[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 193 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9693-H9694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       OBSERVATIONS AND GRATITUDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, it has been the honor of my life to 
serve in this distinguished body on behalf of the people of southwest 
Washington.
  As I look around this Chamber, I am flooded with memories, thinking 
about everything that has happened in this room, both good and bad, in 
the 12 years since I first took my oath.
  I can remember driving my 1990s vintage Ford Explorer across the 
country, with my husband of 3 months, in late December 2010 to get here 
in time for swearing in. I was ready to do my very best for my home 
region and Congress.
  Some things haven't changed. I still have that Ford Explorer; my 
husband is every bit the rock now that he was then; and I have never 
compromised

[[Page H9694]]

what I came here to do, which is to serve my region and defend the 
Constitution.
  Some things have changed. We have added a minivan to our fleet to 
transport our three beautiful children, and I have gotten a chance to 
work with some amazing people.
  I will share a few observations but, first, some thanks.
  I thank my colleagues. In this body, I have gotten to work with some 
of the most accomplished, smartest people in the world, and I treasure 
your friendship.
  My husband, Dan, deserves the lion's share of my gratitude. The 
sacrifices that he has made, his wisdom and his love for me and our 
three children--Abigail, who is 9; Ethan, who is 6; and Isana, who is 
3--have been an immeasurable blessing to our family.
  I had all three of my kids during my congressional tenure, if that 
gives you a little glimpse into the amazing man that my husband is. My 
parents and Dan's parents have done more than I can possibly recount to 
support us.
  To southwest Washington, thank you for entrusting me six times with 
this awesome responsibility. To my team, many of whom have been with me 
all 12 years--Afton, Casey, Pam, Jordan, and the rest--with your help, 
we did things that nobody else could have done.
  When I was first elected, healthcare reform was our Nation's 
challenge. But if you know me, you know that ``no'' or ``never'' are 
like a starter's gun to me. We took the challenge on, and in 12 years: 
We helped launch the first of its kind Maternity Care Caucus; we 
successfully championed the ACE Kids Act, which broke the barrier for 
low-income and high-needs kids; we helped drive maternal mortality 
review committees; we helped grandfather association health plans for 
Washington residents; and we also worked our tails off for every single 
corner of our region.
  We found out that veterans had to drive for hours to get a blood draw 
or a flu shot, so we pushed, pulled, and prodded the VA until we got a 
regular mobile clinic out to serve those military heroes.
  For those who make their living fishing in our rivers, few 
achievements have given me more joy than passing landmark salmon 
preservation legislation. I still get stopped in the grocery store over 
that one.
  I took to this floor to successfully block some ideas and projects 
that were just plain bad for our region. Sometimes the region demands 
that you stand up and say stop, even if the momentum is going against 
you.
  On that note, as I depart, I would like to offer just a little bit of 
unsolicited advice to my friends here in this Chamber.
  One way or another, every single one of us, or you, are going to 
leave office, as I am preparing to do now. When that happens, so many 
people are going to ask you what you are most proud of.
  You are going to think back with pride about all the times that you 
helped someone that you represent out of a really tough situation, or 
you will be proud that you stood strong for what you thought was right, 
or you will be proud of the laws that you passed to help make lives 
better for Americans.
  But let me tell you what you won't think of: That time you tweeted 
something that got 10,000 likes; or that time that you thought of a 
really mean, clever thing to say about the other party or the other 
team; or those times you told part of the truth or maybe not all the 
truth and hoped that no one was going to ask you what you really meant.
  The people who elect us put their faith in us to represent them, and 
we owe them the truth. At times, especially in the heat of the moment, 
the truth is somewhat the last thing that people want to hear, 
especially if it doesn't fit their narrative, but that doesn't make it 
any less true.
  We don't do Americans any favors if we deceive them or if we stand by 
quietly as they deceive themselves.
  Hard-core partisans on both sides will tell you that their party is 
blameless and that the other party is the only one that engages in 
deception. But the truth is, there are people in both parties who have 
made an industry of it.
  I have faith in the American people to eventually put a stop to this, 
but we here in this body also have a responsibility to truth. After 
all, it is the only thing that truly sets us free.

                          ____________________