[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 149 (Tuesday, December 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8918-H8922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING CONGRESSMAN JOHN DINGELL ON HIS RETIREMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Smith of Missouri). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 3, 2013, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Pallone) is recognized for the remainder of the hour as the designee of 
the minority leader.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Waxman), the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. 
I don't know if he knows, but we are going to be honoring him tomorrow 
night.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Thank you very much, Congressman Pallone, for recognizing 
me and for acknowledging the fact that I am the ranking member at the 
present time, but, of course, you will now take on that job very ably, 
I am sure, and both of us will follow in the tradition of John Dingell.
  Mr. Speaker, it is so appropriate that the room where the Energy and 
Commerce Committee meets is now known as the ``John Dingell Room.'' 
John Dingell has been the leader of that committee and a leader in the 
Congress longer than anybody else has served in either the Senate or in 
the House; yet, what I want to say is from my own personal perspective.
  I have served on that committee for 40 years, and I have learned more 
from John Dingell than I have from anybody else I have served with as a 
colleague. There were times when we had disagreements, and we argued 
them out and then resolved them and compromised on them; but most of 
the time, he was a stalwart defender of the interests of the working 
people of this country, a protector of the environment, a person who 
led the efforts for civil rights, a man who cared about people and 
understood that government had a very important role to play in 
people's lives.
  From his father, who was active in the New Deal, under President 
Franklin Roosevelt, who led this Nation to use the government in a 
positive way--to help people who had nowhere else to turn--John Dingell 
carried on that tradition. It is the Liberal-Progressive tradition, and 
I associate myself with it.
  I learned everything I knew as a member of the committee--and I 
learned everything I knew as a potential chairman and as a short-term 
chairman--from John Dingell. He is a Member's Member, and he is going 
to go down in the history books as one of the outstanding Members of 
Congress and leaders and chairmen of the oldest committee in the House 
of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I know we don't have a lot of time, so I just want to 
say to John Dingell:
  I wish you all the best, and I know you will whisper to Debbie, if 
she has any questions, the right course to take. Of course, she has 
been with you long enough that she probably, by this time, will know 
what to do on her own. God bless you, John Dingell.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Rahall), who himself has been the ranking member of two 
committees.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, one of my distinct pleasures in serving for 
38 years in this body has been to work with the dean of the House, Mr. 
John Dingell. Throughout our almost four decades of serving the people 
of our respective districts and those of our Nation, my respect and 
sincere appreciation for this son of Michigan has only grown each and 
every day.
  Few, if any, who have served here in the people's House over the last 
nearly 60 years would have a different view of the worth and of the 
value of John Dingell's contributions to the day-to-day work of this 
distinguished body. In fact, Representative Dingell's vast legacy will 
assuredly be the legions of Members and staff who have learned so many 
lasting lessons of leadership under John's tutelage. Basic, 
fundamental, timeless lessons on how to get the people's business done 
were always at the ready for any Member to partake in and adopt for 
their own future use. All of us can remember times when Big John felt 
it appropriate, timely, and beneficial to just gently impose one of his 
lessons on Members, even on this body as a whole, if he felt it would 
move our country forward.
  First and foremost, John Dingell has always valued good, old-
fashioned trust. He sees a person's word as his bond--a bond that never 
shifts even in the strongest political winds. In John's playbook, 
loyalty, particularly loyalty to principles, is a powerful force that 
can move the entire country forward. He insists on one other useful 
attribute for success--time-tested hard work. One must put in the time 
to do the hard work, the homework, with great attention to the details, 
ensuring that every T is crossed and that every I is dotted.
  These virtues exercised by my friend, whether by his hand's wielding 
the gavel or in his sizable arm's embracing your future in the back of 
the House Chamber, he has served our Nation productively. Upon this 
virtuous foundation, many compromises have been struck to forge stable 
vehicles to serve the people, their environment, their health, and 
their livelihoods. A champion of the American worker, of the 
autoworker, and of our Nation's coal miner, John Dingell fully 
appreciates the role that our government can and should play in 
supporting the breadwinners in every American family.
  From the moment John Dingell came here to the moment he leaves and 
well beyond, these tenets are the legacy that will always burn brightly 
in my mind as well as warm my heart. Had I but served a single term 
with John Dingell, I would have counted many blessings because of it. 
Multiplied 29 times, suffice it to say, the entire Nation can itself 
count many

[[Page H8919]]

blessings thanks to the good work of our dear friend, John Dingell, the 
dean of the House of Representatives.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Tonko).
  Mr. TONKO. ``Thank you'' to the gentleman from New Jersey for the 
recognition and for leading us in this Special Order that pays tribute 
to Representative John Dingell.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to stand on the House floor this 
afternoon to say ``thank you'' to John Dingell.
  Thank you for your service to country. Thank you for your service to 
the State of Michigan. Thank you for your service to your congressional 
districts through the years, and, certainly, thank you for your 
interaction and networking with your colleagues, which has crossed over 
party lines and has shown, in exemplary fashion, how to get business 
done in the House. In your tribute this evening, it is important to 
make mention over and over again of your service to the military by 
serving us in the Army and by serving us during World War II.
  Also, the Great Lakes State, Michigan, has produced a leader of 
greatness in John Dingell.
  John, it is an honor to say here, during this special tribute, that 
you were, indeed, everyone's coach. I know the person of humility that 
you are. You shed that praise when it comes your way, but make no 
mistake about it that it has been your coaching, your reinforcement, 
your encouragement to each and every one of us. Certainly, to those of 
us who entered as freshmen, you were right there to shadow us and to 
guide us and to remind us that there is a nobleness--with a small 
``n''--of service through the House that can influence policy and speak 
to the needs of those most marginalized in our society.
  To that end, I want to thank you for identifying so very strongly 
with struggle. You saw a struggle, and you moved to address it. Whether 
that be through health care, through human services, through education, 
and certainly through all sorts of efforts that speak to public safety, 
our environment, and our energy policy, you saw a struggle, and you met 
it head-on, and you made certain that the challenges were responded to. 
You showed us how to work across party lines, and you showed us how to 
be factual and to see your word as your honor.
  With all of that, I salute you, John Dingell, as being an awesome 
leader who taught by example how to conduct yourself in this public 
arena. You are proud of your heritage. We have talked about that many 
times over. Those roots have fed you so very well and have enabled you 
to be this person of greatness coming from the Great Lakes State. So 
thank you so much for your service to country and to all of us here in 
the Chamber.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York 
(Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I am testifying 
before the Rules Committee right now, but I will submit my statement 
for the Record.
  To know him is to love John Dingell. He taught me that dedication to 
the legislative process and getting it done comes first.
  It is a great privilege to speak about the career and accomplishments 
of my good friend, John Dingell.
  John has been one of the giants in this body a man with countless 
friends, but few peers.
  His impact on this Institution and this country cannot be overstated.
  Over the course of six decades, John has led some of the most 
important fights in the history of our country--fights for health care, 
civil rights, social justice, consumer protections, and so much more.
  In 1964, he helped push the Civil Rights Bill through Congress.
  In 1965, John Dingell presided over the House as it considered and 
then passed Medicare.
  John wrote the Endangered Species Act.
  He wrote the 1990 Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and 
legislation to build North America's first international wildlife 
refuge.
  He authored Affordable Care Act and then fought tirelessly for its 
passage.
  Thanks to John, millions of Americans are getting the benefits today 
of the Patient's Bill of Rights, the Children's Health Insurance 
Program, the Mammography Quality Standards Act, the FDA Food Safety 
Modernization Act, and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act.
  John Dingell's towering list of accomplishments are the best 
representations of what Members of Congress can do when the long-term 
needs of the people--the country--are elevated beyond the fleeting 
politics of the moment.
  Whenever the history of this country is told--The Civil Rights Act, 
Medicare, the Affordable Case Act, Environmental Protection, Workers 
Rights will stand out as the hallmarks of the Democratic Party--our 
core principles.
  They are the legislative actions that delivered on the promise of the 
American dream--and helped to put it within reach for millions.
  These pillars of social justice all bear John Dingell's name writ 
large.
  John Dingell is also a strong advocate for women, a long-time 
champion for the Equal Rights Amendment, and a leader in the fight for 
Equal Pay for Equal work.
  John was here in 1963 when the Equal Pay Act was signed into law
  In the 108th Congress, he and I requested a report from the GAO on 
the Glass Ceiling.
  That report analyzed 18 years of data on over 9,300 Americans and 
found that women working fulltime were being paid an average of 80 
cents for every dollar that men are paid.
  He has been fighting to realize the goal of the Equal Pay act for 
decades and it is a fight that John's wife Debbie is sure to continue 
in the next Congress.
  For more than 80 years, there has been a Mr. Dingell from Michigan 
representing Democratic Values and the people of Michigan.
  I know I speak for all members of the House when I say that I look 
forward to working alongside the first Mrs. Dingell from Michigan!
  John's impact on Congress and on this country will be felt for 
generations to come.
  His unyielding commitment to do what is right--for his country and 
his Michigan constituents has been an inspiration to us all.
  I fear we may never see his like again in this Congress--but I shall 
hope that each and every day--every Member of Congress will strive to 
live up to the example that was once set by the great John Dingell, 
Dean of the House of Representatives.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Gene Green).
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I thank my colleague and our new ranking 
member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the great 
lawmakers of our era, who has dedicated his life to fighting for civil 
rights, to strengthening our Nation's safety net for the vulnerable and 
elderly, and in pushing for workers' rights and protecting American 
jobs.
  I am honored to call this man a mentor and a friend--the dean of the 
House, Congressman John Dingell.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my full statement be placed in the Record.
  John's illustrious career speaks for itself: the longest-serving 
Member in the history of the House of Representatives; the author of 
dozens of Federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Safe 
Drinking Water Act, and the Affordable Care Act; the chairman or 
ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee for 28 years; a 
veteran of the Second World War.
  What the history books will never be able to fully share is the 
respect and kindness John has given to all who have been fortunate 
enough to work with him.
  John has always been generous with his time and with sharing his 
unparalleled institutional knowledge of the people's House. In 2005, 
John was a vital voice, and he supported efforts to pass the Energy 
Policy Act, which became one of the key Federal supports for the 
current energy renaissance that is providing jobs and lower energy 
prices for the American people today. Outside of Washington, I was 
fortunate to spend time with John on hunting trips, where I had the 
opportunity to get to know him better as a man, as a father, as a 
husband, and as an avid sportsman.
  Mr. Speaker, before I conclude, I would like to personally thank John 
for his decades of public service in fighting for America's working 
families. Our Chamber will not be the same without him. God bless John 
Dingell and the United States of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the great 
lawmakers of our era, who has dedicated his life fighting for civil 
rights, strengthening our nation's safety net for the vulnerable and 
elderly, and pushing for workers' rights and protecting American jobs.
  I am honored to call this man a mentor and a friend, the Dean of the 
House, Congressman John Dingell.

[[Page H8920]]

  John's illustrious career speaks for itself: longest-serving member 
in the history of the House of Representatives; author of dozens of 
federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking 
Water Act, and the Affordable Care Act; Chairman or Ranking Member of 
the Energy and Commerce Committee for 28 years; a veteran of the Second 
World War.
  What the history books will never be able to fully share is the 
respect and kindness John gave to all who have been fortunate enough to 
work with him.
  John has always been generous with his time and sharing his 
unparalleled institutional knowledge of the People's House. In 2003, 
during the DeLay redistricting fiasco in Texas, which gerrymandered out 
many longtime House Members, John advised me on what avenues were 
available to Members to voice disapproval.
  In 2005, John was a vital voice and supported efforts to pass the 
Energy Policy Act, which has become one of the key federal supports for 
the current energy renaissance that's providing jobs and lower energy 
prices for the American people today.
  Outside of Washington, I have been fortunate to spend time with John 
on hunting trips, where I had the opportunity of getting to know him 
better as a man, a father and husband, and as an avid outdoorsman.
  Mr. Speaker, before I conclude, I would like to personal thank John 
for his decades of public service in fighting for America's working 
families. Our chamber will not be the same without him.
  God Bless John Dingell and the United States of America.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado 
(Ms. DeGette).
  Ms. DeGETTE. Thank you so much.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1997, when I was a 39-year-old freshman, John Dingell 
took a risk on me. He put me on the Energy and Commerce Committee as a 
freshman. Since that day, I have learned at his knee every single day. 
He has become a friend; he has become a mentor--and like so many of us 
on both sides of the aisle, our experience here in Congress would not 
be the same without him.

                              {time}  1715

  A lot of us know about the long arm of John Dingell. Over the years, 
when Chairman Dingell would put his long arm around your shoulders, and 
he would say, ``Diana, I have a little chore for you,'' you knew that 
that little chore was anything but little. It was a part of something 
much, much bigger. Whether he was just moving a minor amendment to a 
bill or a large bill itself, and no matter what the issue was, it was 
always an honor to work together with John Dingell to get something 
done for the American people.
  As the now-ranking member on John Dingell's subcommittee, the 
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce, I 
feel a special responsibility to his legacy. John Dingell, over the 
years, held powerful people from all around the country, from every 
part of industry, accountable to the American public. And today, it is 
up to all of us, as members of his distinguished committee, to take up 
the great mantle of that legacy and to make the powerful tell the truth 
to the American public.
  I commit myself today, along with all of us, to carry on his legacy, 
to do just that, to make this committee a committee that John Dingell 
will be proud of.
  I am going to miss my dear friend, my wise mentor, and my trusted 
colleague. All of us will. We all recognize the great contributions he 
made to this institution and, most importantly, to this country.
  Few retirements are as well deserved, with such distinguished service 
as Mr. Dingell's. And so I want to say, John, job well done. Godspeed.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Levin), the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee.
  Mr. LEVIN. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  If a test of a career is whether you made a difference, Big John's 
career has been a big success. In so many ways, John was tall in 
stature physically and in every other way.
  There has been much note about his particular accomplishments. I 
would like to spend just a few minutes today talking not about those 
accomplishments that are so vivid and so clear, but to talk about John 
Dingell and his character.
  He remembered his roots, never forgot them. There was always, I 
think, a sense of the underdog. I think his family came to this country 
and felt, in a sense, like the underdog, but were thankful that they 
had an opportunity in this country to rise. And it is so clear that 
John succeeded.
  You might sum it up this way: John Dingell was a legislator's 
legislator. He combined courage and civility, dedication and decency, 
strong views with strong friendships.
  I don't remember exactly when it was that, down the hall here, when 
John was being honored, he decided to talk about this institution and 
what he had seen happen to it. And it was a very frank talk. And he 
really bemoaned recent events here, where it was much more difficult to 
have strong views but to have strong camaraderie, to have strong views 
but have the ability to compromise on them, to have strong views but 
find a way to seek and find common ground. That was so convincing, so 
persuasive for someone who has been in this institution longer than 
anyone else in the history of this country.
  So I think our best salute to John, maybe the best way to remember 
his contributions--in addition to all of the particular legislation 
that came to be and meant so much to millions of people in this 
country--is to try to pick up the mantle that surrounded him all of his 
career here, to really see if we can seek and find some way in this 
institution to operate the way John Dingell saw so much of his career, 
and why he felt it was such a loss when it dwindled.
  So I would like to just join everybody else with some emotion. Our 
two families have been so close for so many decades. Our two families, 
the Levins and the Dingells, the Dingells and the Levins, have had 
their lives so interwoven, so interwoven, coming from somewhat 
different backgrounds. But those weren't an obstacle. Those were really 
opportunities.
  So I join so many others in saying to John and to Debbie, who has 
been his partner, more than a job well done--a path that all of us 
should seek to follow.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Capps).
  Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding.
  It is such an honor, in paying my tribute, to follow one of Mr. 
Dingell's best friends, Sandy Levin, his colleague from Michigan.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride as well as deep humility to 
honor the longest-serving Member of Congress, the dean of the United 
States House of Representatives, the Congressman for the 12th District 
of Michigan and my personal friend, Mr. John Dingell.
  John has served his country with such honor and such distinction, 
first as a second lieutenant in the United States Army during World War 
II and, for the past 59 years, right here in Congress over the terms of 
11--that is 11--United States Presidents.
  But it is not just his longevity that has made John such a force in 
the United States Congress. Yes, we are losing this man's incredible 
institutional memory, but hopefully neither he nor we will ever lose 
our love for this institution.
  John Dingell's hand has helped construct nearly every major 
advancement in social policy that this country has known over the past 
six decades, policies that support working families, that strengthen 
our middle class, and support the United States economy.
  Many of us here speak of significant events in United States history, 
but John Dingell can speak of these historic events because he was 
often right there, standing by the President's side. John knows this 
institution inside and out. And it is that knowledge, coupled with his 
belief that Congress does have a vital role in making this country 
better for all of us, that has made him so influential over the years.
  But for all he has done for the Nation, John has been and continues 
to be such a great friend to each of us, no matter which side of the 
aisle we sit on.
  When I first came to Congress, John Dingell took me under his wing 
and helped me to earn a seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, his 
beloved committee. He told me that we did

[[Page H8921]]

need nurses at the table, and he always has been a passionate advocate 
for quality health care. He is such a good friend to my own colleagues 
in the nursing profession.
  The good people of Michigan are losing a great advocate for their 
State in Congress. This country is losing a passionate and brilliant 
Representative, and what I am told is the best Twitter feed on the 
Hill. And I am losing a personal friend on the floor of the House and a 
real mentor on the dais at the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  But we won't be sad for long. Next year, we will have another Dingell 
who will be here as one of us, and that is John's very own lovely wife, 
Deborah. I look forward to working with Deborah and have no doubt that 
she will continue the legacy of service that John and his father before 
him have established.
  So with that, I do not say good-bye, dear friend, but I do say best 
wishes. And know that we are all so full of gratitude and in great debt 
to you for your service, as you have for so long been of enormous 
service to each of us.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to our Democratic whip, Mr. 
Hoyer.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for 
taking this Special Order.
  Mr. Speaker, when this new House convenes on January 6, it will be 
the first in 59 years not to include the distinguished dean of this 
House, Mr. John Dingell of Michigan.
  We will still have a Dingell from Michigan. It will be his wife, 
Debbie, whom so many of us in this House have come to know and admire. 
I have worked with Debbie every year that I have been in the Congress. 
She won the election to succeed John, and surely we will continue to 
have him in our midst as a congressional spouse. But he will be very, 
very sorely missed among the Members of this body, all of whom he 
welcomed to the House over the course of his service as the longest-
serving Member in the history of the Congress.
  A lot of people like to point to John's tenure in the House and note 
that when he came to Congress, Americans had Dwight Eisenhower as 
President, Brooklyn had a champion Dodgers baseball team, and Elvis 
Presley had his first gold record.
  But what I will point out is what Americans did not have. They did 
not have Medicare. Seniors were unprotected from the rising costs of 
health care in their golden years until John Dingell became their 
champion and introduced legislation that was the precursor to Medicare. 
And he presided over this House when it passed Medicare in 1965.
  Americans did not have the Civil Rights Act or the Voting Rights Act. 
When John Dingell took his first oath of office as a Member of this 
House, millions of African Americans across the South could not vote 
for Representatives in this House. Just 4 months after taking office, 
he bravely challenged the Eisenhower administration's leadership on 
civil rights.
  He rose in this Chamber with great audacity to demand that the 
President protect those who were being denied their most fundamental 
rights as Americans. It almost cost him his seat. But all of us who 
know John understand why he was willing to risk everything for a cause 
that was just.
  Americans did not have the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, or the 
Safe Drinking Water Act, nor did they have the Endangered Species Act 
or the National Environmental Policy Act. John realized before many of 
his contemporaries that if Congress did not act to protect our 
environment, future generations would inherit a Nation spoiled by 
pollution and neglect, so he became a crusader for conservation.
  And the American people did not have SCHIP or the Affordable Care 
Act--SCHIP being children's health insurance. John Dingell fought his 
entire life in public office to make affordable quality health care 
accessible to all who need it.
  In between his work to pass Medicare in 1965 and the enactment of 
health care reform in 2010, John Dingell successfully pushed for 
incremental progress that made the Affordable Care Act possible. And 
when Leader Pelosi struck the gavel to signify the passage of that law, 
it was the same gavel that was used by John when he announced the 
passage of the Medicare Act nearly 50 years before.

                              {time}  1730

  I was proud to nominate John for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 
our Nation's highest civilian honor, and to be on hand last month as 
President Obama presented that Medal of Freedom to him at the White 
House.
  Let no one mistake John's legacy as one of simply longevity. Had he 
served nine terms and not 29, we would surely be here on this floor to 
praise him as a man of vision, of principle, of courage and 
achievement, and of a deep love for this country, its people, and for 
this institution.
  I have had the privilege of serving with John in this House for 33 
years. Throughout that time, he has been a dear friend from whom I have 
learned much and with whom I shared many memorable experiences on and 
off this floor.
  John Dingell, my colleagues, has been and is a man of conviction, he 
has embodied civility, and he has worked in a bipartisan fashion. His 
example is one that if we follow, it would benefit the country and the 
House.
  As chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, John was 
instrumental in supporting a strong auto industry and jobs for America 
and measures to promote manufacturing here in this country.
  Americans remember with gratitude his determined effort as chairman 
to root out waste, fraud, and abuse across the government and save the 
taxpayers while improving how the government works.
  Seventy-three years ago this week, a young John Dingell, Jr., then a 
House page, sat in this Chamber, in which his father, John, Sr., 
served, while President Roosevelt delivered his famous speech asking 
for a declaration of war as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl 
Harbor on that Day of Infamy.
  Four years later, while serving in the United States Army, Second 
Lieutenant John Dingell was preparing to invade Japan when the bombing 
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought the war to an end and quite possibly 
saving his life. We are all grateful for that, that Providence spared 
him, so he could come to the people's House and do the people's work 
for 59 years.
  We will miss him dearly. I will miss him. I take comfort in knowing 
that he will still be here among us as a private citizen, as the 
husband of the new Member from Michigan's 12th District, and as an 
elder statesman for our country who I hope will always be ready to 
share the wisdom of his experience with those who will continue his 
work in this House.
  John Dingell has been a great American, a citizen who loved his 
country and served it well. God bless you, John Dingell, and thank you.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio 
(Ms. Kaptur).
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, it is an understatement to say dean and 
Chairman John Dingell is a gentleman of this House and a respected man 
of the law. He has served our Republic his entire life, beginning as a 
page for this House at the age of 12, followed by his enlistment in the 
United States Army and his service during World War II. He is a bona 
fide representative of the Greatest Generation's dedication and 
enduring legacy.
  He is a Member's Member, always available for counsel and always with 
an encouraging word. How many of us have benefited from his astute 
advice? This Chamber says thank you to a man who knows how to 
negotiate, who knows how to legislate, and knows how to foster great 
change. He is a master of the art of compromise.
  His service has been honorable for over half a century. He has been 
indefatigable. John has walked forthrightly in the shoes of his beloved 
father before him, and he served our Nation nobly in this House and the 
people of Michigan who reelected him 30 times. His service has 
established a historical record 59 years long of consistent dedication 
to liberty and to the people of our country.
  Historically, he has assumed his place as one of the House's 
strongest timbers, truly a foundational Member, a master of the rules 
and decorum that should attend to our privileged service here. He is a 
champion of the dignity of the House.

[[Page H8922]]

  Generations to come would be well-advised to emulate his service. He 
understands and treasures this House, its centrality in steering 
progress for our democratic Republic.
  He is a champion of civil rights, of living wage jobs in America and 
labor rights here and abroad, of American manufacturing and the auto 
industry, of energy independence for America, of Medicare and Social 
Security as his father was before him, of our natural environment and 
the legal basis for respecting it--our Great Lakes, the fish, fauna, 
and creatures that form the wild kingdom, the park systems and wildlife 
refuges, the river and ocean ecosystems that maintain and sustain the 
stunning beauty and bounty of our land and frankly sustain us. He is 
the heartbeat of Motown.
  I personally will always treasure the moments we spent working on 
legislation to refinance the U.S. auto industry and our tours of the 
auto giants' manufacturing platforms, of the times we spent together 
creating the first international wildlife refuge in our country in the 
Great Lakes region spanning our shared Michigan-Ohio border with 
Canada, the clean water and clean air achievements, the tours of the 
La-Z-Boy company and that firm's stellar involvement in environmental 
stewardship of our Ohio-Michigan region.
  Mr. Speaker, I shall always treasure our encounters, countless as 
they are, along the Ohio-Michigan border that we shared, the hundreds 
of plane rides together, often with Deborah along, with dear colleagues 
like John Conyers, Billy Ford, as well as our car ride back to Michigan 
together after 9/11.
  We have shared the priceless opportunity to guard liberty and extend 
her welcoming arms to the people of Poland, our shared ancestral 
heritage, as Poland cast off the shackles of Communist oppression. 
Though each of us dreamed of the day when that incredible moment might 
transpire, its achievement remains one of world history's most glorious 
moments.
  So the patriotic gentleman from Michigan, House seniority rank number 
one, our dean, you have not only earned your title as ``Man of the 
House,'' you have inspired millions of people and ably met the call of 
Daniel Webster in your time and generation to perform something worthy 
to be remembered. You have met that test.
  My colleague, may God bless you and Deborah and hold you and your 
loved ones dearly. America thanks you, and so do I, as dean of Ohio's 
delegation. Godspeed.
  Mr. PALLONE. I thank the gentlewoman.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Pelosi), our Democratic leader.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
appreciate his friendship with the distinguished leader of the entire 
Congress, the dean number one, as Congresswoman Kaptur said.
  Mr. Speaker, I am going to be brief and put some of my statement in 
the Record and hopefully return to the floor in the couple of days 
ahead to say more about Mr. Dingell because so many Members are 
waiting, and I hope more time will be afforded for us to sing the 
praises of this great man.
  Every now and then, you hear the expression ``somebody is a living 
legend.'' That doesn't even begin to describe John Dingell. He is a 
living legend. He has had a hand in nearly every major legislative 
accomplishment over the past six decades from protecting civil rights 
and workers' rights--and I am so glad to see John Lewis here--to 
ensuring food safety, to enacting essential consumer protections, and 
to creating jobs in Michigan's Twelfth District and throughout our 
country.

  Among his countless achievements, none holds greater significance 
than his contribution to the good health of the American people. Each 
congressional term since 1955, he introduced legislation to secure 
affordable health care for all Americans.
  In 1965, he held the gavel in his hand as Medicare became law of the 
land, and in 2010, more than half a century later, it was my privilege 
to hold that same gavel in my hand as we passed the Affordable Care 
Act, realizing the dream of the Dingell family.
  To work alongside John Dingell is to be inspired by his strength, by 
the history of our institution, and by the seriousness of his work, not 
only the length of his service for sure, but the quality of his 
leadership. He is our distinguished chairman, our distinguished dean, a 
cherished colleague and friend, a living legend as I said, but that 
only begins to tell the tale.
  His experience, his leadership, his partnership, and his passion will 
be sorely missed by all of us who had the honor to serve alongside him. 
We wish him and his beloved wife, our soon-to-be colleague, Debbie, and 
the entire Dingell family the very best.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join in the tributes to a public servant 
of unmatched leadership and quality.
  The distinguished gentleman from New Jersey has followed the many 
footsteps of Mr. Dingell on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

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