[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H8871-H8872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           GOODBYE TO FRIENDS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, at the end of every election 
cycle, we say goodbye to a lot of our friends and hello to new Members 
of the Congress. Tonight, since we are right near the end of our 
session, our special session, I thought I would take just a moment to 
say goodbye to some of my friends, whom I am not going to see again, 
unless they invite me to their House for a steak dinner when I get in 
their region.
  A lot of the Members of the Republican Study Committee, which Sam 
Johnson, John Doolittle and Ernie Istook and I founded about 10 years 
ago, were defeated in this elect. We have some new Members, but a lot 
of them were defeated. I want to say to them you have done a great job 
for your country and all of you we are going to miss. I can't name all 
of you, but you know who you are.
  I also want to say a fond farewell to some of my colleagues from 
Indiana who I think fought the good fight and I think did a good job 
for our Hoosier State, but won't be with us again. Mike Sodrel, who has 
a great southern Indiana accent, I loved to rib him when he was on the 
radio. Mike, we are going to miss you. He was very active on 
Agriculture Committee, the Science Committee, Small Business and 
Transportation. I don't know how he did all of that. That must be one 
of the reasons he wasn't able to win the reelection. He probably worked 
too hard up here.
  Then, of course, Chris Chocola, who was on the Budget and also Ways 
and Means. Chris was also from the northern part of Indiana. He did a 
great job for our State. We will miss Chris as well.
  John Hostetler, who came from what we call the bloody Eighth of 
Indiana. He carried the Republican mantle of leadership in that 
district for a very, very long time. He did a great job, but 
unfortunately this time the bloody Eighth got to him. John, we are 
going to miss you as well.
  Ernie Istook, who as I said before was one of the founders of the 
Republican Study Group, we called it CAT, Conservative Action Team. 
Ernie ran for Governor and got hit with the tide. So, Ernie, he didn't 
make the governorship. We are going to lose him as a Member of 
Congress. Ernie, we are going to miss you as well. You did a great job 
with the Republican Study Committee.
  Then I want to say goodbye to some of my buddies from the 98th 
Congress. There is only one of us left, the last man standing, Sherry. 
There were 24 of us that were elected back in 1982 and 1983. Sherry 
Boehlert, Nancy Johnson and Mike Bilirakis were the last four. John 
McCain was the other four, but he went over to that other body where 
the air is a little bit rarefied. John and I will be the only two left.
  But Sherry, we are going miss you. I know you are going to go home 
and really enjoy being with your wife and family and not having to run 
every time you hear a bell ring. You will probably hear the phone ring 
and go nuts.
  Nancy Johnson, you have been a great friend. I will certainly miss 
you as well.
  Mike Bilirakis, fortunately Mike's son has joined us from his 
district. We are going to miss Mike as well. I had some great debates 
with Mike about Cyprus. Mike, I am going to miss you on those debates. 
Maybe your son will

[[Page H8872]]

take up the mantle, and we will have those debates just like you and I 
have.
  Anyhow, goodbye to my old friends, the Republican Study Committee 
members. We will miss you. Hopefully you will come back and see us when 
you get a chance. As I said before, if I get in your neck of the woods, 
especially you, Sherry, I will stop by for dinner.

                          ____________________