[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 150 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H8560-H8566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE MIKE McNULTY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Altmire). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 18, 2007, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman) 
is recognized for 60 minutes.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the Special Order in honor of the 
retirement of Representative Mike McNulty.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a bittersweet moment for me and 
for all of the members of the New York State delegation specifically 
and the Members of the House of Representatives in its entirety because 
our good friend, and my best friend in the Congress, Mike McNulty, 
after 20 years of laboring in the vineyards here in Washington, getting 
on a flight every single week, coming down to Washington, going back 
home, representing the people of his district so diligently, will be 
leaving us at the end of this, his tenth Congress.
  He is going to be sorely missed. They said, people don't have friends 
in Washington. This is truly an outstanding misstatement in the case of 
Mike McNulty. He has friends galore on both sides of the aisle that he 
has met and kept and maintained close relationships with throughout his 
entire political career, which is not just the 20 years that he has 
spent here with us.
  At the age of 22, Mike entered politics, one of the youngest mayors 
in the history of anyplace in America. He went from the supervisor of 
Green Island to the mayor thereof, represented those people for so many 
years before being elected to the New York State Assembly, and proudly 
served as their assemblyman before coming here.
  We have many members of the delegation who wish to speak, some of 
whom are here tonight, Mr. Speaker. I will fill in and continue some of 
my remarks, but I want to get some of them up to the microphone at this 
late hour. I guess we will start with Mr. Hinchey, if you are prepared 
to start us off.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Well, I thank you very much, and I very much appreciate 
your taking the time and providing us with the opportunity to say a few 
things about our close friend and ally Mike McNulty, someone with whom 
we have worked for a long time, and I say that myself because Mike and 
I have been working together first in the State legislature in Albany 
since 1982, and I think about 6 years later, 1988 he was elected to the 
Congress of the United States. And I'm happy to say that I was very 
envious about the fact that he left Albany and came to Washington, and 
I tried to follow him. It took me a few years to do it, but in 1993, I 
came down here and I've been serving with him ever since, both of us 
here in this Congress.
  He's an extraordinary man, someone with a very remarkable history. He 
started out in public office because of his strong desire to serve 
other people as the town supervisor in Green Island. At the age of 22, 
he was elected to be the town supervisor, and when he was elected at 
that age, he was the youngest town supervisor elected in any town in 
the State of New York.
  So from the very beginning, when he first became involved in public 
life and working on behalf of the general public, he started off in a 
very remarkable way.
  After being town supervisor, he was elected mayor, and then as I 
said, he was elected to the State Assembly in Albany and served there 
in a very, very envious sort of way, a remarkable kind of way, one that 
made us all pay attention to him. He was a very, very strong leader in 
Albany, New York, in the State Assembly.
  But then when he came down here to Washington, he started off in 
something else that was even more dramatic. Shortly after he was 
elected and came here, he became a member of the Ways and Means 
Committee, one of the most important and significant committees here in 
this Congress. And as a member of that committee, he has done an 
extraordinary job.
  He is now chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security, and he has 
done a very wonderful piece of work, strengthening Social Security, 
protecting Social Security, protecting it from people like the 
President of the United States who in 2005 wanted to

[[Page H8561]]

privatize Social Security. And if you think about the economic 
consequences that we're experiencing today as a result of the huge 
declines in financial institutions, you can imagine what the Social 
Security system would look like if it hadn't been for people like Mike 
McNulty standing up and defending Social Security and making sure that 
it wasn't privatized and that it remains strong and went on to the 
people of our country.
  One of the ways in which Mike has served here is to be the acting 
Speaker of this Congress, this House of Representatives, and he did so 
I think probably more than anyone else that I know of, all the time 
that he spent there and doing that leadership position in such an 
exemplary way.
  So he is someone who has set an example for all of us, from the first 
time he was elected to be town supervisor, then as mayor, then as a 
member of the State legislature, and then coming here to serve in this 
House of Representatives and to do it in a very remarkable way.
  He's also a person who has demonstrated what it's like to be a strong 
family man. He is married to Nancy Ann Lazzaro, and he and she have 
been married now for 37 years. Mike and Nancy have four daughters: 
Michele, Angela who's often called Jody, Nancy and Maria. They have 
five grandchildren: Lola Madelon and Daniel Patrick Sovie, and Teigin 
Michele, Elijah Michael, and Morgyn Jean Legault. A wonderful family, 
and I can only say how happy I am to have served with him, both in 
Albany and here in this Congress of the United States.

                              {time}  2130

  He has been here for 20 years. And I must say that I'm sorry he is 
leaving, but I understand that he feels the responsibility to spend a 
little more time at home. And that is something, again, that I admire 
in him, again, for the leadership that he is providing.
  So I must say, Mr. Speaker, that this gentleman from the State of New 
York has set a wonderful example for anyone who wishes to serve the 
people of their communities, their State, and their country by the 
example that he has set in all of those areas.
  Michael, I thank you. I thank you for everything that you've done. I 
thank you for your friendship, for your leadership, and for the example 
that you have set for all of us to hopefully follow and be as good in 
our service as you have been in yours. Thank you, Michael, for 
everything that you've done.
  I yield back the time.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. We're indebted to Congressman Maurice Hinchey, known to 
most of us as ``Mo,'' for his remarks about our good friend, Mike.
  And now, representing our downstate constituencies, the gentleman 
from New York representing the Seventh Congressional District, the 
chief deputy whip of the House, Joe Crowley, a member of the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Ways and Means.
  Mr. CROWLEY. I want to thank my good friend, Congressman Ackerman, 
for holding this Special Order this evening.
  It's late; it's 9:30. And I want to thank all my colleagues from New 
York who are here on the floor right now. I would venture to say that 
if it was a little earlier, Michael, we would have every New Yorker 
here this evening. And, who knows, before the evening is out, we may 
just have that, or close to it. But it's only a reflection of the time 
of the evening we're doing this Special Order, Michael, and not a 
reflection upon you because I think the heartfelt appreciation of all 
your colleagues will be made known to you at some point. But we, from 
the New York delegation, want to take this opportunity to let you know 
what you know already, how special you are to all of us.
  I have known Mike McNulty--although you may not know this--for 24 
years. In fact, Mike was present in the Chamber when I was sworn in as 
a freshman member of the New York State Assembly. He was there as 
backup to swear me in in case Dick Connor didn't show or Stan Lundine, 
who was then the Lieutenant Governor, who was going to come in. Both 
did make it, but Mike was there as well.
  I didn't really know Mike at the time, but Mike is an institutional 
guy, and being one of the local legislators, was there to make sure 
that the legislature performed in a ceremonial way as well, as it did 
in terms of an efficient way in terms of doing the people's business. 
And Mike has a great appreciation for the history of the New York State 
legislature and the House of Representatives as well.
  I have traveled the world with Mike McNulty. My first trip with Mike 
McNulty--he may not remember this--was not to what he may be thinking 
as Ireland, but it was actually Israel some 21, 22 years ago. And what 
a great trip that was, both of our first exposure to the Holy Land and 
to Israel and to experience that together, not only Jerusalem, but 
Galilee and all the important places from an historical and a religious 
aspect that I know he appreciated tremendously.
  And that brings me to another issue, and that is international again, 
it is Ireland. There are many people in the Democratic and Republican 
Caucus who take their rightful place in terms of their input in 
bringing peace with justice--and we continue in that vein--to northern 
Ireland, the whole island of Ireland. But Mike McNulty takes second 
seat to no one on that issue. From his days in the legislature in his 
support of the McBride principles--and Mike McNulty was there when Sean 
McBride came to the New York legislature and addressed the New York 
Assembly. It was there, when the New York Senate refused to even let 
him on the floor of the Senate, but Mike, through his moral suasion, 
was able really to accommodate Sean McBride on the floor of the House 
of the State Assembly, along with his colleagues, and how historic that 
was, the champion of the McBride principles Mike McNulty was in the New 
York State legislature.
  One of the founding members of the Irish Legislative Society--I know 
he is still a frequent visitor to their meetings, I know how much it 
means to him. But Mike and I also had the chance to travel to Ireland 
on two occasions. Probably the most special occasion was with former 
President Clinton in year 2000 as he was ending his term as President. 
And we were there for the Thank You Tour, the Farewell Tour. And what a 
great opportunity that was for both of us to be in our ancestral 
homeland to see America so appreciated by another country for what we 
did to bring peace and justice to northern Ireland. We continue in that 
vein, and we will do so in Mike's honor.
  Mike has been no stranger to trials and tribulations himself. On a 
personal level, he has known physical difficulties. And whenever we see 
Michael struggle, we all say, thank you, God, that I don't have that. 
And Mike has carried that for not only himself, but for all of us and 
for any person who has known a disability in this country. He has done 
it in a quiet and a dignified way, and it's something that I want him 
to know I've always admired you for, Michael.
  He has also known the loss of a brother, a brother who was killed 
during the Vietnam War. But Michael has taken every ounce of anger and 
frustration and he has channeled it for the betterment of our country. 
We can all take a lesson, a page out of Michael McNulty's life. And if 
we could all do just a little bit of what Mike McNulty has done with 
the channeling of his own life experiences, we would all be a better 
Nation for it.
  And I would just say lastly about Mike--and I know my other 
colleagues want to speak as well--but I had the great honor this year 
to serve as the third member of the Ways and Means; there's Charlie 
Rangel, there's Mike McNulty, downstate and upstate, and now Joe 
Crowley. But Mike welcomed me to the committee.
  And there is a certain decorum that goes on in the committee, a 
certain way of doing things. It has its own Sergeant at Arms, its own 
little way of life. And knowing that Mike McNulty was on the committee 
was of great comfort to me--not that I'm afraid of new beginnings, but 
it was a little challenging at first. I don't serve on the subcommittee 
that Mike serves as chair on, but Michael knows that I've sat in on a 
number of his hearings this year and last year and got to see Michael 
in action as he asked piercing questions of people who came before the 
committee.
  Mike McNulty was always prepared. Mike McNulty was not caught off

[[Page H8562]]

guard too often. Mike McNulty was always prepared when it came to his 
committee work, but also when it came to votes on the floor. Mike was 
always thoughtful about every position he took. He wasn't someone you 
just could come up to and say, Mike, I need your vote. It was, well, 
let me tell you why I'm not voting that way, or let me tell you why I'm 
supporting you. That's the kind of legislator Mike McNulty was--from 
Green Island, New York.
  And I know Mike's dad and his family are incredibly proud of the 
career that Mike McNulty has had, serving both in the House of 
Representatives and the State Assembly and as Mayor of Green Island, 
that Mike's career is not over. It is a new beginning for Mike McNulty, 
maybe it's going back to his hometown, maybe it's going back to the 
Capitol region that he has served so well all these years. Mike has 
many, many, many more years of contributions to make both to the State 
of New York and to our country.

  Mike, I love you. You are a great man. And you will always be my 
friend. So thank you for your years of service.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Now from the 24th Congressional District of the Empire 
State whose constituents are contiguous to Mike's--also a Mike--Mike 
Arcuri.
  Mr. ARCURI. I'm here tonight, I rise to honor Mike McNulty.
  You know, I think I'm probably one of the only ones that remembers 
Mike way back. I was a college student at University of Albany when 
Mike was representing the Village of Green Island as mayor. And I can 
remember listening to the news and hearing not only about Mike, but 
about his entire family that served the Albany area for so many years 
with distinction. And I can't even tell you how great an honor it was 
when I finally was able to meet him, and then to serve with him here.
  But I want to talk about my experience with Mike McNulty in a little 
different way. I'm one of the new Members, one of the three new members 
of the New York delegation. And being a new Member, obviously, you look 
for people to get advice. And Mike, being the Dean of the Upstate 
delegation, I naturally turned to him. And so many times I would sit 
down next to him and ask him questions. And I can't tell you how many 
times he would turn to me and say, well, Mike, I think you might want 
to handle it this way, or think about it this way. And there was one 
time in particular when we were dealing with an issue that was 
difficult and I was a little bit concerned about it. And Mike sat down 
and said, Mike, really, you will see that it will work out, just think 
it through and handle it. And I don't think 2 days passed when exactly 
the advice that he gave me went exactly the way he said it would go, 
and the issue worked out.
  And it wasn't just the fact that Mike is always there to give 
freshman Members like myself advice, it's not only the quality of the 
advice that he gives, but the way that he gives the advice, in a 
patient way, in an understanding way, never forgetting what it's like 
to be new, never forgetting what it's like to not be completely 
familiar with the procedure, and just having the patience of a brother, 
of an older brother sitting down and explaining things. And that means 
a lot, Mike. It has meant a lot to me, and I know it has meant a lot to 
the other freshmen.
  What you have done for this institution, for the State of New York is 
incredible. And it's an honor to not only have been able to know you, 
but to have been able to have served with you.
  So congratulations and good luck to Mike McNulty, the consummate 
gentleman from New York.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to advise our 
colleagues--and just put Mike McNulty on the alert because he never 
gets caught off guard--that when we all finish, we are going to ask him 
to honor us by saying a few words, if he would.
  Now, from the distinguished gentlewoman from the 18th Congressional 
District, chairman of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations 
and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations and Homeland 
Security, Nita Lowey.
  Mrs. LOWEY. And I want to thank you, my friend from New York, for 
organizing this Special Order.
  I think, frankly, it would have been more appropriate if we had 
organized it in the Chinese restaurant down the street because I know 
that there have been many special hours where Mr. Ackerman and Mr. 
McNulty and those of us that were lucky to join you really had 
wonderful evenings together, talking about the Congress, talking about 
life in general, and families.
  I want to rise today, Mr. Speaker, to recognize the accomplishments 
of my good friend, Representative Mike McNulty.
  I didn't know you for all the 39 years of dedicated public service, 
but since you've been here, we've worked closely together, and I 
consider you a really good friend. Mike's exemplary commitment has 
earned the admiration of constituents and colleagues alike.
  And Mike and I had a very special relationship. I do remember when it 
came time to get committees--and in those days, Mike McNulty and I were 
fortunate to be asked to be on both Ways and Means and Appropriations. 
And the gentleman that Mike was knew that appropriations was my first 
choice. And Mike was generous enough--and perhaps wise enough--to 
choose the outstanding Ways and Means Committee. But I do remember 
those discussions, and I remember how gracious and elegant you were.
  I also remember, Mike McNulty, the time when I was exploring running 
for the Senate. And I had traveled a bit around New York and I met 
quite a few people. And no matter what, and no matter who was the 
opposition, every time I would come to the floor Mike said, ``I'm with 
you. I'm with you.'' Mike is the kind of friend who, when he's with 
you, he's with you, and you can always count on Mike McNulty.
  I also remember--and perhaps I won't discuss it on the floor today--
that Mike McNulty and my husband have had a very special relationship. 
We've had some good times together. And Mike would always say, ``So, 
where's Steve? Where's Steve? We have some business to do today.'' And 
I'll remember those times, and I do hope we get to share many more.
  Mike, I also remember what a special experience it was for us both to 
get blessed by the Pope. And I remember very clearly Mike McNulty and 
others who have had that experience before said, fill your pockets, 
fill your pockets with rosary beads. And boy, I filled my pockets so 
that I still have draws of them left, Mike McNulty. So if there's 
anyone special that needs a little bit of blessing from our special 
trip with the Pope, I would be very happy to share it with you.

                              {time}  2145

  Now, when I look back at Michael's background--a graduate of the 
College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., Mike began his career by 
serving as the youngest town supervisor in New York.
  It's hard to believe that after 8 short years as town supervisor you 
were elected mayor of the Village of Green Island, New York, that you 
served until 1977 when you were elected to represent New York's 106th 
Assembly District, that in the New York legislature you served as the 
chairman of the assembly's Democratic study group, and that you chaired 
the subcommittees on alcoholism and corrections and transportation 
capital improvements. Later, you were appointed to the Legislative 
Commission on Rural Resources, an administrative review commission. In 
1988, the same year I was elected, you were elected to represent New 
York's 23rd Congressional District in the United States Congress. In 
1992, you were elected to represent New York's 21st Congressional 
District, which includes Albany, Montgomery, Schenectady, and Schoharie 
Counties with almost 80 percent of the vote.
  I don't know how you did that. I've never gotten 80 percent of the 
vote, Michael.
  You were reelected for your 10th term in the United States House of 
Representatives in 2006, serving on the Armed Services Committee, the 
Small Business Committee, the International Relations Committee, the 
Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. You're currently serving on 
the Ways and Means Committee for the 15th year on which you chair the 
Subcommittee on Social Security.
  Again, you've been such a tireless advocate for seniors. You 
championed the needs of hardworking families as a member of the Labor 
and Working Families Caucus, and you've really balanced your 
distinguished career with an equally impressive family life.

[[Page H8563]]

  We've talked about your wife of 37 years. Now I've been married 47 
years, Michael, so I wish you good luck and success for the future when 
you'll be spending a lot more time with family--with Nancy and your 
four daughters: Michele, Angela, Nancy, and Maria, and with your five 
grandchildren. I have eight, so they can continue to work on that. They 
are Lola, Daniel, Teigin, Elijah, and Morgyn.
  We've had such wonderful times together. I have such enormous respect 
for you. You're a real gentleman. You're a hard worker. You're the kind 
of person who I am proud to have as a friend and who I am proud to 
serve with in this Congress.
  I want to congratulate you on your very successful career in public 
service and on your unparalleled devotion to your constituents. There 
is a lot more work to be done, so even though you're going home to be 
with family and friends, I know that all of the many challenges that we 
all face together will continue to attract you and will compel you to 
continue your great career in public service.
  So thank you, my friend. I look forward to continuing to work with 
you and to keeping in touch with you. You're very, very special, and we 
all love you.
  Thank you.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Thank you very much, Nita.
  It's not quite Green Island, but the gentleman from Long Island would 
like to say a few words about being a member of the Mike McNulty fan 
club, Steve Israel, a member of the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. ISRAEL. Thank you. I would like to thank my friend and dear 
colleague, Mr. Ackerman, for the time.
  I actually rise to demand equal time, Mr. McNulty. The gentlewoman 
from New York talked about having Chinese food for dinner from time to 
time. The gentlemen from New York--Mr. Ackerman, Mike McNulty and I--
have shared some Italian food also at various Italian restaurants in 
Washington, D.C., and I think that they deserve as much time as Chinese 
food.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a rule, a practice, a custom, and a tradition of 
this Chamber that we refer to each other as the ``gentleman'' or as the 
``gentlewoman.'' No Member of this body more deserves the title of 
``gentleman'' than the gentleman from New York, Mike McNulty. He is a 
gentleman in every true sense of the word.
  Mike and Gary Ackerman and I often sit together on the floor of this 
Chamber during votes. Sitting with Mike is like sitting on an island of 
civility and of decency in turbulent and shark-infested waters. That's 
not to say that Mike doesn't fight for his principles. He fights for 
his principles but not by shoving people out of the way and not with 
sharp elbows but with a quiet and respected determination. He has been 
doing that for 20 years.
  Now, some Members of this body, having been here for 20 years, might 
grow jaded. They may begin to take it for granted. They may start to 
forget just what a glorious place this is but not Mike. He was recently 
quoted in the Congressional Quarterly as saying, ``Especially at night 
when the Capitol is lit up, I still pinch myself. It is an honor to 
serve here.''
  Nothing makes Mike McNulty prouder than serving here in this Capitol 
except for maybe one thing, and that is his family. I've had the 
privilege of meeting members of his family here in Washington and when 
I visited Albany. When he introduces them to any of his colleagues, I 
can't think of anybody prouder than Mike McNulty.
  With always a gentle smile, with always a glint in his eye, his 
constituents have had a remarkable treasure representing them in 
Washington. I know they will miss him in Washington, but they gain him 
and his leadership at home.
  Mr. Speaker, one of my favorite poets in the world is Rudyard 
Kipling, and one of my favorite poems of Kipling's is ``If.'' In that 
poem, he writes:
  ``If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and 
blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you . . 
. '' and then he goes on, ``If you can talk with crowds and keep your 
virtue or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch, if neither foes 
nor loving friends can hurt you; if all men count with you but none too 
much, if you can fill the unforgiving minute with 60-seconds' worth of 
distance run, yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, and--
which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!''
  We all know that Mike McNulty is a great man, but more than that, Mr. 
Speaker, he is a gentleman who still pinches himself even late at 
night, under a gloriously lit dome, that has been made better and 
brighter for his presence here and for the work he will continue to do 
for our country.
  I yield back my time.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. I just want to remind the gentleman that he is still 
alive. Thank you very much, Mr. Israel, for that eloquence.
  Now, one of the newer members of our delegation, a celebrity in his 
own right, is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs, on Transportation and Infrastructure, on the 
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and on 
Veterans' Affairs, the Honorable John Hall.
  Mr. HALL of New York. Thank you, Congressman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my distinguished colleague from New 
York, Congressman Mike McNulty.
  After nearly 40 years of public service, Congressman McNulty is 
retiring, and he will be sorely missed. I will resist the suggestion of 
one of our fellow New York delegation members to sing that he's still 
the one, but I will say that, at the age of 22, he was elected to serve 
as supervisor of Green Island, making him at the time the youngest 
supervisor in New York. Since, he has served as mayor, as assemblyman 
and, for the last 20 years, as a Member of Congress. While his role may 
have changed, his dedication to fighting for the interests of New 
York's capital region have remained constant.
  Mike is known as a worker. I've observed that in the short time that 
I've been here. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security, 
he has worked to make sure that our seniors receive the benefits that 
they need in economic times where that effort is even more important 
than ever and when we can see how important it was that he was there to 
help protect against privatizing that Social Security.
  I have only been honored to serve one term in this body with Mike, 
but have already been impressed by the spirit of cooperation and of 
teamwork that he brings to the New York delegation. In addition to 
``gentleman,'' I would add the word ``statesman.''
  Some of us get more excited about issues. That doesn't mean that you 
care more or less about them, but Mike's temperament has impressed me 
in its evenness and in its equanimity. I think that we could use a good 
dose of that from time to time here because we on both sides of the 
aisle and even in our own caucus have strong feelings about the issues, 
about the critical, important and immediate issues that we face.
  So I will be sad that at the end of this session and that at the end 
of this term we'll be saying goodbye to Congressman McNulty, but I'm 
glad that he is here now, this week especially and as we go forward 
through the rest of this term, to help us deal with the serious issues 
we have on our plate and that the country is facing in these difficult 
times with the thoughtfulness, with the work ethic and with the 
equanimity and level-headedness that he brings to the Congress.
  I wish you, Congressman McNulty, the best of luck and good times as 
you retire from the House to return home to your family and to your 
district. It has been an honor to serve with you.
  I yield back.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, I'm not addressing 
the Speaker as I should because it's quite unusual for those of us here 
on the floor who are controlling the time to get a request from the 
Speaker pro tem who wishes to step down from the chair in order to 
address the House.
  So, Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege and pleasure to yield some time to 
the representative from the Fourth District of Pennsylvania, a member 
of the House Committee on Small Business, of the Committee on Education 
and Labor and of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Speaker pro 
tem, Congressman Jason Altmire.
  Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman from New York.
  I know it is somewhat unusual to come down from the chair, but I did

[[Page H8564]]

not want our colleagues to think nor certainly the American people 
watching tonight to think that New York has a monopoly on the Mike 
McNulty fan club, because I certainly count myself as does, I'm sure, 
every Member of this House in that group.
  I've told Michael before that I was a staffer on Capitol Hill in the 
early 1990s, and people always ask now and asked even then ``Why is it 
so infrequent that you see large groups of people in the Chamber? You 
know, you seem to be speaking. There's not a lot of people there.'' 
It's because people are back in their offices, and they're watching it 
on TV. At the staff level, you do the same thing. You pay attention to 
what's happening on the House floor.
  As a very young staffer, beginning in 1991, I learned about the 
House, and I learned about the procedures of the House by watching what 
was going on. In those days when the Democrats had control of Congress 
before the 14 years that they lost it, no one served in the chair more 
than Mr. McNulty. We enjoyed watching him, and I learned so much as a 
young staffer about this institution by watching Mr. McNulty in the 
chair.
  I just could not sit without thinking of the great, pleasant irony 
for me that, on this night when we're honoring Mr. McNulty, I was 
actually in the chair.
  So I wanted to come down and tell you that the spirit of Mr. McNulty 
is certainly going to live in this Chamber for a very, very long time 
and that the legacy lives on through his many legislative 
accomplishments and through, I'm sure, the countless--they have to 
number in the thousands--number of constituent services that you've 
provided over the years, the countless accomplishments. The spirit will 
remain within each of us who has had the honor to serve with him.
  So I did just want to take a few minutes to say, A, it's not just New 
York that holds you in high esteem tonight but that I'm a better person 
for having known Mr. McNulty and that I know I'm a better House Member 
for having known him. So I thank Mr. McNulty.
  I would yield my time back to Mr. Ackerman. Thank you for the 
opportunity.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. Speaker, if I can use some of the remaining time, this is a very 
fast-moving place. There are a lot of people who have been pretty hard-
charging around here over the 26 years that I've been here and 
certainly over the history of the Congress, and we'll remember a lot of 
them because they're loud and boisterous, thundering; some people would 
say ``eloquent'' when referring to some, but all too often, we don't 
notice the quiet heroes who make all of the difference, who come here 
to our Nation's Capital, not for self-aggrandizement but unashamedly to 
full time represent only and exclusively the interests of the people 
who sent them here. Such a person is our friend Mike McNulty.
  You'll forgive us, Mr. Speaker, for having the braggadocio as New 
Yorkers, as we're supposed to have, I'm told, to be ever so proud of 
Mike McNulty and of all that he represents and will always represent.

                              {time}  2200

  I was going to read a good part of his biography, much of which has 
been alluded to by some of our Members here, but I think I will bypass 
that, because those are all historical notes, and just talk about Mike 
for a couple of minutes.
  Mike is truly one of the heroes to anybody who has ever met him. Much 
has been made of the fact that he was the youngest town supervisor, 
mayor, at the time of his election some 39 years ago, and has been in 
public service for his entire life. But it is not just being the 
youngest, but being one of the best, being one of the most humane, 
being one of the most compassionate. And I must say as a fellow Eagle 
Scout, I have always been in awe of Mike because he became an Eagle 
Scout at the age of 12, not something very easily accomplished.
  If you know anything about Mike, you know that is even more 
extraordinary, because when Mike was born in 1947 to Mr. and Mrs. Jack 
McNulty of Green Island, they were so very, very proud of Mike, as they 
were of their other children, having great hopes and aspirations that 
he would be able to achieve and accomplish and make his mark on the 
world. And then when he was 2 years old they found out that he had the 
scourge of our time, of our generation, that he had polio, that he was 
not able to walk.
  What a challenge that is for a family. What a challenge that is for a 
young man, not to be able to run around with his friends and grow up in 
the same way and do the same kinds of things with such ease that other 
people have. And yet Mike persevered and made a full recovery.
  I daresay that there are probably not too many people in the House 
except those who are close to Mike that even knew that he had polio. 
And those accomplishments, not just the physical accomplishments of 
being able to get past that, but of being able to contribute to our 
society, to make a mark and to make a difference, without bringing any 
of the baggage that so many of us would probably bring to our careers 
and the rest of our lives. Not a note of bitterness, not a mark of 
anger, not a sign of why me, but always what can I do to help you, what 
can I do to contribute to society.
  I try to think of words, as we all have, that would describe Mike . I 
go back to the time we were Boy Scouts, in very different places, and 
he is the embodiment of trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, 
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, at least with the 
taxpayers' money, brave, clean and reverent. He is all of the above.
  He is a man of great integrity, respected in this House by everybody. 
I don't know a person of the 435 Members of this House who doesn't 
truly hold Mike McNulty in the highest of esteem. And he is very 
different in his approach to his job than so many other people that we 
can think of, presently and historically, people to whom we subscribe 
sharp elbows, as the word is; people who would push other people out of 
the way to get in front of the cameras, to beat them to the microphone, 
to get out a press release, to claim credit for something. Mike has 
always been content just to get the job done, absent the big lights and 
the big crowds.
  This is a place of show horses and showboats, and among this crowd, 
Mike is a workhorse and a work boat. People would be absolutely 
astonished to know that it has been Mike McNulty for these years who 
has often fought on their behalf successfully to maintain Social 
Security, something that in a few years hopefully he is going to enjoy 
for many, many, many years to come, and the work he has done on so many 
other things without taking credit. Mike is about not taking credit. 
And in a place where there is very little of that going around, he is 
virtuous and a virtuoso.
  One of the newspapers on Capitol Hill does this story every once in 
awhile about the Obscure Caucus. Well, Mike is the chairman, as they 
always call him, of the Obscure Caucus. Not because of lack of 
contribution, but because of lack of spotlight; because of diligent 
work; because of doing his homework; because of always being prepared, 
for always being effective, for always getting things done. He is the 
quiet man around here, a very quiet guy, very respectful.
  He is very religious, loves his church and its values that he holds 
very dearly. He doesn't wear them on his sleeve, but it is something 
that is very important to him. But so is respect for everybody else and 
their beliefs.
  I remember traveling up to Albany once to one of the major synagogues 
in that town to participate, and Mike being the Man of the Year. The 
Rabbi told me Mike goes to synagogue on the Jewish High Holidays. He is 
given a place of honor, a seat of his own. It doesn't violate the gift 
rule.
  He is the kind of person that we all want our kids to grow up to be, 
somebody who is respectable and respectful.
  I traveled with him to Ethiopia with our dear friend Mickey Leland. 
Mike didn't flinch. It didn't concern him that it was a lot more 
strenuous a trip for the Sub-Sahara region of the dark continent than 
it would be for most anybody else. He didn't blink. We flew in small 
planes, in and out, up in the Gandhara region, participating in the 
saving and rescue of the Ethiopian Jewish community that fled to 
Israel.

[[Page H8565]]

  His work for the Irish people is legendary. His work for all people 
is admired by each and every one of us.
  His family loves him, and there is not a conversation that I have 
ever had with Mike that he doesn't mention my kids by name. I mentioned 
his children, his wife, Nancy, their great marriage, his five 
grandchildren of whom he is so proud and who I always see winding up in 
the newspapers upstate, as we call it, in pictures. These are his 
grandchildren, pictures with presidents and VIPs and movie stars, and 
every once in awhile they let Mike get into the picture.
  Mike is going to be leaving Congress, and we are going to miss him. 
But he is going to go home to Nancy and the kids and the grandchildren 
and Big Jack, as his father is called. Mike has been in public life for 
I think four different decades. His dad, Big Jack, has been in public 
life for seven. He still gets around, so proud of Mike, and Mike is so 
proud of him.
  You know, there is a song, and I won't sing it here because it is 
against the rules and we certainly have previous speakers that sing a 
lot better than I do, but this song, the words of which are ``climb 
every mountain, ford every stream; follow every rainbow, until you find 
your dream.''
  Mike has shared his dream here with his friends and the American 
people, and now he follows his rainbow home, home in Albany, where he 
also served as speaker pro tem, chaired the New York State Assembly 
probably more than anybody in anyone's recent memory, as he did here 
during the early years when Democrats controlled the House; doing that 
not just because he knew the rules of the House better than anybody 
else, but because he thought it was his job to let other Members go 
home after putting in a full day's work, and he was willing to shoulder 
the responsibility, as you do tonight, Mr. Speaker, in keeping the 
House open while other Members prepare for tomorrow's day's work.
  So, Mike, as you follow that rainbow back to Nancy and the kids, 
knowing that you have a long career of some other kind, I hope, many 
offers I am sure, will come in, you are a quiet prize that the public 
will not allow to leave their midst. We are all going to miss you, 
buddy. I am going to miss you especially. Thank you for your service 
here, which ends this session, and thank you for your friendship, which 
will endure forever.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I would like to coax the recalcitrant, reticent, 
quiet Mr. McNulty to the microphone.
  Mr. McNULTY. I thank my friend. And for anyone who is listening 
tonight, you have seen ample demonstration of why I am such a grateful 
person, all of these wonderful friends. No one could have a better 
friend in the world than Gary Ackerman. And I want to thank him, and 
Representatives Lowey, Hinchey, Crowley, Arcuri, Israel and Hall for 
the many kind things that they have said tonight about me and the 
members of my family.
  I want to thank, of course, all of the members of the New York 
delegation, and also my dear friend the Speaker pro tem, my buddy, 
Jason, for his very kind words. I shall always be grateful for having 
been a member of our State delegation, chaired by Charlie Rangel. I am 
grateful to all of my Democratic colleagues.
  I am grateful to all of my Republican colleagues, especially Jimmy 
Walsh, who is a classmate of mine in the class of 1988, along with Nita 
Lowey, and Jim is also retiring this year.
  I am grateful to all of those with whom I have served through the 
years, all of the Speakers, from Jim Wright to Nancy Pelosi, and all of 
the Republican leaders, from Bob Michel to John Boehner. And I am 
grateful to all of the staff of this great institution for the 
wonderful work that they do for us each and every day.
  I have been truly blessed in my life. Paralyzed by polio in 1949, God 
eventually granted me a near complete recovery. And just look at my 
life since then. I have been blessed with a large and loving family, 
many wonderful friends, and a career that I have thoroughly enjoyed for 
39 years, as town supervisor, as mayor. And as one of my colleagues 
back home said, and it is true, there is nothing more special than 
being elected mayor of your hometown.

                              {time}  2215

  Then to go to the New York State Assembly for 6 years, and then 20 
years here in the United States Congress, and Steve is right, when I am 
walking outside and I see the dome lit up at night, I still pinch 
myself that I am here, Mike McNulty, an average guy, from Green Island, 
New York, population 2,500. When I was a young public official, I had a 
dream. This was it, my dream came true.
  I am especially grateful to my family, as others have pointed out, my 
wife of 37 years, Nancy; and our daughters, Michele, Angela, Nancy and 
Maria. I am especially grateful to them for the many sacrifices that 
they made so that I could pursue this career in public life, and all 
those of you who have families know what I am talking about. Thank you 
to our grandchildren, Teigin and Elijah, Lola, Morgyn and Daniel, for 
the joy they bring to us each and every day.
  I send out a special message of love to Teigin tonight. She is in the 
hospital, and, hopefully, she will be right back in action very soon.
  She was so proud to be here, standing right there in that spot at the 
beginning of this Congress, holding my hand when I stood up and voted 
to elect the first woman to serve as the Speaker of the United States 
House of Representatives. That was a very special moment for me, for 
the country and for Teigin. So I have special thoughts for Teigin 
tonight.
  I am grateful to the others that you have mentioned, my mom and dad, 
and all of those who went before us, all the members of my family and 
to Frank and Lola Lazzaro, all the members of Nancy's great family, for 
their steadfast support all through the years.
  As I look back on my life, I look forward to the challenges that lie 
ahead, but up to this point, I just have to acknowledge how much has 
been given to me. I have to acknowledge all of the lucky breaks that I 
have had in my life and in my career.
  In thankfulness and gratitude for that, I have tried, to the best of 
my ability, to give back. I shall always endeavor for the rest of my 
life to live according to the fundamental principle that life is to 
give, not to take.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as Mike prepares to wrap up this part of 
his career, return home at the top of his game, under his own terms, 
under his own steam, we wish him Godspeed. We will be up to visit. 
Can't say that we are drinking buddies, Mike, but we are certainly 
eating buddies, take-out in good restaurants up your way.
  Come down here and back into the city. We will be putting together a 
group of guys and gals just to hang out.
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my colleague 
and dear friend Representative Mike McNulty on his upcoming retirement, 
and compliment his two decades of honorable service in the House, and 
nearly 40 years serving in elected office. His absence from the House 
will be felt, and I wish him happiness and success for the future and 
the successes it is sure to bring.
  For 20 years Congressman McNulty has served his New York district 
with integrity and the utmost concern for his constituents and their 
communities. In his nearly 40 years serving those communities, Michael 
has always advocated for intelligent and just solutions to the issues 
that touch his constituent's lives. As a mayor and New York State 
Legislator, Congressman McNulty advocated for improvements in 
substance-abuse education and prevention and fought for his 
communities' infrastructure and economic improvements. As a member of 
the House he has continued this advocacy on not only local issues, but 
humanitarian as well. He has been a leader on issues of human rights, 
hunger, poverty, and international affairs. In 2006, Mike was re-
elected with nearly 78 percent of the vote, a well-deserved affirmation 
by his constituents of a job and career well done.
  Congressman McNulty is a fairminded and level-headed individual who 
brought a wealth of experience and insight to his seat as Chairman of 
the Subcommittee on Social Security. His character is one of deliberate 
and thoughtful decision making, based on insight and a true 
understanding of his district and our country. He is an ever dependable 
friend and a colleague I greatly respect.
  I had the opportunity to serve last year with Mike as a Helsinki 
Commissioner, and visited Kyiv, working to further address continued 
humanitarian issues there. His work, our discussions and the successes 
we walked away with were exemplary of his high level of understanding 
and his personal attention to the challenges that the people of the 
region continue to face.

[[Page H8566]]

  While I know that Congressman McNulty will be greatly missed by his 
colleagues here, I also know that his character and passion for a 
better world will only lend itself to continued service and continued 
good work.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
Congressman McNulty, and wishing him our best for his future.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend and 
colleague, Mike McNulty (NY-21), who is retiring after 10 terms in 
Congress.
  With nearly 40 years in elective public office, Mike has served his 
community as a local leader, a member of the state legislature, and its 
representative in Congress.
  During his Congressional service, I have been privileged to work by 
his side on the Ways and Means Committee. On our Committee, Mike can 
always be counted on to stand up for the interests of working families, 
senior citizens, and people with disabilities.
  Most recently, as Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee, Mike 
has been a leader in protecting Social Security from Republican 
attempts to privatize it. He's also initiated improvements to the 
program as well. For example, in this Congress, Chairman McNulty was 
able to secure $150 million in additional funding for the Social 
Security Administration to lessen the backlog of cases and better serve 
beneficiaries.
  While Mike has never been one to reach for the headlines, when it 
came to speak up for seniors and the middle class, Mike's voice was 
always heard loud and clear. We will miss Mike's friendship and his 
steady leadership in Congress. The people of upstate New York are 
losing an outstanding representative, and we are all grateful for his 
lifetime of service to his community and our Nation.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, we yield back.

                          ____________________