[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 22652-22653]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RETIREMENT OF CONGRESSMAN RAY LaHOOD

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today to extend my appreciation and 
best wishes to my good friend, Ray LaHood, who recently announced his 
intention to retire at the end of the 110th Congress.
  His retirement next fall will mark the end of a long, successful 
career representing the 18th District of Illinois--first as a staffer 
for 12 years for then-minority leader Bob Michel and then as a 
distinguished member of Congress for seven terms.
  Born in the district he has represented for over 13 years, Ray 
LaHood's constituents have always been his No. 1 priority. Long after 
Ray leaves office, Illinoisans from Peoria to Jacksonville will benefit 
from his attention to local infrastructure needs, whether it is the 
roads, hospitals or arts projects of central Illinois.
  He has been a champion for economic development in rural communities, 
expanded use of alternative energy, and conservation efforts along the 
Illinois

[[Page 22653]]

River. Ray and I also worked together earlier this year to help our 
Nation's servicemembers and veterans by introducing the Lane Evans 
Mental Health and Benefits Act.
  But beyond his many legislative accomplishments is the distinctive 
spirit that Ray brought to his job. His time in Washington has been 
marked by a willingness to speak the truth and work across party 
lines--traits that have earned him the highest respect and admiration 
from colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
  For several years, Ray hosted bipartisan congressional retreats to 
bring Members of Congress together for an open dialogue about ways to 
solve the country's problems in a civil manner. At a time in which 
Congress is marked by ideological warfare and harsh personal rhetoric, 
Ray is always searching for ways to bridge the partisan divide and find 
commonsense solutions to the problems facing average Americans. He 
was--and is--the ideal successor to Bob Michel, the great statesman who 
mentored him.
  On a personal note, I will always be grateful to him for joining me 
in opening my Springfield office in January 2005 shortly after I came 
to the Senate. That small gesture of bipartisanship meant a lot to a 
freshman Senator and is a reflection of Ray's decency.
  The people of central Illinois will miss Ray LaHood's hard work on 
their behalf, and I will miss his friendship.
  I thank Ray for his many years of service to Illinois and to his 
country, and I wish him and his family all the best as he embarks upon 
this next chapter in his life.

                          ____________________