[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17397]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                   CONCLUDING MY SERVICE IN CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Schwartz) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Mr. Speaker, it has been my honor and privilege to 
serve in Congress for the past 10 years, representing the people of the 
13th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.
  As many of you know, my mother came to this country alone at the age 
of 16, a refugee of the Holocaust. America offered her safety, freedom, 
and opportunity. Her experience of fear and tragedy, resilience and 
hope inspired my commitment to public service, my love of our country, 
and all it can be.
  As I conclude my congressional service, I want to thank my family and 
friends who believed in me and supported me, my constituents who 
trusted me, the civic and elected leaders, activists and advocates who 
gave voice to the wide array of concerns and causes, and to my talented 
staff, who enabled me to do all that we did.
  I am proud of what we accomplished together, from the new parks and 
bike paths along the north Delaware River in northeast Philadelphia to 
the revitalization of main streets in towns across Montgomery County. 
We made our streets safer, promoted economic growth, and improved the 
lives of families across the Philadelphia region.
  I came to Congress in 2005 at a time of war. As the daughter of a 
Korean war veteran, I know how important it is for veterans to find 
meaningful work to support themselves and their families when they come 
home. That is why my first legislative initiative to become law 
addressed the needs of young men and women returning from Iraq and 
Afghanistan by offering incentives to employers to hire our newest 
veterans.
  In the time since that first legislative victory, I have sought to 
embrace innovative ideas, to find common ground, and to turn these 
ideas into action. I successfully championed legislation that is now 
law, including extending tax credits for energy-efficient commercial 
buildings, establishing incentives that changed the way physicians 
write prescriptions to reduce errors and save lives, new tax credits 
and grants to startup biotech companies, and changes in Medicare to 
improve access to primary care for our seniors.
  Ensuring all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care 
has been a priority for me throughout my professional life, in both the 
private sector and in elected office. I am proud of the role I played 
in the achievement of health coverage for all Americans and protecting 
and strengthening Medicare and advancing access to care for women and 
for children, including those with preexisting conditions. Today, we 
see the benefits of this effort, with millions of Americans who now 
have meaningful health coverage for themselves and their families.
  For this success and others, I want to express my appreciation to the 
other Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who enabled us to 
get things done for the people we represent and for the Nation. I value 
the work that we did together, and I value your friendship.
  As the only woman in the Pennsylvania delegation, I am proud that I 
had the opportunity to stand up for women's rights and for women to be 
leaders in Pennsylvania and across our Nation.
  I am so honored to have served my State and our Nation here in 
Congress. It is my hope that we, Democrats and Republicans, activists, 
and everyday Americans can come together to continue to seek ways to 
ensure safety and security, prosperity and justice, hope and 
opportunity for the people of our great Nation, just as my mother would 
have hoped.




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