[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 206 (Monday, December 7, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6896-H6899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PAYING TRIBUTE TO GREG WALDEN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Upton) for 30 minutes.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, this 30 minutes is a tribute to our leader
who is leaving us, Greg Walden, the top Republican on the Energy and
Commerce Committee and the former chairman, and, obviously, a good
friend to everyone on both sides of the aisle.
Knowing that many Members have plenty of meetings that are starting,
I am going to yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).
Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend and
my colleague, Congressman Greg Walden, on his retirement, following
more than 20 years representing Oregon's Second District here in
Congress.
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman Walden has
been a real mentor to me. I have seen firsthand Chairman Walden's love
for his country, dedication to his district, and hard work on so many
important priorities for our Nation, like healthcare, energy
independence, and telecommunications.
I have so many fond memories of the work we have done together and
the time we have spent. I especially enjoyed working with Chairman
Walden on H.R. 6, landmark legislation to combat the opioid crisis.
Chairman Walden, you will be dearly missed, but I wish you, Mylene,
Anthony, and your entire family all the best.
I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking Congressman Greg Walden
for his extraordinary service.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Johnson), also a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I, too, rise today to pay tribute to my good friend and mentor on the
Energy and Commerce Committee, Greg Walden.
I spent 27 years in the United States Air Force. We lived by a code
of conduct every day. We came to work. We embodied those core values of
integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all that we do.
In my experience, it is not often that you find people in private
life or in other sectors of public life who also embody those same core
values, but Chairman Greg Walden does.
Whether he was fighting for healthcare changes for the American
people, to make America more energy independent and secure, whether he
was trying to make sure that Big Tech did not overrun the American
people,
[[Page H6897]]
you could always count on Greg Walden to be out in front leading, not
following, and, certainly, not leading from behind.
I learned a lot in the 6 years that I served with Greg Walden when
he was on the Energy and Commerce Committee as the chairman, and even
before that as chair of our National Republican Congressional
Committee.
It is with a great deal of sadness that we see him leave because a
lot of core institutional knowledge is going to go out the door. But I
want to say how much I have admired working with Greg Walden.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr.
Blumenauer), a colleague.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I have been honored to know and work
around Greg Walden for 40 years. It is kind of scary to think about
that.
He came to public service honestly.
I was privileged to serve with his father in the Oregon State
Legislature when Greg started as a staff member in the State senate. He
was bright, capable, and committed to the people of the Second
Congressional District, a special place in Oregon, and Greg was
quick to always represent it forcefully, clearly, and effectively.
We have shared some highlights over the years. I remember floating in
the Dead Sea early in our congressional career. I was able to work with
him in a small way on something that he is very proud of, the Steens
Mountain Wilderness, almost 100,000 acres of cow-free wilderness. Now,
some of us would have done it a little differently, but knowing where
Greg came from in his district, that was a signal accomplishment. And
we were able to work together in the Clinton administration.
I was pleased to have one of the best field hearings I ever had in
public service as Greg and I, and his wife, Mylene, and his son,
Anthony, and our staff members did a 43-mile, 3-day hike around Mount
Hood, that magnificent mountain that we share in our districts.
We were able to meet with various interest groups and work together
to lay the foundation for significant wilderness legislation that was
signed into law by President Obama but that we worked together on a
bipartisan basis to make possible.
Recently, we were able to work on legislation that almost nobody paid
any attention to. It dealt with a significant change to enhance the
ability of physicians, particularly in emergency rooms, to know the
family history of people there who suffered from opioid addiction.
Again, not many people know about it, and it was several years and
harder than I thought, but it will make a difference to be able to make
sure that those emergency room personnel will be able to treat the
whole person. It solved a problem that maybe shouldn't have been, but
it is part of that nagging problem that we have, in terms of trying to
work through the legislative process. And Greg was a master at that.
I didn't always agree with Greg. Occasionally, we had some
differences. But we often were able to find common ground to represent
the people of our State in a way that they wanted us to.
{time} 1730
It is an honor. I will say, even though we didn't always agree, I
always respected Greg in terms of his commitment, his intellect, and
his sense of humor.
It has been an honor, Greg, to serve with you 22 years--really?
You have escaped, and I can't wait to find out what the next chapters
in your career bring.
I wish the very best to you, Mylene, and Anthony, and a long and
prosperous next step.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Fitzpatrick).
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I speak on the House floor tonight, not as somebody who
has ever served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but as
someone who was a freshman in the 115th Congress with a very, very
specific and very direct link to a piece of legislation we were
advocating known as the right-to-try bill.
When I got sworn in, one of the first people I sought out was
Chairman Greg Walden. I went to his office, and I was initially taken
aback by the photography he had throughout his office of his district,
which is an incredibly beautiful district in Oregon.
We have all had many meetings in our time in Congress here, but one
of my memories is, when I met with Chairman Walden, I have to
acknowledge I was very intimidated. I was a freshman Member speaking to
a committee chairperson of a very, very significant committee.
The time, the attention, and the respect that he showed me and the
issue that I cared about I will never forget. It is one of those
memories that I have of my freshman term that I will never forget.
We have all heard many definitions of character being spoken
throughout our lives. My favorite definition is character being defined
as the things that we do and the decisions that we make when nobody
else is watching.
Having worked with Chairman Walden on the right-to-try bill, his
honesty, his integrity, and his commitment to doing the right thing--
not the politically popular thing, not what any interest group was
advocating for, but trying to get the specifics and the details of a
piece of very important legislation right--was very, very instructive
to me. It was probably the greatest experience and the greatest
learning experience I had as a freshman Member of Congress.
For Greg to walk away having accomplished all that he has on his own
is reminiscent of my favorite President, George Washington. Everybody
wanted him to continue serving, and all he wanted to do was go back
home to his farm in Mount Vernon, live under the laws he helped pass,
and make way for a new generation of leadership, which is one of the
reasons he is so revered throughout history.
Likewise, we ought to respect Chairman Walden, our friend, Greg, for
doing the same thing: for understanding the important things in life,
for valuing his family the way he does, knowing that as much as he
enjoys this job and how humbled he is to serve in the capacity he has,
he is going back home to his family because they are the most important
things to him.
So, Chairman Walden, Godspeed to you. We love you. Thank you for all
you have done, not just for this Chamber, but for the United States.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the State of
Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), the Greg Walden successor as the top
Republican on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee and, as we
like to say, chairman-in-waiting in the next aisle.
Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. To the former chairman, I will say thank
you. Thank you for bringing us together tonight. It is a real honor for
me to join in recognizing the life and the service of Greg Walden
here in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of considering him a friend and a
colleague. He is also my neighbor to the south in Oregon. Both of us
have deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, although he will be quick to
remind me that his family came out a few years ahead of mine. I think
it was 1845. We didn't get there until 1853, I think. Anyway, he is
always excelling.
I was thinking he probably has the most frequent flier points today,
now, because there is no one who has worked harder and traveled back
and forth across this country in representing the people of Oregon all
these years.
I want to join in just celebrating a tremendous leader. He was
chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He led that
committee in a way that just reflects what a great history this
committee has. It is always focused on results and always focused on
solving the problems of bringing people together to get big things
done.
I just appreciate the vision and the foundation that you have led
during your time on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
There is a long list of successes and accomplishments here: leading
on combating the opioid crisis--a huge package of bills--and building a
21st century economy.
This committee is at the heart of America's competitiveness and our
future, such as expanding rural broadband.
I appreciate all your leadership there. Our districts are very
similar,
[[Page H6898]]
eastern Washington and eastern Oregon. You worked to make sure that no
one is left behind.
Recognizing and reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance
Program, lowering prescription drugs and the prices of prescription
drugs, and unleashing innovation in energy and healthcare is a part of
a long list, and because of your leadership at the Energy and Commerce
Committee, people's lives have been improved. People have been lifted
out of poverty, and we have raised the standard of living even more.
I appreciate the way that he leads, Mr. Speaker, and the joy that he
brings to every assignment. This is somebody who has held a lot of
different titles while serving in the House of Representatives. I have
been around him many times through the years. He is a strong advocate.
I remember, early on, being down at the White House, when I was first
elected, with George W. Bush, and Greg Walden was there. But he didn't
miss an opportunity to put in a good word about the need for better
forest management and combating the catastrophic wildfires. He was
always, always on, and always advocating for the people of eastern
Oregon.
This is one that we are going to miss. He is just the ultimate
legislator. He is the one who has come, worked hard, made a difference
for the people of eastern Oregon, and leaves a high standard for the
rest of us in his commitment, his hard work, and his record of results.
So no matter where life takes you next, I know it is going to be
something good. I wish you, Mylene, and Anthony all the best in this
next chapter. It is well earned and well deserved.
God bless you, and the best is yet to come.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State
of Michigan (Mr. Walberg), who is another member of the Energy and
Commerce Committee.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I was in my office just finishing up a
meeting when I saw this going on down here, and I knew I had to come
because Chairman Walden--
You don't mind if I call you chairman still?
I don't know if that violates any House policy, Mr. Speaker.
You will always be my chairman.
You were my first chairman as I came on the Energy and Commerce
Committee, a committee that I wanted to be on for an awful long time.
Representative Upton and I talked about that for quite some time. He
assured me that that was the key committee to be on. I knew that for a
fact, and I have not been disappointed.
One of the quotes that means most to me is the quote that is above
the Speakers's rostrum. It is a quote from Daniel Webster, who said:
Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers,
build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see
whether we also, in our day and generation, may not perform something
worthy to be remembered.
It is a powerful quote, and we all aspire to that, but a few actually
achieve that.
Chairman Walden, I want to say that, through the Speaker to you, I
believe you have achieved that purpose in doing something here that
will be remembered, if not in all of the policy issues and the
legislative issues you fronted and pushed for, you will leave that in
the lives of Members who have served with you on your committee and
under your leadership.
I will never forget a 27-hour markup and a debate that went on after
the pattern that ought to be here in the House of Representatives. I
remember the firmness with which you led that committee markup, the
passion that you displayed on the issues, the agreements and
disagreements that you had and you let in. But you treated us all on
that committee with respect worthy of this institution, and you treated
each Member with a purpose that said to all of us: You are important,
and your ideas should be considered.
I know for a fact I have served under chairmen and Speakers over the
course of my tenure in State and in national politics who have led, but
only a few have led in such a way as you, that the people you led felt
that you really meant it, that you wanted their best whether you agreed
or disagreed with us, and you made us better for the calling and for
the purpose.
So I want to say to you, Mr. Chairman, thank you for your service. I
wish you well, your family, and in all of your endeavors. You can count
on it that I will pray prayers of thanks for you and blessings on your
life.
All the best.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I know other Members may be on the way over.
General Leave
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks as part of
this Special Order for Mr. Walden.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. UPTON. So, Mr. Speaker, this is a farewell for Greg Walden.
He started off in public service serving as the youngest State house
majority leader in Oregon's history before he was elected to the U.S.
House for Oregon's Second District.
He came to the Energy and Commerce Committee in 2001, and, of course,
I referenced the Energy and Commerce Committee a little bit earlier as
the greatest committee, and that is because I simply took the words of
John Dingell, our former chairman, who agrees with me, I know, but as
he would say, our committee's jurisdiction is really just two words:
the world.
We have jurisdiction over energy, the environment, healthcare,
telecommunications, trade, manufacturing, and then some, and, of
course, that very important issue called oversight and investigations.
Greg chaired the Telecommunications Subcommittee from 2010 until
2016. He jumped up over others in seniority because of his knowledge on
that issue and his passion, whether it be broadband or digital
broadcasting, anything involving the telecommunication industry. He
became chairman of the full committee in 2017, and, obviously, the top
Republican now, as Republicans no longer serve in the majority.
As you look back at his career, Mr. Speaker, and you look at some of
these landmark issues--Cathy McMorris Rodgers indicated a couple--but
CHIP, children's healthcare, so important for all of our States. He was
a leader on that.
For the first time ever, we actually passed something with a 10-year
authorization bill called the community health centers authorization.
Opioids were a big issue 3, 4 years ago. It still is today, but
literally every member of our committee had a piece of that bill. I
want to say maybe more than 100 different separate bills were fashioned
together as one. President Trump signed it into law, and it made a
meaningful difference for so many people as they struggle with this
addiction across the country.
I couldn't forget this one bill, and I had to write the title down,
the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Servers.
I think I got that right. If you take the first letter of every word,
that spells RAY BAUM.
Ray Baum was our staff director of the committee for a couple years
until a terrible brain cancer took his life. This bill was named in
honor of Ray.
I will tell you, 911 calls wouldn't work today without this, because
this provided the location, when that call is made, to make sure that
the first responder, in fact, is going to get to that delivery site. So
it is very important legislation, and Ray was just an awesome leader on
our committee.
But I see other Members have joined us now.
May I ask, Mr. Speaker, how much time I have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan has 8 minutes
remaining.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr.
McNerney), who is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Michigan. I can
tell you a couple minutes is enough time because I am a brief speaker,
but it says a lot that I am willing to come down here and risk COVID to
speak in favor of a Republican. So there you have it.
I have known Greg Walden for many years now in the committee. On
trips
[[Page H6899]]
and on new legislation, he has been a gentleman, and he has been a
person I could work with.
We have some disagreements, don't we, Greg?
But that says a lot that we can disagree and still be friends.
I went to Oregon to visit and to see the eclipse, and Greg invited me
to go to his place with his friends and watch it with them. I really
appreciated that. So it shows you that people can get along in this
institution, work together, and have respect for each other.
{time} 1745
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs.
Brooks), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend from
Michigan for organizing this really important Special Order.
I have to say, many of you probably heard the phrase, a politician
thinks about the next election, but it is a statesman who thinks about
the next generation.
Greg Walden of Oregon is both. He is an amazing politician, but he
is an even more important statesman for our next generation.
Representative Walden has been a mentor to many. When he was chair of
NRCC, he mentored and helped so many people become a part of this great
institution. But then he mentored people like me, along with
Representative Upton of Michigan, to make it to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce, where I knew that big things got done and that the world
was our jurisdiction.
Not only was he a mentor, but he rose to chair of that committee, and
he did it with humility, he did it with humor, he did it with wisdom.
And I am so glad you talked about all of the things he accomplished,
but he always reminded us that he was an Oregon broadcaster, first and
foremost, and that he loved his incredible State of Oregon, and was
such a leader.
Mr. Speaker, it has been my pleasure--and my husband David's
pleasure--to travel with he and Mylene, and more importantly, most
recently, to get to know his son, that next generation of leaders,
Anthony.
I thank you for the opportunities you gave me and so many of my
colleagues. I wish you the best in retirement. You have been an amazing
mentor, an amazing friend, and an amazing leader in this country. You
are a statesman, my friend.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to report some breaking news. Roll
Call has just put something out online, it will be published tomorrow.
And the headline is: ``Adulting might be alive and well in Congress.
The retiring Lamar Alexander and Greg Walden show it's possible to do
your job in public life while acting like a grown-up.''
That is Greg. He got things done. He was an Eagle Scout when he was a
youngster, still is a mighty big Ducks fan. You can't walk into his
office without seeing the Ducks. He is in a lot better mood on Monday
when you see him if the Ducks win. They didn't win the other day. But
he has been a really special individual with real care and handling of
all the different issues that our committee deals with.
A partner in leadership on both sides of the aisle, his word is his
bond. His staff has been terrific, all of them: All the subcommittee
staff, his personal staff, and obviously, his greatest staff person,
Mylene. Mylene and his son, Anthony, we have watched him grow up from
when Anthony was a youngster, but Mylene has been a special friend,
really, to all of us. She puts up with Greg. Usually, she is on the
West Coast while he is over here.
Mr. Speaker, he has been a special talent that has been lent to our
committee to make this country a better place.
Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr.
Walden).
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank all my colleagues who came down
tonight to share these words. I want to assure the American people--it
feels like a eulogy--I am actually still alive but deeply indebted for
their generosity, their kindness, and their words tonight. It means a
lot.
I have told people I am not one of the grumpy, cranky Members
leaving. This is a great institution with really good people who do
good work here. We may not always agree, as my friend from Oregon or my
friend from California said, but it doesn't mean we have to be
disagreeable. We come here to solve problems. We approach them from
different angles representing different Americans, but we come here to
find solutions.
I have been so blessed to work with people like Mrs. Brooks, Mr.
Blumenauer, and my friend from Michigan, Mr. Upton, and the others who
were down here. It is a team effort, and we live in a really, really
great country. I have been so blessed to be a part of this institution
for the last 22 years.
Mr. Speaker, I had hair when I came here. Honest. I can show you
photos. So it will take a lot out of you. But when I do return home, I
will complete my 644th round trip between the Nation's Capitol and
home. I did that because I really wanted to stay in touch, and my
family is here, and yet it proves the point. On almost every flight, my
friend from the Portland area, Mr. Blumenauer, has been right there
with me, and our colleague, Mr. DeFazio, almost every trip. And it is
what we do as Members here. We go home, we listen to our constituents,
we come back, we try and find solutions, whether it is on opioids or
internet connectivity, or all the things that have been referenced
tonight.
My success is attributed to the people I have been able to work with,
my colleagues. And as Mr. Upton said, our terrific, brilliant staff in
this institution, who work literally day and night. And I know because
I get texts from them at midnight when they are reading through a bill
or working on an agreement and negotiating at the staff-to-staff level.
America is well-served by this institution, and I wish more Americans
saw the kind of camaraderie that we have here, the comity we have here,
and the accomplishment that we do here.
Mr. Speaker, this place still works, and I just wish well the
incoming class of new Members who bring new energy and new ideas to
this process. I know they, too, come here to represent their people
back home.
Mr. Speaker, to my friends, thank you. This was most generous, over
the top, and a big surprise. I thought I was just headed off as a
homeless Member of Congress with no office to find something to eat,
but instead, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers said I needed to come with her over
here.
Thank you to my friends. Mr. Upton, my dear friend--he and Amey and
my wife and I are very close--thank you for your kindness and your
words. I will have a more formal farewell speech I will give later this
week on the House floor, so I will reserve any further comments to that
time.
Mr. Speaker, I just would, again, thank my friend from Michigan, Mr.
Upton.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________