[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 110 (Friday, June 23, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E613-E614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING MIKE FLANNERY FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO JOURNALISM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 23, 2023

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Mike Flannery's 
distinguished career as a political reporter in Illinois and to 
congratulate him on his well-earned upcoming retirement from Fox 32-
Chicago. For decades, Illinois residents have relied on Mr. Flannery's 
sharp analysis to make sense of top political stories. Through his 
weekly television program, ``Flannery Fired Up,'' Illinois residents 
have come to trust Mr. Flannery as a voice of insight, fairness, and 
integrity.
  Mr. Flannery grew up in Washington D.C. in a family that understood 
the importance of public service and its demands. His father, a World 
War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, imparted on Mr. Flannery a 
sense of patriotism and a desire to find a career that benefitted 
others. Despite financial hardships, Mr. Flannery won a scholarship to 
attend Georgetown University, where he discovered a passion for 
journalism and became editor of the

[[Page E614]]

university's newspaper. Through his coursework, he became fascinated by 
the unique political culture of Chicago and Mayor Richard J. Daley's 
administration.
  After graduation, Mr, Flannery moved to Chicago and began his career 
in journalism covering politics and labor for the Chicago Sun Times, He 
built a reputation for integrity at a time when political corruption 
was a powerful force in Chicago politics. When Mr. Flannery 
transitioned to TV and joined WBBM-Channel 2 as Political Editor in 
1980, he brought his unique sensibility into viewer's living rooms.
  Over the course of Mr. Flannery's 50-year career, he has covered the 
administrations of ten Chicago mayors and eight Illinois governors with 
extraordinary insight and accuracy. Mr. Flannery's TV program has 
become a central stage for political discussion in Chicago, drawing 
countless elected officials and experts. His sharp questioning held 
powerful officials to account and provided context for the week's news 
for his loyal viewers, Behind the scenes, Mr. Flannery has been just as 
tireless in his pursuit of the facts, engaging regularly with community 
leaders and experts, even chasing politicians--sometimes literally--as 
he did when he jogged after former Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich in 
2010. Both on and off the air, Mr. Flannery has a record of 
relentlessly pursuing the truth on behalf of greater Chicago.
  Mr. Speaker, I extend immense gratitude to Mike Flannery for his 
invaluable contributions to political reporting, and I wish him well in 
his retirement. His dedication to the public service of informing 
Illinosans on the issues facing our state is commendable and he leaves 
behind a legacy of excellence in journalism.

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