[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6590-H6592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING RETIRING U.S. REP. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Tonko) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Walberg).
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate my friend, Cathy 
McMorris Rodgers.
  From taking on TikTok, as we have talked about, to boosting America's 
energy strategy, Chairwoman Rodgers has been our fearless leader for 
the last 4 years on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and as 
Conference chair before that.
  I am most thankful for her commitment to taking care of our Nation's 
children, all our children. Through her efforts on kids' online privacy 
and safety, as well as on improving health outcomes for babies, 
children, and mothers, her passion and hard work have never wavered.
  We are sad to see her go but wish her God's richest blessings in her 
next stage of life, for it is God who guided her good and principled 
representation of those she served.
  The State of Washington and her family are lucky to have her back. 
Maybe I would change that from lucky to blessed to have her back full 
time.
  Thank you, Madam Chair, for your years of service to this country, 
the committee, the God you serve, and Members like me who so 
appreciated your leadership. God bless you.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Allen).
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to stand here tonight with my 
colleagues to recognize Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her 
remarkable service to the United States Congress.
  When she was elected to Congress, Cathy was a Member of our 
leadership team, serving as the chair of the House Republic Conference. 
In the 115th Congress, she led our Conference's messaging machine as we 
delivered historic results for the American people including the best 
economy in our lifetime.
  Additionally, I have learned a great deal from Cathy's leadership on 
the House Committee on Energy and Commerce this Congress as she helped 
each Member fulfill our promises to reclaim American energy dominance, 
expand clean power generation, and improve transparency in our Nation's 
healthcare system.
  Above all else, I have cherished sharing our faith and fellowship 
during LEAD House over these past years.
  Your love of God and family and devotion to your Christian values is 
something we will miss in the next Congress. I am proud to call you my 
sister in the faith.
  May God bless you and your family as you embark on your next season 
in life. Sister, I love you dearly.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. 
Houchin).
  Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate my 
friend, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a dedicated leader whose two decades of 
service to Washington's Fifth Congressional District and our Nation 
have been truly exceptional.
  If I only had one word to describe Cathy, it would be trailblazer, 
and many people have said that yet tonight. She has been a great 
example of how it is possible to balance a demanding career in public 
service, while also being committed to her family.
  She was the 200th woman elected to Congress, the first female chair 
of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the first woman to have 
three children while serving in Congress. She embodies grace and 
resilience. She is kind and caring. She always desires to help others 
achieve success.
  Quite frankly, Cathy McMorris Rodgers is one of the driving reasons I 
stand in this Chamber today. Thank you.
  Those are not the only reasons or the only qualities that make her 
stand out. Her leadership as chair of the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce has been transformative. She has led efforts to advance energy 
security, promote healthcare innovation, and build a stronger, more 
competitive economy.
  We could go on and on tonight on her policy success. She has been a 
champion for rural communities, small businesses, and families. She has 
advocated for policies that reflect the values of the American people. 
Her legacy is one of tireless advocacy, principled leadership, and a 
deep commitment to improving the lives of others.
  It has been an honor to serve alongside Cathy and witness the 
incredible impact she has made while serving in Congress. While it is 
bittersweet and the Conference will miss her, we are overjoyed that she 
will spend more time with her beloved family, with Brian, Cole, Grace, 
and Brynn.
  Cathy, best wishes and congratulations. Thank you for your guidance 
and friendship. You have shown us all what true servant leadership 
looks like.

  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman (Ms. Tenney) from 
of New York.
  Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my great colleague from New York, 
Mr. Tonko. I really appreciate this honor.
  Mr. Speaker, you have heard so many wonderful things about our 
outgoing chairwoman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, or, as we like to call 
her, CMR. That is who she was when I first came into Congress.
  As you know, she served 20 years. She served honorably. She is an 
incredible mother. She has championed so many great policies.
  I would just like to say I call Cathy McMorris Rodgers a friend. I 
have to say this from my heart. I have never met another person on 
Earth who represents the godly qualities so important to serving in 
public office. She is honest, she has integrity, she has compassion, 
and she has charity. Those things are very rare, and she is going to be 
so missed with those qualities.
  She is also a true friend. True friends are hard to come by in 
Washington, D.C. She is one of those people who stands with you 
honestly and confidentially throughout the difficult times, throughout 
your good times.
  I am so grateful to Cathy McMorris Rodgers for everything she has 
done for me as a leader, everything she has done for our Nation, and 
the State of Washington.
  Another really important part of Cathy McMorris Rodgers that I am 
really going to miss is her son, Cole, who has been a dear friend of 
mine here when he comes to visit us in Washington. Cole has become a 
great friend and a wonderful inspiration for me. I know he inspires so 
many of us here in Congress and especially Cathy and her family.
  When Cole was here last, I was a little agitated about a couple of 
things. I got a little anxious. Cole said: Chill out.
  I think that is what Cathy will do when she retires next year. She is 
going to chill out for a little while. She will never stop serving our 
country, her State, our Nation, our world, her family, and our God.
  We are so grateful to you and for having you here. It has been a 
complete blessing to know you.
  There is never a better friend that I have ever met than Cathy 
McMorris Rodgers, our beloved CMR.
  I wish you and your family the best. You really are one in a billion, 
one in several billion on Earth. We thank you so much. Congratulations 
and thank you so much for your really honorable, wonderful service to 
our community.

                              {time}  1845

  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Weber).
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York 
for yielding, and I thank Congresswoman Harshbarger for doing this for 
us and for Cathy.
  Mr. Speaker, Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers exemplifies principled 
leadership. As chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, she has 
championed--you have heard about them--the policies that protect 
American families, secure energy independence, and foster innovation.
  Her deep commitment to her faith, her family, and the cause of 
freedom has been a guiding light, and her presence will undoubtedly 
leave a void here in Washington.

[[Page H6591]]

  I want to give you a personal insight from Randy Weber. She was the 
conference chair, I don't know, 4 years ago maybe, and she got some 
opposition when she was going to run for conference chair, from a 
woman. It was going to be a little tough. It was going to be a little 
tough on the Republican Conference, the Republican Members of Congress.
  Cathy very graciously stepped down and said she would not run, which 
left the seat open for the lady that did get the Republican Conference 
chair. That just shows that she has grace and she cared more about the 
conference than she cared about herself.
  Her deep commitment to her faith, her family, and the cause of 
freedom has been that kind of guiding light and undoubtedly is going to 
leave that void I talked about.
  Under Cathy's leadership, I have watched this committee tackle 
critical issues from affordable energy to healthcare challenges, making 
our Nation stronger.
  I was involved with about three Bible studies, and then I found out 
that Cathy McMorris Rodgers had one on Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. I 
said I am going to start going to that Bible study if she will let me. 
Unfortunately for her, she did. She let me in. I have watched her grow. 
I have watched her lead and pray for the Nation and pray for our 
friends on both sides of the aisle.
  Cathy's dedication to America, Washington's Fifth District, and her 
colleagues, all I can say to them and to us is that we have walking 
among our midst--if you read the Bible, book of Proverbs, chapter 31, 
we have a virtuous woman.
  Cathy, we are going to miss you in these Halls, but we are grateful 
that you were here. In the words of our Lord: Well done, thy good and 
faithful servant.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Lee).
  Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honor to be here, to 
get to recognize such an exemplary Member of Congress.
  Cathy McMorris Rodgers does all of the things that you could hope a 
Member of Congress would do, and she does them with integrity and 
incredible skill. She leads on policy, tackling some of the most 
challenging issues of our time. She is completely unafraid to confront 
an issue because it is complicated or because it is a political 
challenge. If it is the right thing to do, she will stand behind it and 
she has. She has been an example to all of us in that way.
  Equally important, she is an example to us of the type of person and 
the type of Member that we should all aspire to be. She is a spiritual 
leader to so many in Congress.
  You have heard mentioned already tonight not just of one Bible study 
but of numerous, because she ensures that she meets Members where they 
are and that each of us has an opportunity to have a friend, a partner, 
somebody to walk with in our own spiritual journey as we are here. That 
is so vital to this place and our relationships with one another.
  Everyone who knows her knows that she cares about her home and her 
family, and she is also an example to so many of us that we don't have 
to sacrifice that in order to serve here.
  When I was thinking about running for Congress and before I had 
decided whether I could, she was one of the people who stopped what she 
was doing to talk to me. She shared with me the story of her family and 
how she managed to do both this, to be a good, strong Member fighting 
for good policy and for her constituents, but also to remain a wife, a 
mother, a servant of God, and that all of those things could, in fact, 
be done at once. She made the case that, in fact, it was necessary to 
have people in this place who were willing to try to do all of those 
things well at the same time.
  There is no other person who I can think of who has done more to 
reach out, support, mentor, and help particularly new women who are 
Members of Congress. She has shown the way to do this and to do it 
well.
  I am so happy for her, for her family, for the people back home who 
get to have her more often. I will tell you this, for those of us who 
stay here in Washington, D.C., she will be dearly, dearly missed.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. 
Fulcher).
  Mr. FULCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my colleague and good 
friend, Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
  As chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congresswoman Rodgers 
not only delivered results for the American people but she helped me 
secure wins for Idahoans.
  Among many things, I am thankful for her commitment to boosting 
liquefied natural gas capacity in Idaho and the Northwest, for support 
of my bill to expand broadband solutions in rural Idaho, for her work 
in cracking down on China's surveillance of Americans' data, and for 
providing me with the opportunity to support building out the nuclear 
workforce, along with advancing legislation to issue a warning label on 
mobile apps owned by Communist China.
  It has been such a privilege to serve alongside such a respected and 
impactful leader. I join many in expressing my support and 
encouragement to you, Cathy, as you move forward to this next chapter 
of life.

  Most importantly, and my bottom-line message is, Washington State, 
the United States of America, and the United States Congress is all 
better because of you.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I believe that leaves the individual of focus 
this evening, the chairwoman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. 
Rodgers).
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, as I rise here tonight, yes, 
my heart is overflowing with gratitude. To all my colleagues, I thank 
you. I thank you for your friendship and your support. What an amazing 
institution the United States House of Representatives is.
  Part of my mission has been to restore trust and confidence in this 
institution because I believe it is so important in our Nation.
  To my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee and beyond, it 
really is great to be with you tonight.
  What an amazing journey for me, a farm kid, growing up and working 
alongside my brother and parents at our orchard and fruit stand in 
Kettle Falls, Washington, to walking the Halls of Congress, being 
elected the 200th woman ever to serve in this institution, and 
ultimately as the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
  I have truly lived the American Dream.
  To the people of eastern Washington, thank you. Thank you for putting 
your trust in me to be your voice in Congress for the past 20 years. 
Each person that I have met along the way influenced and inspired me in 
ways that I couldn't imagine. Serving you has been the honor of my 
life.
  I also want to thank my family. I couldn't have done it without my 
amazing, loving, and supportive husband, Brian, who has been by my side 
the last 18 years, at least. He said carrying the load at home was 
harder than anything he ever did in the Navy in his 26 years there.
  Thank you, Brian. You are the love of my life and the man of my 
dreams.
  To our beloved, beautiful children, Cole McMorris Rodgers, now 17; 
Grace Blossom Rodgers, 14; and Brynn Catherine Rodgers, 11: You are the 
greatest blessings of my life. We are so proud, and I can't wait to be 
home with you.
  I thank my mom, Corene McMorris, for being my fierce defender against 
all who dare accuse me of anything wrong; my stepdad, Vern White, for 
his embracing of this journey.
  I thank my brother, Jeff McMorris, who managed my first campaign for 
Congress in 2004. It was there that he renewed his acquaintance with 
and fell in love with my sister-in-law, Sarah, an amazing woman who 
also dedicated much of her time and energy to helping me win.
  I thank my nieces and nephew, Kate, Reagan, Conner, and Halle, who I 
adore for joining me on the campaign trail.
  I thank my dad, Wayne McMorris, who impressed everyone as my sign 
chairman back in 2004, blanketing the Fifth Congressional District with 
red, white, and blue ``Cathy for Congress'' signs.
  Brian's family also joined in the fun, as well as so many, many 
friends and supporters.

[[Page H6592]]

  What an honor and privilege it has been for me to represent all of 
you.
  To my team, words cannot express my gratitude for the hundreds of 
brilliant men and women who have served alongside me here in my 
congressional office and on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and back 
home in my district and campaign offices. While it was always my name 
on the door, it was your dedication that helped me succeed and deliver 
results.
  Together, we have fun while we SERVE--Seek excellence, Everybody 
matters, Responsibly own it, Vigilant integrity, and Embrace change. It 
made all the difference.
  Although I would like to give each one of you a shout-out by name, I 
thank the leadership, various chiefs of staff, and district directors 
beginning with Connie Partoyan, Jeremy Deutsch, David Condon, David 
Peluso, Jared Powell, Kyle VonEnde, Karli Plucker, Dick Leland, Chud 
Wendle, Traci Couture, Patrick Bell, Kristina Sabestinas, Dawn Sugasa, 
Nate Hodson, and Sarah Burke, who helped me navigate the mighty waters, 
the many highs and lows, and the disappointments and crowning 
achievements of my time in Congress.
  Most of all, I am grateful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who 
lovingly drew me closer to him over the past 20 years. He has spoken to 
me about his mercies that are new each morning, and he has poured out 
his grace on me and my family.
  As I leave Congress, I urge all of us to look for ways to cultivate 
more grace, love, and forgiveness in this world and serve others. We 
hope for a time of healing.
  Alexis de Tocqueville said it so well. He said: ``America is great 
because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America 
will cease to be great.''
  I have served with so many good people and had the honor of 
representing the good people of eastern Washington. For that, I am 
grateful. I say thank you, may God bless you, and may God continue to 
bless the United States of America.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________