[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H10158-H10163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1630
                   HONORING THE CALIFORNIA DELEGATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. McHenry).


                       Recognizing Parker Poling

  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the first time, as a Member, I have given a 
speech like this. I have to say, in this body, Members understand that 
an essential ingredient for a successful Member of Congress and for 
this institution to function is our staff.
  With good, talented staff, Members can be successful, the legislative 
process can work, and we can serve our country.
  We have many faithful public servants here in the House of 
Representatives, and I rise today to recognize one of them.
  Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize my chief of staff of 12 
years, Parker Hamilton Poling. She has served this House of 
Representatives in many different capacities, but for the last 12 
years, she has been my personal office chief and my leadership office 
chief.
  She sits behind me today, and she is easily embarrassed. But if she 
looks at the gallery, her husband, Todd, and her two beautiful 
daughters, Barrett and Eliza, are here to recognize her service and the 
hard work she has put in for this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today because my chief of staff, Parker, has been 
an essential ingredient to my success as a Member of Congress, to 
serving the people of North Carolina's 10th District as a Member of 
Congress, to being a successful member of the House Financial Services 
Committee.
  She has been an essential ingredient for House Republicans on getting 
the key votes over the last 4\1/2\ years for our agenda. She has worked 
tirelessly to count the votes on the House floor to get our agenda 
passed. She has worked tirelessly to build relationships with other 
chiefs of staff and Members, as well as other staff, to further this 
operation in the House of Representatives.
  Eight years ago, Parker got a group of female chiefs of staff, 
Republican chiefs of staff, who were mothers together and said: We need 
to actually have an organization so we help each other and coach each 
other along the way through mentoring.
  She has developed that into a very solid group that exchanges 
information and helps each other.
  What I want to say here on the House floor and publicly is that my 
success in the last 12 years is as a direct result of Parker's work.
  I met her 22 years ago through an organization called College 
Republicans. We both cut our teeth in the rough and tumble of that 
political operation. I was a student at NC State, and she was a student 
at Brown University. She grew up in upstate New York and took this sort 
of different background and perspective, and I realized her ingenuity, 
her creativity, her strength, and her passion for the cause. And I 
learned so much from her.
  Then, 10 years after that, as a Member of Congress, I invited her in, 
between her law school classes. She thought I was trying to ask for 
free legal advice. She had, with coaching from her husband, a really 
set answer on how she could not, because she had not passed the bar 
yet, give me legal advice, much less free legal advice.
  She came in, sat down. She put her book bag down, wearing a pair of 
jeans. I said: Well, I would like to hire you as my chief of staff. And 
she says: I didn't interview for it, and I am not sure I want it.
  After she had a conversation with her husband, and some, you know, 
negotiation, she became my chief of staff, and my world as a Member of 
Congress changed much for the better.
  But I am not the only one that Parker has had an impact on as a 
Member of Congress.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California, 
Kevin McCarthy, our Republican leader, our majority leader.
  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I want to agree with my friend that all 
the success that he has is because of Parker. I say that kind of 
jokingly but seriously as well.
  I am pleased to be here to take a moment to recognize Parker Poling, 
the chief of staff to my dear friend Patrick McHenry. Patrick is the 
deputy whip.
  Many of you know, being a part of Congress, you have to make tough 
decisions; you have to get the votes to pass any bills; and you have to 
make things happen. Really, the staff that is around you says a lot 
about you.
  I could think of no finer staff member in all this service than 
Parker. What I admire most about Parker: There were times when Patrick 
and Steve and I would be together, and we would come up with a really 
good idea. We thought it was brilliant. We would go back to our 
offices, and soon I would get a text or a call from Patrick, who would 
say: That is a dumb idea.
  I would say: Why do you think it is a dumb idea?
  Because Parker told me so.
  But that was what Parker would do. She understood the Members. She 
understood the policy. But she understood, really, what we had to have 
happen.
  History is going to be very kind to this Congress, what we have been 
able to achieve: the lowest unemployment in more than 50 years; being 
able to pass the tax bill when people on the other side, even though 
they had come to us personally and said they wanted to vote for it, but 
the leadership would not let them, so that meant it was resting on one 
side.
  The person who put the work together, the majority of that, was 
Parker. Yes, she would explain the bill, but she was tough at the same 
time. There were many times she told me no, and I understood why.
  But there is more to Parker than just all that knowledge in legal.

  One of the reasons why I am not sad is because she is not going far. 
She has a new job, and I want her to be as successful in the new job as 
she was in this job.
  But Parker is more than just a great mind. She is also a wife to Todd 
and a mother to Barrett and Eliza. I think they are with us today, are 
they not? We thank them for sharing their wife and mother with us. It 
has meant a great deal. From a very grateful Nation, we want to say 
thank you.
  To Parker, we want to wish her well in her new work. We want her to 
be successful, because her success means our success. If I go on her 
past behavior, I am looking forward to a very bright future.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Hudson).
  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be recognized and to be 
here today to honor my dear friend, Parker Poling, as she leaves 
Congressman Patrick McHenry's leadership office to take over as 
executive director

[[Page H10159]]

of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
  Parker has been a friend, a mentor, and a counselor to me and 
countless others over the years, none more significantly than Patrick 
McHenry. It has been a real pleasure to watch him evolve and develop as 
a legislator under her very good tutelage.
  We met when we were both chiefs of staff, me coming to Washington out 
of North Carolina, and Parker starting out as chief of staff for one of 
my best friends, Patrick McHenry.
  Parker is intelligent; she is poised; she is wise beyond her years; 
and she is a heck of a great person. She is just a pleasure to spend 
time with. She has helped me more times than I can count over the 
years, including when I decided to run for Congress myself.
  She is as well respected as anyone on Capitol Hill, and I couldn't be 
more proud of her as she moves on to her new role.
  I do feel badly for my friends across the aisle, though, because 
Parker will now be steering the ship for House Republicans for the next 
2 years, so you had better look out.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Parker Poling for her years 
of service to the House of Representatives and the people of this 
country, and in wishing her, Todd, Barrett, and Eliza well in their 
future endeavors. Thank you, and God bless you.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. McHenry).
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, and I thank Kevin and 
Richard for their kind comments regarding the counsel they have 
received from Parker and the relationship they have with her.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Parker's favorite Member 
of Congress, notwithstanding that that includes the majority leader and 
my friend, Mr. Hudson, and I on that list. We may be friends with 
Parker, and she may like and respect us, but her favorite Member of 
Congress is Bruce Poliquin from Maine.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. 
Poliquin).
  Mr. POLIQUIN. Mr. Speaker, I must tell everybody who is listening 
today that there is a reason that I am Parker's favorite Member of 
Congress: Because I have earned that respect and that right. With that 
said, I am delighted to speak up about Parker Poling.
  I notice that her two wonderful daughters, Eliza and Barrett, are up 
here in the gallery, along with her handsome husband, Todd. This is a 
very special day for Parker, her family, and for this Chamber.
  There were and are a number of us, Mr. Speaker, who come to the House 
from different backgrounds. We come here to do what is right and to 
help our country and, in my case, to help my great State of Maine and 
my constituents. This is a big place. Washington is a confusing place. 
Many people call Washington a mess. At times, I would agree with that. 
Most of the time, I would agree with that.
  But when you have an opportunity to find someone who is smart, tough, 
fair, gracious, patient, and listens to new Members, you gravitate 
toward that person. That is Parker Poling.
  I met Parker, actually, before I was elected to Congress in 2014 and 
immediately took to her, like so many folks have before. Over the 
years, when there were tough decisions to be made in the parliamentary 
process here, which is very foreign to businesspeople like myself, 
there is only one person I would go to. And God bless Mr. McHenry, but 
it was not him; it was Parker.
  Parker is the person I always call. And I will continue to call her 
as time goes forward because I know I will get very sound advice from 
someone who is incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly passionate.
  Parker Poling is a strong American woman. I am sure she is a 
tremendous role model, not only to her two wonderful young ladies, 
young children, young girls, but also to countless other American women 
across this land.
  We have more freedom in this country; we have more opportunities; we 
have a stronger economy; we have a better education system that is 
closer to home because of the good counsel that Parker Poling has given 
to many of us.
  We are blessed to have Parker with us. I am blessed to have known 
Parker and will continue to enjoy the time that we spend together on 
behalf of the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I could talk about Parker Poling all evening.
  God bless.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I yield to the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry).
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, if I may close. I want to thank Congressmen 
Poliquin and Hudson, and the majority leader, Mr. McCarthy, for their 
kind comments. I just want to close with that.
  Parker grew up in upstate New York but has done a fantastic job for 
the last 12 years working for the people of North Carolina's 10th 
District. She is a New Yorker but gets the South.
  She is a Republican who has friends across the aisle. She is a 
Republican through and through and committed to our party, our 
ideology, and the work that we are trying to achieve. While she could 
be a partisan in her role here counting votes for Republicans, she 
never lost sight of those relationships across the aisle that could 
make this place work.
  While I will miss her counsel on a daily basis, while I will miss her 
words of encouragement and also the tough words when you need them, 
when Members need them--and I have certainly needed them over the last 
decade--I am grateful for her service. I am grateful for what she has 
done for this institution, for me, and for the countless staff that she 
has mentored along the way. I wish her well.
  I say to her two daughters watching that they have a fantastic 
example in their mother. While she may be tough with us at work, I know 
she cares about them and loves them dearly.
  The life that Parker and Todd have built together is a great example 
of a loving family, while also both being professionals who have quite 
challenging careers.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the indulgence of my colleagues and the kind 
comments for Parker, and I encourage folks to wish her well in her new 
endeavors.

                              {time}  1645

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
  Members are reminded not to recognize people in the gallery unless 
they are family and friends of very capable staff on a day like today.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) to 
continue.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight, along with my California 
delegation colleagues, to express our thanks and appreciation for those 
Members who are departing the House at the end of the session.
  Collectively, these Californians have served for decades here in the 
House of Representatives. During that time, they have made many 
contributions that have benefitted their districts, our State, and 
certainly this country. I am proud to join them on the House floor this 
evening and pay tribute to their dedication to this institution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), 
the majority leader.
  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be here tonight with my colleagues from 
California and recognize our friends who this Congress for some may be 
their last, others may be coming back.
  I recognize Congressman Jeff Denham, Congressman Darrell Issa, 
Congressman Steve Knight, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Congressman Ed 
Royce, Congressman  David Valadao, and Congresswoman Mimi Walters.
  What makes this delegation unique is our bond with each other. In a 
State with 53 members, a class of 14 gets pretty tight pretty quick. 
But it isn't simply a matter of proximity that strengthens our ties. 
You see, it is our bond and belief in our Nation to be a more perfect 
union, to strive to continue to improve.
  Being from California does not mean it is easy to get to Washington. 
But I will tell you every single week I would see the same faces 
getting on that plane going home because they understood who they 
represented. They understood who they had to listen to.

[[Page H10160]]

They also understood who they fought for. But they would get on that 
plane again and fly back the 8 or 9 hours to be the voice of those that 
they listen to. It is amazing--the accomplishments.
  You know, for people who walk around this building, at times they 
will see these paintings of members of the past, and, I will admit, 
portraits last a long time, but a legacy of change lasts much longer. 
It is like compound interest or a snowball rolling down a hill. When I 
think about the legacy of change of my colleagues, it is tremendous.
  When I think about from Transportation and Infrastructure to 
Veterans' Affairs, what a better way of life they have today because 
Jeff Denham served in this body.
  I think of Oversight and Government Reform, the battles and the 
fearlessness of Darrell Issa.
  When I think of the new programs for veterans getting service after 
hours, it wasn't because a bill passed. It was because a man fought, 
Steve Knight, because he was a veteran and the work that he has done 
that will continue to live.
  Or the decades that Dana has served, from every aspect in Science, 
Space, and Technology to beyond, that his voice transferred and made a 
difference.
  Ed Royce, when it comes to foreign policy and what has been 
accomplished in this Congress, his name was on the title of many of 
those bills, even when he allowed someone else to run it.
  And when I look to California, and the statement out there is: 
``Whiskey's for drinking. Water's for fightin'', it is one of the most 
difficult issues. This entire body got together strong to make a 
difference that hadn't been done in a quarter century. And the person 
really behind it was  David Valadao. He is kind of that quiet leader 
that made a major difference, that he would continue to make things 
happen.
  And it is a unique--but everybody serves a little different. My 
friend, Jeff Denham, has a voice as strong as his passion, that he can 
be heard without a mic because of what he wanted to fight for.
  But when I look to someone who I consider like my sister, Mimi 
Walters, she was the one female in our group, but I think we would all 
admit, she was tougher than any one of us. To serve on Energy and 
Commerce, when you think of California, and the forefront of the world 
of the technology of what we have in our State, it continues to lead 
because of Mimi's voice.
  But they all had something very unique, and we have been friends for 
a long time. They put this country first, and they were willing to 
sacrifice. Some of us know more of the sacrifice they made than others.
  But I want to say: Thank you. I want to say: Thank you for your 
service. But I also want to say: Thank you for the fight. You were 
willing to go beyond. Yes, your family missed you some days, but you 
were doing it for a bigger cause. You were putting people before 
yourself.
  I know history is going be kind. But history is going to be kind 
because the Nation is better off that you were willing to take that 
risk. And I want to thank you for your friendship
  One thing about family, you might not be here every day, but we will 
always be together and friends. From a very sincere heart, thank you.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Rohrabacher), the Dean of the California delegation.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in singing the 
praise of our staff. But let me just note--and, of course, I have had 
great staff as well, Rick Dykema and Kathleen Staunton, who have been 
with me the entire 30 years that I have been a Member of this body.
  But staff, as well as the Members, we quite often take for granted 
what does really enable us to conduct ourselves in this way. It is very 
easy to overlook. The American people overlook it. We all overlook 
this. And, that is, we take for granted the safety and security that we 
operate in. No matter how good our staff is, no matter how great we 
are, if we were not safe, we could not be conducting this business of 
our democratic country.
  Let us note that Officers Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson 
were two law enforcement officers who gave their lives while I have 
been here in order to secure the safety we need to do the public 
business. So as I leave this body, I would like to make sure they 
know--I am sure they are listening from above and maybe their families 
will hear--that there are Members who are grateful to the sacrifice 
that they made. They gave their lives to keep a terrorist out of this 
building that would have done damage or murdered Members.
  So with that said, I have been here 30 years. I am overwhelmed with 
gratitude toward the voters who sent me here and to God that gave me 
the opportunity to live life that permitted the voters to elect me as 
their representative in Washington.
  I spent 7\1/2\ years in the Reagan White House with President Reagan, 
and after that, from 1981 to 1988, I came directly into combat--
political combat of running for the House and was elected in 1988, and 
I have served here since 1989.
  It has been one of the most wonderful, glorious times. It is the best 
life I could ever, ever have imagined. And I know a lot of people, they 
gripe about the hours and sometimes some of the friction that happens 
among debates over important issues, but I am so grateful to have this 
chance.
  And, again, there are so many people who are serving their country 
who are not anywhere nearer to having the wondrous life that we have. 
My father was a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps. He joined up 
after Pearl Harbor to protect our country.
  Again, a lot of people, when they see this happening, they don't 
quite understand. This is what was given to us. There is sacrifice 
behind us. There is sacrifice in the air of all these people who 
sacrificed over our country's history, and especially my father's 
generation, the great generation that gave us this freedom that is all 
around us that you can feel it.
  Thank God that I had a personal chance to participate in this 
wondrous, wondrous gift that, yes, God, our Founding Fathers, and, yes, 
our parents, in the greatest generation, gave us, and the other people 
who now are overseas to this very day defending our right to conduct 
ourselves this way.
  So what a wonderful life I have had in these 30 years. I have had a 
chance to participate and help shape America's space program, and I 
have helped bring in commercial space so that we have private 
investment to keep our space program operating at the high levels it 
should be, actually leading mankind into space.
  I was able to also work with the Democrats--and don't let people 
think that there isn't cooperation here, because there is. Working on 
the space program I worked with my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle.
  And on the issue of cannabis, which I consider to be an important 
issue today, because people are finally beginning to realize that the 
idea of expending enormous resources and our time with our jails and 
our own security in terms of police, locally and nationally and at the 
State level, what a waste of those resources aimed at trying to prevent 
an adult from consuming a weed. And at least I have been able to work 
then--and also we now find that there are medical reasons that cannabis 
should be legal. And I have worked with Members on the other side of 
aisle to achieve a certain degree of progress in that area.
  So with that said, let me just note that as people talk about the 
lack of civility that we have now, there has always been fighting in a 
free society. People have different ideas, and they are struggling, but 
whenever we get tough in this body, whenever things would get tense and 
people would be fighting on an issue and coming to grips with these 
differences that free people can have, I would always look up. I always 
say: ``The answer is looking up.''
  And if you look up in this wonderful room that we do our business in 
here, what do you see? You see an American Eagle and you see the slogan 
of our country, ``e pluribus unum,'' which means all of us--we may be 
different, we may have different ideas, different races, different 
religions, different backgrounds, but we are one people and that 
freedom of the one people comes together here on this floor, and I have

[[Page H10161]]

been so proud to be a part of that great debate to direct the future of 
this country.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Denham).
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for 
scheduling this time for all of us to address each other, as well as 
address our country.
  I rise to express my gratitude to the men and women of California's 
10th Congressional District for allowing me the honor of serving them 
and representing them here in our Nation's Capitol for the last 8 
years.
  Together, we were able to accomplish incredible things for the 
Central Valley. The recent passage of the farm bill ensures greater 
prioritization of the Central Valley and will help our farmers, our 
farmland to keep the valley productive for future generations. The 
bil includes my VET-2-FARMS Act; crop insurance, dairy, and specialty 
crop protections; and several key animal welfare provisions.

  We also advanced the debate on immigration reform. I am proud to have 
stood with my friend, Pete Aguilar, as we fought to protect our 
Nation's Dreamers and secure our borders in a bipartisan manner.
  My Veteran Skills to Jobs Act, which passed in 2012, has helped many 
veterans find employment using the skills that they learned while 
serving their country. There is no greater way to show respect to our 
men and women in uniform than allowing them to use the credentials and 
the service and the expertise that they had on Active Duty to gain 
gainful employment once they depart service.
  We passed the Civilian Property Realignment Act, which allows us to 
sell off the properties we don't need so we can reduce our debt, 
including the first property, which was the Trump hotel, the old post 
office.
  The Passenger Railway Authorization bill, which forced Amtrak to run 
more like a business, actually having pets on trains for the first 
time, which allows them to create a new profit center.
  The Sandy Recovery Act, which allowed us to not only serve in FEMA 
reform, but actually allowed us to build smart policies across the 
entire country so that we are building stronger communities resistant 
to some of these natural disasters.

                              {time}  1700

  Additionally, in our own area, I am proud to have secured the funding 
and authorization for the French Camp veterans healthcare facility, 
which will start construction early next year.
  We made real progress on the issue of human trafficking as well. In 
our community, we have fought to make sure that we were working with 
all levels of law enforcement, utilizing the best techniques to stop 
the human trafficking, which has much larger impacts even in 
California.
  But to have Uber as a partner, now for the first time, the 10th 
Congressional District has the technology available to align our law 
enforcement with the victims that could be stuck in harm's way in an 
Uber or some other type of transportation.
  Through my work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 
we secured big wins for the 10th District: two different highways, $29 
million in TIGER grants and BUILD grants for local roadways to improve 
safety and ease congestion.
  Last but certainly not least, for years now, for decades, we have 
talked about water. It is the lifeblood of the Central Valley. If you 
shut off our water, you shut off our farms, you shut off our economy. 
We made big strides, securing funding, making sure that, with the WIIN 
Act, we also passed the New WATER Act, allowing for the first time to 
have an infrastructure bank so we can borrow money with a guaranteed 
payback to build new water storage and new reservoirs.
  You want green energy? Hydro is the greenest, most renewable energy 
that we have. This is our opportunity to build Shasta with the $20 
million upfront, and the new grant for $450 million for Sites 
Reservoir. We need four to five million new acre feet of water. We have 
the ability now to move that forward.
  So some great progress as we move forward on Los Vaqueros, Shasta 
Dam, Temperance Flat, and many of our irrigation districts that are 
looking to expand, create green hydro energy, new recreation, new 
water, and the future of the valley as well.
  It has been my greatest honor to bring these achievements home for 
the valley. Thank you, again, to my constituents and to all of my 
colleagues, especially in the California delegation. We have come 
together on many different issues to fight for our State. It has been a 
big honor.
  Let me end with saying this: I started my public service career 
wearing the cloth of this great Nation, and I have been blessed, once 
again, to serve this country in a new capacity. There is no greater 
honor than being able to serve this body and fight for and represent 
the American Dream that we have in our communities, and it is with 
great respect and honor that I move into the next chapter of my life.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Valadao).
  Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, my friend from 
California, for the opportunity to have this time.
  Representing the Central Valley in Congress has been an honor of a 
lifetime. There are truly no words to express how grateful I am to my 
supporters, neighbors, and all those who make the Central Valley such 
an amazing place.
  If you would have told me or my parents 10 years ago that I would be 
here standing on the House floor, none of us would have believed you.
  I have so many people to thank. First off, most importantly, my wife, 
Terra, she has been an amazing supporter and, from the day I met her, 
she has always just found ways to make my life better and make me a 
better person.
  My children--Conner, who is 16; Madeline, who is 12; and Lucas, who 
is 8--have weathered the storm and been a part of this life for the 
last 8 years, 2 years in the State Legislature and 6 years here, 
traveling back and forth, many times away from home, not able to attend 
soccer games. So it has been tough on them, and I think they are 
looking forward to things being a little bit better with me having the 
opportunity to be there for them more than I have had the opportunity 
in the past. I am grateful for that.
  I am also grateful for my team, the staff in my office, back home in 
Hanford and Bakersfield, and especially here in Washington, D.C. I have 
had an amazing team around me that has helped me be successful here in 
Washington and at home, and I am very proud to have had them as part of 
my team.
  Interns throughout the years, that is something that a lot of folks 
don't pay attention to, but those are all people who, even today, I 
still see them walking around the halls of Congress and sometimes 
around the valley, working in different industries and taking their 
careers to new levels and new heights. To know that I played a small 
role in their lives is something that I take a lot of pride in.
  My fellow Members, the California delegation, others outside of the 
delegation, I have made a lot of friends here, people that I didn't 
know before, I had only seen on TV in the past and have now become good 
friends, trusted, good friends, and people that I trust with so much of 
my life today. I am so proud to have had that opportunity.
  While I am sad to be leaving, we can take pride in knowing that we 
brought about real, tangible change. We have reduced taxes for the 
middle class, made huge strides in our battle for water, reformed the 
dairy industry for thousands of California farmers, improved access for 
healthcare to families throughout the valley, and given our troops the 
support they deserve.
  I am proud of all the work that we have done. I wouldn't change a 
second of it. I just had a great opportunity.
  So the Central Valley has always been and will always be my home, and 
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to have served in this place, 
representing them.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California 
(Mrs. Mimi Walters).
  Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight for the 
final time as a Member of Congress to say thank yous.
  Thank you to California's 45th Congressional District for the faith 
and

[[Page H10162]]

trust you have placed in me to represent you and your families in the 
people's House.
  I first entered this Chamber three decades ago as a young intern for 
Representative Bill Thomas. I remember well the sense of wonder I felt 
and the goose bumps on my arm. You would think that those youthful 
emotions would fade once I became a Member myself, but they did not. 
When I exit for the final time, I will still be in awe of the wonders 
of those hallowed halls, and I will still have goose bumps.
  It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent my home of Orange 
County and the communities of Tustin, North Tustin, Orange, Irvine, 
Mission Viejo, Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake 
Forest, Anaheim Hills, Villa Park, and Coto de Caza.
  Every step of the way during this journey of service, I have been 
flanked by my husband, David, and my four children: Kate, Caroline, DJ, 
and Tristan. They have been my rock, my reality check, my most clever 
social media commenters, and the loves of my life. I thank God each and 
every day that He has blessed me with them.
  To my staff, both in Washington and Orange County, thank you for 
making me and every Member of Congress better at our jobs. You are the 
unsung heroes of government. Together, we have accomplished a lot: the 
historic Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights, major tax and 
regulatory reform, and landmark opioid legislation. And we helped 
advance the conversation on paid family leave.
  My staff helped me stay true to the promises I made to my 
constituents, and I can't thank them enough for that.
  I am blessed to have grown up and live in Orange County, and those of 
us privileged to serve our community in Congress can only hope to have 
left it in better shape than we have found it.
  One small bit of advice I will impart to all those who succeed me in 
this office, and that is: Bring your brain to Washington, but leave 
your heart in Orange County. The people of the 45th District will teach 
you a lot, and I am wiser from their tutelage.
  The House of Representatives can be a loud and hectic place 
sometimes, but that is why we love it. Keep your eye on the ball and 
remain faithful to the institution.
  As then-Congressman Abraham Lincoln of Illinois told this very House 
when it was facing turbulent times: ``Determine that the thing can and 
shall be done, and then we shall find the way.''
  My home State of California and our Nation are fortunate to have such 
a dedicated group of citizen legislators working to make both a better 
place. I thank them for their guidance and their support over the 
years. While we didn't always agree, I seldom have come across a 
colleague who I didn't think had his or her constituents' best 
interests at heart or cared deeply about our country.
  Now, as I close this chapter of my life and leave the people's House 
for the final time, I remain as confident as ever in the future of the 
House and the Union. I remain forever in debt to the people of Orange 
County and the 45th District for bestowing upon me the honor to serve.
  May God bless America and the Golden State of California. I will see 
y'all back home soon.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. McClintock).
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, for those of us who have had the honor 
and privilege of working with our departing colleagues in the 
California Republican Congressional delegation, this is a very sad day.
  For us, yes, we are losing friends and colleagues whose good judgment 
we have often relied upon and whose friendship we will always treasure. 
But far more importantly, it is a sad day for our State and our Nation, 
for they are losing the service of experienced leaders dedicated to 
restoring freedom as the cornerstone of our public policy.
   David Valadao and Jeff Denham ably represented communities in the 
Central Valley of California, in highly competitive districts where 
Republican voters have always been a distinct minority. And yet, their 
sincere engagement with their constituencies and their pragmatic 
approach to their local challenges and problems saw them elected and 
re-elected in the House.
  When we served together in the State Senate, Jeff Denham refused to 
vote for an irresponsible State budget. Public employee unions tried to 
recall him for it, but the voters stood by him.
  No one doubts that, but for the hyper-partisan tone of these unique 
times, they would have both been handily re-elected.
  I first met Ed Royce 37 years ago when we served together in the 
California Legislature. When he was already a recognized leader in the 
State Senate, one Saturday afternoon, I found him, to my stunned 
surprise, wearing an apron and working behind the counter at a 
coffeehouse he had just acquired. That work ethic, combined with his 
quiet and unassuming nature and keen ability to cut through rhetoric to 
reach bedrock reality, has made him one of the most effective Members 
of the House and someone I greatly admire.
  I met Dana Rohrabacher a few years later when he first ran for 
Congress in 1988. It has been said that if you look up Orange County in 
the dictionary, you will find his picture. For three decades, he has 
been an icon in Southern California, representing the conservative 
ideals, the libertarian leanings, and the casual lifestyle that define 
the big OC of that era, an era that now closes with his departure from 
Congress.
  In 1993, I met Darrell Issa when he became a driving force on the 
board of directors at the Claremont Institute, a think tank devoted to 
putting American founding principles back into the public policy 
debate. That same driving belief in freedom and free markets 
had already made him a titan of industry and would soon make him an 
effective and tireless advocate for these principles in Congress.

  More recently, I have had the honor to serve with Mimi Walters and 
Steve Knight.
  I can tell you that when Mimi sets her mind on something, she is 
terrifying. She pursues her objectives with all of the subtlety and 
nuance of a heat-seeking missile. Her constituents had an advocate who 
pulled out all the stops on their behalf, something I think they will 
come to appreciate in retrospect.
  I served with Steve Knight's dad in the State Senate and, at that 
time, represented the adjoining district. I have sat with Steve every 
day on this floor during votes, and I can say with some authority that 
he is the full measure of his father and then some. Never have I known 
a colleague to agonize more in order to weigh his votes for the 
betterment of his community and his country. He is a man of quiet and 
firm principle, a voice that I predict his constituents will also come 
to sorely miss.
  You know, Churchill once observed that politics are just as 
interesting as war, and much more exciting, for in war, you can be shot 
dead only once, but in politics, many times.
  I have found that to be true over my political career, and it is from 
that fact that springs my hope that we will see all these heroes back 
in new and more influential roles in the years ahead.

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Calvert, for 
organizing this tonight. Indeed, it isn't pleasant, because we are 
losing some great colleagues here.
  The people have spoken, it is their will in the election, and we all 
know that this is a fleeting time and opportunity to be here. It just 
really is a reality check when you have plans and you are going along, 
and an election happens, and all of a sudden those plans change for 
some of your colleagues or even yourself. Who knows?
  But indeed, it has been a great pleasure for me to serve several of 
my years here overlapping with  David Valadao, Ed Royce, Dana 
Rohrabacher, Darrell Issa, Steve Knight, Jeff Denham, and Mimi Walters.
  It is a fleeting moment, but also one you will always remember. The 
friendships are the most important things. I am not going to list bills 
we have passed or this or that, because indeed what I take away are the 
friendships.
  Having come up in the legislature with Mimi, Jeff, Steve, and David, 
we

[[Page H10163]]

came in together, we formed our early competitive political lives 
together in that crucible in Sacramento. I think when I think back on 
this, I am not going to remember a lot about the bills or a lot about 
that, and I don't think any of us really will so much. It is the 
friendships. It is the relationships. And I count Mimi, Jeff, and David 
as my closest friends in this place.
  So when you go around the hallways here and you see that the bronze 
plaques have been ripped off the offices there, indeed it is like 
having a part of it ripped off your heart, you know? But we soldier on, 
because the people have spoken. It is the will of the voters.
  I know I have been proud to always stand with them. Whether fighting 
for water, for agriculture, for fiscal responsibility, for the right 
direction for our Nation, I have always counted on these friends to 
help keep all of us moving on the right track, thinking about the right 
things.
  So indeed in these relationships, the fun that comes along with it, 
like with my friend ``Cowadao.'' And Jeffrey, who we always refer to 
each other as our full formal first names. And M-I-M-I. We have had a 
lot of fun in this. And I think we have all fought hard in the trenches 
to advance not only our State at that level, but our country as well.
  We are all better off for it. I am better off for having known them. 
And it is not going to be as fun, it is not going to be as fulfilling 
to be around here without friends like that, but, again, it is the will 
of the voters. It is how things go.
  We will see each other in many other capacities as we move through 
this life together.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the invaluable 
contributions made by my California Republican delegation colleagues 
who are departing at the conclusion of this term.
  I consider these individuals more than colleagues. I consider them my 
friends, and I am deeply disappointed they will not be joining us in 
the next session of Congress.
  Every one of them has served in the House with distinction, making 
this institution better for having them a part of it. They have 
represented their constituents and our State well by understanding the 
unique challenges they faced and effectively fighting for solutions.
  The booming voice from Jeff Denham is as unmistakable as it is 
effective advocating for California's Central Valley. He knows it is 
pretty difficult to farm without a reliable water supply, so he helped 
lead the charge for many sensible water policies that help our Nation's 
fruit and vegetable farmers keep American-grown produce on the dining 
room tables around the country.
  Darrell Issa made a name for himself in the car alarm industry before 
he came to Congress, where he sounded the alarm on the executive branch 
misconduct. As a leader on the Oversight and Government Reform 
Committee, Darrell held our fellow agencies to account for their 
actions and was a staunch defender of American taxpayers.
  Steve Knight comes from a family well known for public service. Steve 
proudly carried on that tradition by serving in the Army for 8 years, 
then the Los Angeles Police Department for 18 years. Steve then came to 
Congress, bringing his tremendous experience to the House Armed 
Services Committee, where he has made a big impact.
  The dean of the California Republican delegation, Dana Rohrabacher, 
always brings a unique perspective to any conversation. Since his days 
in the Reagan White House, Dana has been a constant voice for the 
defense of liberty and freedom. He has also been a gnarly champion for 
California's legendary surfing community.
  Ed Royce and I were both members of the incoming freshman class of 
1993. As a longtime member and now chairman of the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee, Ed has served as an effective advocate for American 
interests and allies around the globe. I have seen firsthand how 
especially tireless he is in being a voice for the safety and liberty 
of people so desperate for someone to come to their aid. And to cap it 
off, Ed's tribute video featured Bono singing his praises.
   David Valadao is a Member of the House who truly understands what it 
means to be a champion for his district. David has never been 
interested in partisan politics. He just wants to deliver results for 
the Central Valley of California. Working with David to solve 
California's water challenges and serving with him on the 
Appropriations Committee has been an absolute pleasure and honor.
  Anyone who spends any time with Mimi Walters knows that she is the 
toughest member of the California Republican delegation. I think you 
have heard that a number of times. When our delegation needs to 
get something done, you can always count on Mimi to be front and center 
in the fight. Her tenacity in advancing worthwhile policies will be 
sorely missed by our delegation, our conference, and the House.

  Time and time again, our California Republican delegation has come 
together to respond to the needs of our State, whether it was a serious 
drought, a disease threatening to wipe out our citrus farmers, horrific 
wildfires and the flooding and mudslides that follow them, there is no 
group of representatives I would rather lock arms with to fight for 
those solutions that our constituents need.
  Mr. Speaker, Teddy Roosevelt so brilliantly said, ``It is not the 
critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man 
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The 
credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.''
  The departing members of the California delegation all leave with 
pride of knowing they served in the arena and spent themselves in a 
worthy cause.
  Again, I am grateful for their service and especially for their 
friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________