[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         FINDING COMMON GROUND

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Benishek) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of talk about the 
partisanship and venom in Washington this year. And while we will 
certainly see fierce debates in the future, I believe Members of this 
body can still come together and find common ground.
  On the surface, my colleague Hansen Clarke and I are very different. 
He is a lawyer representing the city of Detroit with a liberal voting 
record. I'm a conservative physician representing rural northern 
Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. We are both new to this House and 
share an interest in learning more about the unique challenges facing 
Michigan's citizens. After meeting Hansen during freshman orientation, 
we agreed to tour each other's district.
  In August I had the opportunity to head down to Michigan's 13th 
District in Detroit. There we toured employers such as Edward C. Levy 
Company and Mercy Primary Care Center and got to have some lunch on 
Mack Avenue. It was great to learn more about the district and be back 
in Detroit where I did my medical training. Next week Congressman 
Clarke will tour with me in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We will be 
meeting with area employers in Marquette and Escanaba, and will be 
getting a chance to see the splendor of Lake Superior with a visit to 
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising. I hope Hansen will even 
get to try one of northern Michigan's famous pasties for lunch.
  Mr. Speaker, although Hansen and I are from different parties and 
dramatically different parts of the State, we are united in the goal of 
improving economic conditions in the great State of Michigan. We 
believe that neither party has a monopoly on good ideas, and by working 
together, we can help shape a better future for our children and 
grandchildren.
  Despite our difference of opinion on many issues, we both recognize 
that America remains a place in the world like no other, and that with 
liberty, courage, and hard work, there is no limit to one's destiny. I 
encourage all Members of this Chamber to pair up and schedule a visit 
to a different district.
  Congressman Clarke, I'm honored to have you as my friend, and I look 
forward to having you in Upper Michigan next week.

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