[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 30, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E114-E115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REPRESENTATIVE FRELINGHUYSEN RETIREMENT STATEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 30, 2018

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, today as I announce my retirement at 
the end of this session of Congress, I want to use the opportunity to 
strongly encourage the many young people I meet to consider public 
service. Public service is an incredible way to turn your convictions 
into something that serves the greater good and to do it alongside 
people

[[Page E115]]

from every walk of life and background. That has certainly been my 
experience here in this House, and during my Army service in Vietnam. I 
thank my friends and colleagues with whom I have served. My years in 
public service have allowed me to represent my home county of Morris 
for over 40 years, and also Essex, Passaic, Sussex Counties, and 
earlier on, Somerset. That would not have been possible without the 
love and support of my wife, Virginia, our two girls and my late father 
and mentor, Peter. The unsung heroes of my time in Congress are my 
staff, both in Morristown and Washington, who tend every day to the 
needs of 730,000 constituents.
  During my time serving here there have been times of great tragedy 
including the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the ravages of Hurricane 
Sandy on my home state. In my role on the House Appropriations 
Committee, I made sure that New Jersey's needs were met in both the 
immediate aftermath as well as over time in the wake of these events. I 
have proudly been able to secure key federal investments for New Jersey 
to strengthen our economy, our institutions of higher education, our 
hospitals and public transportation systems, to preserve open space and 
protect the environment and to better serve our veterans and our fellow 
citizens with mental illness and disabilities.
  As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, this past year I 
have had a singular focus on ``getting our work done''. We completed 12 
appropriations bills left over from 2017, we passed all 2018 bills in 
record time through regular order, and three Disaster Supplementals 
historic in scope and the expediency with which we acted to help our 
fellow citizens. In my remaining year as chairman, I am determined to 
finish the FY18 bills and pass our FY19 bills through regular order. 
Every member, Republican and Democrat, will continue to have ample 
opportunity to directly impact the Congressional power of the purse and 
decide the best and highest use of limited taxpayer money. This will 
require--and I will happily devote--all my energies to this task.
  Throughout my service in this House, my deepest devotion has been to 
supporting our Armed Forces, all volunteers, and their families, here 
and abroad, and those warfighters who have returned home with injuries 
and who depend on a functioning veterans' health care system. To those 
of you I have met while you served us overseas and to those of you that 
I have sat by your bedside, I hope and trust I have served you well.
  I have worked in a bipartisan manner, not just in times of crisis but 
always, because I believe it best serves my constituents, my state and 
our country. My father reminded me often that we are temporary stewards 
of the public trust. I have sincerely endeavored to earn that trust 
every day and I thank my constituents and my home state of New Jersey 
for the honor to serve and I will continue to do so to the best of my 
abilities through the end of my term.

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