[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9251-9252]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   WELCOMING THE HONORABLE RON BARBER TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. 
Pastor) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, the world sometimes leads us down 
strange and troubling paths, and the fact that we are gathered today 
swearing in a new Member of Congress into the most deliberative body in 
the world is a tribute to our former colleague Gabby Giffords. It is a 
tribute to the resilience of the people of Arizona, a tribute to our 
strong and fruitful democracy that has continually endured hard and 
challenging times, and it is a tribute to our new colleague, Ron 
Barber.
  So it is with great pride and renewed zeal for the strength of the 
American people and for our system of governing that I introduce our 
newest colleague, Congressman Ron Barber.
  I have gotten to know Ron better over the last few months, and there 
is no one who will work harder to make sure that the people of the 
Eighth District are treated fairly, with dignity and with honor.
  Ron and his wife, Nancy, have dedicated their lives to southern 
Arizona. They have run a business for more than 30-some-odd years, a 
business that helps young parents provide for their own children. 
They've raised their two daughters, Jenny and Crissi, right here at 
home in Tucson. They are watching their four grandchildren grow up in 
Tucson.
  But Ron also wanted to do more for his community, so he spent 30 
years with the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities, where he 
worked countless hours helping people with disabilities get out of 
government-run institutions and back into their communities, fully 
employed, contributing to their society, and living with their 
families. His service then expanded beyond those with disabilities, 
becoming Gabby's district director and coordinating all her efforts to 
assist her constituents experiencing personal problems with the Federal 
Government. And now these same people are Ron's constituents.
  Welcome to the House, Ron Barber.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my distinguished colleague, 
Jeff Flake.
  Mr. FLAKE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  On behalf of the Republican members of the Arizona delegation, 
welcome, Ron Barber. We are glad to have you here.
  Nobody would have wished for the circumstances that made this seat 
vacant. We all miss our colleague Gabby Giffords, but it was her wish 
that you fill this seat for the remainder of her term. She got her wish 
as was the wish of so many Arizonans. Those of us who have worked with 
your office, with the capable staff during this trying time, have been 
very impressed with your commitment to the State of Arizona, and that 
commitment will now continue with your being a Member of Congress.
  We welcome you here.
  Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, it is now with great pride that I 
yield to our distinguished new Member, Congressman Ron Barber.
  The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized.
  Mr. BARBER. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  First of all, I would like to thank the Arizona delegation for that 
warm welcome--and all of you--for this amazing welcome on my first day 
here.
  I also want to thank Speaker Boehner for his long and dedicated 
service to our country and for swearing me in today.
  And to my family in the gallery and to my grandchildren who are here 
on the floor, thank you, all of you, my family, for your support and 
love, without which I would not be here today.

                              {time}  1400

  I have the most amazing family. I think everyone would say that, but 
I am very blessed to have them in my life, especially over this past 
year and a half. And to my high school sweetheart and wife, Nancy, I 
love you dearly and look forward to celebrating our 45th wedding 
anniversary tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here on the floor of the House in the very spot 
where 5 months ago my friend and my predecessor, Congresswoman 
Gabrielle Giffords, bravely delivered her resignation from Congress. I 
want to thank the Congresswoman for her vision and leadership and the 
inspiration she continues to give to our country. Gabby, southern 
Arizona misses you dearly, and we cannot wait to have you home.
  Today, as I begin my service in this, the people's House, I'm mindful 
that the stakes for our Nation are very high. They are too high not to 
set aside political division in favor of seeking common ground, too 
high to use our words as weapons, too high to think of those with whom 
we disagree as villains. As an Arizonan, I look to the example of 
Congressman Mo Udall and Senator Barry Goldwater, two leaders in their 
respective parties who disagreed much, but did so without being 
disagreeable. They came together many times to do what was right for 
their State and their country. I'm going to approach my work for the 
people of southern Arizona with an eye not toward partisan victory, but 
toward American achievement.

[[Page 9252]]

  We as a country have much to achieve. We must protect middle class 
families at a time when our middle class is slowly disappearing. We 
must honor our veterans and military families by ensuring that the more 
than 100,000 veterans I represent in southern Arizona and every other 
American veteran and servicemember receives the services and benefits 
they have earned.
  We must ensure the dignity and health of every American senior in 
retirement. We must secure our border so that border residents are safe 
on their land, and impede the flow of drugs into our communities and 
the illegal drug money out of our country. And we must create jobs with 
innovative energy technologies, improvements in our essential 
infrastructure, and by supporting local small businesses to grow.
  I look forward to working across party lines to achieve these goals 
for the good of my constituents and for all Americans.

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