[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 150 (Wednesday, November 28, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H6491-H6496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Platts). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 5, 2011, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, today we honor seven Members of Congress 
from California who have honorably served in the United States House of 
Representatives. The combined experience, knowledge, and expertise of 
my departing colleagues will be sorely missed.
  I have been joined by some of my California Members who will be 
coming in and out; they may wish to speak and we will be happy to yield 
to them. But first we have a good friend from North Dakota who is also 
departing, U.S. Representative Rick Berg, and I will yield to him.
  Mr. BERG. I want to thank the gentleman from California.
  It's been a distinct honor for me to represent the people of North 
Dakota in this Congress, the 112th Congress.
  I ran for Congress because I believed that we needed to continue to 
have an economic environment, an economic climate that has stability 
and encourages growth and encourages jobs. And I'm sure we can all 
agree that there is more work that needs to be done. But I'm hopeful in 
the days, the weeks, the months, and the year ahead that we can finally 
come together, not as Democrats and not as Republicans, but as 
Americans who are concerned about the future and concerned about that 
next generation. In doing so, I know

[[Page H6492]]

that we will tackle the challenges that our country faces.
  I'm always proud to tell the people I meet that I represent North 
Dakota. Down here in Washington, we are the envy of the Nation. We have 
the lowest unemployment in the country, a budget surplus, we are seeing 
unprecedented economic growth, and one of the brightest futures ahead.
  To the great people of the State of North Dakota, I want to express 
my deepest gratitude for giving me the opportunity to be North Dakota's 
voice, a voice here in the U.S. House of Representatives for the last 2 
years. I would also like to thank my staff for their hard work. I've 
put them through some long hours serving the people of North Dakota, 
and I know the people of North Dakota appreciated the hard work and the 
dedication that they brought forward.
  My faith in the democratic process is unwavering, and I truly believe 
that America's brightest days are ahead. Serving the people of North 
Dakota in Congress was an adventure and an experience of a lifetime. 
It's something that I will always look back at with pride and 
appreciation. Personally, I'm not sure what lies ahead, but I'll say 
this: it will be great spending a lot more time in the great State of 
North Dakota. Thank you, and may God bless.
  Mr. CALVERT. I thank you for your service.
  Mr. Speaker, we have a number of people coming shortly, but first I'd 
like to say some words about the dean of our California delegation, 
Jerry Lewis.
  Jerry was first elected in 1978 to the United States House of 
Representatives. We're losing a great man with the retirement of a good 
friend to all of us, and certainly a mentor to me, Jerry Lewis.

                              {time}  1530

  From his early days in Congress, Jerry Lewis has worked tirelessly 
for the good of the Nation and for the well-being of his constituents. 
Whether it was securing water supplies for southern California, 
rebuilding our defense programs, supporting the nascent unmanned aerial 
vehicle, eliminating wasteful spending, or improving the quality of 
life for thousands of Inland Empire residents, Jerry Lewis has been the 
definition of a leader and a patriot.
  His great depth of knowledge will be sorely missed by the entire 
House and especially the House Appropriations Committee, where he 
served as the chairman and ranking member. I know all of us are 
grateful for Jerry's years of service to our country, and we'll miss 
his vision, his leadership, his sense of humor, and certainly his 
intellect.
  I congratulate Jerry on his retirement. And while he will be deeply 
missed in Washington, D.C., he has much to look forward to as he enjoys 
retired life with his wonderful wife, Arlene, his children, and his 
grandchildren.
  Next I would like to take a moment to say a few words about the 
former California attorney general, Congressman Dan Lungren. 
Congressman Lungren was first elected to Congress in 1978, where his 
legal background was instrumental in his leadership on judiciary, 
criminal justice, and immigration issues. He was called back to State 
service in 1989 and successfully ran for attorney general, where he 
served from 1991 to 1999.
  As attorney general, Congressman Lungren helped author, and later 
defended in court, California's landmark Three Strikes and You're Out 
law. During his tenure and due to his tough on crime policies, crime 
plunged 30 percent to historic lows in California.
  After a few years in the private sector and the aftermath of 
September 11, 2001, Congressman Lungren decided to return to Congress 
and was reelected in 2004. Since his return, Congressman Lungren has 
used his time and talents as a member of the Judiciary and the Homeland 
Security Committees.
  Throughout his career, Congressman Lungren has been supported by his 
wonderful wife, Bobbi, and their family.
  Thank you, Congressman Lungren. Your contributions to both California 
and our country will be long remembered. And I know you're very proud 
of your alma mater, Notre Dame, as they head toward another national 
championship.
  Now I would like to return to California again with David Dreier, who 
is the current chairman of our California Republican delegation. David 
was elected as part of the Reagan revolution in 1980. He has remained 
true to the principles of free markets, free trade, limited government, 
strong national defense, and personal freedom during his 31 years of 
service.
  Congressman Dreier holds the distinction of being the youngest 
chairman of the House Rules Committee and the first from California. As 
chairman of the Rules Committee, Congressman Dreier has been 
instrumental in restoring regular order to the House, ensuring Members' 
voices are heard on legislation, and supporting the ideals of civil 
debate in the House.
  Congressman Dreier has also been a leader in reforming Congress to 
increase transparency, demand accountability, and ensure dignity of the 
United States House of Representatives.
  In 2001, Mr. Dreier was unanimously selected by his California 
colleagues to chair the State's Republican congressional delegation, 
where he leads California's House Republicans on critical statewide 
issues. Congressman Dreier's leadership, especially as chairman of the 
House Rules Committee, will be sorely missed.
  Next is someone I have also worked with for many years. We had worked 
together to address California water supply issues and reform the 
Endangered Species Act, Congressman Wally Herger.
  Wally has been a tremendous asset to his constituents and certainly 
to this body. During his time in Congress, Congressman Herger has been 
a vocal and active supporter of efforts to enhance and improve flood 
control and water storage infrastructure to meet the public health and 
safety needs of growing communities in northern California. He's also 
been a strong supporter of improved forest management to protect 
communities from catastrophic wildfire and provide local economic 
development opportunities. Accordingly, he has been a champion of 
several pieces of commonsense forest health legislation, including the 
Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act of 1998 and 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
  Congressman Herger was instrumental in the reauthorization expansion 
of the 1996 welfare reform law. The reauthorization measure enacted in 
2006 strengthened the 1996 law to help even more parents on welfare go 
to work and further strengthened their families.
  In the 112th Congress, Congressman Herger was selected chairman of 
the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health and was a leader in 
fighting the government takeover of health care.
  In addition to many accomplishments in Congress, Congressman Herger 
and his wife, Pamela, are proud parents and grandparents of 9 children 
and 12 grandchildren. Congressman Herger's spirit, tenacity, 
intelligence, and leadership have been the hallmark of a distinguished 
career, and we certainly salute him as he retires.
  And I'm now happy to yield to Mr. Herger.
  Mr. HERGER. I thank my good friend from California (Mr. Calvert) for 
those kind remarks and your great friendship over the years and great 
leadership that you have offered.
  I was deeply honored and humbled when the good people of northern 
California elected me 26 years ago to be their Representative. I came 
to Washington as President Ronald Reagan, one of my personal heroes, 
was wrapping up the final years of his second term. That was more than 
a quarter century ago, and yet the years have moved by at a 
breathtaking pace.
  Time does not permit me to even begin to recount the memories. There 
have been incredible highs and incredible lows, but I always treasure 
the time I was allowed to serve in this amazing institution that was 
forged by the wisdom of our Founding Fathers.
  I have mixed feelings today. I will deeply miss the company of 
dedicated colleagues who have become my good friends. I value and 
treasure the members of my staff who have literally become a second 
family, and I know I will

[[Page H6493]]

feel a sense of loss when we say good-bye. I know that when I pick up 
the morning newspaper next January and I read about the enormously 
important issues that are being put to a vote, a part of me will wish I 
could still be here to fight the battle.
  And yet I look forward to the next phase of my life. I want to see 
more of those 12 grandchildren. I get to have more time with my dear 
wife, Pam, the most supportive spouse any man could hope and pray for. 
And I know that when I step down, a host of deeply committed patriotic 
colleagues will do everything in their power to advance the cause of 
liberty.
  I am greatly encouraged by the dedication and passion of the large 
class of Republican Members who were swept into office in the historic 
election of 2010. I am also very gratified that northern California 
will be represented next year by a Republican freshman who knows what 
it is like to drive a tractor and get mud on his boots. I have 
confidence in this new generation of leaders.
  I cannot leave this Congress without saying a few words about the 
wonderful people of northern California. In my rural district, you will 
find farmers with rough hands and sunburned faces. You will find tough 
timber fallers and mill workers. The people of rural northern 
California have that old-fashioned and refreshing patriotism that leads 
them to post this kind of sign at the county line: ``Where we honor 
veterans.''
  In my two decades of service, the thing that has always struck me the 
most about my constituents is that what they really want most from the 
Federal Government is simply to be left alone. They do not want a new 
program. They want to run their small businesses, their farms, and 
their mills without being wrapped up in 15 yards of red tape. They want 
to compete. They want to prosper.
  They understand the premise of this country: personal liberty; the 
freedom to pursue a dream; the concept of risk and reward. That's not 
too much to ask. For their sake and for the sake of all Americans, I 
ask my colleagues to get back to the roots of our Nation, to freshly 
embrace our heritage, to trust the ingenuity of the American people to 
thrive and prosper if we will simply get out of their way.
  I have deeply appreciated the opportunity to serve with you, and I 
extend my deepest thanks to the constituents of northern California for 
allowing me the extraordinary privilege of fighting for them in the 
United States House of Representatives.

                              {time}  1540

  Mr. CALVERT. I thank the gentleman. I want you to know how much of a 
privilege and an honor it has been for me to serve with you for the 
last 20 years. I'm grateful.
  Mr. HERGER. I thank my good friend.
  Mr. CALVERT. Next, I yield to Dan Lungren, one of our senior Members, 
a former attorney general from the State of California. I have to point 
out he is a great fan and alumnus of Notre Dame.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I thank my friend for yielding, 
and I must say that I very much appreciate the time that he has taken 
to recognize those of us who are leaving this institution who hail from 
the State of California.
  Twenty-four years ago, in 1988, I stood on this floor during this 
month to say good-bye to the House for the first time. I was privileged 
to be elected in 1978, just before Ronald Reagan came to Washington, 
D.C. I was proud to be one of the first seven Members of Congress to 
endorse him for President in 1979 and to travel with him at that time. 
I recall that whenever he was campaigning east of the Mississippi, he 
asked those of us Members of Congress who supported him to attend his 
political press conferences with him. What we would do is basically 
stand behind him and use ourselves as a backdrop to show that Ronald 
Reagan had some connection with Washington, D.C. It was a proud moment 
for me.
  It was even a greater experience for me to serve for 8 years in the 
Congress while he was President of the United States. He, in fact, 
showed that you can change a country and you can change a world through 
the power of your ideas. It was wonderful to be a foot soldier in the 
army of Ronald Reagan as we transformed this House, as we transformed 
this Congress, as we transformed this Nation, and as we allowed liberty 
to ring much louder than it had before.
  One of my proudest moments in the House of Representatives is being a 
member of the House Administration Committee that accepted the statue 
of Ronald Reagan from the State of California to be one of the two 
official statues here in the House Chamber. I was privileged to write 
the legislation which officially accepted it. If you look at that 
legislation, it permanently places the Ronald Reagan statue in the 
rotunda of the United States. So it will take a positive vote of the 
Congress to ever remove it. That is probably appropriate.
  When people look at that statue of Ronald Reagan, they should see the 
crack along the base, and those cracks are there because that is a 
piece of the Berlin Wall with Ronald Reagan standing above it. Our 
belief at the time was that this would allow for generations in the 
future, children in the future, when they're accompanied by their 
parents, to ask their parents why they would put a statue here honoring 
a President that's cracked at its base, and it will allow those parents 
and others to explain to those children the story of the defeat of 
communism and the victory of freedom.
  For 10 years, I was able to work here in the House. I went home 2 
years later and ran for attorney general. I was lucky enough to be 
attorney general of California for 8 years. Following an unsuccessful 
attempt to be Governor, I thought that I was finished with public 
service, but I happened to be here in Washington, D.C. on 9/11. I 
happened to be one of those not here in the Capitol, but in an office 
building downtown, one of those which was evacuated. We stood on the 
street corner for hours until we were allowed back in the building.
  I recall that while it was a terrifying moment, it was a unifying 
moment because people that you didn't know, black, white, Hispanic, and 
Asian, were all coming up to one another and asking who was attacking 
us. It was a threat, but it was also unifying in that we felt they were 
attacking us. It didn't matter what our color was. It didn't matter 
what our religious belief happened to be. It was that we were all 
Americans.
  I was joining a law firm at the time, and I was going to have an 
office here in Washington, D.C., and I had the copies of the 
Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights that had been 
made off the original copies and given to those of us as Members of 
Congress on the bicentennial of the Constitution. After I went back to 
the office, I got a hammer and some nails, and I tacked it up to the 
wall because I was trying to make a statement that no matter who it was 
that was attacking this Nation and us, they weren't going to succeed 
and they weren't going to destroy this country and they weren't going 
to destroy this constitutional democracy. I vowed at that time if I had 
the opportunity, I would seek public office again to see if I could add 
something to the fight against terrorism.
  So I've been privileged to be a member of the Homeland Security 
Committee for 8 years, and I've been privileged to be a member of the 
Judiciary Committee where we've worked on FISA, the Foreign 
Intelligence Surveillance Act, and we worked on other acts that were 
extremely important like the PATRIOT Act, where on the one hand we 
ensured that the civil liberties of this country would not be trampled 
upon, but we also ensured that this Nation would not be destroyed by 
those who wish us ill and wish to destroy us.
  I've been privileged to serve as chairman of the House Administration 
Committee and served before that as the ranking member in attempting to 
try and make this House function better and attempting to help Members 
become better Members in servicing their constituents, and to try and 
provide a modicum of security for this House to ensure that this 
institution is not attacked physically or through the cyberworld, or in 
other ways.
  I have to say when you are lucky enough to be one of the less than 
11,000 people in the history of this Nation to be a Member of this 
House, to be a Member of the Congress, you realize how lucky you are, 
you realize what a

[[Page H6494]]

privilege it is, and you realize that this institution was here before 
you were, will be here after you leave; and if you can put a mark on it 
that helps it maintain its integrity and allows it to be the symbol of 
freedom that it has been, that you will have achieved something.
  One of the things I attempted to do, and was successful in, was 
making sure that the national motto ``In God We Trust'' is not only 
here over the rostrum, but as people come to the new entry way to the 
Congress of the United States, the CVC, the Capitol Visitors Center, 
the first thing they see are the words ``In God We Trust'' illuminated 
in stone. So in a funny way you can say I left my mark on this place. 
One would not think it would be controversial; but believe it or not, 
we were sued for putting that up there. But it is there, and it will be 
there as long as this institution remains.
  I would just say thank you to those who have elected me. I was 
privileged to serve from southern California and northern California. I 
was privileged to represent the entire State. I was privileged to have 
my children on the floor with me as I was sworn in and have my 
grandchildren on the floor with me when I was sworn in in my second 
tour. Not many men and women get that opportunity. So I thank the 
people of my State.
  I thank my colleagues from all over the country, but particularly 
those from California. We are a band of brothers and sisters. We've 
worked together over the years. We have worked, I think, with 
integrity, with honesty, and hopefully with a modicum of humility, 
understanding how important this place is and understanding that as 
long as you consider what you do important and yourself not so 
important, you will succeed.
  So I thank my friend from California, and I thank my colleagues from 
California for this opportunity to at least say another good-bye.

                              {time}  1550

  Mr. CALVERT. I thank the gentleman. I certainly wish you well, and I 
know Notre Dame will do very well in the coming days and weeks.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Will the gentleman yield for 
just one moment?
  Mr. CALVERT. I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. It was 24 years ago that I left 
this House, I went to the LA Coliseum, I saw Notre Dame beat SC, and 
then I went on to see them win the national championship. Last 
Saturday, I went to the LA Coliseum, and I saw Notre Dame beat SC. In 6 
weeks, I'm going to go to the national championship game and see Notre 
Dame win again. I don't know whether I'll have another 24 years, 
however.
  Mr. CALVERT. I thank the gentleman.
  We are going to go out of order for a minute, and I yield to our good 
friend from Illinois (Mr. Dold).
  Mr. DOLD. I want to thank my good friend for yielding, and I 
certainly want to thank my colleague Mr. Lungren, who is the chairman, 
for his leadership over the course of these many years.
  It is, indeed, one of the highest honors and privileges of my life to 
be able to represent the people of Illinois' 10th Congressional 
District in this esteemed body. I've always remembered who I work for 
and what they wanted to see accomplished, and the importance of 
bringing thoughtful, independent leadership to the Congress.
  When I first ran, I saw far too many people--far too many Americans--
who were struggling and out of work in a tough economy. As a small 
business owner, I certainly understand firsthand the pressures that 
small business owners and family businesses are facing all across the 
country. I felt that the Federal Government was making it harder and 
harder for me to put the key in the door and open up my business each 
and every day. Frankly, they should be doing quite the opposite. We 
here should be trying to make it easier for businesses to open up their 
doors, easier for them to hire that next individual.
  I've talked at length in this Chamber about my Main Street Jobs 
Agenda. With its focus on pro-growth tax reform, increasing exports and 
manufacturing, access to capital for small businesses, making 
investments in infrastructure, utilizing domestic energy resources, the 
importance of STEM education, and implementing smarter regulations as 
opposed to simply more of them, I do believe that this is the best 
recipe for moving our country forward and for getting our economy back 
on track. Now, there is certainly much more work to be done in the 
future, but I do want to recognize two important steps that we have 
taken in the 112th Congress.
  This Chamber has advanced--and I have been proud to support--a 
framework for tax reform that is focused on economic growth and on 
providing much-needed tax relief to American families. The realization 
of this tax reform will be essential in helping our economy reach its 
full potential in the future.
  I am also proud of the work that we have been able to do to promote 
domestic manufacturing, exports, and jobs created by them. As the 
second-largest manufacturing district in the Nation, we know how 
important it is to have trade agreements, which we passed with 
Colombia, Panama and South Korea, and we are already seeing the 
positive impact that these agreements are having today on jobs back 
home.
  I would also like to take this time to highlight a number of more 
locally focused achievements, specifically noteworthy for the people of 
Illinois' 10th Congressional District.
  For nearly 20 years we've been working closely with the local 
coalition of stakeholders and the Army Corps of Engineers, with the 
U.S. EPA and the Illinois EPA to try to clean up Waukegan Harbor and to 
delist it as an area of concern. For Lake County, it is the gateway to 
the Great Lakes. I am pleased to say that that cleanup has begun and 
that we are going to delist that. That did happen under our watch, and 
it's something that a number of us are very, very proud of.
  Of vital interest to every person in the 10th Congressional District 
is our transportation system. In this Congress, we passed a 2-year 
transportation bill, one which I can say is good and fair for our 
district. I fought hard and, yes, even broke with the party when I felt 
that the legislation that was drafted would jeopardize our priorities 
and the people in the district. Fortunately, these concerns were 
remedied in the final legislation, and I am proud that we were able to 
come together in a bipartisan fashion to pass a transportation bill.
  I also want to highlight the STOCK Act, which included some 
legislation that I had fought for--my ``no pensions for felons'' 
language. This provision strengthened existing Federal law to ensure 
that taxpayers are not funding congressional pensions for lawmakers 
convicted of public corruption crimes. As residents of Illinois are all 
too familiar with our recent Governor, Rod Blagojevich, this provision 
has special meaning, unfortunately, to the constituents of Illinois. 
Yet the interests of the people of the 10th District and, I would 
argue, of our country obviously carry beyond our own borders.
  I was proud to lead an early effort in showing a commitment of the 
House freshmen to make sure that foreign aid in this early budgetary 
crisis would not be jeopardized for our one true ally in the Middle 
East, the State of Israel. This included showing some support for what 
has now become widely known as the Iron Dome rocket defense system, but 
our focus in the Middle East certainly has not stopped there.
  We have gone to great lengths in this Congress to zero in on what I 
believe is the greatest threat we have to our own national security, 
and that is a nuclear armed Iran. I've been pleased to team with 
Representative Ted Deutch and Senator Kirk on a number of bills to 
confront this threat. Our actions have ranged from strengthening 
sanctions on Iran's energy sector to promoting human rights and 
democracy inside Iran and much more. In fact, one of our most important 
accomplishments in this Congress will have been a strong sanctions 
package, which passed both Houses this summer and which included these 
provisions that we authored.

  Finally, I would like to highlight the ongoing work to pass a 
bipartisan budget agreement. This is an initiative that I have been 
proud to advance, starting with a bipartisan letter that urges the 
supercommittee to go big--to put everything on the table--with a debt 
reduction agreement that puts literally everything that people don't

[[Page H6495]]

want to talk about out into the open and on the table in order to try 
to structure a deal that will, in essence, put our economy on a course 
to fiscal solvency.
  I certainly look forward to continuing these bipartisan efforts. Yet 
again, we find ourselves today at the fiscal cliff. Just today, I had 
an opportunity to sit down with Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson and 
other members of the ``brave 38'' who voted for the only bipartisan 
budget to come to the floor in, I guess, a generation. I hope that we 
can come together and talk about something bigger--bigger solutions, 
not deals. We want solutions to the problems we face because that's 
what the American public, I believe, needs.
  Governing in a democracy is not easy. It requires compromise, and it 
requires working together. Yet, as I've often said, putting people 
before politics and progress before partisanship is the only way that 
we can truly move this country forward and to have a better future.
  Mr. CALVERT. I thank the gentleman for his service.
  Next, I would like to recognize our dean, the dean of the California 
Republican delegation, Congressman Jerry Lewis.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Thank you very much, my colleague Ken 
Calvert, for holding this hour for members of the California delegation 
and for friends beyond that. Your kind remarks earlier about my work 
here is much more than I would like to take the time to talk about, but 
I do very much appreciate your mentioning my bride, Arlene, in all of 
this because, as you know, she is my partner in all of my work.
  In thinking about any remarks that might have been made regarding my 
years of service here, one of the first things that comes to mind was 
early on in my career when I experienced a major flood in California, 
the 1938 flood. I'll never forget dropping a ping-pong ball out my back 
window. It fell a couple of feet and hit the water and floated out 
through the back fence. During my years of service here we've had a 
chance to address questions like that. The Seven Oaks Dam--a huge 
facility in southern California sponsored by the Corps of Engineers--
made it possible to assure that such a flood will never occur again in 
the region known as the Inland Empire.
  It has been a great privilege of mine, most of all, to recall the 
fact that the vast percentage of issues that we deal with here in the 
House have almost nothing to do with partisan politics. It's very, very 
important that we be willing to recognize that, in working together, we 
can make a difference on behalf of the American people.
  At home, issues like the Proton Therapy Center at Loma Linda 
University, which provides for a noninvasive cancer treatment that has 
a dramatic impact upon issues like small tumors in the human brain, 
like prostate cancer, even breast cancer--a noninvasive treatment as a 
result of nonpartisan, bipartisanship support for the kind of medical 
research that is a part of the National Institutes of Health.
  Over the years, probably the greatest privilege I've had is to serve 
for a short time as the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, 
the committee where I've spent my life. During that time, issues like 
the unmanned aerial vehicle, which has been a part of our work, have, 
indeed, made a difference for those of us who care about making certain 
that in the future America continues to be the force for peace in the 
world.

                              {time}  1600

  But most importantly, Congressman Calvert, I want you to know that as 
the new chairman of the California Republican delegation, I'm proud of 
the fact that you are my colleague and friend. In the years ahead, we 
will continue to work together on behalf of the people of our region.
  Mr. CALVERT. I certainly thank the gentleman. Not only has he been a 
great colleague of all of us in California, but a great friend to every 
one of us. I'd say we'll miss you, but I know we will be seeing you 
around both in California and here in Washington, D.C.
  Next, I would like to introduce the new dean of the California 
delegation, the incoming dean next year, Dana Rohrabacher from Orange 
County, California.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. I would say that I have big shoes to fill, but I 
don't think I will ever be able to fill Congressman Lewis' shoes. He 
has a list of accomplishments that I just don't know anybody else in 
this body who has more to be proud of and more over the years who's 
meant as much to me as Jerry Lewis.
  When he talked about the dam, I happen to represent an area in 
California, Orange County, California, in which that man, because of 
what he did, with Mr. Calvert at his side, has built the Santa Ana 
River project that protects tens of thousands of homes from flood 
damage, and it was due to their hard work. I was supporting them, but 
they were providing the leadership that got that through the Congress.
  So today we are saluting Jerry Lewis, but also saluting the other 
Members who are not going to be with us next year:
  Wally Herger, who was here earlier, a man who fought so long and hard 
for the timber industry and the economic well-being of Northern 
California;
  Dan Lungren, who is a highly principled person who we all look to, a 
man with strong religious and principled positions, you can't help but 
admire him, and a man who was the attorney general of the State of 
California as well as then running for Congress twice. I might add that 
I took Dan Lungren's seat when he decided not to run for Congress and 
run for higher office in the State of California;
  Dave Dreier, who is one of the best liked people here in the United 
States Congress--besides Jerry Lewis. I will have to say, Dave Dreier 
is one of the nicest guys. And he has had such authority in his hands, 
and it is very hard to be as nice as Dave Dreier is and to hold the 
authority he has as chairman of the Rules Committee;
  Brian Bilbray, he is leaving us as well. Brian, from San Diego, I 
have had a lot of problems with Brian because before he was elected, I 
was the best surfer in the United States Congress. Of course, there 
were no other surfers at that time, so that accolade really wasn't as 
important. But then Brian comes along and spoils that little 
braggadocio that I was able to do. Brian has been so active on science 
issues. I have worked closely with him on small modular reactors and on 
water quality for our coastline;
  Mary Bono Mack is perhaps one of the most lovely Members of Congress 
that I can imagine. She has been hardworking. She came here with her 
husband. Her husband, as we know, had an accident. She was elected in 
his seat and has done a terrific job ever since she took office in this 
very tragic way, but she made the most of it. She has done wonderful 
things for the Inland Empire in California;
  And finally, Elton Gallegly, who represents the area of southern 
California up in the area where you have the Reagan Library, which is 
located in his district. Elton Gallegly was a mayor before he came to 
the House of Representatives. He represents more than just about 
anybody else here of that promotion, that natural evolution of someone 
who has been active in their community, was elected to local office, 
and then came to serve his time in Washington to put those skills to 
use for his country.
  So all of these people have made huge contributions. It's been my 
honor.
  Before I came to work here, for 7 years I worked in the Reagan White 
House. I worked for President Ronald Reagan. I thought that was going 
to be the greatest honor of my life, and it was. But I can tell you, 
right up there alongside that, it's been an honor working with these 
people I have just described, and Mr. Calvert as well. But my 
colleagues like Wally Herger, Dan Lungren, Dave Dreier, Jerry Lewis, 
Brian Bilbray, Mary Bono Mack, and Elton Gallegly, it has been my honor 
and the joy of my life to have worked alongside wonderful people like 
this trying to make our country and our world a better place.
  Mr. CALVERT. I thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher, and I look forward to 
serving with you for a long time in the future. God bless.
  Elton Gallegly was brought up, and I'd like to say something about 
Elton. Elton and I are close friends. We've spent a lot of time 
together in the automobile going back and forth to the

[[Page H6496]]

airport. I don't know what I'm going to do now that Elton is retiring. 
Elton is a person who is universally admired for his fighting spirit 
and tenacity. He is someone who will fight to the end for the things 
that he believes in. I've had the honor of working with Congressman 
Gallegly on a number of issues, including E-Verify, invasive species 
issues, and regional water projects. Congressman Gallegly holds the 
distinction as the only Member of Congress, by the way--and this is an 
important thing if you're a Member--who can get from the Capitol to 
Dulles Airport in 30 minutes or less. I think he holds the record.

  From the start, Congressman Gallegly has been a leader on immigration 
issues, most recently as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee 
Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement. He understands the 
nuances of our legal immigration system and the vital importance of 
secure borders, especially as it relates to his role as vice chairman 
of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman Gallegly brought a unique 
perspective to the Foreign Affairs Committee, having served 8 years on 
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and its Terrorism, Human 
Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence Subcommittee.
  In the aftermath of September 11, Congressman Gallegly chaired the 
Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human 
Rights and held one of the first hearings on the 9/11 Commission's 
recommendations, a hearing that led to more than 10 provisions that 
were included in the final bill.
  Congressman Gallegly's long and distinguished career has been 
supported by the love and support of his wife, Janice, and their four 
children and ten grandchildren. Congressman Gallegly's dedication to 
our national security, strong borders, and legal immigration has 
contributed immensely to the betterment of our Nation, and we certainly 
thank him for all the years of his service.
  Next I want to talk about my friend, Brian Bilbray. Working alongside 
Congressman Gallegly on immigration issues is Congressman Bilbray, the 
chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus. Anyone who knows 
Congressman Bilbray knows his commitment and dedication to his 
constituents. He is always on the go, never misses an opportunity to 
meet and discuss issues important to those he represents.
  Congressman Bilbray is a member of the House Energy and Commerce 
Committee, with subcommittee appointments to the Oversight and 
Investigations, Communications, Technology and the Internet, and Energy 
and Environment. He is chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, 
where he works with Members on both sides of the aisle to enact 
meaningful immigration reform.
  In this Congress, Congressman Bilbray was a leader on policy 
initiatives that would incentivize companies to return their businesses 
to the United States, as well as encourage the private sector to hire 
veterans. I personally worked with him on a number of issues, including 
making E-Verify mandatory.
  Throughout his career, Congressman Bilbray has been supported by his 
wonderful wife, Karen, their five children and seven grandchildren. 
It's been an honor to serve with Congressman Bilbray, and I would like 
to extend my gratitude to his many years of dedicated service. We're 
great friends and will continue to be so.

                              {time}  1610

  Our final departing Member is someone, as all of these Members, 
someone I have known very closely and consider a very close personal 
friend and whose leadership will be sorely missed, Congresswoman Mary 
Bono Mack, California's only Republican woman in the United States 
House of Representatives. She's been a trailblazer in the House.
  Congresswoman Bono Mack's selection as subcommittee chairman of 
Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade for the 112th Congress was historic, 
making her the first Republican woman in American history to hold a 
gavel on the Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the oldest standing 
committees in the United States House of Representatives. As chairman, 
Congresswoman Bono Mack has become a national leader on privacy issues, 
an expert on technology matters, and a global champion of Internet 
freedom.
  In addition to her impressive chairmanship, Congresswoman Bono Mack 
passed landmark legislation that called for country-of-origin labeling 
for fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to several innovative 
energy-saving bills, rewarding companies for utilizing clean-burning 
fuel technologies, and increasing the energy efficiency of Federal 
buildings. The House of Representatives also overwhelmingly passed Mary 
Bono Mack's SPY ACT, which helps to protect Americans' personal 
information on the Internet.
  Congresswoman Bono Mack is married to fellow Congressman Connie Mack, 
has two children, three stepchildren, and is now a new grandmother. All 
of us will certainly deeply miss Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack's humor, 
intellect, compassion, and expertise; and I know we'll see her in town.
  On a personal note, I remember shortly after Sonny was killed a 
number of years ago visiting her along with Congressman Jerry Lewis. It 
was a very difficult time, but she stood in the breach and came in, as 
Dana mentioned, under very tragic circumstances but represented her 
beloved Coachella Valley in a wonderful way and has been a fantastic 
member of the California delegation. Again, we will sorely miss her 
service.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to mention that among the seven 
departing Members, the House is losing 163 years of experience. The 
careers of my colleagues have had a positive impact on hundreds of 
thousands of constituents, Californians and Americans.
  Due to schedule changes, not everyone could be here, but I'm sure as 
we go through the remainder of this session, they will find an 
opportunity to say their farewells to the House.
  With that, I thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________