[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 95 (Friday, June 28, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1003-E1004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JOHN DINGELL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2013

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on December 8, 1941, a page stood on the 
House floor as President Franldin Roosevelt spoke of a ``date which 
will live in infamy'' and asked the Congress to declare war on Japan.
  The son of a Congressman, ready and willing to serve his country, 
this young man enlisted in the Army in 1944 and fought on distant 
shores in World War II. In 1955, he followed in the family tradition of 
public service, ran for his father's seat in Congress, and won.
  Today, that page, that young man, is the Dean of the House and the 
longest-serving Member of Congress in history: John Dingell.
  Over the course of nearly six decades, John Dingell has had a hand in 
almost every issue vital to the American people: from the air that we 
breathe and the water that we drink, to how the government serves its 
citizens, to essential consumer protections.
  Yet, among his countless achievements, none hold greater significance 
than his contributions to the health of the American people. Indeed, it 
has been the constant theme of his career.
  Health care was the family families--as his father had introduced the 
first-ever national health care legislation. In 1955, carrying forward 
that legacy, John Dingell ran for Congress on the platform of health 
care for all. In 1965, Medicare became the law of the land with the 
bang of John Dingell's gavel.
  With each new Congress, he would introduce bills, hold hearings, 
build momentum for health reform, And in 2010, after half-a-century of 
fighting for his cause, he sat by President Obama's side to see the 
Affordable Care

[[Page E1004]]

Act signed into law--a dream long overdue, a dream of the Dingell 
family, a dream finally realized for all Americans.
  To work alongside John Dingell is to be inspired by his strength and 
passion, by the history of our institution, by the seriousness of our 
work. This year, we recognize John Dingell as the longest-serving 
Member in Congress. But it is not only about the length of his 
service--it is about the quality of his leadership.
  It is an honor to serve with him as a colleague. It is a privilege to 
know him as a friend. It is a source of pride to work with this living 
legend in the Congress of the United States.
  May we all continue to be moved and strengthened by the dedication, 
commitment, and conviction of the great John Dingell.

                          ____________________