[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 5, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H4156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FRED UPTON HAS BEEN A DEVOTED PUBLIC SERVANT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, for 35 years, Fred Upton has been a 
devoted public servant for southwest Michigan, all of Michigan, and our 
Nation.
  Throughout his career, he has always put the people he served first. 
To him, bipartisan and compromise are not forbidden words. Fred knew 
well that if we are going to deliver real solutions for the American 
people, we need to come together and listen to all perspectives, no 
matter how complicated the issue might be. It is because of that 
thinking, he was able to get so much done in Congress.
  I am especially proud of all that we have been able to accomplish 
together. Thanks to his partnership, we were able to pass legislation 
to protect the Great Lakes for future generations and lower the cost of 
healthcare for all Americans. Together, we have championed removing the 
harmful PFAS chemicals from our Nation's drinking water, and I am 
confident we are going to get this to the President's desk.
  While we may not have found harmony on every issue, Fred and I always 
managed to disagree without vitriolic rhetoric and mean-spirited 
language. Even through our toughest discussions, Fred always found a 
way to make me laugh, except today. It is his civility that I--and 
Congress--will miss the most.
  Fred really believed that he was an American first, that reaching 
across the aisle was important, that working together is how we get 
things done for the American people. His retiring is a loss for this 
country, and especially the people of Michigan.
  Fred is a dear friend to me, was John's best friend, and was there 
when John died. The Dingell family loves him. He is one of the greatest 
Michiganders to serve our country. I wish him, Amey, and their family 
the best as they prepare for the next adventure. And there will be one. 
Thank you, Fred.

                          ____________________