[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5043-H5048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JOHN SHIMKUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the

[[Page H5044]]

gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) for the remainder of the 
hour as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, at this point, I will go 
over to the other side of the aisle to yield to my friend, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko) to offer his comments.
  Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  John, it is an honor and pleasure to be here with our colleagues to 
salute you and thank you for the tremendous service that you have 
provided not only to people of your congressional district, but the 
people of this Nation.
  It is very obvious that you are much loved and appreciated and 
respected by your colleagues in this House. It is also humbling to know 
that you have brought a good name to politics, and you have reminded us 
by your very actions and your deeply rooted beliefs in the various 
issues that you tackle that it is not only okay, but it is essential to 
have differences in this House; and it is to share those differences in 
a respectable way, which you have always done so as to build the best 
product.
  So I think this evening we salute your integrity and your humility, 
which oftentimes is what I think drives your personality to be able to 
achieve and to have this driving force to accomplish on behalf of the 
people. I appreciate the opportunity to participate this evening, and I 
will try not to undermine   John Shimkus' sterling conservative 
credentials by joining in this discussion this evening.
  For 6 years, I have served as the ranking member to Mr. Shimkus' 
subcommittee chair. In the past 2 years, we have switched roles. But 
during all of that time, we have disagreed on many occasions. In fact, 
we are disagreeing right now, but that doesn't stop me from coming here 
this evening to just share my respect with others for you and the 
tremendous performance you have put forth on behalf of the Republic.
  But as I have found, you have been tremendously accessible, very 
open-minded and fair, always looking for a way for us to achieve and to 
build that compromise. It has been a great partnership, even if we 
didn't see eye to eye on everything.
  I will always appreciate that we would work together to try to find 
common ground on issues where we thought we could agree. I am proud of 
our bipartisan work on brownfields, where we reauthorized and improved 
that program. Certainly, the drinking water infrastructure efforts that 
we made is essential for our communities. We made some great 
improvements to both of those programs, and it would not have been 
possible without your leadership, John.
  And while we have had some different perspectives on TSCA, I believe 
it is fair to say that Representative Shimkus has done some undeniably 
monumental work on chemical safety for this country.
  His district and this Chamber are losing a great Representative, and 
Yucca Mountain is losing a frequent visitor.
  John, I congratulate you on your retirement. I wish you and Karen the 
very best as you go forward. You have displayed to me tremendous 
qualities of character when you speak of your family, the love you have 
for them. It is just apparent in your face when you talk about them. 
You are so proud of that partnership you have with Karen and of the 
children, the offspring that you have created.
  It is also very evident that you have enjoyed service to this 
country, not only in this House, but as a member of the New York 
delegation, I am proud to say that we adopt you as a West Point cadet 
and that you have shown your strength and your valor and your courage 
to be a strong element that you have contributed to this country.
  I thank you for your integrity. I thank you for your deeply rooted 
faith that has made a lot of our partnership work. You are guided with 
that humble spirit to serve your Creator through the gifts you have 
been endowed.
  Thank you for being such a great friend, thank you for being such a 
great work partner, and thank you for the success that we have achieved 
together, and I hope there is more to come in the ensuing days and 
weeks that you will be here.
  So, congratulations, my friend. Know that you made your mark and that 
you have earned many stars after your name.
  God bless.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Thank you, Mr. Tonko, for your 
comments. I felt a little   John Shimkus-y here. I was getting a little 
impatient. I thought we were running out of time. So I am going ask my 
colleagues to please try to limit your comments to a maximum of 2 
minutes.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), 
my good friend and fellow Illinoisan.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Thank you, Congressman Davis, for yielding.
  It is a pleasure to be here tonight with my colleagues to honor   
John Shimkus. I obviously echo the remarks of everyone who spoke before 
me.
  We have heard about John's service, obviously his service at West 
Point and his service to the Army, 28 years serving us in the military, 
retiring as a lieutenant colonel. But as the newest member of the 
Republican delegation, coming in 5 years ago, I just want to comment on 
what   John Shimkus has meant to me as a new Member coming in on a 
special election in September of 2015.
  John is the head of our delegation, was there for me, as he has been 
for so many of us here in the Congress. John's friendship, his 
mentorship, his example that he has set for us has been invaluable. He 
really has set the gold standard for being a legislator, and my 
colleagues have talked about that.
  He showed the importance of good constituent service, being a 
cheerleader for your district, and making the Federal Government work 
for the people that you represent. John has been in Congress for all 
the right reasons and, as has been articulated by my colleagues, shown 
how much he cares for his family, his faith, and the constituents he 
represents in southern Illinois.
  John, you are going to leave an indelible mark here in the Congress 
on the work you did on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and in 
the people's House here. Illinois and this country owe you a sincere 
thanks for your selfless service, not only to Congress, but to the 
Army.

                              {time}  2115

  We will miss you in the Illinois delegation, but we know that Karen 
and your three sons will be happy to have you home.
  Madam Speaker, I also want to mention, putting Congressman Davis 
aside, John has hired very good staff in his time in Congress, and I 
mean that. If you look at the people that have worked for   John 
Shimkus that have come through his organization, they are people that 
have gone on to do great things back in Illinois and here in 
Washington, D.C., and that is another testament to   John Shimkus and 
his team.
  Madam Speaker, I have to give a shout out to Craig Roberts, his long-
time staffer. He and John have done a remarkable job leading this 
delegation and doing so much for their district and the people of 
Illinois.
  So, John, I want to congratulate you on a well-earned retirement and 
thank you for everything you have done for me and our country, and 
Congress is a better place because of your service.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman 
LaHood for his comments.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), my 
colleague, who has known   John Shimkus since before he was even 
elected.
  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Davis for yielding.
  You know, that is true, I have known   John Shimkus since he was 
actually a treasurer in Madison County, where he was the one that held 
the spot after it had been 10 years since a Republican had held the 
spot, and he took that.
  I was a State legislator, and I kept hearing about this guy,   John 
Shimkus from Madison County. I actually came to know him as I ran for 
State representative. And then all of a sudden, they said he is going 
to run for Congress, and I thought, what a wonderful thing.
  You know, each one of us in our districts when we see that and as we 
are local elected officials, we think, oh, that is going to be good, 
but we didn't realize how great it would be.
  At this time, when we would like to joke with John because we love 
him, the reality is he has served his district well. He hasn't just 
served his district

[[Page H5045]]

well. He has served the State well, he has served the Nation well, and 
he has made differences in the world.
  I would like to harass him about the fact that he is an Army guy, as 
a Marine, but the reality is that he served well in the Army as well.
  He is a man of integrity. He is a man of faith. He loves his family. 
And, really, that is what our Nation is about.
  He is going to be missed terribly in this body.
  We want to joke about the fact that he is quitting. But you know 
what? He didn't quit. He stood up. He stood up in tough times. He stood 
up in good times. But the people of this Nation are better because this 
man has served in Congress.
  He is a close friend. You can hear that with the people that are 
talking here.
  He is a father who loves his children. He is a husband that loves his 
wife. He is a man that loves his God. Who could ask for anything more?
  John, thank you.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi), my colleague.
  Madam Speaker, if it takes us up, you know, I am going to start 
actually asking for time.
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Davis for 
yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank   John Shimkus and wish him the 
very best in his retirement.
  Now, John, you may not remember this, but 4 years ago when I joined 
this Congress, I said I would like to come and meet you, so you invited 
me to your office. You could not pronounce my name. Few people can. I 
said, Just call me Raja. My last name allows me to get on a first-name 
basis with everybody in this place.
  From that point forward, we developed a relationship, a friendship, 
to the point where very recently, I came to him and asked him to 
cosponsor a piece of legislation, and he just said, ``Put me on it,'' 
without even asking me what I was asking him to cosponsor.
  It was moving to me, because he trusted me, and it was based on a 
friendship rooted on shared values. Even though we may not be in the 
same party, we are all Americans, and that is something that I deeply 
cherish about our relationship.
  Now, as a wise man once said, we can find common ground only by 
moving to a higher ground, only by moving to a higher ground.
  Working with John proved to me that we can ascend to higher heights, 
but only if we try.
    John Shimkus represents the epitome of a legislator who tries to 
ascend to higher ground every day.
  Madam Speaker, I thank John and his excellent staff, including his 
long-time chief, Craig Roberts, for their incredible devoted service to 
their family, to their community, and to their country.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. 
Krishnamoorthi for his comments tonight.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), a 
good friend of Congressman Shimkus and all of us.
  Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Davis for yielding.
  To Karen Shimkus and the family, thank you for sharing John with all 
of us for so many years. Thank you for your warmth and friendship as 
well.
  I am told that John is a big fan of the movie ``Tombstone.'' As the 
former chairman of the committee, now ranking member of the committee, 
there are a couple of great quotes out of ``Tombstone'' that I think 
sum up for many of us who have the pleasure to serve with him and see 
his passion for his district, see his passion for his community, see 
his passion for good policy. One of them would be when Kurt Russell 
said: ``Tell him the law is coming. You tell 'em I'm coming and hell's 
coming with me.''

  When you want somebody at your side fighting for a cause, that sums 
up   John Shimkus.
  Russell also said: ``You called down thunder. Well, now you've got 
it.''
  As we have tackled these issues and we have watched John stand up for 
the people that sent him here, we know that he is by their side. And he 
not only brings the passion, but he brings the intellect and he brings 
deep principle to every fight.
  So, John, we wish you and Karen and the family well.
  God speed in your next endeavor, my friend.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Walden for 
his comments.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. 
McKinley), sticking with the Energy and Commerce Committee that Mr. 
Shimkus has served on since he got to Congress in 1996.
  Mr. McKINLEY. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Davis for yielding.
  I rise tonight to honor my friend,   John Shimkus. Ten years ago, 
John took me under his wing and was my mentor to get started in this, 
and I can't tell you how much I have learned from being around John.
  Now, in Scotland, ``McKinley'' means ``stubborn'' in Gaelic.
  I have wondered, what does ``Shimkus'' mean in Lithuanian? Now, I 
have got to think, the only thing I can think of, trying to shake this 
out, is it must mean ``persistence,'' because I have never met a person 
as persistent as   John Shimkus. He personifies the trait.
  Think about what he has done in his 24 years here in Congress. Just 
most recently, his relentless focus in leading on the Brownfields 
legislation, or the fly ash legislation, or his love of TSCA.
  So, John, you have made a difference. You have impacted many of us in 
our careers. You will never know how many lives you have touched and 
the hundreds of thousands of jobs that through your legislation you 
have helped create in America. I think we all owe you a debt of 
gratitude for that.
  So thank you for being a friend, thank you for being a great 
American.
  Thank you, Karen, for sharing him with us.
  It has been an honor to work with you, and I wish you the best in the 
years to come.
  God bless you.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. McKinley for 
his comments tonight.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), 
another leader on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I thank John for his service to the Congress, his service to the 
country. And John's life has been all about service from West Point, to 
the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserves.
  For 15 years, it has been my high privilege to serve with John on the 
Energy and Commerce Committee. You can tell by the number of members of 
the Energy and Commerce Committee who are here tonight just the impact 
he has had on that committee.
  I will tell you, John, one of my fondest memories is in March 2011 
after Harry Reid had shut down the project that was to be long-term 
nuclear storage out at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. I still have a piece of 
rock that the Yucca mucker kicked up and the tailings when we walked 
into that enormous man-made cavern out there.
  But your passion for that issue has not dimmed over the years, and I 
will just promise you that we will take it up and carry on in the 
Congresses to come.
  I thank you very much for the privilege of having known you.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Burgess for 
his comments.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), 
another Energy and Commerce member.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  I rise today to honor my good friend and fellow midwesterner, our 
colleague, Congressman   John Shimkus.
  I had the absolute honor of serving with him also on the Energy and 
Commerce Committee.
  His 24 years of serving this body has had a tremendous impact on our 
country, as we have heard, but personally, his role on the steering 
committee had a critical impact on my own career, from which I am 
retiring from Congress this year as well.
  I thank him for fighting for me, because for the first time ever, two 
Hoosiers made it to the Energy and Commerce Committee, which was 
unprecedented, in myself and Dr. Bucshon.

[[Page H5046]]

  So the reputation of the E&C, he has led the way in working both 
sides of the aisle, as we have seen, to create bipartisan legislation 
that he crafted to help all Americans. He was instrumental in 
designating 911 as the universal emergency number. I am a former 
teacher and the mom of a teacher; he ensured that schools have the 
appropriate lifesaving equipment to keep students safe.
  As a proud Lithuanian descendant--and I might say, he is a rock star 
in Lithuania, and I was there once with he and Karen in Lithuania--his 
support for our staunch ally has been critical to our two countries' 
really important relationship.
  There are just so many things to mention.
  This body is going to miss him and his patriotic passion dearly, but 
I wish John and Karen really an incredible retirement of love and a lot 
of music.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Mrs. Brooks for 
her comments tonight.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), 
another E&C member.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much. I appreciate 
my friend for yielding.
  John, we are going to miss you.
  You probably don't remember this, because you talk to a lot of folks, 
but even before I got here, one of the first persons I talked with was 
you in your office. I can still remember. One of the things I was 
talking about was, How do I get on E&C? I hadn't even gotten elected 
yet. But you were very gracious to talk with me that afternoon, and I 
will never forget it.

  One of the things I know about you is this: you have got your 
priorities right in life, and it is the way you build things. It is 
your God, your family, and your country. You always, always show that 
to the rest of us. It was something you believed in.
  Again, we all have such great respect for you.
  Also, serving on committee with you and when you were chairing the 
Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee, one of the things you were 
passionate about is making sure things got done.
  And TSCA, when we were talking about getting things done, no one 
thought it was going to get done. You got it done.
  The other thing you were working on that we have still got to get 
done is when we talk about Yucca Mountain. I will never forget when you 
took a group of us out there to Yucca. Again, it is something that you 
believed in, but it is something that we have to do. So that is your 
legacy.
  For all your years of service now here in the House, but also to your 
country in the Army, I think it really comes back to something my dad 
taught me. Dad was in public service for 36 years. He said: ``Always 
remember, there are two types of people that get into this: those who 
want to be a politician and those who want to be a public servant.'' 
And this is how he defined it: A politician sees how much they can take 
from the people they represent for their own benefit, while public 
servants see how much they can give back to the people they represent.
  So all I can say is we are going to miss you. You have been a great 
leader on committee, you have been a great leader in this House.
  I wish all the best to you and your family, because I know we talked 
through the years about how our families are doing, but I can't thank 
you enough for your service to this country and to this House.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Latta for 
his comments.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), 
another E&C member.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for 
yielding.
  I am here tonight to honor Mr. Shimkus. I call him Mr. Shimkus 
because that is how a junior West Point cadet refers to a senior West 
Point cadet.
  One of the most insulting things I get here in Washington, people ask 
me often: ``Were you at West Point with   John Shimkus?''
  I always say: ``Do I look like I could have been at West Point when   
John Shimkus was there?''

                              {time}  2130

  We are not that far apart, the Class of '80 and the Class '87. But he 
is passionate about his country.
  I serve on the NATO committee with him. I am going to tell one quick 
story. It is really more about passion for his family.
  One year, we were visiting our allies. We were visiting in Holland, 
and John went on a mission to find some kind of horn. I forget the name 
of the horn, but it is a Dutch horn. He went to a village. He went to 
somebody's home. This thing wasn't easy to find, but he said: I have to 
find it because my wife wants it. My wife always wants a unique musical 
instrument from some country that I visit.
  It wasn't like, ``I have to get this for my wife.'' He was passionate 
about getting it. This thing was as big as half of this table, and he 
had to carry it back.
  When he started telling people why he was doing it, you could just 
see the passion in his face. He goes: My wife--who is here with us 
tonight--my wife, she teaches music, and when she teaches this kind of 
music, this history, she gets these instruments out that I collect. She 
goes through them, and she teaches the history of the country where 
this music is from.
  So it is combined. You could see John's passion for history, his 
wife's passion for music, and his passion for his family.
  Then, finally, he may not remember this, but I was standing with him 
one of the preopening nights of the Bible Museum, and I remember being 
with him when he saw Martin Luther's Bible that is there. He just 
looked at it. I could see him just speechless because of, the great 
Lutheran that he is, his love of the Word of God and the love of his 
God.
  It shows a common theme tonight. John is passionate about his 
country, through West Point and his service to the Army and the NATO 
committee, and passionate about his family.
  It is just unmistakable. It is just there. It is in his face. His 
face shows everything he is thinking. When he talks about his wife, you 
can certainly see it.
  When I was standing there with him, he was passionate about his God. 
Duty, honor, country is learned at West Point, but country, family, and 
God, that is so important.
  Thank you, John, for your service. We are going to miss you.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), another E&C member.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, we have heard a lot of great comments 
about John. I was not officially a mentee, but when I first got to the 
Energy and Commerce Committee, he immediately started giving me 
pointers and guidance. We would talk about issues, and we would talk 
about how you do things and how sometimes it is frustrating around 
here, as we all know.
  I appreciate very much all the help that you gave me and the guidance 
that you gave me through the years. I am going to miss you deeply on 
the committee. I appreciate all of your service.
  I could talk about all the things that all the other people have, but 
I am going to point something out that I realized as I was sitting 
here.
  Every Member of Congress, by nature, is a political junkie, and, 
unfortunately, the time to celebrate your service overlaps with a 
Presidential debate. So it will get higher ratings in the reruns than 
it will get in the prime time, first edition.
  But when you stop to think about it, think about all the Members of 
Congress who stayed here, who wanted to say something positive about 
you, about your service, your commitment to your family, to your God, 
and to your country, we are all here missing that big event because we 
love   John Shimkus.
  So, God bless you. Godspeed on the work that you have to do further.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Arrington) for brief remarks.
  Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor my colleague, my 
friend, and fellow pitcher on the Congressional Baseball Team.
  In fact, in 2018, after watching my colleague John Shimkus pitch for 
an

[[Page H5047]]

inning, I followed him on to the mound. After watching him for an 
entire inning, I still, Madam Speaker, cannot throw the ball straight.
  But in all seriousness, it is a privilege to serve with a man with 
such great character and commitment to service.
  In fact, John, you are the epitome of a servant leader. I imagine 
this is how you were when you were a soldier, when you were a teacher, 
a local leader. That is certainly who you are in this Chamber, and it 
has made all the difference.
  I am reminded of the scripture in Philippians that says: Do nothing 
out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value 
others above yourself.
  That is who you are, John, and that is the value and the trait that 
has made this country what it is today. I pray that we will have more 
leaders follow you in your ilk.
  It is an honor to be your friend. I am grateful for your friendship, 
and I wish you blessings and Godspeed in all your future endeavors.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I can attest, sometimes 
the gentleman cannot throw the pitch straight. My shin feels that. But 
I thank the gentleman for his kind words.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), 
the newest member of the Shimkus slumlord era at his townhouse.
  Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank my good friend, 
roommate, and colleague, Congressman   John Shimkus, for his 24 years 
of dedicated service in the United States House of Representatives.
  John began his life of commitment to our country when he enrolled at 
the prestigious West Point Academy. Following graduation from West 
Point, John served 5 years in the Army and then entered the Army 
Reserves.

  Much like his time in the military, John's service in Congress has 
been defined by his steadfast approach to leadership and integrity.
  When I was elected to Congress almost 2 years ago, I was grateful to 
have John, not only as my guide but also as a roommate and friend. It 
has been a great privilege to live in the legendary Shimkus townhouse, 
where there were only two requirements: that I had to pay the rent on 
time and that I had to make sure the freezer was stocked with Dairy 
Queen Dilly Bars.
  I will always be thankful for the many late-night conversations after 
a hard day's work, where he and I had the chance to discuss not only 
policy and legislation but also about our lives and families.
  Serving in Congress often means spending a lot of time away from 
family and loved ones, so I want to thank John's wife, Karen, and his 
three sons, David, Joshua, and Daniel, for allowing their father, John, 
to serve for 24 long years. I know they will be happy to have him 
closer to home, and our loss is their gain.
  Madam Speaker, this entire body will miss John, and I am sure his 
constituency is thankful for his years of service. I know I am.
  That is the conclusion of my official remarks, but I want to talk off 
the cuff for a couple of minutes.
  I just want to thank you for your faithful leadership, your Bible 
verses that you give to me every day, and the roommates. That means a 
lot to me.
  I want to thank you for mentoring me these past couple of years. I 
couldn't have had a better mentor.
  Congressman Shimkus, you are a leader that we all look up to. Thank 
you.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the 
gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), another member of the 
Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
bringing us all together to honor and celebrate a senior member of the 
House Energy and Commerce Committee, my friend and colleague who has 
led in so many different ways.
  I am privileged to have had the opportunity to serve with the 
Congressman from Illinois now for 10 years on the House Energy and 
Commerce Committee. When I think about John, I think about someone who 
is a true legislator. He is the one who digs in and does the tough job 
of legislating, knowing the issues, being prepared, and figuring out 
how to actually solve big problems.
  So you think about the fact that he led in modernizing the Toxic 
Substance Control Act. He has led on lowering fuel costs for 
hardworking families all across this country. It was   John Shimkus who 
led in bringing the 911 emergency system into the 21st century.
  Time and time again, it has been Congressman   John Shimkus who is 
leading to get big things done in order to improve people's lives and 
secure our future as Americans.
  I want to say, more than anything, we are going to miss you. We are 
going to miss your leadership. We are going to miss your example as a 
true legislator.
  For the people of Illinois, for my colleagues on the House Energy and 
Commerce Committee, and for the people's House, know that you have made 
a difference. I want to say thanks for your leadership.
  I want to wish you all the best, and I just want to say thanks to 
everyone for pulling us together tonight.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. LaMalfa).
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, Mr. Shimkus is always one of the guys I 
enjoyed the most around here. We didn't get to hang out a lot or share 
any of the same committees, but he is always an upbeat and friendly 
fellow to get along with around here.
  I didn't want tonight to go by without at least saying something to 
you about how I appreciate you and enjoy you. You take on really 
difficult issues.
  The education you have helped provide me and other Members on the 
situation down at Yucca Mountain is appreciated, the battle on that, 
because that is extremely important to get a handle on how we deal with 
that issue around the country, which hadn't been handled very well. You 
are a true leader on that, and I thank you for that.
  Many, many blessings in your next endeavor. As a friend, I am glad to 
be here tonight with you.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I can't tell you how 
privileged I am to be here tonight, to be able to stand at this podium 
and recognize my fellow colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
recognize somebody who I worked for, for 16 years.
  I was talking to my wife, Shannon, about what I wanted to say about 
John tonight because I really couldn't think of anything really nice to 
say, after 16 years. She reminded me that I wouldn't be here without 
his mentorship. I wouldn't be able to have this privilege to serve in 
this institution with you, Madam Speaker, and with everybody who 
crowded the floor tonight to honor our friend, Mr. Shimkus.
  She reminded me, you probably--his wife, Karen, who I am not supposed 
to recognize in the gallery, so I am not. I don't want to be chastised 
later.
  But his wife, Karen, probably doesn't know this, but I am probably 
their fourth son. This is somebody who taught me to be a good worker, 
taught me that being on time matters, taught me that helping others is 
a privilege.
  I can't say thank you enough to this man because I would not be 
serving in this great institution without you and your mentorship, your 
friendship, and your leadership. It wasn't without some hiccups, let me 
tell you. I am sure he wanted to fire me a few times, and I think he 
told me that a few times.
  But I prevailed. You know why? Because we had a great team. And a 
great team is built with the leadership of somebody who gives people 
opportunities to not just survive in a workplace but to excel.
  I can remember that I hadn't thought about running for Congress in a 
very long time when I got a call in 2012 one day when there was an 
opportunity to put my name into the mix to run for this office. In 
typical John Shimkus fashion--and his wife Karen could probably attest 
to this--John called me and said: Hey, have you ever thought about 
running for Congress?

  And I said: Well, I guess maybe because I really enjoy watching you.
  He said: Well, if there is ever a time to think about it, now is the 
time.
  Okay. In typical John Shimkus fashion, he is like: All right, I have 
to go. Call Craig--Craig Roberts, his chief of staff, the godfather of 
my three kids.
  What a team. What a team. The entire Shimkus team, including my

[[Page H5048]]

chief of staff since I got here who worked with me on the Shimkus 
campaign, in the Shimkus office, and is now my staff director on the 
committee that I am blessed to run, the House Administration Committee. 
What a legacy this guy leaves in this institution.
  People will not understand the importance of   John Shimkus serving 
as a Member of the House of Representatives until they look back in 
history and realize some of the things that our colleagues actually 
talked about tonight.
  If you were in an emergency anywhere in this great Nation, and you 
have a cell phone that is a lot more ubiquitous today than it ever was 
when this guy came to Congress in the dark ages of 1996, you can dial 
911 and know that it is going to get routed to your local emergency 
services center.

                              {time}  2145

  But before   John Shimkus got to Congress, that didn't happen. The 
things that we take for granted today were started by people who served 
in this institution years before us. If we don't understand their 
legacy and we don't understand the history that they brought to all of 
us and to our Nation to make sure that lives are saved, then we will 
never know their true impact.
  I personally know   John Shimkus' true impact because he impacted my 
life greatly. He has known me since before I became a parent of now a 
23 year old and two 20 year olds. These children look to him as 
somebody who mentored their dad.
    John Shimkus. I know I don't have a lot of time left tonight, and I 
have got probably a couple of months left to harass him a little bit in 
other speeches. But coming here to the U.S. House of Representatives 
and being able to get to know my friend's roommates, his friends and 
now colleagues, it would not have happened without the gentleman. He 
has made me not just a Member of this privileged institution, he has 
made me a better person, he has made me a better dad, he has made me a 
better husband, and he has made this institution in the United States 
of America a better place for every single citizen in this country.
  Godspeed to you, Mr. Shimkus, in your retirement. Godspeed to Karen. 
I love you both.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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