[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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