[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[House]
[Pages 28129-28131]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HONORABLE JOHN D. DINGELL'S 
                SERVICE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the 
resolution (H. Res. 594) honoring the 50th anniversary of the Honorable 
John D. Dingell's service in the House of Representatives, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bradley of New Hampshire). Is there 
objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                               H. Res 594

       Whereas John D. Dingell learned firsthand about the 
     institution of Capitol Hill at an early age, serving as a 
     House of Representatives Page from 1938 to 1943;
       Whereas John D. Dingell served his country during the World 
     War II as a member of the United States Army;
       Whereas John D. Dingell has served 50 years in the House of 
     Representatives, since succeeding his late father, the 
     Honorable John David Dingell, Sr., a 12-term incumbent, in a 
     special election to the 84th Congress on December 13, 1955;
       Whereas a member of the Dingell family has represented the 
     Detroit metropolitan area in the House of Representatives 
     since 1933;
       Whereas John D. Dingell, the Dean of the House of 
     Representatives since the 104th Congress, is the longest 
     serving current Member of the House of Representatives, 
     having been re-elected on 25 subsequent occasions;
       Whereas John D. Dingell's term of service is the third-
     longest term of service in the history of the House of 
     Representatives and the fifth-longest in Congressional 
     history; and
       Whereas John D. Dingell has served on the Energy and 
     Commerce Committee (and its predecessors) since the 85th 
     Congress in 1957, and chaired that panel from the 97th 
     through the 103rd Congresses (1981-1995): Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, 

     SECTION 1. HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN D. DINGELL'S 
                   SERVICE IN THE HOUSE.

       The House of Representatives--

[[Page 28130]]

       (1) honors the lifelong commitment of the Honorable John D. 
     Dingell to the ideals of our Nation;
       (2) recognizes the Honorable John D. Dingell's half-century 
     of exceptional dedication to his constituents, to the State 
     of Michigan, and to the United States; and
       (3) congratulates the Honorable John D. Dingell on 50 years 
     of superior service in the United States Congress.

     SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION OF ENROLLED RESOLUTION.

       The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to the Honorable John D. 
     Dingell.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. HASTERT. Ladies and gentlemen, it is important for the House to 
recognize important milestones. Tonight, the Democratic leader and I on 
behalf of the House take this brief time to honor our colleague John 
Dingell.
  If Members would also like to add words of congratulations, I would 
encourage them to insert remarks as part of the Congressional Record or 
partake in a Special Order following votes tonight.
  I rise in support of this resolution saluting and congratulating our 
good friend, John Dingell, for 50 years of service in the U.S. House of 
Representatives.
  As the Clerk said, only two other House Members have made the 50-year 
milestone, Jamie Whitten and Carl Vinson. For a half century, John has 
walked the Halls of this Capitol doing the business of the people of 
southeast Michigan. And I must say the Congress is a better place 
because we have men like John Dingell.
  I first met John when I came to the House in 1986, and he had already 
been here three decades at that time. We really got to know each other 
better when I started my third term when I was named to the House 
Energy and Commerce Committee. I knew him as Mr. Chairman. In fact, I 
think I only started to call him John after I became Speaker.
  Mr. Dingell earned my respect early on. He knew the issues under his 
committee's jurisdiction, which was just about everything. He knew 
their legislative history. He knew how to count votes. He knew how to 
get legislation through the process. He was tough, but he was fair.
  His congressional work has done much to benefit the American people. 
During his time in the House, he has left his mark on historic 
legislation like the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Safe Drinking Water 
Act, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and every other major 
energy and telecommunications bill since the 1970s. In fact, during the 
1980s, he oversaw the investigation into the safety of the Nation's 
blood supply, including the procedures that we now have to ensure that 
donated blood is disease free.
  As Dean of the House, John Dingell administers the oath of office to 
the Speaker. The Speaker then administers the oath of office to all the 
Members as well. I could not be more proud to have had John Dingell 
administer my oath four times.
  Mr. Speaker, in this age of sound-bite politicians, John Dingell is 
the real deal. You always know where he stands, and you can always rest 
assured that he stands for something. And so today we salute John 
Dingell for 50 years of service with dignity, with dedication, with 
courage, with principle, and with honor. I thank you, John, for your 
good work.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), 
the Democratic leader, for her remarks.
  Ms. PELOSI. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
  I am proud to join you in co-sponsoring this resolution honoring the 
50th anniversary of the Honorable John D. Dingell's service in the 
House of Representatives. As we celebrated at the National Building 
Museum before, I am pleased to join you once again in congratulating 
John Dingell. It is impossible to acknowledge his service and 
congratulate him for his great leadership without also acknowledging 
Debbie Dingell, who has been his partner in so much of his life's work.
  As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker, you and I had the privilege of 
celebrating this milestone with Congressman Dingell at an extraordinary 
event at the National Building Museum on October 26. Something 
phenomenal happened that night when Republicans and Democrats came 
together in unity to praise this great man. Everyone in the bipartisan 
group, President Clinton, Vice President Cheney, Governor Granholm of 
Michigan, and so many of John's colleagues in the House and Senate, 
including his chairman, Joe Barton, who regaled us with Dingell stories 
that night, agreed that John Dingell is an American statesman of the 
highest order.
  President Kennedy could have been describing John Dingell when he 
said: ``No government is better than the people who serve it. We want 
the best, we need the best, and we deserve the best.'' For 50 years in 
John Dingell we have had the best.
  To the pages in the room, I want to say tonight we could really be 
celebrating his 54th anniversary in the House because from age 12 to 
16, he served here as a page, the longest-serving page in history. It 
was as a page in 1941 that John Dingell was standing on the House floor 
when President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. It was 
World War II that would ultimately call him to service.
  He served in the Army with distinction, rising to the rank of second 
lieutenant. John would later say of his service, ``It taught me the 
meaning of discipline and respect, two qualities which I believe are 
key to success in the United States.'' It also began a public life 
dedicated to making America strong both at home and abroad.
  A member of the Greatest Generation, John Dingell applied his 
brilliant mind, his great judgment, and his broad vision to making the 
future better for generations to come. John always made clear that a 
strong America had to be a healthy America. Continuing a tradition his 
father began, in every Congress he has introduced a bill for universal 
national health insurance. Because of his tireless work in securing 
health care for the elderly, John presided in the House in 1965 when 
Medicare was passed into law. The gavel he used that day still sits on 
his desk. He was a very young man at the time, still is.
  As part of his focus on future generations, John was one of the first 
elected officials to link public health with environmental health, and 
he has had a hand in almost every major environmental legislation of 
the past 40 years. He has done as much to clean up government as he has 
to clean up the environment. For the last 50 years, Federal agencies 
have checked their mail with one eye squinted open hoping they have not 
received what became known as ``Dingell-grams.''
  In the 1980s, the EPA even had an employee whose sole responsibility 
was responding to Chairman Dingell's inquires, and it was recognized 
that her job was not an easy one. To work alongside John Dingell is to 
be inspired by the history of our institution and humbled by the 
seriousness of our work. John is a giant in Congress and a symbol of 
continuity.
  Fifty years ago on December 13, 1955, John Dingell took over the seat 
that had been opened by his father. After hearing his father's 
colleagues eulogize John, Sr., John stepped up and said, ``My father 
loved and respected the House and all of its Members. If I can be half 
the man that my father was, I shall feel that I am a great success.''
  On this 50th anniversary, we say that we love and respect John 
Dingell and by any measure his leadership and his success have been 
unsurpassed. I am sure that John Dingell, Sr., is very, very proud. We 
may call John Dingell the Dean of the House, as the Speaker has done; 
but for many of us here tonight he has also been a teacher.
  I know I speak for all of the Members of the House when I say we are 
proud to call John Dingell colleague.

                              {time}  1930

  We are all so glad that your lifetime of service continues. The best 
is yet to come. Thank you, John Dingell.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, today, December 13, 2005, John D. Dingell, 
Jr. marks 50 years of distinguished service to the people of

[[Page 28131]]

Michigan. I have enormous respect for my friend, the gentleman from 
Michigan, who serves the people he represents, and the country, well 
and with distinction.
  I was a member of this body when the last gentleman to serve 50 years 
in the House was acknowledged--Congressman Jamie Whitten. And the 
tribute Mr. Dingell paid to Mr. Whitten also is fitting in tribute to 
Mr. Dingell--For all the wisdom the gentleman from Michigan has 
displayed during his tenure in the House, his constituents have shown 
even more wisdom in returning him to Congress 25 times.
  Upon reflecting on Mr. Dingell's career, I am reminded of the quote 
by Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, ``the quality, not the longevity, 
of one's life is what is important.''
  After half a century of service in this body, serving with 10 
presidents and in 25 Congresses, all marvel at the longevity of the 
gentleman's career. But it is the quality of Mr. Dingell's service that 
his colleagues, his constituents and the American people remember.
  And let us not forget in celebrating the gentleman's past 
accomplishments and distinguished service that his career is far from 
over.
  True, his efforts on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement, the 
American laborer and our Nation's neediest individuals helped shape the 
second half of the 20th Century.
  But as we look to the future, a future where John Dingell will 
undeniably play a significant role, we are comforted by the fact that 
the gentleman from Michigan, always true to his word and with a quick 
wit, will continue to lead us for many years to come.
  I am proud of my friend John and thank him for many years of personal 
kindnesses and professional courtesies.
  Mr. CAMP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
service of a fellow Michigan congressman: the Honorable John Dingell, 
who marks today his fiftieth year as a member of this distinguished 
House of Representatives. The length of his labors is astounding; his 
constant concern for his constituents is exemplary; and his integrity 
is simply beyond reproach.
  Having been elected to fill the seat and the shoes of his father (who 
passed away while still in office), Mr. Dingell has blazed his own path 
over the past five decades. Impacting virtually every major piece of 
legislation to be signed into law during the last half century, Mr. 
Dingell is one of a handful of lawmakers whose effectiveness does not 
rely solely on his party being in the majority.
  Impressive in both stature and the tenacity with which he pursues his 
positions, Mr. Dingell has lent his life to public service. The good 
citizens of his district and his colleagues here on the Hill are all 
the better for his tenure; may it long continue.
  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague, 
John D. Dingell, of Michigan, on his 50 years of service in the United 
States House of Representatives this week. He is rightfully called 
``the Dean of the House,'' as the longest currently serving Member of 
the House. Only two Members of the House have ever served longer, and 
Congressman Dingell's congressional career began at age 29, when he won 
election to succeed his father. John Dingell is known as a Member who 
is passionate about the welfare of the constituents he represents, and 
more broadly, all the residents of the United States. He shares his 
father's great passion for health care for all persons, and was key to 
the passage of many health care bills, including the Children's Health 
Insurance Program, and the Mammography Quality Standards Act. His work 
on health extends naturally to the environment as well, both in terms 
of holding polluters accountable for cleanup, and in working to 
preserve America's outdoor treasures for future generations. Michigan, 
of course, borders Canada, and Congressman Dingell has done outstanding 
work both in resolving pollution issues with Canada and in creating 
North America's first international wildlife refuge. As ranking member 
of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and former chairman, 
John Dingell is known for his extensive knowledge and wisdom, and 
commands deep respect from both sides of the aisle. I am sure there 
have been many temptations over the years to leave congressional 
service for a more lucrative career, but it is a testimony to his 
dedication and integrity that he has reached this milestone in his 
career. I extend to him, and to his wife Deborah, and the entire 
family, my sincere congratulations.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join 
colleagues in recognizing and honoring John Dingell as he celebrates 
his fiftieth anniversary as a member of the House of Representatives.
  As a young political scientist teaching about the Congress and doing 
research on the committee system, I knew a good deal about John Dingell 
before I joined him in the House in 1987. I studied his role, along 
with his friend and colleague John Moss, in shaking up the Commerce 
Committee in the 1970s, decentralizing the then-Chairman's authority 
and greatly stepping up oversight of the executive. I came to the House 
hoping that I could someday become a Commerce member myself. By then, 
John was chairman, and the Committee was the ``place to be'' for an 
activist member, known for its broad legislative reach and vigilant 
oversight.
  As it happened, my region had its full quota of Commerce seats, and I 
successfully pursued Appropriations instead. But I have continued to 
admire John's work, now as ranking member. He is totally dedicated to 
this institution as the keystone of American democracy, and he fully 
understands the importance of active, assertive committees to the 
institution's capacity for deliberation and sound lawmaking.
  John richly deserves the fulsome tributes we have heard from senior 
and junior colleagues, of every partisan and political stripe, upon 
this fiftieth anniversary of his winning the seat vacated by his 
father's death in 1955. Many have also mentioned Debbie Dingell, John's 
wife and partner in service. Debbie has been an invaluable resource to 
the House Democratic Caucus in planning issues conferences and other 
activities, and I recently was privileged to serve with her on our 
national party's Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and 
Scheduling.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join in tribute to John and Debbie 
Dingell--to thank them for their dedication and perseverance, for their 
effectiveness as advocates and public servants, and for what they have 
meant to each of us and to our country as champions of this 
institution.
  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the previous question is ordered on 
the resolution.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________