[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 200 (Wednesday, December 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H10320-H10321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                FAREWELL TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  (Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, this evening I say goodbye to the House of 
Representatives after 20 years of service. Thank you to the people of 
Queens and the Bronx. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be the 
voice of many people from New York City.
  Mr. Speaker, as a son and grandson of immigrants from Ireland, more 
specifically, as a son of a New York City cop, as a husband and a 
father, I can only hope I have made my family proud. My family is 
everything to me. They taught me to pursue fairness and justice, to use 
my power--and my size and my voice--for good, and to give back. I hope 
I have done that. I hope my colleagues will keep working together to do 
the same.
  We all have different backgrounds, but we are all united by our 
shared dreams for this great land. I believe in the best of America, 
its people, and its public servants.
  Again, thank you to my family for the love and support you have 
always shown to me: to my mom, who was not able to be here tonight; to 
my brother, Sean; my sisters, Eileen and Maura; my brother's wife, 
Maureen, and their boys; my sister's children and their families; my 
children, Cullen, Kenzie, and Liam. I won't tell you their ages, 
because they can't be on the floor.
  And, of course, my wife, Kasey, is with us as well. Thank you, Kasey.
  To my staff, the greatest staff a person could ever have, all of you 
have made this such a great journey. From the darkest days of my life 
of 9/11 to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, a very special 
moment for me, it has been great to be a part of this amazing ride.
  I thank you all very much, and God bless you all.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say goodbye to the House of 
Representatives.
  To say goodbye after 20 years of service to the people of New York 
and to the country. To say goodbye to what's been the honor of a 
lifetime.
  I have been grateful every day for this opportunity--to come to work 
in this chamber, to walk beneath the Capitol dome, to stand in the 
footsteps of the giants who came before us.
  And I will forever be thankful for having had the chance to represent 
my hometown community.

[[Page H10321]]

  All four of my grandparents, and my mother, were immigrants from 
Ireland.
  They left behind everything they knew, in search of a better life for 
not just themselves, but for their future generations.
  I doubt they ever pictured that someday their grandson would serve in 
the United States Congress, but I hope I have done them proud.
  My dad was the oldest of seven, who first became a New York City cop, 
then went to college and law school on the GI bill.
  My mom didn't go to college, but she worked as a legal secretary, 
raised four children, and gave us every opportunity she could.
  My family instilled in me the values that I hold dear to this day--
the importance of hard work, building strong communities, and ensuring 
opportunity for all.
  They taught me to stand up for the little guy, to pursue fairness and 
justice, to use my power--and my size, and my voice--for good.
  And I've tried to incorporate those lessons throughout my work.
  My family also taught me the importance of service--of giving back. 
Of being part of something that's bigger than yourself.
  That's what I've been thinking about as I say farewell to my time in 
Congress. Our time here isn't about any one of us--it's about what's 
best for the country.
  I think sometimes we lose sight of that in the day-to-day--the 
legislative deadlines, the political positioning.
  Our jobs here tend to be partisan--there's no escaping that.
  But we can't--we shouldn't--let that blind us to what we're sent here 
to do.
  Yes, I'll remember the day we passed the Affordable Care Act to bring 
health care to millions more Americans.
  I'll remember marching for fair, humane immigration reform with Luis 
Gutierrez. I'll remember ``sitting in'' for sensible gun violence 
prevention.
  But I'll also always remember walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge 
with John Lewis, and watching my 13-year-old son hug John after the 
Chief of the Montgomery Police Department apologized for his treatment 
there so many years ago.
  I'll remember welcoming Pope Francis, alongside Nancy Pelosi, John 
Boehner and the whole congressional leadership, many of whom I'm proud 
to call friends.
  I'll remember fighting for sustainable peace in Ireland, for progress 
in Burma, for a stronger relationship with India all of which require 
cooperation on both sides of the aisle.
  I'll remember returning to the Capitol after the September 11 
attacks, after the worst day of my life when my cousin John was 
declared among the lost firefighters, and the way I was welcomed, and 
embraced, and loved by members of every political persuasion.
  I think about those experiences when I'm wondering how we can get 
back to the days of working together, and seeing each other as people, 
not political opponents.
  But I believe we can find our way again.
  Because I do believe that government can do great things.
  I believe that we can create good-paying jobs, and a vibrant and 
strong economy that works for all.
  I believe that we can lead the world in innovation, and lead the 
world, period. But those aren't Republican or Democratic goals.
  In my neighborhood, they're shared by the shopkeeper, the taxi 
driver, the firefighter. And here, they're shared by every one of us 
who walks into this chamber.
  We all have our own backgrounds and our own family folklore, but 
we're united by our shared dreams for this country.
  So I always believe in the best in this country, its people, and its 
public servants.
  Part of what helps me to keep that optimism is the love and support 
I've always gotten from my family, many of whom are here today.
  My mom, my brother and sisters, and their families.
  My children, Cullen, Kenzie, and Liam.
  And of course my wife Kasey, whose support has allowed me to 
participate in this great arena. It's been quite a ride.
  And while I'm sad to be leaving, I follow that old Irish tradition of 
keeping your chin up, keep smiling.
  I think you all know that I'm a little bit of a Bruce Springsteen 
fan. One of my favorite songs, Rosalita, has a line I can't help but 
think about: ``Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem 
funny.''
  I will seem funny. But it will also seem meaningful, it will seem 
compelling, it will seem historic.
  And it will always stand out to me as the greatest professional 
experience of my life.
  So thank you to my constituents, my friends, my family, my staff, and 
all of you who made this such a great journey.

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