[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 151 (Thursday, December 11, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H10304-H10305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                FAREWELL

  (Mr. RAHALL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, in good times and bad, one constant 
remains here on Capitol Hill. The Congress of the United States 
continues to attract some of the brightest minds and most eager spirits 
our country's colleges and universities can produce. They are our 
staff.
  I want to acknowledge and express my deep gratitude to my staff 
members, especially Kent Keyser, my former chief of staff and now 
senior policy adviser, and Jim Zoia, my chief counsel, both of whom 
have been by my side every step of the way. They are outstanding and 
dedicated individuals who deserve the highest praise for their selfless 
sacrifice and service in behalf of the people of southern West 
Virginia. Through the years, many too numerous to mention have served 
on my staff and then have moved on, putting the lessons they learned 
serving on my staff to work for our State and Nation.
  In addition to Kent and Jim, those serving on my Washington staff 
include: David McMaster, chief of staff; Kate Denman, deputy chief of 
staff; Diane Luensmann, communications director; Andy Mollohan and 
Rachel Meyer, legislative assistants; Carol Wallace, projects director; 
Josh Sutherland, legislative correspondent; and Megan Price, staff 
assistant.
  In my West Virginia offices: Kelly Dyke, my district director; and 
Debrina Workman, Debbie Stevens, Teri Booth, and Kim McMillion 
represent over a century of service and experience to their fellow West 
Virginians. They are joined by Greg Crist, my district representative, 
and Larone Alexander, who serves on my staff through the House Wounded 
Warrior Program.
  Those working on my Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff 
are: Ann Adler, Ward McCarragher, Ed Gilman, Lisa James, and Luke 
Strimer.
  Those who serve on my subcommittee staff include: Alex Burkett, 
Rachel Carr, Dave Jansen, Elliot Doomes, Janet Erickson, Alexa Old 
Crow, Helena Zyblikewycz, Jennifer Homendy, Ryan Seiger, and Chelsea 
Welch.
  My own public service began as a staffer for the master of the United 
States Senate, Robert C. Byrd. I learned of the institutional ups and 
downs firsthand, starting work as an elevator operator for the Senators 
only, so I know a little about laboring behind the scenes: answering 
the phones, responding to the mail, enduring the long hours of 
sometimes mundane, often utterly thankless tasks that keep this place 
running for the very people we were elected to serve.
  My entire career in this body has been served on two committees: 
first, it was called the Public Works and Transportation Committee, 
then it changed to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 
where I now serve as ranking member. I served also on the House 
Interior and Insular Affairs that later changed to the House Resources 
Committee, where I had the honor of chairing on the Subcommittee on 
Mines and Mining, and, most importantly, serving as chairman of that 
House Resources Committee.
  I do appreciate, Mr. Speaker, that all of us in this body are all 
bridge builders. We have tried--and I certainly have tried--hard to 
build bridges between our coal miners in my great State of West 
Virginia and our coal operators, between our disadvantaged and our 
advantaged, between our need to provide jobs and protect jobs in our 
coal fields and our need to protect our land and the air we breathe, 
and from all our middle class to the Middle East and beyond, we all 
seek a world of peace.
  I am proud of my record, my 38-year record in this body of protecting 
and providing black lung benefits, health care and pensions, and, most 
importantly, safety for our coal miners. I have steadfastly sought 
relief from excessive regulations on our coal industry. I have defended 
and protected that vital safety net for our unemployed, our sick, 
elderly, and others disadvantaged through no fault of their own. My 
direct help in building our infrastructure in southern West Virginia, 
where the transportation, technology, or tourism is well-documented for 
generations to come. I have created vital additional wilderness areas 
in our State, white water rafting opportunities, and the largest 
Federally protected areas east of the Mississippi, which is called the 
New River Gorge National Recreation Area.

  Mr. Speaker, my grandfathers came to this great land as pack peddlers 
from Lebanon. They worked hard, as all West Virginians do. They lived 
the American Dream.

[[Page H10305]]

  I have traveled the Middle East extensively during my close to four 
decades in this body, including with President Clinton in that historic 
December 1988 codel to the Middle East when he became the first U.S. 
President to step foot on Palestinian soil. I have met with kings, 
queens, emirs, presidents, prime ministers, militia chiefs, warlords, 
you name it, in this region, many times even when not in sync with our 
official U.S. policy. I have long advocated for Palestinian justice, 
human rights, dignity, and relief.
  Madam Speaker, I do leave this body with a great sense of pride and a 
great sense of accomplishment in what we have been able to do together 
for the people of West Virginia.
  I do appreciate my colleagues taking a moment to reflect with me on 
what truly has been a remarkable personal journey, a distinct honor, 
and a true privilege to serve the people. From elevator operator, mail 
carrier, assistant to the Democratic Whip Robert Byrd in the Democratic 
cloakroom in the other body through those Watergate years, all through 
my 38 years in this august body, it has been both exciting and 
frustrating, full of fast-paced days and long, drawn-out nights, such 
as we have just been through this evening. It has been full of 
sometimes tears, sometimes laughter, and, indeed, it has been an 
experience that I have truly appreciated and have loved every minute of 
it.
  I want to say in conclusion that I thank, first and foremost, of 
course, God. I thank my family for their support. This very day, as I 
speak, is a 10th anniversary of my dear wife, Melinda, and I, and we 
celebrate this anniversary knowing that it has been a great ride in 
this institution. My late father stood behind me all the way. My 89-
year-old mother, now living in my hometown of Beckley, and my brother 
Ed and my sisters Vickie and Tanya have always been there for me. My 
three children, Rebecca and her husband, Michael; Nick III and Laura; 
and Suzanne Nicole have always been behind my career. And all three of 
my grandchildren, Madison Kaylee, Nick Joe IV, and Ellianna, that is 
what it is all about, as we all know in this body, making this place a 
better place for our children and our grandchildren to live in.
  My heartfelt thanks go out to the good people in West Virginia. I 
have been most proud to fight for our courageous coal miners, and I am 
very happy to see just this week that those war notices issued by the 
coal companies earlier this year will, fortunately, not be honored in 
most cases, and, fortunately, these coal miners will be able to keep 
holding their jobs.
  I have been deeply proud to fight for our courageous coal miners. I 
have been deeply humble to serve and stand up for our American heroes, 
our veterans. West Virginia is a proud and patriotic State. I thank our 
working men and women, the backbone of our country, and our seniors who 
strengthen this Nation day after day with their continuing 
contributions. And may God bless our educators, our teachers who 
positively shape the future of our youth throughout eternity.
  Madam Speaker, in concluding this chapter of my life, I offer my 
special heartfelt thanks to you, each of you in this body, my 
colleagues, for all the experiences, for representing the immense 
diversity of our country, and for a lifetime of lessons through the 
many trials and tribulations that you have shared and taught me. I 
truly have had the high honor of serving with dedicated public servants 
and their staffs who will ensure this country remains forever the best 
in the world.
  Thank you and God bless this House of Representatives, and God bless 
our country.

                          ____________________