was so gracious earlier.
  It has been a singular privilege for me to be here. This is a 
wonderful institution. It belongs to the people. They deserve the best 
we can give, and it is a wonderful institution. I salute my colleagues 
for what they do. I express to them my respect and admiration and 
affection and also my gratitude to them for what it is they do.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to again express my affection, my respect and my 
gratitude to those who have participated in this Special Order, 
including my very special friend Mr. Conyers.
  Thank you.

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