[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
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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.
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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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