[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7322-H7323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE EARL BLUMENAUER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, for many people across the country, their 
first introduction to Portland, Oregon, was the sketch comedy show 
``Portlandia.'' Like any parody, it exaggerates reality. Contrary to 
popular belief, most Portlanders don't spend their time asking about a 
chicken's backstory at a farm-to-table restaurant and sorting their 
recycling into 50 bins.
  Mr. Speaker, I can tell you firsthand that the City of Roses is a 
place where people care about the environment, where their food comes 
from, sustainable transportation, and inclusive communities. There is 
no better advocate and no truer representative of Portland than my good 
friend, colleague, and mentor, Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
  Earl has been in public service for more than 50 years, 28 years here 
in Congress and 25 years in State and local government. He has devoted 
his career to making Oregon and the country more livable so individuals 
and families can be safe, healthy, and economically secure. As he has 
said, it is in his DNA to care about the community and to bring people 
together to accomplish a goal.

  Earl came to Congress after a special election in April 1996 when Ron 
Wyden moved to the Senate in one of five special elections that year. 
On the Hill, people know Earl by his bow ties, bike pins, and annual 
comedy events, but to those of us who know him well, he is so much 
more.
  Earl has a wide breadth of knowledge and extensive expertise gathered 
through his years in State and local government and now in Congress. 
When I went on a tour of the Library of Congress several years ago, I 
noticed how quiet and empty it was. When I asked if any Members of 
Congress actually use the Library, my tour guide asked: Do you know 
Earl Blumenauer?
  That is Earl. As former Congressman Peter DeFazio remarked, Earl goes 
to people with facts, and he goes back to them with facts, and he tries 
to wear them down.
  Earl can be very convincing. He is a long-term thinker, a skill that 
is sometimes in short supply in the policymaking arena, and a 
quintessential policy wonk.
  Earl's vision and tireless work have made real, game-changing 
progress for his hometown of Portland and for our State, for the 
region, for the Nation, and, in fact, around the world. He has been a 
key part of promoting curbside recycling; investing in bike and 
pedestrian infrastructure; advocating for animal welfare, transit, and 
water infrastructure; supporting Afghan interpreters; changing the 
regulatory structure of cannabis; reimagining food policy; and more.
  Earl always seeks to share what he knows. As a Portland city 
commissioner, Earl wanted to provide a way for Portland residents to 
engage constructively with the transportation system, so he created an 
evening class to give people the opportunity to learn about the system 
and suggest changes, a program that continues to this day at Portland 
State University.
  When new Members come to Congress, Earl welcomes them with a gift, a 
very thorough, multipage letter sharing some of his lessons and some of 
the knowledge that he has absorbed throughout his service. I came back 
to

[[Page H7323]]

that letter, and to Earl, for guidance as I found my way. Even Snoop 
Dogg asked Earl for advice on how he could help with cannabis 
legislation.
  Yes, Earl has friends everywhere, and I know many of us in Congress 
will miss him tremendously when he retires at the end of the 118th 
Congress, but for those of us who live, work, and visit Portland, Earl 
is not going anywhere. In his next role in Portland State's 
metropolitan studies program, he will continue to make things better 
for Oregonians with his typical thoughtful, methodical, and data-
informed approach.

                              {time}  1015

  As the incoming dean of the Oregon delegation, I acknowledge that I 
have big shoes to fill, but Earl has charted a good and worthy path, 
and I know he will be around for advice when we need his wisdom, his 
sense of humor, and his sincerity about creating a better future.
  We wish Earl Blumenauer well, and I know he will appreciate his 
additional time with his wife, Margaret, and his children and 
grandchildren.
  Congress will not be the same without Congressman Earl Blumenauer.

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