[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H6369-H6370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            FAREWELL ADDRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to condense 28 years into 5 
minutes, but that is what I am going to try to do here.
  This is a wonderful opportunity that I have had to represent the 
Seventh District of the State of Washington, and I want to thank the 
people who sent me here. To represent people for 28 years, having their 
trust, is a great responsibility and a great honor.
  My constituents have witnessed the good times and the bad. They have 
offered encouragement when I did what they thought was right and were 
gracious to point out to me when they thought that I had veered from 
where they thought I should be. I have enduring thanks for what they 
did for me.
  I also want to thank my colleagues here in the House, my colleagues 
in the Washington State delegation, all the staff who have served me 
over these 28 years, and, of course, my family, who allowed me to serve 
here in the Congress.
  When I envisioned what might be my final speech on the floor of the 
House, I had hoped for a brighter political future than the one 
currently unfolding. For me and for millions of Americans, it is 
difficult to see the coming 4 years as anything short of calamitous. 
Never has the role of congressional oversight been as critical to the 
integrity of our Republic as it is now, and I beg my colleagues to 
remain vigilant as we confront this menacing wave of nativism, 
misogyny, and racism that is raging in our country.
  The systems of checks and balances underpin the very survival of the 
democracy, and this body must not fail in its constitutional 
responsibility to scrutinize every executive action and to pass 
sanction when the rights of the people are threatened. This is the 
people's House, designed not just to reflect the will of the people, 
but also to ensure the rights of the people endure.
  The right to worship as you choose, the right to marry whom you love, 
the right to equal pay, the right to a livable wage, the right to 
affordable health care, the right to reproductive choice, and, of 
course, the basic founding rights affirmed by our earliest tenets and 
enshrined as ``inalienable'' are always at risk without the people's 
advocate to protect them.
  As President Obama said in his second inaugural:

       History may deem equality for all as self-evident, but we 
     know these rights have never been self-executing; that while 
     freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by the people 
     here on Earth.

  Mr. Speaker, you have a dark and difficult road ahead. Please do not 
lose sight of the fundamental decency and respect for our fellow 
citizens that has always made this country great.
  It is fashionable these days to ridicule the Congress, but I depart 
this institution steadfast in the belief that the government--and the 
Federal Government, in particular--can, should, and does make a 
positive impact on the lives of all Americans.
  Moreover, I am a proud member of the Democratic Party. We may spend 
the next couple of years massaging our message and regrouping our 
strength, but the values that define us as a party are as true and as 
important today as they ever were. This is still the party of social 
and economic justice; it is still the party of environmental 
protection; it is still the party of international diplomacy; it is 
still the party of guaranteed health care and quality education; and 
this will always--always--be the party of ethnic, racial, and gender 
inclusion. We are a party of service, of dignity, and of hope.
  I came to this House 28 years ago to work on health care, and with 
President Obama, we were able to get it started. It is incumbent on 
this body not to leave the American people out in the cold when they 
are sick or ailing or worried about whether they can go to the hospital 
and pay for what they have got.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been an honor to serve here. I leave here. It has 
been a good run, and I thank everyone who has been helpful to me during 
that period of time.
  Mr. Speaker, it's hard to condense 28 remarkable years into five 
minutes, and it's even harder to thank each of those people with whom I 
have worked and who have helped me over the course of this fortunate 
career.
  First, I want to thank the people of the 7th District of Washington 
State. It has been my privilege to serve them in the United States 
Congress. I leave forever grateful for their unwavering trust and 
support.
  My constituents have witnessed the good times and the bad; they 
offered encouragement when I did something right, and were gracious to 
point me in the right direction when I had wandered off the path. They 
have my enduring thanks.
  I also want to thank my colleagues here in the House; my colleagues 
in the Washington State delegation; all the staff who have served with 
me over the last 28 years; and of course my family who has supported me 
in my public service.
  When I envisioned giving what is perhaps my final speech on the floor 
of the U.S. House of Representatives, I had hoped for a brighter 
political future than the one currently unfolding.
  For me, and for millions of Americans, it is difficult to see the 
coming four years as nothing short of calamitous.
  Never has the role of Congressional oversight been as critical to the 
integrity of our republic as it is now and I beg my colleagues to 
remain vigilant as we confront this menacing wave of nativism, 
misogyny, and racism that is raging our country.
  The system of checks and balances underpin the very survival of our 
democracy and this body must not fail in its Constitutional 
responsibility to scrutinize executive action and to pass sanction when 
the rights of the people are threatened.
  This is the ``People's House,'' designed not just to reflect the will 
of the people, but also to ensure that the rights of those people 
endure.
  The right to worship as you choose; the right to marry who you love; 
the right to equal pay; the right to a livable wage; the right to 
affordable healthcare; the right to reproductive choice; and of course, 
those basic founding rights, affirmed by our earliest tenets and 
enshrined as ``inalienable,'' are always at risk without the people's 
advocates to uphold them.
  As President Obama said in his Second Inaugural, history may deem 
equality for all as self-evident, but we know these rights have ``never 
been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be 
secured by His people here on Earth.''
  My colleagues, you have a dark and difficult road ahead. Please do 
not lose sight of the fundamental decency and respect for our fellow 
citizens that has always made this country great.
  It is fashionable these days to ridicule the Congress, but I depart 
this institution steadfast in the belief that government, and the 
federal government in particular, can, should, and does make a positive 
impact on the lives of Americans.
  Moreover, I am a proud member of the Democratic Party. We may spend 
the next couple of years honing our message and regrouping our 
electoral strength, but the values that define us as a party are as 
true and important today as they ever were.
  This is still the party of social and economic justice; this is still 
the party of environmental protection; this is still the party of 
international diplomacy; this is still the party of guaranteed 
healthcare and quality education.
  And this will always be the party of ethnic, racial, and gender 
inclusion.

[[Page H6370]]

  We are the party of service, of dignity, and of I hope.
  I came to the House 28 years ago as a proud liberal. And that is how 
I am going to leave.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been an honor, and my privilege.

                          ____________________