[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7832-H7834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CHAIRMAN SKELTON BIDS FAREWELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Carnahan). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 6, 2009, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) is 
recognized for 30 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to express my gratitude 
for the honor of serving in the House of Representatives and to share a 
few thoughts as I prepare to leave this distinguished body. About this 
time 34 years ago, my wife, our three boys, and I were surrounded by 
scores of well-wishers organized by my friend, Bob Welling, as we 
boarded a train at Warrensburg, Missouri, to travel to Washington, D.C. 
Shortly thereafter, I was sworn into Congress. I arrived eager to 
tackle the problems of the day and represent the people of the Fourth 
Congressional District. It was a political highlight for me.
  The Roman orator Cicero said that ``gratitude is the greatest of all 
virtues,'' and I'm grateful to so many people. First, I'm extremely 
grateful and appreciative to the residents of Missouri's Fourth 
Congressional District whose votes allowed me to serve as their 
Representative in this House for 34 years. Representing the fourth 
district has been a tremendous privilege.
  I also want to thank my family whose support made it possible for me

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to serve in Washington, Susie, my late wife, my three wonderful sons 
and my lovely, understanding and supportive wife, Patty.
  I want to thank my friends and mentors in Congress. I can't name them 
all, but I want to particularly single out the great Missouri 
legislators, Congressman Dick Bolling, who helped me land a seat on the 
Armed Services Committee, Congressman Dick Gephardt and Congressman 
Bill Emerson who were my carpool partners and my great friends. I leave 
with enormous respect for all those Members who worked their hearts out 
to help people at home and to help steer our country's path while 
performing their constitutional duty.
  A special thanks to our Speaker Pelosi for her kindness and 
thoughtfulness through the years.
  My colleagues from Missouri have been fantastic.
  Finally, I want to thank my dedicated staff, past and present. The 
talented people who have worked in my Missouri offices, my Washington, 
D.C. office, on my Small Business Subcommittee staff and on the staff 
of the House Armed Services Committee, are the unsung heroes who get 
the business of government done. I can't thank them enough for being 
part of my staff and serving the American people so very well.
  I have led a charmed life in many ways; but as a youngster, I learned 
that a person's life can change forever in an instant. After 
contracting polio, I was fortunate to receive treatment at the Warm 
Springs Foundation in Georgia. Polio affects each person differently; 
but at Warm Springs, patients learned valuable lessons about life--
never let illness define you, never be limited by the expectations of 
others, never give up, and never stop working. By applying the belief 
that nothing is impossible if you work hard, thousands of Warm Springs 
alumni, including myself, have led happy and productive lives.
  And it is no coincidence that three patients between 1947 and 1950 at 
Warm Springs became Members of this body--Jim Schuer of New York, Bo 
Ginn of Georgia and myself.
  Growing up I was inspired by my father's runs for statewide office 
and for Congress, and also by his service as Lafayette County 
prosecuting attorney. I had just completed my own term as Lafayette 
County prosecutor and was practicing law when President Harry Truman 
called to ask me to consider running for Congress in 1962. In 1976, I 
decided to run for Missouri's Fourth Congressional District seat. I 
have been on the ride of my life ever since.

                              {time}  1740

  It is a great honor to serve in the U.S. House. This House is filled 
with principled public servants who work hard to give voice to the 
needs of voters back home. Members of Congress bring the theory of 
representative democracy to life every time they participate in House 
business, and every time they listen to the hard-wrought concerns of 
their neighbors.
  As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I aspired to 
become chairman one day. Serving as chairman is undoubtedly the high 
point of my political career. The HASC family of Members and staff is 
very special. Members of Congress lucky enough to serve on this 
committee have traditionally worked in a far less partisan atmosphere 
than on other committees. Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution 
grants Congress the obligation to raise and support armies and to 
provide and maintain a Navy. All Members approach this important work 
very seriously, with the goals of protecting our Nation's security and 
also doing what is right for our men and women in uniform and their 
families.
  American politics through the ages have frequently been rough and 
tumble, and at times some might even say mean. But to my mind, national 
security transcends politics. In the realm of national security, we 
must make the effort to work together in a bipartisan way, to stand 
before our allies and the world as a united front, to strengthen our 
Nation's defenses under the banner of consensus.
  As chairman, I have always sought to maintain this bipartisan 
atmosphere, and I hope that culture instilled by many HASC chairs who 
served before will carry on under the able leadership of the new chair 
in the incoming Congress, Congressman Buck McKeon. I am confident it 
will.
  Throughout our country's history, the Nation has experienced many 
challenges. We have had economic crises, agricultural hardships, 
military engagements, and Members of this body responded to each one as 
it came along. I am proud to have been a Member of the House of 
Representatives, and I will always cherish my service here.
  I leave with some anxiety for the future, however. In the past, this 
body has worked best after great debates, when men and women of strong 
principles have met and compromised on those difficult issues, which at 
the time could render us asunder. But through meeting in the center and 
solving the problems of the day, our country benefited. It was able to 
progress.
  As a result of the last election, the center has been holed out, and 
more Members will represent extreme points of view, which is likely to 
make meaningful compromise difficult, if not impossible. Once again, 
our system of government and our citizenry will be tested, and the 
outcome will determine, borrowing the eloquent words of President 
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, ``whether that nation or any nation so 
conceived and so dedicated can long endure.''
  When returning Members and new Members arrive in the Capitol for the 
new Congress in January, they will confront enormous challenges as they 
work to chart the course of our country in the days ahead. These 
challenges include the economy and jobs, health care, education, to 
name a few. But I implore our citizens and our leaders not to forget 
that we are a Nation at war. Unless our government protects our 
national security, none of these other important issues can receive the 
attention they deserve.
  National security must be our number one priority. I believe all 
Americans' good intentions support the troops and their families. But 
those intentions must be reflected in action, and Congress bears the 
Constitutional responsibility to fulfill this sacred duty.
  My greatest concern is that a chasm will develop between those who 
protect our freedoms and those who are being protected. I have often 
talked about what I perceive to be a civil-military gap, a lack of 
understanding between civilians and the military that has grown in the 
era of an all-volunteer force. For those not in uniform or connected to 
the military in some way, it is easy not to relate to our 
servicemembers' difficulties as they deal with the trials of war and 
combat, multiple deployments, family separations, missed birthdays, and 
other sacrifices too numerous to mention.
  As a Nation, we must strive to narrow that gap and bring our citizens 
together. United we stand, divided we fall. The men and women in 
uniform who form the backbone of our security cannot devote their all 
to protect us if we fail to provide what they need to perform their 
missions, stay safe in the field, and take good care of themselves and 
their families at home. Keeping America safe demands a national 
commitment to maintain military readiness. During my time in Congress, 
the United States has been involved in 12 conflicts, some large and 
some small. If the future is anything like the past, conflicts, natural 
disasters, and other crises will frequently pop up without warning. 
Preparedness is essential.
  Today's forces are the latest in a long line of sentinels of freedom. 
Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines must have no doubt about the 
high value we place on their service. Our commitment to our 
servicemembers and their families will also help the next generation 
understand that these patriotic volunteers are critical to the survival 
of our Nation. To protect America's future, we must inspire the next 
generation to join the noble service of these ranks.
  I have always considered each young man and woman in uniform as a son 
or daughter. They are national treasures and their sacrifices cannot be 
taken for granted. They are not chess pieces to be moved about on a 
board. Each and every one is irreplaceable. Issues of national security 
and war and peace are too important to lose sight of the real

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men and women who answer our Nation's call and do the bidding of our 
Commander in Chief.
  You can't do the job as a Member of Congress for so many years unless 
you love it, and I do. It is a labor of love. And to paraphrase my 
fellow Missourian, Harry Truman, I have done my damndest every single 
day. I will forever be grateful for the trust Missourians have placed 
in me through the years and for the opportunity to serve Missouri's 
Fourth Congressional District, the U.S. House of Representatives, and 
the United States of America.
  As I leave this House, these lines from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem 
``Ulysses'' express my feelings very well:
  Much I have seen and known; cities of men
  And manners, climates, councils, governments . . .
  And drunk delight of battle with my peers . . .
  Some work of noble note, may yet be done . . .
  Come, my friends,
  Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for this time.

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