[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 177 (Thursday, November 15, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H14016-H14018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FAREWELL REMARKS OF THE HONORABLE DENNIS J. HASTERT, MEMBER OF CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the distinguished Speaker of the 
House, Dennis Hastert of Illinois.
  Mr. HASTERT. Madam Speaker, as Members of Congress, we are not here 
just to vote, but to speak; to give voice on this floor to the 
aspirations of our constituents, so this place where we speak, the Well 
of the House, is very special to me.
  When I was a freshman Congressman in 1987, I delivered my first 
remarks from this podium. Twelve years later, on January 6, 1999, when 
I was first sworn in as Speaker, I made my acceptance speech from here 
as well. I explained at the time that I was breaking the tradition of 
the Speaker by making my acceptance remarks not from the Speaker's 
chair, because my legislative home is here on the floor, with you, and 
so is my heart.
  Well, my heart is still here, and always will be. But the Bible 
reminds us in the book of Ecclesiastes, ``To everything there is a 
season; a time for every purpose under heaven.'' I think that pretty 
much sums up our existence in this place.
  So now, after 21 years serving the people of Illinois in this House, 
the time has come for me to make my last speech from this podium. Our 
Founding Fathers envisioned a citizen legislature, and it is time for 
this legislator to return to being a private citizen.
  Madam Speaker, when I was reelected as Speaker of this House in 
January of 2003, I was able to congratulate you on being the first 
woman to be nominated as Speaker. Just four short years later, you 
surpassed that achievement and became the first woman elected as 
Speaker. And I have to admit that as we went into that 2006 election, I 
was hoping that you would put off that achievement just a little bit 
longer. I think all of us in this House, regardless of party or our 
affiliation, were proud to be serving when that glass ceiling was 
shattered.
  I would also like to thank you, Madam Speaker, for the many 
courtesies that you have shown me as a former Speaker of this House 
during the past year, including the opportunity to formally say good-
bye to all of my colleagues here today.
  I will get myself into trouble if I start singling out Members in 
these remarks. I owe so much to so many of you; for your friendship, 
for the many things you have taught me, and for your support during 
some very difficult days, such as the aftermath of 9/11 when I became a 
wartime Speaker.
  But I would be remiss if I did not extend a heartfelt ``thank you'' 
to my colleagues and former colleagues in the Illinois congressional 
delegation and my freshman class of 1986. We have accomplished much 
working together.
  I also want to thank my leader, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) 
and his fellow Republican leaders, who head a vibrant minority, the 
largest Republican minority since 1955, a minority that is 
demonstrating to the country that it should, and I think will, lead 
this House yet again some day.
  I also want to thank the chairman of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee, the dean of this House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Dingell) who for four times administered to me the Oath of Office as 
Speaker. You, Chairman Dingell, and our Republican leader on the 
committee, Mr. Barton, welcomed me home to the committee. I have 
enjoyed working this past year as we have tried to tackle some of the 
most important issues that face our Nation, such as energy security, 
health care and telecommunications, and for that I thank both of you 
gentlemen.
  More than 25 years ago when I entered politics, I never envisioned 
that this former teacher and wrestling coach from Kendall County, 
Illinois, would have the opportunity to lead the United States House of 
Representatives. It was you, the Members of this House, who gave me 
that opportunity longer than any other member of my party in history, 
and I am grateful to you.
  Becoming Speaker was a very humbling experience, an opportunity that 
only 51 men and one woman have ever had since 1789. I suspect that 
sitting here in this Chamber are several men and women who will some 
day have the honor to be Speaker of this House. But whether that honor 
comes your way or not, you are already the trustee of one of the most 
wonderful jobs that anyone wanting to serve their country can have. You 
are a Member of the United States House of Representatives, entrusted 
by more than 700,000 people, citizens, to represent them.
  Eleven times the voters of the 14th District of Illinois hired me as 
their representative. It has been a journey that we have traveled 
together, and every year brought new challenges. I am proud of so many 
of the things that I was able to work on over those years, working to 
make health care more affordable and accessible by creating tax-free 
Health Savings Accounts; delivering on long-awaited prescription drug 
coverage for seniors, while at the same time modernizing Medicare for 
the 21st century; passing two of the largest tax relief packages for 
working Americans in our Nation's history, which encouraged Americans 
to invest and small businesses to grow and to create new jobs; and 
reducing the unfair Social Security earnings limit on our senior 
citizens that needed to work.
  Back home in Illinois, I was proud to work on environmental issues, 
like the removal of the dangerous thorium tailings from West Chicago, 
Illinois, and preserving the vital drinking water supply of the people 
of the Fox Valley.
  But ultimately, the most important responsibility for any of us that 
serve this House is to provide for the defense of our Nation. It is our 
most solemn obligation.
  On September 11, 2001, I became a wartime Speaker, and together we 
became a wartime Congress. On that dark day, our Congress was united. 
We were not Republicans or Democrats; we were just Americans. We stood 
shoulder to shoulder on the steps of this Capitol and vowed to do 
whatever was necessary.
  In the following days and weeks and months, President Bush, Leader 
Gephardt and I worked together. We tried to bind the wounds of those 
victimized by the attacks, and then made sure that it would never 
happen again. We demanded that our intelligence agencies do a better 
job of sharing information. We gave law enforcement more effective 
tools and resources to guard

[[Page H14017]]

against attack. And we made an unprecedented investment in homeland 
security.
  Did we get it all right? Of course not. Only hindsight is 20/20. But 
through those efforts, and the grace of God, we have avoided additional 
attacks on American soil. There is no doubt in my mind that the 
American people are safer today because of the heroic actions of our 
men and women who serve in our armed services and intelligence agencies 
and because of the actions taken here by our Congress.
  It is popular these days to ask political figures what mistakes they 
have made, where they have failed. As a former history teacher, I know 
such analysis is best tempered by time and reflection, and that is 
probably best left to others.
  But I will say this: I continue to worry about the breakdown of 
civility in our political discourse. I tried my best, but I wish I had 
been more successful. When I addressed this Chamber for the first time 
as your Speaker, I noted that ``solutions to problems cannot be found 
in a pool of bitterness.'' Those words are as true today as they were 
then.
  We each have a responsibility to be passionate about our beliefs. 
That is healthy government. But we also have a responsibility to be 
civil, to be open-minded, and to be fair; to listen to one another; to 
work in good faith to find solutions to the challenges facing this 
Nation.

                              {time}  1445

  That is why the American people sent us here. They did not send us 
here just to get reelected.
  As Speaker, I served with two Presidents. President Clinton and I 
worked together to fight the flow of drugs from Colombia, drugs that 
destroy the lives of our children. And despite our differences on some 
issues, we were able to find common ground on others.
  For most of my years as Speaker, President Bush has been our wartime 
President. I believe history will judge him as a man of courage and 
foresight as well as resolve. I must say, I was proud to serve by his 
side and honored to call him a friend.
  No Member of Congress could succeed in serving his or her 
constituents without the help of a dedicated staff. They often worked 
long hours, hard days. Many of them gave some of their most productive 
years to this institution, and I want to thank all of them and each of 
them for their service. And I also want to thank all of the people who 
make and have made this great body function on a daily base: the 
officers of the House, the Capitol Police, the Chaplain, the permanent 
staff. They are dedicated professionals who I came to appreciate even 
more during my years as Speaker.
  I am also blessed to have a family that helped me every day over 
these 21 years. My two sons, Josh and Ethan, my daughter-in-law, Heidi, 
and our newest addition, my grandson, Jack Hastert. Most importantly, I 
want to thank my wife, Jean, who is here in the gallery. Thank you, 
Jean, for the love and the help you have given me.
  In 2003, during the Cannon Centenary Conference on the Changing 
Nature of the Speakership, I said that at the end of the day the 
Speaker of the House is really just the person who stands up for the 
American people. That is the same role that every man and woman who 
serves here should play. Our Founders dreamed of a Nation, a Nation 
empowered by freedom, where citizens would find justice, where 
hardworking men and women would find economic opportunity.
  Each of us who comes to this place has different ideas of how to 
preserve and enhance that dream. It is on the floor of this House where 
those ideas clash, peacefully, and through that struggle our democracy 
is renewed.
  Never lose sight of the fact that you participate in the greatest 
ongoing democratic ritual in the world. We are, as President Reagan 
often reminded us, ``A Shining City on a Hill.'' Always be mindful of 
your duties to your constituents and be respectful of the traditions of 
this institution.
  I pray that God will guide you in all that you do in these Halls; 
that He gives you the knowledge to do the people's work, the strength 
to persevere, and the wisdom to know when to listen to what others have 
to say.
  Madam Speaker, there is a tradition among Olympic wrestlers that you 
leave your shoes on the mat after your last match. Don't be alarmed, 
Madam Speaker, I won't be challenging the rules of decorum by removing 
my shoes on the House floor. But I do hope that I have left a few 
footprints behind that may be of value to those who come after me, just 
as I have benefited from the footprints of those who I followed to this 
most wonderful of institutions, the people's House.
  May God bless each of you. May God bless this House. May God bless 
the United States of America.
  Good-bye, friends.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hoyer). The Chair now recognizes the 
distinguished gentlelady from California, the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
  Ms. PELOSI. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Thank you, my colleagues. I accept that recognition as a recognition 
of the role of Speaker of the House, a role that Dennis Hastert 
performed with great distinction, and I rise to salute his leadership, 
Mr. Speaker.
  My colleagues, you have heard me say on a number of occasions in 
relationship to Dennis Hastert that in the Congress, as Members of 
Congress, we hold the title ``Honorable'' by virtue of our office that 
we hold. But in the case of Dennis Hastert, he holds the title of 
``Honorable'' not just for the office he holds, but by virtue of his 
character, his leadership, and his contributions to our country.
  About a year and a half ago in June we all observed a celebration for 
Speaker Dennis Hastert when he became the longest-serving Republican 
Speaker of the House.
  Long may his record stand.
  That milestone was testament to the great respect he commanded not 
only in the Republican Conference but in this Congress as a whole and 
in our country. Thank you, Dennis Hastert, for your record of 
achievement.
  I want to acknowledge someone who had a role that I once had, 
minority leader, who is with us today and honors us with his presence 
and again is a tribute to the leadership of Dennis Hastert, Minority 
Leader Bob Michel.
  Many of you know but I think it always bears repeating that Dennis 
Hastert has long had a commitment to our country, first as a teacher: 
for 16 years, a teacher of our children, and a coach, as he reminds us.
  He then went on to the State legislature in Illinois where he served 
for 6 years. And then in 1986 he came to the Congress of the United 
States where he has served with great distinction and with many 
accomplishments, and he enumerated some earlier.
  In 1999, this Congress elected him the Speaker of the House. The 
Speaker of the House. He brought to that office the values of the 
heartland of America and the wishes and the voice for the people of 
Illinois' 14th Congressional District, and we have all benefited from 
that.
  Although we have from time to time on occasion differed on issues, I 
remember once, we all agree on the importance of public service, the 
kind of public service that has been the hallmark of Speaker Hastert's 
career, whether in the classroom or in the Congress of the United 
States.
  Today I want to join my friend, Dennis, in saluting Jean for sharing 
Dennis with us for all these years and for her role as a teammate to 
him and his contributions to our country. And thanks to Joshua and 
Ethan and to your entire family.
  Mr. Speaker, and by that Mr. Speaker I am speaking to Speaker Dennis 
Hastert, I know I speak for everyone in this House when I thank you for 
your service, for many things, which I could enumerate, but I want to 
mention one in particular which I have mentioned to this House before.
  We all were part of history when Rosa Parks became the first African 
American woman to lie in state under the Capitol dome. It was a great 
day for Congress and for our country. It simply would not have happened 
without the leadership of Speaker Dennis Hastert.
  As you can imagine, Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure for me to 
say I know I speak for every Member of this House, but I know I do when 
I say thank you for your leadership, congratulations on a great career. 
I know great things are yet to come.
  Best wishes to you and your family. Godspeed in your future. God 
truly

[[Page H14018]]

blessed America with your service to our country.
  Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

                          ____________________