[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 181 (Friday, December 6, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6429-H6435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BIDDING FAREWELL TO CONGRESS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, over most of the past decade, each time I
boarded a plane to head to D.C., I would write a note to my kids,
Sophie and Aven, to explain to them why I was leaving and what I would
be working on while I was gone.
My kids were three and six when I started here, and when they were
little, my letters were elementary: ``This week, I will be working for
more jobs in our region.''
My letters always ended with: ``Be good. I love you.''
Later, as they became older, my notes to them became more
complicated, covering all sorts of things, from Russia's invasion to
Ukraine, to immigration reform, to the intricacies of the congressional
appropriations process. Even as they became more complicated, a common
thread in each of those letters was this: I tried to communicate to
them that I was trying to work every day to make things better for
their generation and for their country.
Mr. Speaker, today, as I prepared to give these final remarks on the
House floor, I sent my kids this note, and with your permission, I will
read it.
I wrote:
Sophie and Aven--After 20 years total in public service and
the last 12 years in Congress, I have had a lot of people ask
me what I have learned.
Honestly, I have learned a lot.
I have learned that my left knee handles the aisle seat way
better than the middle or the window.
I have learned where the best cups of coffee, the best
tacos, the best burgers, and the best bathrooms are in
Washington's Sixth Congressional District.
I have learned more lyrics to more songs driving around our
district than anyone could imagine and certainly more than my
staff cared to hear me sing.
But I have also learned some valuable lessons, and today,
kids, I want to share with you some of the things I have
learned.
I have learned the importance of knowing your why.
As you guys know, I grew up in the district that I
represent, in Port Angeles.
When I was in high school, it was right around the time the
timber industry took it on the chin, and a lot of my friends'
parents lost their jobs, and a lot of my neighbors lost their
jobs. It had a big impact on me.
So I went off to college, and my senior thesis was focused
on how to help timber towns in Washington State. When I went
to grad school, my doctoral dissertation focused on
challenges facing single-industry communities. I looked at
mining towns in the U.K. and timber towns in Washington,
trying to figure out what to do when the main industry that
is the reason for a community's existence declines.
While I was always interested in our democracy, I didn't
know I was going to run for office. I was working in economic
development, and, honestly, I just got grumpy. I found myself
saying: Our ability to grow jobs in this region is surely
impacted by what government does and doesn't do.
Finally, some of my friends said: Well, you seem like you
have a lot of good ideas, and you sure complain a lot. Why
don't you go do something about it?
The next thing I knew, I was serving in the State
legislature.
Then, about 12-\1/2\ years ago, my predecessor, Norm Dicks,
who has been and continues to be an extraordinary friend and
mentor to me, called me and said: In an hour, I am going to
announce that I am not running again, and you should figure
out whether this is something you want to do.
The chance to create more economic opportunity for more
people in more places was the main reason I came here.
That is my why.
I came to Congress because I wanted to grow jobs and help
the area where I grew up.
It has been the honor of my life getting to represent my
hometown and our entire region. Whether it has been helping
folks get access to broadband or securing funding for ports,
fighting for our community hospitals, delivering funds to
address flooding, securing investments to restore Puget
Sound, or helping ensure that the Federal Government lives up
to its trust and treaty obligations, I have been honored to
work for our region. I would like to hope that the work that
I have done has provided more opportunity for folks who
deserve it.
Part of that effort involved taking some of the findings of
my doctoral dissertation and some smart ideas from some other
folks and turning them into legislation called the RECOMPETE
Act, legislation to provide flexible, multiyear support to
communities that are struggling. I am really proud that we
got this bill included in the CHIPS and Science Act, and I am
proud that it has become the most popular program in the
history of the Economic Development Administration, getting
565 applications from 49 States.
Out of the 565 applications, there were 6 that got large-
scale implementation grants,
[[Page H6430]]
and one of the 6 was for the region where I grew up. How cool
is that?
What are the takeaways?
Well, first, apparently, I am really slow. It took me more
than 20 years to do something with my doctoral dissertation,
but, most importantly, I never forgot my why.
Sophie and Aven--Whatever you do in your life, I hope you
find your why. I hope you are able to find something that
gives you as much drive as helping my hometown gave me.
Mr. Speaker, I also wrote my kids the following:
Sophie and Aven--I have also learned about the importance
of being a steward. I want to encourage you to care about
your country, your community, and the organizations that you
are a part of.
Tearing things down is easy. Building things up is hard.
In a commencement speech delivered in 1968 at Cornell University,
former Secretary John Gardner spoke about the importance of
stewardship. He spoke of the importance of people being what he called
loving critics of the institutions and communities in which they work,
and he spoke of two concerns.
Sometimes, he said, institutions and communities suffer from what he
called uncritical lovers, folks who went about their business
smothering their institutions with love without thinking about how to
improve them.
Functional organizations and successful communities want to get
better.
Gardner also said that institutions and communities suffered from
unloving critics, people who treat an institution like the pinata at
the party.
I see that a lot in my job. The most popular thing a politician can
do is bash Congress, and if it is done in a way that is focused on
demolition rather than on improvement, that is a problem, too.
So why do I mention this? Well, John Gardner sounded that alarm 56
years ago, and the alarm is ringing louder now.
According to recent polling, faith in our institutions is at a
historically low point. I am not just talking about Congress--which,
according to recent polling, is less popular than head lice,
colonoscopies, and the rock band Nickelback--but, according to recent
polling, a majority of Americans no longer view institutions of higher
education as forces for good.
Fewer and fewer Americans have faith in public schools. Less than one
in five have faith in newspapers and in news media in general. Faith in
business is at the lowest point it has been since Gallup began polling
that question. Heck, even organized religion has taken a hit. You know
you are in trouble when we are losing faith in faith.
What does it mean for us? It means all of us--we, all of us--need to
be better stewards. Each of us needs to be a loving critic of our
community and of the organizations and institutions about which we
care.
For me, it has meant trying to make Congress better. That is why I
became chair of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress,
which was nicknamed the fix-Congress committee. We showed that Congress
can do things better when folks checked their partisan agendas at the
door and just focused on working together. The Democrats and
Republicans on that committee were loving critics of Congress.
We did things differently, to sit not by party, not on a dais, but
around a round table, sitting next to someone from a different party.
We had one staff, not separate Republican and Democratic staffs. We
broke bread together and planned the work of the committee together,
and it helped.
Our committee, in the midst of Presidential elections, pandemics,
insurrections, and other chaos, managed to pass 202 recommendations to
make Congress function better for the American people. At this point,
over half of them have been implemented. Another quarter are on their
way toward implementation.
Now someone can look at our record and say: Well, hey, bang-up job,
pal. Clearly, Congress is fixed.
Obviously, that is not the case, although I am reminded of a
conversation I had right there on the House floor with the House
Chaplain during the 15th or so round of votes for Speaker of the House.
I saw her here on the House floor, and I said: Pray harder.
She put her hand on my elbow, and she said: Just imagine how bad
things would be in this place if I wasn't praying so hard.
So that is sort of how I look at the work of the Select Committee on
the Modernization of Congress. I think that, over time, you are going
to see some positive change within this institution because of that
work.
I feel lucky that I got to work with some loving critics of the
institution, such as William Timmons and Tom Graves. I want to thank
them for being collaborators, partners, and friends.
I also appreciate the efforts of Stephanie Bice and Joe Morelle, who
want to see the efforts to improve Congress continue.
I thank Speaker Emerita Pelosi for her vision in creating the Select
Committee on the Modernization of Congress and for her faith in me to
serve as its chair. It has been such an honor to get to learn from her
throughout my time in Congress.
I also got to work with amazing committee staff, such as Yuri
Beckelman, who has an infectious enthusiasm for making the institution
better; Derek Harley, who, over the last 4 years, has spent more time
than anyone I know working to improve Congress; Allie Neill and Jake
Olson, who built the committee from the ground up; and Marian
Currinder, who brought more content knowledge on Congress than anyone.
It takes special people to try new things, and I applaud all of the
committee staff for the courage and commitment to that cause.
We were also blessed to work with a cohort of nonprofits and think
tanks and academics who have dedicated their time and energy to making
government work better, and their work matters.
{time} 1145
To state the obvious, there is a lot more work to do there. We are
better than our current politics. I feel so lucky to have been partners
with them, and I sure hope to continue to partner with them down the
road.
Sophie and Aven, I have tried to be a loving critic of this
institution. I hope you will find a way to play that role in our
democracy as well as steward the places and organizations that you care
about.
Mr. Speaker, I wrote my kids that I have learned that we are
incredibly fortunate to live in one of the most special places on the
planet. A lot of the work I have done has been focused on being
stewards of those places, and I feel so grateful to have had amazing
partners in that work. We are blessed to have the most extraordinary
national park on Earth, with places like the Hoh Rain Forest and
Hurricane Ridge. We are fortunate to have folks who work for the Park
Service as stewards of those treasures.
We are fortunate to have the United States Navy in our community. Our
community is stronger because of the patriots who serve this Nation and
call our community home. They bring their service ethic, skills,
community pride, and pride as Americans to our community. We must be
stewards for them and make investments in our naval shipyards to ensure
that they can continue to keep our servicemembers and country safe.
We are fortunate to be home to more military veterans than nearly any
other place in our country, and, again, we are stronger for that. If
someone serves this country, we should have their back. I am grateful
for the folks at the VA and all the veterans service organizations who
do that work.
We are fortunate to have communities with local leaders, county and
municipal elected officials and staff, port districts, public utility
districts, chambers of commerce, economic development councils, and
many others. There are too many to name, but they have been my friends
and partners, and together, we have navigated a pandemic, built
affordable housing, supported local businesses, and worked to make our
communities safer and more vibrant. We have worked to fix flooding in
Grays Harbor and to fix traffic problems in Gorst. We have stood up a
forest collaborative to try to manage our forests in a way that works
better.
Mr. Speaker, these partners are stewards. They are my friends, and I
am grateful for them.
[[Page H6431]]
I wrote: Sophie and Aven, we have also worked to recover Puget Sound.
We are fortunate to have this natural treasure that has supported
livelihoods and lives for generations. We are fortunate to have a group
of stewards that are fighting to help it.
Paramount among those stewards are our Tribal partners. We are
fortunate to have 12 Native American Tribes who call Washington's Sixth
Congressional District home. They are extraordinary stewards who think
seven generations into the future.
I have worked with our Tribal partners on efforts to combat the
climate crisis and to deal with its impacts as they try to move to
higher ground, to strengthen Tribal healthcare and housing options, and
on so many initiatives. The Tribal leaders in our region have been my
friends and partners. They have taught me so much, and personally, I
feel fortunate to consider them my friends.
Sophie and Aven, one of the lessons I have learned is that the boat
moves best when everyone has their oars in the water rowing in the same
direction. You get further with partners, and I am so grateful to every
constituent who has been a partner in the work of our office.
Sophie and Aven, there are other things I have learned. I have
learned that we have work to do to protect this amazing democratic
Republic. When I say ``we,'' I mean all of us.
President Kennedy said: ``In a democracy, every citizen, regardless
of his interest in politics, `holds office'; every one of us is in a
position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of
government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities.''
To me, that is a reminder that we are not observers in this
democracy. We are participants in it.
How is that going? An NBC News poll found that 70 percent of
Americans agreed with this statement: America is so divided it is now
incapable of solving big problems, and the problem is getting worse.
There was a battleground poll last year that found that, on a scale
of 0 to 100, with 0 being no conflict and 100 being civil war,
Americans put us at a 70. The median was a 70. That is the highest on
record. That means, on average, Americans believe we are more than two-
thirds of the way to civil war.
I visited a YMCA in our district thinking they wanted to talk to me
about gymnasiums struggling from the pandemic. Instead, they wanted to
talk to me about conflicts breaking out at the Y due to politics.
I don't think we just need to accept that. None of us should throw up
our hands and say, well, I guess that is just life in 2024. We just
won't solve any big problems and just hate each other and worry about
getting punched out on the elliptical at the gym. We need to figure out
how to engage folks we disagree with.
To that end, I introduced a bill called the Building Civic Bridges
Act to support local efforts to bridge divides, to train AmeriCorps
members in the skills related to bridge building, and to support
colleges and universities that are doing work in this space. I hope
Congress will eventually pass it.
We are even trying to do some of the bridge building in Congress. I
am a co-chair of a group called the Bipartisan Working Group, which is
about a dozen Democrats and a dozen Republicans who meet regularly over
breakfast to just try to find some common ground.
I don't want to mislead you all into thinking that we are all sitting
around the table and holding hands and singing ``Kumbaya'' or closing
our eyes and doing trust falls into each other's arms. We stopped doing
that after we dropped a guy. But I do find myself thinking that the
work we are doing in the Bipartisan Working Group, the challenging work
of trying to solve problems together, is something we need to see more
of, not just in Congress, but in our country, too.
I am grateful to my colleagues who are part of that group,
particularly Scott Peters and my friends Andy Barr, Jack Bergman, and
John Rutherford, who have been great partners from the Republican
Conference.
There are also civil society organizations, academics, and
individuals trying to bring folks together to foster understanding,
dialogue, and collaboration across our diverse communities to build
bridges. I am really grateful to them. I am hopeful that their work
will help us live up to our national motto, ``E pluribus unum,'' ``Out
of many, one.''
Just yesterday, former President Obama said: ``If you want to create
lasting change, you have to find ways to practice addition rather than
subtraction.''
Sophie and Aven, I hope you will do the hard work of trying to bridge
divides. We all have choices about whether we exacerbate polarization
or bring people together. We do better when we listen to people, when
we choose to go into conversations understanding that we may be wrong
and others may be right, when we respect people even when we disagree
with them, when we show empathy when we are trying to bridge those
divides.
Sophie and Aven, we are going to rely on your generation to help us
heal.
Sophie and Aven, I have learned the value of having an amazing team.
You have been there when I have been asked by people, ``What are you
proudest of during your time in Congress?'' You have always heard me
give the exact same response, ``I am proudest of my team.''
A lot of the success that I have shared with you wouldn't have been
possible without the tremendous team I have had. From the beginning, I
had an office led by Jonathan Smith in D.C. and by Meadow Johnson in
the district. They, and the rest of the team, got us off to a great
start. They had vision and hustle that set the tone for us.
Over time, Joe Dacca became my district director. Whether we were
visiting the naval shipyard, rooting for the Huskies, or listening to
80's tunes circumnavigating the Olympic Peninsula, Joe was an amazing
partner.
Rachel Kelly was a top-notch chief while I chaired the New Dems and
the modernization committee. She was a tremendous leader for our team,
especially during the tumult of the pandemic.
It was such a pleasure for me to watch the growth of Andrea Roper,
who started as an intern on my campaign, became scheduler in my
district office, and went on to become our district director and deputy
chief of staff. She is a terrific professional, and I am proud of her.
Heather Painter and our policy team have been tenacious about getting
pucks into the net for our constituents. Heather is so talented. In
fact, I won the lottery with talented leg. directors.
In addition to Heather, we had Katie Allen, who was a wizard on
environmental issues and knew so much about salmon recovery and
managing healthy forests.
We had Aaron Wasserman, who laid the foundation for our work with the
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
My first LD, Kevin Warnke, always engaged with a strategic mind and
with kindness.
I am grateful for every person who worked on our policy team over the
years.
I have had such excellent team members who helped us communicate with
our constituents: Stephen, Tim, Jason, Martha, and Ian, who led the
way.
We had amazing schedulers in D.C. and in the district who made sure
we always made time for our constituents, including Jolie and Tory, who
are here today. I am grateful to each of them.
Cheri Williams has dedicated her life to helping our constituents and
has had a talented group of caseworkers, including our longtime team
member, Chantell Munoz. They have done so much good for so many people
that I could spend my entire time telling stories of the wins they have
gotten for the people we represent.
Sophie and Aven, I have had folks in the district, people you kids
have met at events over the years, including, currently, Courtney,
Haley, and Stephanie, and folks like Nicholas, Rob, Katy, MaryJane,
Judith, and others who served our constituents for a long time and who
have made sure we were available, accessible, and accountable to our
constituents.
My current chief of staff, Andrew Wright, is everything Americans
should want in their public servants: ethical, kind, visionary, someone
who hustles, someone who looks for wins for the American people. In
every role he has been in on our team, he has been just awesome. I am
grateful for him.
I can't name everyone, but every person who worked on our team is
worthy
[[Page H6432]]
of gratitude. Over the years, I have had absolutely outstanding folks
who have worked in my district and D.C. offices, and I am so grateful
for that and the fact that, without exception, they have focused on
doing the right thing for our constituents.
I also thank the Irwin family for sharing their daughter Kate with
us. Though Kate passed away a few years ago, I think about her often
and have told colleagues and staffers her wise words during one of our
last times together. She said, ``This isn't have-to-do stuff; this is
get-to-do stuff.'' She was an amazing young woman who made a very big
difference in far too short a time.
I thank each and every team member who served the people of
Washington's Sixth Congressional District during my time in office.
Together, we made a real difference.
Sophie and Aven, whatever you do in your life, I hope you have a team
as good as I have had--people who work hard, who do the right thing,
and who care.
Sophie and Aven, it is good to have a crew. You have heard more about
the New Democrat Coalition than most Americans and certainly than most
teenagers. I was honored to serve as leader in the New Dems throughout
my tenure in Congress, including serving as chair.
The New Dems are the best kept secret in politics, a group of
pragmatic, problem-solving Democrats who chase impact more than
headlines. Simply put, they are focused on getting things done for the
American people. Politics could use more of that.
I thank Ron Kind and Jim Himes for being mentors to me in that
coalition as well as the New Dem staff, including former staff members
like J.D. Grom and current leaders like Anne Sokolov and Leighton Huch,
among others. I also thank Helen Milby, who has been the fairy
godmother of the New Dems and an amazing friend to me.
Beyond that, I assure you that you can even find friends in the most
unusual places, even in Congress. When I got to Congress, I was told,
if you want a friend in this place, get a dog. I feel very lucky that
my experience hasn't been like that at all.
Sophie and Aven, I am proud that you can sing the Ami Bera song and
you know that he is a delight to travel with, that you speak of Scott
Peters like he is a superhero, and in many ways, he is. I am proud that
you can do the Dan Kildee handshake and that you know that he is an
amazing roommate who has been with me on the toughest days here. I am
proud that you know what to do for Adam Schiff when you see the Dave
Grohl autobiography and that you watched ``The Big Lebowski'' to honor
him and his courageous leadership.
I am proud that you are wowed by friends like Abigail and Mikie, who
are former CIA agents and helicopter pilots and who have such bright
futures; that you know Jim Himes hosts a great dinner party and that
when I met him, I told you that I would at least have one friend in
Congress; that you know that Lori Trahan can get me to laugh on even
the roughest of days; that you know Pete Aguilar and I get into trouble
when we sit next to each other at events, and that institution is
stronger because Pete is one of its greatest leaders with a bright
disposition, a willingness to have tough conversations on both sides of
the aisle, and a passion for service.
Sophie and Aven, I am sort of tickled that when I read this note to
you on the House floor, it will formally enter into the Congressional
Record the names ``Back Row Hecklers,'' ``Rusty Butterknives,'' and
``The Indespicables'' into the Congressional Record.
But whatever we call them, they are people I have broken bread with,
talked about the world's problems with, been through a whole lot
personally with, and I want each of them to know how grateful I am for
them, for their friendship. Though I am moving on from Congress, I am
confident I am not moving on from my friendships with them.
I appreciate my plane buddies, particularly Suzan DelBene, Adam
Smith, Dan Newhouse, and Marilyn Strickland, who, in addition to
being great leaders and partners, often made the time go faster on what
really is a long flight. They have been amazing partners in standing up
for our State.
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge my former roommate and
former colleague, Denny Heck, who is a great Lieutenant Governor and a
dear friend who often shared his warm almonds with me on the plane.
I am thankful to the class of 2012 in Congress. What a dynamic group
of people. Included among them are Hakeem Jeffries and Katherine Clark,
both of whom are dear friends and stewards of this institution.
Outside of Congress, I have had an amazing support system of friends
and family. I am grateful, Sophie and Aven, to your Uncles Ryan and
Jason and to your grandparents. They have instilled in me an ethic of
service and have supported me throughout. My mom and dad taught me the
value of education and the importance of thinking before you spell, and
they taught me one word--family.
{time} 1200
Tim, Ryan, and Ray are the definition of friends, being there when I
most needed a hand and spending a very long day with me.
Turi Widsteen has been my longest friend, and her family has been
important to me for decades.
Andy Weinstein and Jon Goldman, my college roommates, with whom I
have shared music and laughter and ups and downs, have been there from
the beginning.
Sue and Chad have been rays of sunshine while working in a place that
occasionally needs more sunshine.
I enjoy thinking about leadership, asking all of the questions, and
visiting Abe at the Lincoln Memorial with Lauren.
I want to voice special gratitude to J.J. Balaban, who has been the
most extraordinary adviser and friend a guy could ask for. I would not
have served in Congress had it not been for his advice and help. Since
I get to put this into the Congressional Record, I want to say this: I
love you, J.
I have learned how lucky I am to have such good friends.
Finally, Sophie and Aven, I have learned how lucky I am to be your
dad. I am grateful to you both. You were 3 and 6 when I was elected to
this job. You are now 15 and 18. Over the years, you have come with me
to fairs and festivals, parades and party events. You have met two
Presidents and even talked about SpongeBob SquarePants with President
Obama in the Oval Office. I hope some of those experiences are amazing
memories for you, just as they are for me.
Having said that, as nourishing as this job has been, in some
respects I know it has come with profound costs for our family. Every
theatrical performance and musical recital I missed, every family
dinner I wasn't there for all had an impact on our family.
I thank your mom for supporting me personally and professionally. I
thank her for supporting our family during some tough times,
particularly when I was in Washington, D.C. Though our marriage didn't
last, my gratitude to her does.
Sophie and Aven, I am conscious that I didn't always deliver in the
way I wanted, and I hope you will forgive me for that. I hope you know
that I was really trying my best to make the world better for you and
for your generation.
I want you to know how proud of you I am. You are informed. You are
inquisitive. You can walk into a room of adults and make conversation
about the events of the world. You have learned to use your voices in
powerful ways. You can study politics or be involved in JROTC, and
people see you as leaders.
You have become terrific citizens in a way that makes me proud, that
would make your oma proud.
I remember sitting right over there in January of 2013 when I was
sworn into this body. Aven didn't last long, but Sophie sat by my side
when I got sworn in. When the ceremony was over, Sophie, you looked at
me and said: Why was that supposed to be special?
I hope, after 12 years of service in Congress, you see that this was
special, that the capacity to work to try to solve problems for our
region is, indeed, a special honor. I hope, despite personal setbacks
and frustrations with our politics, you come away with hope.
As I wrap up two decades in public service, I am so grateful for the
people of the Sixth Congressional District for
[[Page H6433]]
giving me the honor of representing them. As I conclude this role on
their behalf, I am hopeful.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once wrote:
Optimism and hope are not the same thing. Optimism is the
belief that things are going to get better. Hope is the
belief that if we work hard enough, together, we can make
things better.
He also wrote:
It needs no courage to be an optimist, but it does take a
great deal of courage to hope.
Sophie and Aven, the task ahead for each of us, myself included,
though soon from outside this building, is to be a part of that, to
work together to make things better, to have hope.
Sophie and Aven, have hope. Be good. I love you.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan, Dan Kildee, my
friend.
I am Honored to have Served Mid-Michigan in Congress
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank my friend and
colleague, Mr. Kilmer.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the House for the last time as a
Member of this historic symbol of our democracy.
It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve my hometown and the
people of mid-Michigan in Congress. I am so grateful to my constituents
for putting their trust and faith in me to represent them for the last
12 years.
Every day that I have been in public service, I have been focused on
doing what I can to improve the lives of the people back home. I am so
very proud of the work that we have been able to accomplish together to
make Michigan a better place.
I am particularly proud of what we have done to revitalize our
manufacturing base and to bring jobs back to this country. As I have
said a few times in this Chamber, I am from Flint, my hometown, so I
know firsthand about how unfair trade deals and the lack of industrial
policy has hurt working families in the communities that I represent.
In Congress, I got to work. As a member of the Ways and Means
Committee, I helped to replace NAFTA with a better deal for America's
workers. Under a Democratic Congress, we passed new laws like the CHIPS
and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the bipartisan
infrastructure law to incentivize us to make things in America. Those
manufacturing policies strengthen our manufacturing and our U.S. supply
chains. The real important aspect of that is it has grown our local
economy.
These laws have worked. Already in mid-Michigan, we have seen major
companies expand and invest like SK siltron in Bay City, Hemlock
Semiconductor in Saginaw, and NanoGraf right in my home county, Genesee
County. These companies are hiring hundreds of workers to produce
American-made semiconductors, advanced manufacturing chips, and
electric battery materials to help ensure that America leads the way in
manufacturing in the 21st century.
To lower costs for families, again, I got to work passing new laws to
put more money in the pockets of hardworking Michiganians. We authored
the electric vehicle tax credit. We expanded the child tax credit to
lower costs. In fact, I consider the refundable tax credit, the child
tax credit, to be perhaps the best vote I have cast in my career in
public office.
We all come to Congress with our own priorities. Revitalizing mid-
Michigan manufacturing was certainly one of mine. The beauty of public
service is that we are always learning something new from the people
that we work for, from our constituents.
I am very grateful to advocates in my district who first educated me
on one of those issues, and that is the issue of PFAS contamination,
chemical contamination. Today, most Americans now know the dangers of
PFAS to their health and the environment, but back then when we first
got started on this, most Members of Congress couldn't even spell PFAS,
let alone know what it is.
I first heard from constituents like Cathy Wusterbarth and Tony
Spaniola about water quality issues in Oscoda, and we got to work
urging faster cleanup of PFAS contamination surrounding the former
Wurtsmith Air Force Base.
I helped establish with my friend, Brian Fitzpatrick, the first
Congressional PFAS Task Force, which brought together Democrats and
Republicans around this issue to more urgently address a real public
health threat and to ensure that those exposed, and especially our
servicemembers, have access to the healthcare that they deserve.
Finally, after years of advocacy, we have made progress. This year,
the Biden administration announced the first-ever drinking water
standard for PFAS and designated certain PFAS chemicals as hazardous
substances to ensure the polluters, not taxpayers, have to pay to clean
up that contamination.
There is a lot more work we have to do to deal with cleanup of PFAS
chemicals, but I am proud of what we have done and I am proud that we
have done it by working together in a bipartisan fashion. I look
forward to watching what my colleagues will do to continue to address
this really important public health issue.
Of course, throughout my time in Congress, the issue of clean
drinking water has defined much of my work. In the richest country on
the planet, at the richest moment in its history, drinking water should
be something that is a right, not a privilege.
One of my really proudest accomplishments here in Congress was
working to provide real relief to Flint families during that terrible
Flint water crisis. I worked to replace those lead pipes, expand
healthcare services, and to establish the Flint Registry, which gives
access to ongoing support for the long-term effects of that terrible
crisis.
What happened in my hometown wasn't an anomaly. It was a warning to
the rest of the country that we have got to be serious about
commonsense regulations to protect public health. From the moment that
that manmade crisis began, I knew we had to get to work.
Throughout the crisis, I organized numerous delegations of Members of
Congress to come to my hometown of Flint. Democrats and Republicans
responded. They came and met directly with the families affected by
this terrible crisis. They learned about the decisions that led to the
crisis in the first place, and they helped build support for Federal
action.
I brought President Obama to Flint to hold a townhall with the
families affected. For over 2 years, I worked with the Obama
administration to expand Medicaid, Head Start, and healthy nutrition
programs for families that really needed those supports because of the
exposure to lead.
Because of that work, in 2016, despite the fact that then, like now,
I was serving in the minority, I was able to secure $170 million in an
aid package to help replace those terrible lead service lines, to
create the Flint Registry, and to expand healthcare services.
I will be forever grateful to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, then our
Democratic leader, who recognized that a Republican majority needed
Democratic votes to pass a year-end budget bill, and she deputized me
to go finish the deal. She sent me directly over to meet with Speaker
Ryan, and we were able to include that single Democratic priority in
that budget bill that provided the aid to the families of Flint.
As I also prepare to leave Congress, I am frequently asked, what will
I miss the most. It is not hard to list the things I won't miss. It is
also not tough to list those things I will miss the most: the
friendships that I have made in this body. I thank my colleagues.
First and foremost, to Michigan's congressional delegation, it has
been a real honor to be the dean of our Democratic delegation and to
work alongside our two great Senators, Senator Debbie Stabenow and
Senator Gary Peters and to previously be able to work with one of my
mentors, the late Senator Carl Levin. We came together to protect the
Great Lakes, to support the hardworking men and women of the auto
industry, and to clean up that terrible PFAS contamination that I
mentioned.
Specifically, to Speaker Pelosi, a masterful legislator, a masterful
tactician: Simply put there is no one better in this business or who I
have learned more from. I thank her for never forgetting about the
people of Flint and always fighting for America's children, to give a
punch and to take a punch for those kids. She has done that her whole
career.
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is a true and honest friend, a
classmate
[[Page H6434]]
from our 2012 class. We often joke about how the term ``my good
friend'' is tossed about in this body pretty loosely, but he is an
honest and true friend and an incredible leader for our House
Democratic Caucus. I thank him for the trust that he placed in me to
serve in the House Democratic leadership and to serve as the co-chair
of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
Hakeem and I came to Congress together, along with an amazing group
of people in 2012. They are all friends. We share a special bond. I am
especially grateful to three members of my class--one of whom you just
heard from--who are not just friends but became my roommates over the
years: Jared Huffman from California; of course, Derek Kilmer, my buddy
from Washington State; and Ami Bera, also from California. They have
not only been roommates, but in that role have helped me get through
some of the good times. They also were there as a listening ear to help
me get through some of the really tough personal challenges that I
faced during my time here in Congress. These are friendships that will
last forever.
There are other groups--the baseball team, the guys in the corner,
and the indespicables--Congressman Kilmer mentioned them. We will
explain that off the record. Two of them are here, Derek Kilmer, of
course, and Adam Schiff, a group that we have been able to bond over
and strategize with and sometimes just listen to one another. Those
friendships will go on and on. Even though Adam is moving over to the
Senate, I expect he will still remember our names.
To my chairman, Richie Neal, the chairman of the oldest, and what I
think to be the most powerful committee in Congress, the Ways and Means
Committee, serving on that committee, especially under the leadership
of Richie Neal has been some of the most meaningful work of my career:
to pass fair trade deals, to cut the cost of insulin, to protect Social
Security and Medicare and to cut taxes for working families, and
especially expanding that child tax credit.
{time} 1215
Mr. Speaker, it has been one of the greatest honors of my lifetime,
of course, to work with the people here.
One of them was a special friend, a person who I was very fortunate
to get to know first as a person I admired from a distance but then
became a colleague and a true friend. I am, of course, talking about
the late John Lewis.
I remember when we first got here how many times we would say to one
another: As rough as it was, aren't we lucky we get to go to work every
day with John Lewis?
I remember literally sitting on the floor here when John led an
effort to call attention to gun violence. It is the kind of good
trouble that John was known for. I was happy to participate in that
moment, never fully understanding until recently what devastating
impact the pain of gun violence can have on families across the
country. I am now one of those families. I didn't know it then.
I got to call John Lewis for the last few months of his life every
single time that we had a vote on the floor of the House because he
designated me to cast his vote for him during the COVID proxy rules. He
was too ill to be here.
He gave me this incredible gift to vote for myself and Michigan's
Fifth District and then to come to that podium and announce to this
Congress that I was about to cast a vote on behalf of the gentleman
from Georgia's Fifth District, John Lewis. The person known most for
the precious right to vote gave me a gift I will carry with me for the
rest of my life, and that was the opportunity to carry his vote to the
floor of this House.
I thank my extended family, really, my staff. To the dozens of team
members, the past and present members of my crew, thanks for your hard
work, for your dedication. I have really had the most talented and
selfless team, dedicated D.C. and district staff, I could have ever
hoped for. They pour their hearts, their souls, and themselves into
this work.
I have often told my staff that, while I carry the voting card and
wear this pin on my lapel, they serve in Congress. They have done that
extraordinarily well.
I especially thank my longtime chief of staff, Mitchell Rivard, who
has been with me not just since my campaign but who came to work for me
even when I launched my campaign in 2011. He has been with me ever
since, on the good days and on the days that were not so good, like
being sworn in for first time. Then, he and I were both here in the
Capitol on that terrible day, January 6. He has become like family. He
has done an outstanding job leading my team, and I am excited for the
great things that each of my team members will accomplish as they move
forward.
Mitchell and my district director, Jacob Bennett, were with me from
the day I came to Congress until the day we packed up the office to go
home. The country is really fortunate that they will both continue to
serve in this institution.
I want to thank a couple of my other team members who were with me
for most of my time here, Jordan Dickinson and Ghada Alkiek, who I have
known since they were probably too young to vote. They have been an
important part of this experience for me.
I said many times that while I have been elected to lots of different
public roles, I have never felt I changed jobs. I just got different
business cards and a different toolbox to do my work because my job
responsibilities have been the same, which are serving, working for,
and representing those people who I work for.
I was first elected to public office when I was 18 years old. Five
decades later--hard to believe--I continue to love public service and
believe that this important work is that, important and honorable
service.
For me, it is time to go home. As I reflect on my time in Congress, I
am thinking about the future. I am excited to see that Michigan has
elected to be represented by a soon-to-be new Member of Congress,
Kristen McDonald Rivet. I know Kristen. She will be a great,
commonsense, pragmatic leader for our area. I am especially proud that
I helped to elect the first woman ever to represent this district in
Congress.
While I am stepping back from public office at the end of my term, I
am most definitely not retiring. I am looking forward to a new chapter,
continuing to serve Flint and that region but just outside of elected
office.
I have a lot of friends to thank for helping me get here, and it is
impossible for me to list all of them. I do want to mention one of
them.
Larry Rosenthal would have turned 62 today. He has been my friend for
almost 40 years, my closest political adviser, my confidant. We lost
Larry over the summer. I wouldn't have been a Member of Congress
without him. I wouldn't have been as successful as a Member of Congress
without him being at my side, and he was there every step of the way.
He really was family.
To my family, especially my wife, Jennifer, I say thank you. She has
stood by me and given up the most through my public service here. I
know, at least I think, she will be glad that I will be home full time.
She has put up with a lot.
Thank you, Jennifer.
She has done so while having to deal with her own health struggles.
She is my hero.
I am grateful to my kids, to my son Ryan, my daughter-in-law, Ginger,
and their children, the two most perfect grandchildren to ever occupy
the Earth, Caitlin and Colin.
To my son Kenneth, who lives in New York, and my daughter, Katy, they
have put up with my schedule. They have given me the reason and the
inspiration to continue to fight on. They have supported and defended
me, even when the unfair critics chose to take their grievances to them
instead of directly to me.
To my mom, Margaret, my greatest defender, and my late father, Jack,
I thank you for all you did to make this journey possible. I was happy
to look into this gallery 12 years ago and to see you as I took this
oath of office. I miss my dad every day, but I know, when I watched
them up there, how proud he was. Thinking of that day still makes me
smile.
To my siblings, most especially my late brother, Tim, who we
tragically lost this past March, they and their families were always a
part of this experience, so much that one of my former staff, Ghada
Alkiek, once
[[Page H6435]]
coined the term the B.I.C. for my family, the Built-In Crowd.
My family has endured a lot. I wouldn't be who I am, and we couldn't
endure the recent pain our family has experienced, without one another.
Of course, I want to mention my late uncle, Dale Kildee, my
predecessor in Congress, a mentor and a teacher to me since childhood.
He was a man who set an example, an example that I have tried to live
up to, that you can fight hard for the things you believe in and still
respect the human dignity of everybody around you, even those with whom
you disagree.
Thank you, Dale, for that lesson. Congress needs to heed your example
now more than ever, and that lesson has been tested even on me. I still
remember the chair I sat in and the wall I hid myself behind on January
6, knowing that some of the people who I share this Chamber with
contributed to the necessary precondition for that attack.
I have not been able to look at them the same. I have tried to take
the lessons that my uncle provided me and continue to treat those
people with dignity. It has been a challenge, but it is one I believe I
have been able to overcome. I encourage future Congresses to continue
to look at Dale Kildee as an example.
Mr. Speaker, I will end where I started, expressing my deepest and
most sincere gratitude to the people of my home communities and to the
people in Michigan. It has been an honor of a lifetime to be your
voice. I did my best. I will see you back home.
Now, Mr. Speaker, for the very final time, I yield back.
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