[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 27, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7239-H7240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF MICHAEL LONG

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Jacobs of California). Under the 
Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from New 
York (Ms. Stefanik) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the 
minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and submit extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Republican New York 
delegation, I rise today in recognition of and to honor our good 
friend, Mike Long, the longtime chairman of the Conservative Party of 
New York. Mike passed away this week with his beloved family at his 
side, leaving behind an extraordinary life and legacy.
  Mike Long was a man of integrity who lived a life of service above 
self. He was among the most, if not the most, respected and esteemed 
political leaders in New York politics by both his allies and his 
political opponents.
  Mike Long was proudly born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in 
southern Queens.
  In 1959, Mike enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He felt 
strongly that his duty was to our country, and as we know--and this was 
Mike--once a marine, always a marine.
  Mike then served in elected office on the New York City Council and 
then for decades as chair of the New York Conservative Party, where he 
got to know nearly every State and Federal Republican and Conservative 
candidate for public office.
  His chairmanship continued for more than 30 years, which is a 
testament to his character, his work ethic, his leadership, and his 
determination to make a difference.
  In recognition of his strong defense of the rights of the unborn, 
Pope St. John Paul II named him a Knight of St. Gregory, one of the 
highest honors for a Catholic layman.
  Mike was a champion for hardworking New Yorkers and a lifelong 
advocate for smaller government, lower taxes, and improving the lives 
of hardworking New York families.
  My colleagues and I were all honored to call Mike a true friend.
  When I first ran for office, I had met Chairman Long at various 
Conservative Party events, but I set up a formal meeting to seek his 
advice. It was in his office in Brooklyn. That is a long way for an 
upstate New York native running in the North Country. I will be honest. 
I got lost in the city driving and was hours late for that meeting. It 
is a pet peeve of mine to be late, and, certainly, you never want to be 
late for a marine. It is a matter of respect to be on time.
  Mike couldn't have been more gracious--I will never forget it--saying 
I will probably win my campaign because I know how to drive in upstate 
New York but clearly not in New York City.
  I was proud to earn his support and that of the Conservative Party. 
My family was honored to have Mike and his wife, Eileen, at our wedding 
years later. He is a true lifelong friend.
  Now, Mike is in Heaven among the angels, and our hearts are broken 
for this truly irreplaceable loss.
  As I honor him for his service and an extraordinary life well lived 
today, we join together in praying for his beloved family, thousands 
and thousands of friends, and a vast community of admirers.
  I am so honored to have my colleagues here today.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), my 
colleague from central New York.
  Mr. KATKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Michael 
Long, who passed away on July 24, 2022.
  Mike was a beloved member of the New York Conservative Party, a 
mentor to many, including myself, a dear friend, and a champion for New 
Yorkers. A Brooklyn native, Mike developed a love for his home State 
and his country at a young age.
  Mike's sense of public duty led him to serve his country in the 
United States Marine Corps. Following that service, he began his 
decades-long career in politics. In 1981, he was elected to serve as a 
Brooklyn at-large representative on the New York City Council.
  In 1988, Mike became the chair of the New York Conservative Party, a 
post that he retained until 2019. It was in this capacity that I got to 
know Mike and got to know Mike well.
  The overriding thing I got from Mike was his sense of fairness, his 
sense of decency, his commitment to the cause, and endeavoring to make 
sure that the Conservative Party had a big tent, not a small, 
restrictive one.
  The Conservative Party and all New York Republicans will miss Mike's 
guidance and his integrity.
  Outside of politics, Mike was a devoted husband to his wife, Eileen, 
and father to their nine children.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in 
honoring the life and legacy of Michael Long.
  May he rest in peace.
  Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Zeldin), our colleague from Long Island, who is proudly the 
Republican and the Conservative Party nominee for Governor of New York 
State.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her leadership 
and all of my New York colleagues for being here today.
  Mike Long was such a special, principled, faithful patriot. He loved 
his family. He loved his country. He was willing to lay down his life 
for it at any time, valuing our Constitution and our freedoms. Our 
State is better off because Mike Long lived this legendary life of 
service.
  Jerry Kassar, the new New York State Conservative Party chair, has 
these really big shoes to try to fill. For all of us collectively, 
trying to figure out how to fill these shoes will be a challenge for 
us, but we accept that challenge with Mike's spirit and fight, his 
inspiration always living within each and every one of us. He was rock 
solid to his core, a genuine, great American.

  To his entire family--obviously, his wife of nearly 60 years, Eileen, 
but they also have nine children, 24 grandchildren, and five great-
grandchildren. Everybody who knew and loved Mike Long is mourning the 
passing of a truly great public servant.
  May Mike Long rest in peace. I thank him for his friendship, 
guidance, and service.
  Now, it is left to the rest of us to carry on what was a legendary, 
inspirational contribution to the greatest country in the history of 
the world because of great marines and patriots like him.

[[Page H7240]]

  May he rest in peace.
  Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Zeldin for his comments.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jacobs), 
our colleague from western New York.
  Mr. JACOBS of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life 
and legacy of Mike Long, one of our State's greatest political leaders.
  Mr. Long served as chairman of the New York State Conservative Party 
for three decades.
  An article in the New York Post that was recently written called Mike 
a working-class champion, and that he was. From the beginning of his 
career in politics, he believed Conservatives and Republicans must 
focus on what matters for working-class Americans. Mike's beliefs were 
as correct today as they were nearly 60 years ago when he began his 
career in public service.
  I remember speaking with Mike for the first time when I was going to 
run for a special election for the New York State Senate several 
decades ago now. At that time, we were talking about his family, and 
Mike's son had just been in a near-fatal accident, run over by a New 
York City bus while he was riding a bicycle. His son Matt broke 
numerous bones and had countless surgeries as a result. But like his 
father, he had incredible grit and determination, and he not only 
recovered but continued to compete in triathlons and Ironman 
competitions.
  Mike lived out his conservative principles. He was married to his 
wife, Eileen, for 59 years and had nine children, as was mentioned, and 
countless numbers of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
  Our State and Nation are a better place due to Mike Long's service 
and commitment to his principles.
  May he rest in peace.
  Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Jacobs for his comments.
  This is fitting because my colleague from Staten Island, who 
represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, was the longtime 
representative at the State level and in Congress for Mike and Eileen 
Long.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Malliotakis).
  Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues and everyone 
who spoke before me for recognizing the great achievements of a great 
man.
  Mike Long was somebody who I was proud to represent as a State 
assembly member and then in Congress. He is somebody who truly believed 
in faith, freedom, the American Dream, and family.
  As was mentioned, he had an amazing, beautiful family, who I am also 
very proud to serve, as I represent many of them. They are so dedicated 
to our community of Brooklyn, to our city of New York, to our State, 
and to our Nation. All the children contribute in one way or another to 
the community that we are so proud to call home.
  Mike served and led by example for his family. He was not just a 
marine who served our country, willing to die for our country. He was 
also a member of the City Council of New York. He was a small business 
owner. He was also the chairman of the Conservative Party, which made 
such an impression and was so influential in our city and State 
politics for decades and still continues to be because of the 
leadership of Mike Long.
  When I first ran for the assembly, I was so proud to have the banner 
of the Conservative Party and to have the support of somebody like Mike 
Long, who had so much integrity and was so passionate about what we 
believed in: that our country needs to be preserved, that we must 
preserve our freedoms and our liberties, that we must make sure we 
respect the taxpayer, that we make it easier for small businesses, and 
that we support individual freedoms and liberties.
  In fact, it was the Conservative Party that was the margin of victory 
in my very first race, and so I owe a lot of my success to Michael Long 
and his initial support of me.
  So, I thank Mike Long for all he has done for our community, for the 
delegation, for our city, and for our country. He will be missed.
  I give my sincere condolences to his wife, Eileen, their nine 
children, their 25 grandchildren, and their four great-grandchildren. 
That just shows you how truly dedicated he was to his family. It is 
just a beautiful family. God bless them.

                              {time}  1845

  Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, as you heard from all the New York 
Republican Members of Congress, Mike's influence cannot be over 
emphasized. He has touched tens of thousands of lives over his decades 
of service and really his lifetime of service.
  As many of our Members talked about, Mike Long was a man of 
principle. Mike was a man of faith, of freedom, of family, and he was a 
proud American.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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