[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3071-3074]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE BOB MICHEL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bacon). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 3, 2017, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous materials in the Record on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor the life, career, 
and public service of Robert H. Michel, known as Bob Michel, former 
Congressman of the 18th District of Illinois and the longest serving 
Republican leader of the House of Representatives, who passed away 
earlier this month on Friday, February 17. He was 93 years old. This 
Thursday, March 2, he would have turned 94. He served in Congress in 
this institution from 1956 to 1994.
  To staff, friends, and colleagues, Bob Michel was more than a 
Congressman and House leader. He was a mentor and larger-than-life 
person. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to stand before you and our 
colleagues tonight to recognize the remarkable life of our departed 
leader and friend. Over the past week I have had the opportunity to 
hear testimony from friends, family, former colleagues, and the public 
as they reflect on the reputation of Mr. Michel.
  Among the many stories that have been told, it has been mentioned 
time and time again the foundation upon which Bob Michel built his 
remarkable career and reputation. Throughout Mr. Michel's 50 years in 
politics, he never wavered from his values of civility, uncommon 
decency, and humility. Those values were instilled in him at the 
earliest age, rooted in his faith and family upbringing, and followed 
him throughout his life.
  Bob Michel was born to German and French immigrants in Peoria, 
Illinois, on March 2, 1923, to Anna and Charles Michel. Hard work and 
respect were required among the Michel children. After dinner each 
night, it was mandatory for the Michel household to read

[[Page 3072]]

the Bible rather than go outside and play. The young Bob Michel was a 
product of Peoria Public Schools.
  Bob Michel didn't come from a privileged background or a family that 
had money. He held numerous jobs, which played a formidable role in his 
upbringing, teaching him the rewards of hard work and accountability. 
His early jobs varied from mowing yards, delivering on two newspaper 
routes, working in a factory, a tailor shop, and a grocery store.
  Michel graduated from Peoria High School and attended one semester at 
Bradley University before enlisting at age 19 as an infantryman in the 
U.S. Army to fight in World War II. Michel landed in Normandy on the 
fourth day of the D-day invasion of Europe and fought his way across 
France and Belgium to the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded in action 
and was discharged after earning two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, and 
four Battle Stars. When we talk about the Greatest Generation, Bob 
Michel was a shining example of the Greatest Generation.
  Bob Michel would return to Peoria, Illinois, after the war to 
complete his business administration degree at Bradley University. He 
joined the a cappella choir there, where he would meet the love of his 
life, Corinne Woodruff. They were married for 55 years.
  It was immediately after graduation that Michel's path into politics 
started after then-president of Bradley University David Owen 
approached Bob to inform him about a candidate by the name of Harold 
Velde running for Everett Dirksen's congressional seat. After 
interviewing, Velde hired Michel as a staffer. Years later, Michel 
would go on to replace Velde in the House after he retired, winning a 
contested four-way primary and defeating his Democratic opponent. Thus 
began the service of Bob Michel in the U.S. House, which would lead him 
to rise to the House leadership and serve a stint as minority whip and 
eventually minority leader for 14 years.
  Throughout his rise in leadership, Bob Michel remained grounded to 
his district, never forgetting where he came from. Michel was masterful 
at building personal relationships and represented the gold standard 
for public service. That reputation derived from his commonsense 
approach and midwestern upbringing.
  This past Saturday, we laid Bob to rest in his hometown of Peoria, 
Illinois. Bob was remembered at that time and honored as an American 
hero, a tremendous public servant, a devoted father, husband, and 
friend. Mr. Speaker, the life of this incredible statesman will never 
be forgotten, and the legacy he has left behind should serve as a 
reminder for how we as public servants can continue our work moving 
forward.
  Again, I am proud to stand with my colleagues tonight as a successor 
to Congressman Michel's seat and to honor our beloved friend, 
colleague, leader, and mentor.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), 
the dean of our Republican delegation.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend, 
Congressman LaHood, for having this tribute tonight.
  Bob Michel was a giant here in Washington, and he left this world in 
a manner in which he probably would liked to have--without fanfare, 
without parades, just going home.
  As was said, Bob Michel actually served in this House for 38 years. 
He loved the House of Representatives. He cherished this Chamber and he 
cherished this institution. He served as minority leader for 14 years 
in, as he lovingly called it, the people's House, in this institution 
he dearly loved.
  Few are left in this Chamber who actually served with him. It is my 
hope that Minority Whip Hoyer gets to the floor, who served with him. I 
think Steny also tries to represent that era of time when there were 
people who disagreed without being disagreeable or who could work 
across the aisle. I look forward to hearing Steny's remarks.
  Bob was known for his aw-shucks demeanor and his baritone singing 
voice. I remember once at a Lincoln Day dinner, when he was leaving and 
I was running, and the people always wanted him to finish the Lincoln 
Day dinner singing ``God Bless America.'' Always. It was mandatory. But 
his aw-shucks demeanor and his baritone voice should not distract from 
his keen legislative ability, where he steered the Reagan Revolution 
through this Chamber as the minority leader. As those of us who have 
served post-Bob Michel know, that is a difficult thing to do.
  Many times you would see Bob Michel wearing his CIB on his lapel pin. 
For those of us who served in the military, the CIB is one of the most 
treasured awards because it means he was an infantryman who served in 
combat. My colleague, Congressman LaHood, relayed his service from 
Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge, meritorious service awards, and 
wounded in combat.
  You can see Bob's presence here in the Chamber. The Speaker's Office 
is named the Bob Michel Room. Or go to Peoria--which I was fortunate to 
go to to attend the funeral--and you will drive across the Bob Michel 
Bridge. The funeral service was on the campus of Bradley University, 
and the student union is named after Bob Michel.
  Bob Michel loved baseball. As an avid player myself, we shared fond 
memories. I pitched, he pitched. I think he won more games than I did. 
One flaw in Bob Michel's character was being a Cubs fan. As a Cardinals 
fan, I was able to say that. But when all the ceremonies were going on 
with the Cubs winning the World Series, I finally found that a reason 
to be happy about the Cubs' success is that Bob was alive to experience 
it. In fact, stories over the weekend said he stayed up to see the 
final play and the final out. There is a great picture of him on his 
porch flying the W.

                              {time}  2000

  Bob was laid to rest in Peoria on Saturday. I remember one of the 
statements made at the funeral, ``If Pekin is good enough for Senator 
Dirksen, then Peoria is good enough for me,'' and there he was laid to 
rest.
  My thoughts go out to his sons, Scott and Bruce, and daughters, Robin 
and Laurie, and also Vicki, who, after Corinne's death, became a loyal 
companion.
  I appreciate this time to reflect. I will end with: You get to meet 
some great people in this Chamber, and one of those that I will always 
cherish is my opportunity to get to know and become friends with Leader 
Bob Michel.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Shimkus for those 
beautiful words for Leader Michel.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Bustos), 
who shares Peoria, Illinois, with me, Bob Michel's hometown, and she 
was also at the funeral on Saturday.
  Mrs. BUSTOS. Mr. Speaker, I join with my Illinois colleagues, Mr. 
Shimkus, Mr. LaHood, and Mr. Hultgren, who will speak in just a moment, 
to recognize the life and the legacy of a great man who dedicated his 
life to service.
  For decades, the hardworking men and women of Peoria were proud to 
have Bob Michel fighting for them in the United States House of 
Representatives. And even though we were from opposite parties, I 
learned a lot from Bob Michel, who had been a friend of my family for 
decades.
  Like a lot of men and women from his era, Bob Michel believed in 
America to his core. He believed in the midwestern values that have 
made our heartland a great place to live, work, and raise a family. 
Hard work, service, community, and working together to achieve a common 
good, these are the values that Bob Michel lived by.
  Bob Michel could have gone into business and become a wealthy man. He 
could have left Peoria for a big city. He could have done anything he 
set his sights on. But what Bob Michel did was he decided to give back 
to the community that had given him so much, and he gave a life of 
service.
  It was in 1956 that Bob Michel ran and won his seat representing 
Peoria and several communities across central Illinois. Even though he 
went to Washington, Bob Michel's heart was always in Peoria. He never 
lost sight of his profound responsibility to the people

[[Page 3073]]

that he served. For nearly 40 years, he rose through the ranks of 
Republican leadership to become the longest serving minority leader in 
our Nation's history.
  Even though I might not have agreed with him on every single vote 
that he cast, Bob Michel proved that you can disagree without being 
disagreeable. Over the last several days, I have heard from Members 
from both sides of the aisle about their memories of Leader Michel, and 
there are several things that we can all agree on.
  First, if Bob Michel gave you his word, you could always count on it.
  Second, if you had a good idea, whether you were a Democrat or a 
Republican, if it helped the families that he represented, you could 
count on his support.
  And finally, if he didn't agree with you on something, well, you 
could probably count on a fight, but not a fight like we think of it 
today, certainly not the kind of divisive, personal, and negative 
partisan battles that have become far too common in Washington.
  Bob Michel didn't believe in something like that. He believed in 
healthy debate, grounded in mutual respect for both sides of the aisle; 
because, when it gets down to it, all of us are here with the intent of 
bettering the families that we serve, bettering the communities that we 
represent, and, of course, bettering our Nation. That is what Bob 
Michel stood for, and it is why we as a nation come together tonight to 
mourn his loss.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand along with Mr. Hultgren, Mr. LaHood, 
and Mr. Shimkus, my colleagues in Illinois, in offering the heartfelt 
condolences of the entire U.S. House of Representatives to Leader 
Michel's children, Scott, Bruce, Laurie, and Robin, as well as their 
families. The city of Peoria will always honor and remember the life of 
service that Bob Michel gave.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hultgren).
  Mr. HULTGREN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman LaHood and 
Congresswoman Bustos. It is so good to be here with my friends and 
colleagues to join in mourning the loss and celebrating the rich life 
of Illinois' own Bob Michel, who passed away this month at the age of 
93.
  Bob absolutely embodied a uniquely American combination of decency, 
civility, a commitment to public service, and a deep patriotism 
throughout his long life. Observers across the spectrum agree Bob 
Michel defined public service and bipartisanship during his long tenure 
in Congress as minority whip and as minority leader.
  Bob seemed to be uniquely called to the legislature and the 
legislative process. A workhorse instead of a show horse, Leader Michel 
steadily pushed forward conservative priorities in the House under both 
Democratic and Republican Presidents.
  Building relationships across the aisle and promoting civility and 
debate helped move legislation through the House Chamber. To him, 
treating others with respect and care was essential to making deals and 
moving forward solutions to American problems.
  And he cared little if he obtained credit for his efforts. As 
commented in the National Review, Bob ``made little noise, but made 
things work.''
  Bob was also a patriot. This son of Illinois was a war hero who 
landed at Utah Beach at Normandy. During the war, he was wounded and 
awarded two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart, among other 
recognitions. He now joins fellow Americans of that Greatest Generation 
whose humble and steady love for country carried us through difficult 
seasons.
  I wish his family peace and hope during their time of mourning. He 
will be deeply missed.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Hultgren for those 
wonderful words for Leader Michel.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the 
minority whip.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Peoria. Well, 
maybe not exactly Peoria, but Bradley University.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor one of the most decent, patriotic 
Americans with whom I have ever served in any legislative body. I had 
the great honor of being Bob Michel's friend, the great honor of being 
his colleague, and the great honor of believing that what Bob Michel 
represented in this Congress was the best of us, the most decent of us, 
the most considerate of us, and deeply committed to his country and 
respectful of those with whom he served, perhaps differing with them, 
but, nevertheless, deeply respectful of his colleagues. He and Tip 
O'Neill were good friends. They could argue their side and their 
policies vigorously but be the best of friends after we adjourned that 
day.
  I thank my colleague from Illinois for leading this tribute, and I 
rise to join in remembering this great man, a great American leader, 
Bob Michel.
  Mr. Speaker, Bob's entire life was given to service to his country. 
From his time in the Army as an infantryman on the front lines of the 
fight for democracy in the Second World War to his long career in 
government, Leader Michel sought to make America and the world safer 
and to protect the American Dream for all of our people.
  Mr. Speaker, I did not want to lose the majority in 1994, but when we 
lost, I lamented the fact that Bob Michel did not become the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives. In my opinion, if he had, America would 
be a more civil place today and this body would be a more collegial 
body than it is.
  I want to congratulate the gentleman who represents Bob Michel's 
district now, succeeding in that office, his father, who is a very dear 
and close friend of mine. All three of them represented the best of 
that which America hopes would serve it well.
  Bob Michel and I didn't always agree on policy, Mr. Speaker, but as 
colleagues, we worked together to reach consensus and achieve results. 
I remember in 1989 when Tony Coelho and I were working to pass the 
House's version of what would become the landmark Americans with 
Disabilities Act. It was Bob Michel who saw how important this 
legislation would be and asked my friend, Steve Bartlett from Texas to 
work with me, from the Republican side of the aisle, to achieve a 
bipartisan version that could become law. That is how Bob Michel 
operated.
  This House would be a better House if we followed the example of Bob 
Michel. He saw a problem and looked for a way we could come together 
around a compromised solution, not focused first on confrontation. His 
decency and friendliness were as evident as his seriousness as a 
legislator.
  As Republican whip and leader, he set an example of how to lead an 
effective opposition based not on obstruction, but on identifying ways 
to work together to achieve common goals. To that extent, and in so 
many other ways, as I have said, Bob Michel represented the best of us.
  Now, Bob, Mr. Speaker, could be tough. He could be really tough. He 
knew how to defend his party's interests and advance its goals in the 
minority. But Bob believed strongly that we who are sent here by our 
constituents have, first and foremost, a responsibility to make policy, 
not to play politics. And that is how Bob Michel served--by always, 
always, always putting country first. Mr. Speaker, I hope his example 
will be an inspiration to all who serve today.
  I join in extending my condolences to Bob's children--Scott, Bruce, 
Robin, and Laurie--and the entire Michel family. I join the people of 
Illinois' 18th District in mourning the man who was their champion for 
so many years. Illinois, this House, and our country lost a great 
light, but one, I hope, that will continue to shine through its 
reflection in those whom Bob Michel inspired. I was one of those. We 
will miss him. There aren't enough Bob Michels.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Leader Hoyer for those warm 
words and inspiring words and heartfelt words for Leader Michel. It 
means so much for his family, for all of us in Peoria, and for all of 
his colleagues.
  I want to thank everybody here tonight from the Illinois delegation 
that spoke so fondly about Mr. Michel.

[[Page 3074]]

When we think about the traits that he exemplified--integrity, 
sincerity, humility, genuineness, and civility--that everybody talked 
about here tonight, I think it is also important to remember where he 
came from in Illinois.
  The congressional district that he represented, the 18th 
Congressional District, was the same district that Congressman Abraham 
Lincoln represented from 1847 to 1849. It is also the same 
congressional district that Everett Dirksen represented and that Bob 
Michel represented for 38 years, and you think about the values that 
they all exemplified, those strong midwestern values they never forgot.
  The other thing that is unique about all three is they were all 
buried within 1 hour of each other. Oak Ridge Cemetery, President 
Lincoln; Pekin Cemetery, Everett Dirksen; and this last weekend, Leader 
Michel in Peoria, Illinois. Bob Michel could have been buried in 
Arlington Cemetery in a beautiful grave, but he chose to be buried next 
to the love of his life in Peoria, Illinois. That says a lot about the 
person that he was. I think it is unique that, within an hour's drive, 
you can go see all three of their graves, but I think it reflects the 
midwestern values that he had and those traits.

                              {time}  2015

  The other thing that I just want to mention here in closing is that 
he served his 14 years as the Republican leader, the longest of anyone 
in this institution as a leader of the minority party. But he also had 
a number of people that he mentored and tutored: from Jack Kemp, to 
Trent Lott, to Dick Cheney, to Newt Gingrich; people that served under 
him, and he mentored in their positions, and that should not be lost.
  Bob Michel was a conservative Republican, but the way that he went 
about the work that he did, his style of civility and treating friend 
and foe alike, and being able to work across party lines when he needed 
to made this institution a better place. We need more people like Bob 
Michel in public service. He is a shining example of what public 
service should be. I couldn't be prouder to serve in the same 
congressional district that he represented for 38 years.
  Lastly, Mr. Speaker, he made us proud to be from Peoria, Illinois. He 
made this institution a better place. He made this country a better 
place by his service of over 50 years.
  Tonight we say: Mr. Leader, rest in peace.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
former Congressman, respected mentor, and good friend Bob Michel.
  Bob was a war hero earning two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and 
four battle stars. He was also one of the most respected members of 
Congress of all time. His 38 years of service in the U.S. House of 
Representatives and the incredible footprint he left on Central 
Illinois and this country will never be forgotten.
  Bob's ability to reach across the aisle to make a divided government 
work for the people he represented was second to none, a trait we 
should all strive to emulate each day. Bob taught me that 
bipartisanship matters and working together to get things done is even 
more important in the polarized environment we have today. That's where 
Bob Michel excelled and that's the legacy I'm going to remember.
  Finally, Bob taught me to be myself, to always do what I think is 
right for my constituents, and to not be afraid to go home and explain 
why I voted the way I did. I was honored to attend Bob's funeral this 
past Saturday, along with many others who knew and loved him. My 
thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will truly be missed.

                          ____________________