[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 13, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H1566-H1571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE OF REPRESENTATIVE JOHN DINGELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and will be joined by a number 
of my colleagues from the State of Michigan to pay tribute to a person 
that I have known of and got to know as an adult, but I have known 
Congressman John Dingell virtually all of my life. Having grown up in 
Michigan and grown up in a family involved in politics in Michigan, I 
was aware of John Dingell from my earliest days.
  He served in this House with incredible dignity and great 
distinction, longer than anyone else in the history of this country, of 
this government. In fact, nearly one out of four Members of the House 
of Representatives in its entire history served with Congressman John 
Dingell.
  Yesterday, several of us made an attempt to fly, we left Andrews Air 
Force Base in a storm and attempted to fly to Michigan and were, 
unfortunately, unable to land due to the weather.
  We are here and will be able to honor him this evening and also honor 
him tomorrow at the funeral that will take place here in Washington.
  So our thoughts go to the Dingell family, especially to our 
colleague, John's wife, Congressman Dingell's wife, whom he often 
referred to as ``the lovely Deborah.'' She is a friend and a colleague. 
I have known her myself, as well, for as long as I can possibly 
remember.
  I will have more to say about Congressman Dingell, but I think there 
are just a few aspects of his career that I just want to make sure I 
noted for the ecord.
  The longest-serving Member of this House, he is known not just for 
the longevity and the quantity of his time here, but for the incredible 
impact that he had on our country, on our Nation, and on the policies 
that he believed in and stood for.
  He served as the chairman or the ranking member on the House Energy 
and Commerce Committee from 1981 to 2008, shaping very important 
legislation on clean air, clean water, protecting endangered animals, 
advocating for national healthcare. In fact, in every Congress that he 
served in, he continued the legacy of his father, who preceded him in 
Congress, by introducing legislation that would guarantee healthcare 
for every American.

                              {time}  1815

  Some of the legislative highlights: National Wilderness Act, 1964; 
Water Quality Act, 1965; National Environmental Policy Act, 1970; 
Endangered Species Act, 1973; Natural Gas Policy Act, 1978; 
Prescription Drug Marketing Act, 1988; Clean Air Act Amendments, 1990; 
Energy Independence and Security Act, 2007; National Instant Criminal 
Background Check System Improvements, 2008; Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act, 2010; FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, 2011.
  Any one of these would constitute the highlight of a legislative 
career, and every one of them are attributable to the work of 
Congressman John Dingell.
  Before I yield to my colleagues, I want to mention one other piece of 
legislation that he is known for. In my first term--the only term that 
I shared with Congressman Dingell--we celebrated, as a nation, the 50th 
anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Late that evening, 
commemorating that day, I happened to turn on C-SPAN and was watching 
old videotape of the signing ceremony where President Lyndon Johnson 
stood with the civil rights and legislative leaders of our Nation. I 
saw this tall figure walk into the frame, shake President Johnson's 
hand, and receive the President's congratulations for his work on that 
historic piece of legislation.
  I went to bed, and the very next day, I got up and walked over here 
for a session. I sat in that chair right there, next to the one that 
Congressman John Dingell sat in for all those years, and I spoke to the 
guy who I saw the night before in a moment of American history. He was 
still here fighting for the very same things that he had fought for, 
for so long. I took that as a personal privilege, to have been able to 
serve with him.
  As I said, this is a tremendous loss for our country. It is a 
tremendous loss for me personally. Our hearts go out to Debbie.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Flint for 
yielding. I appreciate the opportunity that we have to stand on the 
floor tonight as a bipartisan delegation, Republicans and Democrats who 
are joined together by a love of a great State, the greatest State, 
Michigan, and the history that is there that includes a gentleman, a 
leader, like John Dingell.
  This is a vision that too often is not seen by constituents back in 
the district, isn't it? They often think that if you are a Republican 
or a Democrat, you are automatically an antagonist for the other side. 
That is just not true, especially as we work together as a delegation.
  I learned one thing of many things, but one thing I will share 
tonight from John D. Dingell, Jr. I will let that rest a little bit and 
let it build to what in the world I am going to say that I learned 
specifically from John Dingell that was unique, special, and important 
to me and that I hope I never forget.
  It was in 1983 that I first met John Dingell. I was a freshman in the 
State House of Representatives. I was in Adrian, Michigan, the county 
seat of the house district I represented. We were there for a ribbon 
cutting. I heard a commotion going on through the room, and the 
commotion was simply this: Big John Dingell is about here. He is about 
to arrive.
  Well, I had never met big John Dingell or John Dingell at all. Mr. 
Speaker, like Mr. Kildee, I knew it was a historic moment.
  Sure enough, soon he came in. He swept into the room, and I met a man 
who, yes, indeed, was 6-foot-4. Strong of appearance and presence, he 
commanded a presence in the room. Yet he shook every single hand in the 
room, including this freshman member of the State legislature who he 
had never met, maybe even never heard my name. There was a warmth about 
that. I learned something from that.
  Over the years, seeing him in operation, and then, ultimately, coming 
here in 2007 for my first term, and having a chance to go up and sit 
where he always sat, right over there, to sit and talk with him, 
initially, very timid, asking legislative questions, but then we got 
down to important things like: What is your favorite shotgun? What are 
your favorite hunting sports? Who, indeed, fitted your shotgun to you?
  As we began to talk about things later on, it became apparent that, 
with

[[Page H1567]]

redistricting, I was going to lose Calhoun County in the district, and 
I was going to pick up Monroe County, which was John Dingell's county, 
which had been his father's before him. I was going to be given an 
opportunity to represent that county as part of the Seventh 
Congressional District of Michigan.
  I remember asking John about Monroe County. He talked about the 
marshlands. He talked about the fact that, if I were going to come into 
that, he expected me to feel the same way about water fowling, 
protecting the resources there, and making sure that the wildlife 
refuge continued to grow, expand, and meet the needs of coming 
generations. We talked about that, and we shared those things together.
  I found out about the River Raisin National Battlefield Park. A 
significant war, a loss to the United States, took place there at the 
River Raisin, but it became the rallying cry that, ultimately, I 
believe, led to the winning of the War of 1812, ``Remember the 
Raisin.''
  This became part of my district, but it became part of sharing with 
John Dingell. Mr. Speaker, this is what I learned that I will never 
forget, and I hope none of us forget it, because it is the way of life 
that I think leads to a valued life of service.
  I had the chance to serve with his son Chris in the State 
legislature. That was a Dingell who served and then went on to be a 
circuit court judge. I have the privilege now of serving with Debbie 
Dingell, our great friend and colleague, who we all have expressed our 
love to in these last few days, even more than before.
  But to serve with John Dingell, I said to him, ``Congressman,'' and 
he said: No, no. John.
  I said: I believe, if the election goes as I think, I am going to get 
Monroe County. That has been your county for many years. You have loved 
it. You have loved all about it. I am giving up Calhoun County. How are 
you going to deal with that, giving away Monroe County?

  He said this to me, and this is what I will never forget. He said: My 
young friend, I never give away a friend.
  He said: You know, it is going to be your district. It is going to be 
your county. But I will never give away my friends in Monroe County.
  And he said: You should never give away Calhoun County either.
  Marvelous advice. I think it would be good for all of us to remember 
that in our relationships, not only with our districts and districts 
that may change, but our relationships with our colleagues. Democrat, 
Republican, independent, delightful, ornery, whatever, these are 
friends. The way we respond to them is the same way John Dingell 
responded in such a way that he had a life that made an impact.
  Remember, he served almost 60 years--59 years and 29 days--historic, 
not because he chose that, but his constituents chose that. They made 
it possible for him to serve those years. They chose not to term limit 
him but to say thank you for representing us well.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for giving us the opportunity to do 
this tonight for a great man, a human, but a great man who loved this 
country, who served this country. And I am not going to give him away 
as a friend.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those remarks. I 
think it says a lot about John Dingell that the affection that we feel 
for him not only spans the middle aisle here across party lines, but it 
transcends it. It is meaningless, in some ways. He had a relationship 
with people here just based on the human touch that he had. He was a 
wonderful, wonderful person, and you, obviously, had a close 
relationship with him.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens)--
we have Democrats and Republicans here--a freshman, a person who did 
not have a chance to serve directly with him but knew him and admired 
him.
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound honor and great 
humility that I rise on this historic floor to recognize and honor the 
great Chairman John Dingell--the day after the birthday of the great 
President Lincoln, might I add.
  It is clear that John Dingell's life manifested Michigan. He depicted 
that rich legacy that our State symbolizes. Mr. Dingell was a veteran, 
a man of dignity, honor, and great fortitude. He most assuredly 
represented a great America, that great generation. It was his life, 
this long life, that is compounded by its beginning and its end and 
that arc of progress that he certainly represents.
  Mr. Dingell loved life, and he loved this body. He loved this House 
of Representatives. He was the man of the House. He was the dean of the 
House. I lovingly referred to him as ``The Dean.''
  As we remember the Honorable John Dingell and reflect on what he 
meant to this body, to this Nation, and to our great State of Michigan, 
as somebody who is now representing parts of southeastern Michigan that 
touched the auto industry he so loved, we can remember his steadfast 
support of our domestic automakers over the decades.
  John Dingell understood the fate of the auto industry and the fate of 
southeastern Michigan and Michigan as a whole as being forever 
intertwined, that so many Michigan workers depend on the success of our 
auto industry, from General Motors to Ford, Chrysler, all the way down 
the supply chain.
  I had the privilege, not as a Member of the House of Representatives, 
but as a White House appointee in the administration of Barack Obama in 
the United States Department of the Treasury, on the team that was 
responsible for saving General Motors and Chrysler--we were called the 
auto rescue team--10 years ago when Mr. Dingell was raising his voice 
and leading conversations in standing up for that auto industry. Just 
as he always has been a ferocious advocate, he was then a ferocious 
advocate for the Federal initiative to save our automakers from 
liquidation, to save over 200,000 Michigan jobs, and to stand up for 
Michigan and everything we represent.
  Today, there are thousands of families in Michigan who have kept 
their jobs because of John Dingell, whose value of work is respected 
and understood because of John Dingell. To him, that was just another 
day of work. To him, public service and doing right by his constituents 
was simply second nature.
  Any elected official in our country--and there are 535 of us who sit 
in the House of Representatives and the Senate--would all be wise to 
study John Dingell's passion, his mastery of legislating, his 
dedication to public service.

                              {time}  1830

  In an era that has sometimes felt very polarizing, somehow this man, 
this great dean of ours, is the great unifier. And we saw that in his 
passing. We saw that when we welcomed his casket to the Capitol, and we 
will see that tomorrow at his funeral in Washington, D.C.
  John Dingell knew how important it was to bring industry and labor to 
the table during the policymaking process. He knew that the auto 
industry needed a friend, needed a champion for everything that was 
right by our country and, frankly, our State's origin. He made our Big 
Three stronger by pushing them to adopt fuel emission standards.
  You see, complicated policymaking brings all the stakeholders to the 
table, and John Dingell knew how to do that. He knew how to do that for 
the environment; he knew how to do that on safety; and he certainly 
contributed to a safer, more sustainable industry that has its moonshot 
views of the future, the visions of the future around zero emissions 
and zero accidents that are now being shepherded by the workers and 
innovation and the talent in our State.
  John Dingell also strived to do the most good. He understood what 
service meant. He understood what doing the most good for the most 
people meant. He fought for our water; he fought for our infrastructure 
guarantee; and he fought for universal healthcare every day he was 
here.
  He had such a profound respect for his colleagues, even when he 
disagreed with them. And he loved his wife. He loved his wife for all 
40 years.
  And we heard howlings from this Michigan delegation. We celebrate and 
we share that love for the great Debbie Dingell, who has been such a 
pillar of strength, of openness, of vulnerability.
  I told Congresswoman Dingell: You are every woman today. You are 
every woman in your grief.
  And as we recognize her incredible husband, as we recognize him here

[[Page H1568]]

today in this codified moment and as we carry his torch forward--
because that is what we do through the generations is we pick up the 
torch and keep carrying it forward--we will also continue to carry 
Congresswoman Dingell forward in her grief and in her adjustment and in 
the memory of her husband.
  As such, John Dingell most assuredly will also be remembered in our 
great State of Michigan, watching the people come to pay their 
respects, the servicemen and -women, the thousands of people who felt 
connected to his life and his life's work. It is what Vice President 
Biden referred to as his great dignity: his respect for his friends, 
for his neighbors, for his fellow man.
  His contributions to this Nation will not be forgotten, and they will 
certainly be felt for generations to come.
  So today, in a very official way, I say good-bye to the chairman, to 
the dean, to the Congressman, to the veteran John Dingell.
  Thank you. We will miss you dearly.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens for her 
comments.
  Yesterday, as we stood on the east front steps of the Capitol, I 
stood next to Congressman Paul Mitchell as Congressman Dingell and 
Congresswoman Dingell and the motorcade came by. It was an emotional 
moment that we shared with one another, and I know he meant a lot to 
him, so I now yield to Congressman Paul Mitchell.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Kildee). I join all of our delegation rising to recognize the life and 
legacy of the chairman, John Dingell, the longest serving member in the 
history of this Congress--over nearly six decades in Congress. He 
touched tens of thousands of Americans. Frankly, he impacted this 
Nation in so many ways.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman was talking about the bills that he 
authored and led. I was listening to that list. The Endangered Species 
Act, I was still in high school, and I am not a young man anymore.
  The legacy he left this Nation is massive and will be for a long 
time.
  I first met the Congressman years ago when I represented the Governor 
of Michigan. He came to Washington to talk with Members about workforce 
development education. I was a bright-eyed 22-year old, eager, ready to 
go.
  I am sure the Congressman was wondering what I was doing there 
talking to him and representing the Governor. He agreed to meet with me 
because the Governor had called him and said I was the guy to talk to 
him about that.
  So here was the chairman meeting with a 22-year-old about workforce 
development--the kindest man. He listened; we talked about it.
  I represented a Republican Governor. And there is no question that 
John Dingell was a Democrat, but partisanship wasn't a priority for 
John Dingell. He always focused on getting things done effectively for 
people. It was people over politics, something sometimes we should take 
to heart around here. We have talked about that.
  His question was always: What is good for our people in our State?
  The other question he often had, as was referenced, was: What is good 
for our auto industry?
  Lord help you if you are going to take a shot at our auto industry. 
We are the auto capital, and he defended that fiercely.
  A memory I have of meeting with the chairman, one that stands out for 
me, was about 20 years later, believe it or not. I came in for a 
meeting with his lead staffer on Education and Workforce Development. 
He came out of his office. He was going off to vote, I believe. He 
looked over. He said: I should know you.
  I explained why I was there, what I was there to talk about. He said: 
I can't sign that letter to the White House. I know what you are 
talking about, but I can do one better. I can call the White House and 
tell them they need to pay attention to this. Don't mess up the people 
of my State.
  He made that call. He was a man of his word.
  When I joined Congress, I had the opportunity to talk a little more 
with John Dingell. Earlier on, he said to me: Just call me John now.

  Unlike many in D.C., he cared to hear what others thought, listened 
to others speak, not just himself. You know, he always asked me: How is 
your family? How are they dealing with you being in Congress?
  He will be remembered as one of the greatest modern-day legislators. 
He addressed the tough problems of America and got things done.
  He wouldn't just talk about it--and Lord knows sometimes around here 
they do. He found compromises and solutions. He tackled them. He would 
wrangle them. He would find a way to bring it to a compromise and solve 
the problem. He worked across the aisle.
  I don't believe his dedicated service to this country will ever be 
met again. He left an enormous mark on this institution, our country, 
and the world that we will all remember.
  So I say God bless this great Nation with John Dingell, and may God 
bless you, John David Dingell, Jr.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Mitchell), and I remember, as well, when he told me--I used to call him 
Mr. Chairman, mainly because I was afraid of him most of my life. And 
when he told me to call him John, I think it might have been a full 
year before I developed enough courage to call him by that name.
  Another one of our Members who I know is very close to John, has 
worked in Michigan politics and knew John Dingell for a long time, is 
our colleague Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. 
Lawrence).
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues; and to all who are 
listening, my entire life, I had John Dingell's name as Congressman 
John Dingell in my atmosphere, growing up in Detroit, knowing about his 
work and his tireless defending of people.
  John Dingell served in Congress with dedication and an earnest sense 
of duty to his constituents, to his country, and to his solemn oath of 
office. As a Michigander, support of the auto industry was a high 
priority of his. From steering the original Corporate Average Fuel 
Economy Act in 1975 to his efforts on the Energy and Commerce 
Committee, John Dingell helped to build a legacy of laws in strong 
support of Michigan's manufacturing workforce and the American auto 
industry--a champion for the auto industry, a champion for our veterans 
and for what our government can do when we truly work together for the 
people.
  He was a man of many accomplishments on and off the Hill. And while 
many may forget the thousands of votes that he voted throughout his 
career, many may lose track of the legislation he promoted in support 
of the American people, but as we heard from so many colleagues, staff, 
family, and friends, people never forget an uplifting voice in a time 
of need or a simple act of kindness that brightens up their day.
  There are many times that people forget, but they often never forget 
how you made them feel. John Dingell was well known for his sense of 
humor, friendly spirit, and how he treated everyone with dignity and 
respect. His is a legacy that we all can only hope to achieve.
  John Dingell is and always will be a shining star for the State of 
Michigan, a north star of direction for us as Members of Congress, and 
a superstar to all his family--his wife and my colleague, Debbie 
Dingell--and all of his friends. His life, his legacy, an example of 
true patriotism, will never fade. John Dingell will never be forgotten.
  John Dingell showed this country--while so many say this House 
doesn't work or there is not a sense of respect for our government, 
this is a time, as we reflect on his life, to understand that this 
government is important--that the things we do every day matter to 
people, and that if we do our job, do it together, we will be 
contributors to why this is such a great country.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Lawrence for her 
comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that Congressman Fred Upton was a very close 
friend with John Dingell. They served together. They served on the same 
committee together. They were one another's chairman at different 
times, but I know, first and foremost, they were just real friends.
  I now yield to the dean of the Michigan delegation, Congressman Fred 
Upton.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow dean, my bipartisan dean on 
the

[[Page H1569]]

other side. I have so many stories to tell, so I am going to watch the 
clock here a little bit. I am going to ramble. I don't have a prepared 
speech.
  I am delighted to be here. I am delighted that you were able to get 
this time for some of us to speak and honor a legend. And when you 
think about this last year, man, we have lost some really terrific 
ones: President Bush, John McCain, others. Certainly, John Dingell 
joins those ranks as a distinguished American who really made a mark on 
everyone's life in this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I include into the Record an article written by editor 
Nolan Finley of The Detroit News.

                 [From the Detroit News, Feb. 9, 2019]

               John Dingell Knew How to Live, How To Love

                           (By Nolan Finley)

       I was up to my waist and cork tight in what I can only 
     describe as quicksand when I looked up and saw John Dingell 
     squinting down at me with that familiar, satisfied grin.
       ``How in bloody hell did you get in there? And more 
     important, how in blue blazes are you going to get out?''
       We were hunting ducks on Maryland's Eastern Shore. I'd 
     winged a goose that came down running, and was in hot pursuit 
     when I stepped into the hole of muck and quickly sank.
       John pulled me out, and then finished off the goose.
       I never know how to answer when someone asks how a 
     conservative, Republican-leaning newspaperman could become 
     such fast friends with a New Deal Democrat who shaped the 
     liberal politics and policies of the second half of the 20th 
     century.
       I never occurred to either of us that we could be anything 
     else.
       John didn't choose the people he loved based on political 
     compatibility. Certainly, he had strong opinions, and so do 
     I, and we engaged often in intense discussions. Not once in 
     25 years did we exchange angry words, nor ever part with hard 
     feelings.
       We were more than our politics. When together, our 
     conversation quickly moved to our common loves--guns and 
     hunting. It was what drew us together in the first place.
       John was a great hunter, a dead-eye with a shotgun. I was 
     with him when he shot the last duck he ever killed. Four of 
     us were settled into a blind on a brisk but sunny January 
     morning, and the ducks were coming in fast and furious. Three 
     of us were blasting away like a trio of Elmer Fudds, shooting 
     a lot of birds, but burning up a case of shells in doing so. 
     Not John.
       Barely able to stand, he shouldered his shotgun just three 
     times that day. And all three times a duck fell from the sky. 
     Not a shell wasted.
       John's great passion was his wife, Debbie. After that, it 
     was a toss-up between a duck blind and the House chamber for 
     his next greatest love. I recall an afternoon when we were 
     returning to Washington, and as we crested a hill the 
     gleaming white Capitol dome came into view. ``I never get 
     tired of seeing that,'' he said softly.
       And obviously he never did. John spent nearly 60 years in 
     Congress, serving longer than anyone else. And better. John 
     was a parliamentarian; he cherished the traditions and 
     processes of the House.
       And while he was a bare-knuckled negotiator who relished a 
     fight, he was ultimately a pragmatist. When the time came to 
     compromise, John set down his club and made the deal.
       His decision to retire was based mostly on his waning 
     physical condition. But he was also disgusted with the 
     poisonous partisanship and gridlock ruining Congress. He 
     couldn't stand to watch what was becoming of the institution 
     he joined as a teen-aged page during World War II.
       Still, he hated to leave. The night before he announced his 
     retirement, he called me to have dinner with him and Debbie. 
     John had made his decision but hadn't accepted it. He was 
     looking for assurance that he wasn't letting down the people 
     of his district by leaving, that he'd done his best for them, 
     that they'd understand his reasons.
       At the same time, he was offering counsel to Debbie, who 
     had a quick decision of her own to make. He wanted her to 
     succeed him, as he had his father, to continue a Dingell 
     legacy in Congress stretching back to 1935. It was a poignant 
     moment between the past and future.
       When I'd visit him after retirement, the questions were 
     always the same. Did I make a difference? Do my people 
     remember me? Would Pop be proud?
       I was always stunned that he could harbor such doubts, 
     given his enormous accomplishments. But John Dingell never 
     took the obligations of public service lightly. He always 
     felt there was more he could do for the people who placed 
     their trust in him.
       He was a man in the best sense of the word. A man of the 
     Greatest Generation. A man of courage, confidence, 
     compassion. A man who did his duty. A man who took care of 
     his own business, and of the people he loved.
       And he sure did know how to love. He and Debbie shared an 
     epic love affair that never waned. You couldn't be around 
     them more than five minutes without hearing him say, ``I love 
     you, Fox.'' The fire in his eyes when he looked at her burned 
     until his last breath.
       She was fiercely protective of him, and kept him alive 
     years longer than he should have expected by the sheer force 
     of her will.
       Our friendship may have been unlikely, but it was one I 
     cherished. I loved him, and hate to see him go.
       But if life's a game, John Dingell won it. Nearly 93 years, 
     and every minute of it lived honorably and with passion and 
     purpose.
       Goodbye, good friend. I hope wherever you are this morning, 
     the ducks are coming in fast and low.
  Mr. UPTON. I am going to also read to you an email that I got just an 
hour or two ago from his wife, Debbie, our colleague, who received this 
from the Ford family.
  This is from Mike Ford. Of course, his father was Gerry Ford, a great 
man, President, Michigander. And he wrote this, it is very brief:

       Debbie,
       Since learning of John's recent passing, my thoughts and 
     prayers have been constant with you and your extended family.
       Through my reading of the many wonderful remembrances of 
     and tributes to John, I have been deeply moved and blessed to 
     revisit his remarkable legacy of leadership and service to 
     the people of Michigan and to all of our Nation.
       John and my father, though identified from competing 
     political parties, held so much in common as men of wisdom, 
     integrity, compassion, and selfless service for all of 
     humanity, and their friendship was true and enduring through 
     a shared lifetime calling of public service. John Dingell and 
     Gerry Ford represent what is good, honorable, and decent in 
     our country.
       Please know of our Ford family's grace giving wishes and 
     prayers for you and all the Dingell family at this time of 
     loss and grief.
       May you know of God's abiding comfort, love, and hope this 
     day and always.
       Mike Ford.

  Good guy that, again, some of us know, particularly those of us on 
the west side of our State. You know, he was our dean. And when I 
became the dean of the Michigan Republican delegation--that was in the 
early nineties. I have got to say--I was just adding it up here sitting 
with Tim--I was probably in thousands of meetings with John.

                              {time}  1845

  Our delegation is close. We stand together on a host of issues, from 
the Great Lakes to the autos. We often had an agenda we worked 
together. Our offices were across the hall from each other for a lot of 
years. Of course, we have known Deborah forever and a day as well.
  I had the chance to talk to John Dingell the day before he died, and 
I talked to him a number of times over the last number of weeks. I read 
his book, which I would recommend to folks. Might put the R rating next 
to it, in terms of his language. You can hear him speak, and he had a 
genuine sense of humor. He had so many stories.
  I was asked a little bit earlier today: What about his tweeting?
  He tweeted until, literally, the last day or two. For those of you 
watching tonight, get on Google. Google MLive. That is sort of the 
Michigan news network. Google: MLive Dingell tweet. This weekend, they 
ran the top 20 tweets that he did, and they will make you laugh. They 
really will, especially the one with the bulldog. All of the animal 
lovers out there, make sure you find this one. He had a sense of humor.
  People say: How could a 92-year-old do all this?
  Well, let me tell you how. It is because of our committee. The 
committee has so much jurisdiction, part of which is 
telecommunications. We were the first ones. We forced the broadcasters. 
It was actually the Tauzin-Dingell bill, I want to say a lot of years 
ago, and I had an amendment that was critical there. We passed the 
Tauzin-Dingell bill. He cared so much about bipartisanship.
  We forced the broadcasters to go from analog to digital. That then 
allowed us all to have devices like this: iPhones and the internet. 
Instead of using a shoe for your phone, you got something like this 
that is like the world.
  We forced them to go digital, and that allowed this to happen. So 
guess what? John Dingell, in Congress, we would often sit down. We all 
meet in Detroit, let's face it. All of us, our delegation, we come from 
someplace. Mr. Kildee comes from Flint. Tim Walberg is actually lucky 
and gets on in Detroit. I come from South Bend or Kalamazoo or Grand 
Rapids. We all come from someplace, but generally, we fly Delta from 
Detroit back to D.C.
  We are all sitting at that A-75 gate. There is John Dingell, a 
colleague, and

[[Page H1570]]

he is on his BlackBerry, zipping away, typing just as fast as you could 
imagine, communicating with people around the world. It is because of 
the work he did in our committee. That made our lives what they are 
today.
  Whether it is that or the environment or healthcare or pipeline 
safety, you name the issue--we are sorry Mr. Kildee went to the Ways 
and Means Committee. Deborah chose right; she went to the Energy and 
Commerce Committee. Mr. Kildee went to the dark side. Our committee has 
jurisdiction over so much.
  John Dingell was such a leader. He didn't care about who got the 
credit. He just wanted to get the job done. He sat right over here. 
When you would come over and ask his advice, you would make sure that 
you were on his good ear, and he would talk, and he would remember 
things.
  I can remember taking the Congressional Record from some big debates, 
the Voting Rights Act and others, and I would sit with him here, and we 
would go through the names, particularly the Michigan delegation, and 
why they voted this way or that way. He would tell the history. He was 
here for our lifetime.
  He was a gentleman to the very end. He knew the rules. He had respect 
from both sides of the aisle. He was a guy who we will never see 
replaced here in this House.
  In closing, let me say, even at the end, he was wondering: Did I make 
a difference?
  Of course he did. But here was a guy who made such a difference and a 
guy who really never thought he would be in this institution. When his 
dad died, a week before his dad died, he didn't think he was going to 
run for that seat. It was the people at home who encouraged him to run. 
When he chose to retire, he didn't push Deborah, nudge Deborah, to run 
for that seat.
  It is hard to imagine, 86 years of a Dingell representing southeast 
Michigan. What a tribute to a family that has made such a difference in 
this body, folks who love not only our State, but certainly their 
constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Kildee for doing this Special Order.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I recall yesterday, when we were attempting 
to get to the funeral in Detroit, Congressman Upton participated in an 
impromptu observance for Congressman Dingell at 30,000 feet as we flew 
back to Washington, because of our failure to land. I will never forget 
that.
  Another one of our colleagues who I know, like me, has known the 
Dingell family and Congressman John Dingell for as long as he can 
remember, and whose father served with Congressman Dingell, and was 
also once the dean of the Michigan delegation, Congressman Andy Levin. 
I know this means a lot to the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan, (Mr. Levin).
  Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  I say to the gentleman from St. Joseph, in this Special Order, we are 
a little different from Michigan. I say to the gentleman from St. 
Joseph, if Kildee went to the dark side, Levin will come over to the 
Energy and Commerce Committee. So I appreciate that. We will get that 
all lined up, so we can take care of that right here.
  Mr. UPTON. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.
  Mr. UPTON. We really ribbed Dave Camp about this, and the good Sandy, 
too.
  Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I am ready 
to diversify things in Michigan again.
  I really want to pick up where the gentleman left off, because I 
don't want to talk about John's unbelievable legislative record. I want 
to talk about two families, the Levin family and the Dingell family, 
and really about what the Dingell family has meant to my family for 
almost 80 years.
  My dad has been interviewed about this, and my Uncle Carl. But my dad 
has not revealed the beginning of his relationship with the Dingells, 
and that is about John's dad, John Dingell, Sr.
  My father, Sander Levin's first political memory, aside from 
listening to fireside chats all around the living room radio coming 
from President Roosevelt, is of campaigning for John Dingell, Sr., in 
his knickers. My dad would have been maybe 10 years old, so this is 
going back to the late 1930s or the early 1940s.
  In 1946, I think, John Dingell, Sr., recommended to President Harry 
Truman that he appoint a lawyer named Theodore Levin to the Eastern 
District of Michigan to be a Federal judge, and Harry Truman did that. 
I was looking at the Record, and with all the time things take these 
days, the President nominated Uncle Ted on July 3, and he was sitting 
on July 27 of either 1946 or 1947. Things happened at a different speed 
in those days.
  Theodore Levin served for many years, and he was the chief judge of 
the Eastern District of Michigan.
  Earlier than that, before he was chief judge, I think, John Dingell's 
son, John D. Dingell, Jr., clerked for Judge Levin. It made a profound 
impact on the chairman. He told me about this all the time.
  Imagine getting to go see this very senior Member of Congress to find 
out about your own great uncle. What was he like? Mr. Dingell loved 
Uncle Ted.
  Then many years later, John Dingell--I don't even know how this 
happens--he did whatever you do to name the Federal courthouse in 
Detroit after my great uncle. He did not tell Congressman Sander Levin 
and he did not tell Senator Carl Levin about this at all until it was a 
done deal. He didn't want any sense, I guess, of conflict of interest 
or whatever. He was doing this for his own sake. This was his mentor. 
So if you go to downtown Detroit, the courthouse is named after 
Theodore Levin.
  Over the years, my dad served here for 36 years. All 36 years, his 
beloved senior colleague was John Dingell. My dad rose to be the chair 
of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Mr. Dingell was the chair of 
the Energy and Commerce Committee. They worked together on so many 
things, things that people from other States wouldn't know about, like 
cleaning up the Rouge River, a symbol of industrialism that now is a 
much cleaner river, a really clean river, and working to save the auto 
industry, of course.
  Imagine what it meant to my dad to be the chairman of the Ways and 
Means Committee when we passed the Affordable Care Act, and getting to 
work with his legendary and beloved senior colleague from Michigan who 
had introduced universal healthcare in this country every Congress 
since he entered in 1955, to get to work together to advance the ball, 
not achieving universal healthcare, but achieving so much through the 
Affordable Care Act.
  I don't know how to say good-bye to Mr. Dingell. Like Mr. Kildee, he 
scared the heck out of me. He was gruff. He was big. But for the 
sparkle in his eye, I am not sure I would have even approached him.
  He was always willing to sit down, no matter how big and powerful he 
was. He was always willing to listen. The advice he gave was 
unfailingly honest and direct. A lot of times, you couldn't repeat 
exactly the advice, all of the words in the advice he gave, but it was 
really special to me.
  I am not sure I am willing to say good-bye to Mr. D. I will just say 
Godspeed to someone who, to me, will always be the dean of the House 
and represent what this body is supposed to be: down to Earth and 
sophisticated at the same time, highly principled, and expert at making 
the sausage.
  This is the people's House, and John Dingell was the people's 
Representative.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Levin for his kind 
words.
  Mr. Speaker, I would now like to call on the last of our Michigan 
Members to speak, a new Member, a freshman, someone who I know had a 
very special relationship with Congressman Dingell.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan, Congresswoman Rashida 
Tlaib.
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the incredibly 
strong city of Flint.
  I had a unique relationship with Congressman Dingell, who we lovingly 
called ``The Dean'' in Michigan. Because I was a young activist, 
``radical,'' always out there protesting for clean air, protesting for 
good-paying jobs, and he was the person who, even though we had 
different styles and different approaches to various issues, he never 
reduced or tried to silence my voice and many of the voices of the

[[Page H1571]]

young people who were really trying to get the Clean Air Act to be put 
in place and have corporate polluters be held accountable.
  As I transitioned into elected office in the Michigan Legislature and 
became a State representative, within a few months of being a State 
representative, there was a corporate billionaire who owned a bridge, 
and there was this whole, huge controversy around whether or not he had 
a permit or whether or not he was following the environmental impact 
statement process that is there on the Federal level.
  This is a community where one in five children has asthma. This is 
the community I was raised in. It was the first issue that came before 
me as a member of the State legislature in Michigan, and I was at a 
loss. Many people said, Congressman Dingell, The Dean, has historical, 
institutional knowledge of this company, and you should sit down with 
him and talk to him.
  I was completely taken aback and could not believe that Congressman 
Dingell reached out to me right away and also got my residents at that 
time a hearing, which you don't usually get with the U.S. Coast Guard, 
a hearing that happened in a public school right in the center of the 
neighborhood that was directly impacted.
  We had over 500 residents that finally felt heard, many of them 
giving testimony after testimony of why a corporation needed to follow 
the rules, needed to follow the processes for the EPA, the Federal 
Highway Administration, and the number of entities that were involved 
in possibly a new bridge crossing.

                              {time}  1900

  What I also incredibly loved is I remember sitting on a panel about 
immigration reform with Congressman Dingell at the University of 
Michigan-Ann Arbor. As a city and State rep, I remember coming in to 
the capitol, driving about an hour or so. It was a very cold day, and I 
believe it was snowing. I was disheveled, as I usually am, and I looked 
to him--if you know Congressman Dingell, Mr. Speaker, he always had the 
cane, and he would put his cane right between his two knees and just 
sit there, and he would look up from his glasses.
  I looked at him, and I said: Congressman Dingell, I just don't know 
how you have been doing it for so long. This is so hard because they 
lie.
  He looked at me, and he said--I just loved what he said, because he 
turned to me, and he always called me young lady--he said: Young lady, 
there is a saying in India that if you stand still enough at the 
riverbank--stand still--that your enemies will float by dead.
  I have no idea why, but that calmed me because he was teaching me 
stillness, but he was also teaching me patience. I just felt so much 
better afterward.
  We had an incredible panel that uplifted so many of our immigrant 
neighbors. Again, from someone who has such a huge and powerful 
presence and from me, this young activist who carries a bullhorn in her 
car, and I could sit next to this amazing, incredible person and feel 
heard, feel seen, and be on a panel with him and serve with him in so 
many powerful ways around our environmental justice issues.
  I will forever remember the humbling experience as his last ride in 
front of the Capitol, to have been serving now in this Chamber that he 
served for 59 years, 11 different Presidents. I was telling my 13-year-
old son about him. He said: I want to look him up. I want to find out.
  I said: You need to, because he is a rarity.
  I hope to honor his tremendous legacy by doing the same thing he did, 
because I know there will be a generation after me that may be 
different and may have a different style, and I never want to ever 
shush or silence them in any way and I want them to be heard just like 
he did for me.
  So I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart for teaching me so 
much. I am just so pleased to have been serving by his side in many 
ways, but also that he served me and my family for so many years.
  I thank Congressman Kildee so much for allowing me to speak about my 
dear friend, Congressman John Dingell.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Tlaib.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), 
who served a very long time--most of his career--here in the House side 
by side with Congressman John Dingell. Congressman Brad Sherman is a 
member of the Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs 
Committee and a good friend of Congressman John Dingell.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I was in my office watching these tributes 
to the dean, and after a while I couldn't just sit there and watch. I 
realized this is an hour devoted to remembrances from his colleagues 
from Michigan, and I thank Congressman Kildee for allowing a humble 
Californian to participate.
  America is healthier because of John Dingell. Less tobacco is smoked 
now than decades ago because of John Dingell. Our air is cleaner. Our 
water is cleaner. We are healthier, and we are closer to completely 
universal healthcare than we have ever been in our history because of 
John Dingell.
  Not only is our environment healthier and our bodies are healthier, 
our country is healthier because of what John Dingell did to move 
forward the fight for civil rights in this country.
  John is the dean of the Michigan delegation, but he belongs to us, 
too. He is the dean of the House. He is the dean of the House for all 
time. I doubt that any Member will ever match his record of tenure, but 
I know that no Member will ever match his record of accomplishment.
  So we have had so many new Members come to the House this year 
wondering how to learn, how to be an effective Member, and how to serve 
their country. They could not do any better than to study the life of 
John Dingell in his nearly six decades of service to this country and 
to this House.
  I am so pleased that Debbie Dingell continues to serve the district, 
a district served by John and John's father. I thank the gentleman from 
Michigan for inviting a California member and taking just a bit of his 
time.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we will lay Congressman John 
Dingell to rest, and it will be a painful time. But we can take a lot 
of comfort in the contribution that he has made, not just to this body 
but to the quality of life in this country; and as individuals with our 
own perspective, our own experience here, we can take some comfort in 
knowing that his wife--the love of his life--will continue his legacy 
by serving here with us side by side.
  Our hearts go out to her. I know this is a very difficult time for 
the Dingell family, but especially for Debbie. They loved one another. 
They were inseparable. They were one. I know this will be a difficult 
time for her. We stand with her.
  Mr. Speaker, John Dingell served with 11 Presidents and 11 Speakers 
of the House. Mr. Speaker, 2,419 Members of Congress served with him. 
He served 21,551 days in this House and cast over 25,000 votes. But as 
he would say and has said many times: It is not the longevity that 
counts, it is the way you serve.
  He served in a way that brought honor to this Congress and made it a 
better institution. He led in a way that made this country a better 
place. And I know for each of us who came to the floor and each of us 
who served with him, he not only made us better Representatives of the 
people whom we work for, but he made us better people.
  We honor John Dingell's life and legacy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________