[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25361]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    RETIREMENT OF HON. TILLIE FOWLER

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. TILLIE K. FOWLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2000

  Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make my last address as an 
honored Member of this distinguished body. There is no doubt in my mind 
what I will miss the most about this job. It will not be the late 
nights--and it will not be the ever-changing schedule. I will miss my 
friends--and I have made so many.
  This institution is filled with so many extraordinary people, who, in 
my time here, have done some extraordinary things.
  I make it a point in every speech I give back home to talk about the 
people I serve with here in this great body. I want people to know that 
the portrayal they see of politicians in the press and on TV is far 
from accurate. While scandals and controversy may sell newspapers, they 
are certainly not the norm around here.
  I never give a speech without talking about the dedication, the 
devotion and the selflessness with which nearly every Member of 
congress serves this institution and his or her country.
  I may not always agree with someone's politics or ideology, but I 
would never question the sincerity or the purpose with which they 
pursue their agendas. People serve here for the right reasons--I truly 
believe that.
  Serving with all of you has been such an honor. And as I look back 
over the last eight years, I look with pride at what we were able to do 
in such a short time.
  Together, we reformed Congress. We have made this institution more 
open, more accountable and more responsive to the people. When I first 
set foot on this House floor in 1993, Congress' approval rating was a 
dismal 17 percent. That number is much higher today.
  Together, with the hard work of the American people, we turned around 
an economy saddled by high interest rates and high unemployment.
  Together, we balanced the federal budget for the first time since I 
was a staffer on Capitol Hill back in the 1960's.
  Together we ended welfare as we knew it, and created a new system 
that rewards work and responsibility.
  If I have one wish as I leave this institution, it is that some 
progress can be made toward reducing the partisanship that has plagued 
us.
  I have tried very hard over my eight years to focus on the task at 
hand and leave the partisanship on the Capitol steps. When you look 
back at some of our best accomplishments, you find that they were 
mostly gained with support from both sides of the aisle. That should be 
a lesson to future Congresses.
  I was proud to serve on the planning committee for the two bi-
partisan retreats, and I hope that those retreats will continue and 
their mission expand.
  I was also proud to serve on Speaker Hastert's leadership team these 
past two years. When he was unexpectedly tapped for the speakership, I 
said then he was the right man for the right time. Working with him the 
last two years, I witnessed first hand how true that statement was.
  Always the calm in the eye of the storm, the speaker's steady hand 
and sharp focus have resulted in an impressive list of accomplishments, 
despite our razor thin majority. Some in the body may not always share 
his priorities or his political philosophies, but I have never heard a 
cross word spoken about Speaker Hastert as a person. In this era of 
personal attack and partisanship, that is a real testament to the 
Speaker, and it has been my privilege to serve on his team.
  To my constituents, I want to say that representing you has been the 
greatest honor of my life. I have tried to be both an effective 
representative and an honest steward of the incredible trust you have 
placed in me.
  I want to thank all my colleagues who have taken to the House floor 
the last few days to say such nice things about me. I am humbled by 
their words and touched by their sentiments. While I will retire from 
this institution, I am not retiring from life. If there is one thing I 
learned from my parents, it is that public service and service to your 
community is a lifetime obligation. There will be new opportunities and 
new challenges, and I look forward to those. But serving in this body, 
with all of you, will forever be one of the most cherished times of my 
life. God bless you, God bless this institution, and God bless America.

                          ____________________