[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H8247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CONGRESSMAN MITCHELL BIDS FAREWELL TO CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Mitchell) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, Mo Udall once said that those elected to 
positions of leadership have a moral obligation to exercise leadership. 
Since coming to Congress, and throughout my whole career, I have always 
done what I believed was in the best interests for this district, for 
our State, and for our country. This is what I was elected to do, to 
make tough decisions, knowing that some were not always as popular as 
others; and I would not have changed one thing, not one vote, not one 
decision.
  When I think about what we have accomplished together in Congress 
over the last 4 years, I know that there are many reasons to be proud. 
We were able to make college more affordable for millions of young 
Americans. We were able to invest in clean energy technology that will 
clean our environment and set our Nation on a path to energy 
independence.

                              {time}  2130

  We raised the minimum wage for working families across this country. 
We were able to ensure equal pay for an equal day's work for women. We 
passed historic health care reform that will benefit millions of 
Americans, making health care insurance more accessible and affordable 
for thousands of individuals, families, and small businesses.
  But I am most proud of the work we've done to take care of our 
Nation's veterans. Together, we made it possible for our veterans, 
active duty, National Guard, and reserve to empower themselves by 
furthering their education. I was honored to be part of an effort to 
pass the 21st century GI Bill into law.
  We also know that many of our returning veterans and those who served 
in past generations bear wounds that can't be seen. Too many continue 
to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and are at risk for 
suicide. Together, we've pushed the VA to provide more mental health 
assistance to those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan because our 
veterans deserve the highest attention and respect they have earned 
when they come home, and we have work to do to bring them all home.
  But as much as we've accomplished, there is still more to do. I have 
always said that you can't be successful unless a lot of other people 
want you to be. And I have been blessed to have so many people who have 
been supportive of me. For the better part of close to 40 years, I've 
held the titles of teacher, councilman, mayor, senator, and 
Congressman.
  And there are a lot of people I want to thank for being with me every 
step of the way. A special thanks goes to my family: My wife, Marianne; 
my son, Mark; my daughter, Amy; and my five grandchildren. I also want 
to thank my staff. They were the most hardworking, talented, and loyal 
bunch that you would ever find, and I am very grateful for them. 
Lastly, I want to thank the people of Arizona's Fifth Congressional 
District for allowing me to represent them in the United States 
Congress for the past 4 years. It's been an overwhelming honor to have 
had the opportunity to serve my district.

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