[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING MIKE RINGLER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 23, 2015

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
commend John Michael ``Mike'' Ringler on the occasion of his 
retirement, having served for 17 years on the House Appropriations 
Committee. In total, he has provided more than 27 years of 
distinguished, quiet service to our country. His integrity stands as a 
model for us all.
   Mike, a native of Rector, Pennsylvania, graduated from Georgetown 
University with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, enhancing his 
experience by studying abroad in the United Kingdom and Ecuador. He 
also earned a Master of Public and International Affairs from the 
University of Pittsburgh. Mike counts himself as an avid fan of 
Steelers football and Hoyas basketball, and he fine tunes his own 
basketball skills at weekend games with friends and colleagues.
   Mike began his career in Washington, D.C. in 1987 as a Presidential 
Management Intern at the U.S. Information Agency, Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs. From there, he rose through the ranks as a budget 
analyst then financial manager by 1996 before spending a year as the 
budget officer for the Broadcasting Board of Governors. In 1997, he 
started his dedicated service to the House Appropriations Committee, 
serving as Professional Staff from 1997 through 2001; Majority Clerk 
and Staff Director from 2002 through 2006; Minority Clerk and Staff 
Director from 2007 through 2010; and finally as Majority Clerk and 
Staff Director from 2011 through the early spring of 2015. Mike spent 
his entire Congressional career working on the Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, where he was 
responsible for leading the review, analysis, and production of the 
annual appropriations bill providing more than $50 billion for the 
Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, 
and several related agencies. He also oversaw spending for various 
State Department programs and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mike recently has 
gone back to his roots and now works for his alma mater, the University 
of Pittsburgh.
   Mike's contributions extend beyond his role on the Appropriations 
Committee. For years, he participated as a reading mentor with 
Everybody Wins! in Washington, D.C., a literacy mentor program with 
one-on-one, read-aloud sessions. Mike's other passions include music--
both playing guitar and attending classical Indian music recitals and 
small music venues.
   Mr. Speaker, Mike Ringler has left a tangible, lasting imprint on 
the Congress where he was known as a calm, diligent force on the 
Committee and a trusted mentor for professional staff and fellow clerks 
alike. He will be remembered for his many contributions to the 
Committee. I wish Mike and his family continued success as he enters 
this next stage of his life, and I ask my colleagues to join me in 
expressing my appreciation for his tremendous contributions to our 
nation.

                          ____________________