[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25410]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          GOODBYE, CONGRESSMAN QUINN AND CONGRESSMAN HOUGHTON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN E. SWEENEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 19, 2004

  Mr. SWEENEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness that I rise today to say 
goodbye to two of my mentors and friends, Congressmen Quinn and 
Houghton.
  When I first came to Washington, you both helped me find my way and 
helped me learn the ropes in the Congress. For that, I owe you both an 
enormous debt of gratitude.
  Jack, you taught me that it is possible to strike a balance between 
Republican values and labor's needs. Essentially, how to be a New York 
Republican in Congress.
  Since you've been here, you've always had the ability to distinguish 
between the political and the pragmatic, and you've built your 
reputation as a voice of reason in this sometimes-unreasonable world.
  Your constituents always came first, and if your successor can serve 
the twenty-seventh district of our great state of New York remotely as 
well as you have, they will be in good hands. Well done, my friend.
  Congressman Houghton, you sir, are the epitome of the American 
statesman. Frankly, your many accomplishments speak for themselves, and 
your long and distinguished record both in business and in government 
guarantees you a place in the Pantheon of New York's public servants.
  You have much to be proud of, but I suspect your finest hour came 
with passage of the Liberty Zone Act, which provided billions to help 
our fellow New Yorkers in Manhattan rebuild from the rubble of the 9/11 
attacks. For that, all New Yorkers owe you their sincere thanks.
  Amo, Jack, I wish you nothing but the best as you leave the Congress 
today, having done a great service to America.
  Your constituents thank you, our Nation thanks you, and as you return 
home, finally able to spend more time with your beloved families, I 
wish to convey the thanks of the family you're leaving behind here in 
Washington.
  It has been a pleasure and an honor serving with both of you, and 
this is one tough New Yorker who's not afraid to say ``I'll miss you''. 
Farewell, old friends.

                          ____________________