[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 13, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNITION OF THE RETIREMENT OF MINNESOTA STATE REPRESENTATIVE TOM 
                                HUNTLEY

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2014

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the retirement of 
Minnesota State Representative Tom Huntley. Rep. Huntley has served for 
more than 20 years in the Minnesota State House, proudly representing 
his constituents in Duluth, Minnesota.
  In 1993, Tom and I were sworn in together at the State Legislature 
where we both served on the Health and Human Services Committee. Early 
on, it was clear that Tom was a man acutely aware of how his work 
affected the people of Minnesota. Tom had a reputation for taking every 
opportunity to help educate his colleagues, staff, and citizens about 
any issue, especially on the on-going needs in primary and rural health 
care. He has an incredible mind for policy, but during his service, he 
never lost sight of the way that those policies impacted people.
  Tom's ability to combine a focus on outcomes for health care patients 
with a keen eye for ensuring that taxpayer dollars were well spent made 
him an effective force in the State Capitol. Tom was always willing to 
work with both Republicans and Democrats to move the issues he cared 
about forward. As author of the Freedom to Breathe Act, his work with 
Republican Representative Dan Severson made Minnesota the 17the state 
to enact a statewide smoking ban, improving the public health of all 
Minnesotans.
  Under the leadership of Tom Huntley, Minnesota has become a model for 
delivering high-quality health care to its citizens. He was involved in 
the implementation of MinnesotaCare, ensuring thousands of working 
families in Minnesota had access to health coverage and Tom has worked 
tirelessly with his colleagues to improve and protect it. As Chair of 
the Health and Human Services Finance Committee, he championed the 2007 
and 2008 statewide health reform laws, legislation to expand Medical 
Assistance, and numerous other provisions positively impacting the 
lives of nearly every Minnesotan. And as an early advocate for the 
Affordable Care Act, Tom saw the federal law as a way to build on the 
reforms already taking place in Minnesota. It is no exaggeration to say 
that Tom has had a hand in crafting nearly every piece of health care 
legislation in Minnesota during the past two decades.
  In addition to his health care achievements, Tom has been a strong 
advocate on issues relating to the Great Lakes. In October 2004, he was 
elected as Chair of the bi-national Great Lakes Commission. In that 
role, Tom helped bring additional national attention to the ongoing 
needs related to the health and protection of this international 
treasure. And it is because of his leadership that Minnesota was the 
first state to approve the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water 
Resources Compact.
  Tom has been an incredible advocate for his constituents, mentor to 
my Legislative Director Jenn Holcomb, and a true statesman. He will 
retire from the state legislature this month with the knowledge that 
his work had a lasting and profound impact on the state of Minnesota. 
Tom's leadership will be truly missed and I look forward to continuing 
our friendship for years to come.

                          ____________________