[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4137-4140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


    A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE ROBERT HENRY MICHEL, 
  EIGHTEENTH DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS (1957-1995) MINORITY LEADER OF THE 
           UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (1981-1995)

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. PAUL D. RYAN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 10, 2017

  Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Robert H. Michel, 
former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, died on 
February 17, 2017. On that day, I issued the following statement:
  ``On November 29, 1994, an extraordinary thing happened on the House 
floor. Outgoing House Speaker Tom Foley, a Democrat from the Pacific 
Northwest, asked outgoing Minority Leader Bob Michel, a Republican from 
central Illinois, to take the gavel and preside over the House. More 
than a symbolic gesture, it was a fitting sendoff for a happy warrior 
revered for his decency and commitment to what's right.
  ``A half-century earlier, as a combat infantryman, Bob Michel was in 
the Battle of the Bulge. He was at Normandy too. For his service in 
World War II, he received two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart.
  ``I did not have the privilege to serve with Leader Michel. But I do 
have the honor of working every day in the office in the Capitol that 
bears his name. What a name and legacy it is. What a life well-lived by 
this great and gracious man. Today the members of the House--past and 
present--mourn with the family and friends of our former colleague and 
leader.''
  The House took several steps to honor Mr. Michel. The flags of the 
U.S. Capitol were lowered to halfstaff in honor of his passing. A book 
of condolences was made available for the remembrances of friends and 
colleagues. On February 27, 2017, the House adopted House Resolution 
151, honoring the life of former Minority Leader of the House of 
Representatives, Robert Henry ``Bob'' Michel. A memorial service was 
held in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol on March 9, 2017. The 
following is a transcript of those proceedings:

                             MARCH 9, 2017

       PRELUDE--(United States Army Brass Quintet)
       PRESENTATiON OF THE COLORS--(United States Armed Forces 
     Color Guard)
       NATIONAL ANTHEM--(United States Army Chorus)
       (The Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, S.J., chaplain of the 
     United States House of Representatives)
       Reverend Conroy: God of Heaven and Earth, the work of Your 
     hands is made known in Your bountiful creation and in the 
     lives of those who faithfully live in Your grace.
       Today we especially remember the life and work of Bob 
     Michel, son of the very proud city of Peoria.
       As the long-time minority leader, he was a modest man whose 
     impact on the public weal beyond his district far exceeded 
     any projection of ego strength. A man of an age past, he was 
     a better practitioner of governance than politics. It was 
     this characteristic of his that ushered through a Democratic 
     House much of President Ronald Reagan's agenda, evidence of 
     an extraordinary ability to legislate within our 
     constitutional structures.
       Be present with us this day, O God, as we mark his life and 
     remember his legacy. Bless this gathering and comfort us as 
     we comfort one another in remembering a great American and a 
     genuinely good man.
       Amen.
       (The Honorable Paul D. Ryan, Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives)
       Speaker Ryan: Good afternoon, and welcome to the United 
     States Capitol.
       Today, we celebrate the life of the Honorable Robert H. 
     Michel, the distinguished leader from the State of Illinois. 
     On the day of his passing, it was my sad duty as Speaker to 
     order the flags flown over the Capitol to be flown at 
     halfstaff.
       At this moment, I would like to ask the Capitol Police to 
     present one of those flags from that day to the Michel 
     family, if you will, please.
       (Presentation made.)
       Speaker Ryan: Bob Michel was a man of very simple rituals. 
     He pressed his own shirts. He whistled while he worked--no, 
     he really, actually did whistle while he worked. He had time 
     for everyone. That is a skill I am really learning to 
     appreciate, and that is difficult to develop in this job.
       Actually, I would say this is the kind of inclusive program 
     that the leader would enjoy: three Republicans, two 
     Democrats, and Ray LaHood.
       (Applause.)
       Speaker Ryan: That is right. Because this is a celebration 
     of a great life, this being a House event, we are going to 
     hear some really great stories. I want to start the bidding 
     with two.
       One comes from Karen Haas, Karen, whom we all know very, 
     very well right here in the House because she is the Clerk of 
     the House. But Karen came to us as a long-time Bob Michel 
     aide. Karen tells this story of a time she briefed the leader 
     on a tax provision that Bill Archer was going on about. She 
     went into all the great details. The reason she did that was 
     so that they wouldn't have to go over the whole thing all 
     over again with Bill Archer on the floor.
       So they get to the floor, and sure enough, Bill Archer 
     comes up on the floor, comes up, starts going into the tax 
     policy. The leader sits down, and he says: ``Walk me through 
     it from beginning to end. Tell me all about it.'' Karen 
     starts fidgeting in her chair. He just taps her lightly, and 
     the leader basically is saying to her, without saying a word: 
     ``This is the job. A leader takes a moment; a leader 
     listens.''
       My predecessor, John Boehner, he tells a story of his very, 
     very early days when he was a freshman Member. You ever hear 
     of the Gang of Seven? Right. John Boehner was a part of the 
     Gang of Seven. They were about to drop something really big 
     on the House Bank. That's what made the Gang of Seven famous.
       So John Boehner, he is a freshman, goes to the leader and 
     gives him a heads-up about what they are right about to do on 
     the House Bank, and he is thinking: ``He is going to cut my 
     legs off. This guy is never going to speak to me ever 
     again.''
       The leader just nods and he says: ``Well, you do what you 
     have to do. As leader, I will do what I have to do.'' That 
     was it--no breaking of arms, no retribution, just that.
       You know, years later, when I was a rabble-rouser causing 
     John Boehner very similar problems, he showed the same 
     decency to me. Now I know whom I have to thank.
       Bob Michel loved this place. Many of us got to know him 
     after. We didn't serve together, but we all got to know him 
     so well after that service. He loved this place. He loved 
     this institution. But he really loved his people. He did not 
     just shape events; he shaped people's lives, how they lived, 
     and how they treated others. That's what makes a giant a 
     giant. it is the values that they instill in us, those 
     moments that make you say: ``Wow, I will never forget this.''
       Bob Michel had a lot of those kinds of moments in his good 
     and long life. You wouldn't know it, given how humble and how 
     genial he was. But today, I hope that he will permit us to 
     speak out of order so that we can give this great patriot, 
     this man of the House, the due he so richly deserves.
       Thank you very much for being here today.
       (Applause.)
       (The Honorable Dick Durbin, United States Senator from 
     Illinois)
       Mr. Durbin: If Bob Michel were here looking out at this 
     crowd, we might have heard some of his favorite profanities: 
     Ye gads. Doggone. By gosh, by Jiminy! Son of a buck!
       He would say: ``Just look who's here: my friends, my 
     family, Republicans, Democrats, diehard Cub fans--and the 
     rest of the world.''
       We have beautiful baseball weather outside, a U.S. Army 
     band and chorus inside, and we meet in the right room. If you 
     can't be on the floor of the House, this is a great room to 
     honor Bob Michel. Imagine how many times he walked across 
     this room back and forth to his office, to his beloved floor 
     of the House of Representatives.
       But best of all, we meet with the uncommonly decent spirit 
     of Bob Michel among us again. The only thing Bob loved better 
     than the people's House, as he called it, was his family.
       To Bob and Corinne's children--Scott, Robin, Bruce, 
     Laurie--grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, we hope in 
     this time of loss, as you look around here at the support and 
     friendship, that you can replace that loss with happy 
     memories of a great fellow, one loved by all.
       Bob's devotion to public service began when he was 19 years 
     old. He was an Army private, off to fight with courage in 
     some of the most important battles in human history. it 
     continued after he left Congress, with his extraordinary 
     efforts to increase America's investments in medical 
     research.

[[Page 4138]]

       But he left his greatest mark in public service right here 
     in this building. In his nearly 50 years in the House of 
     Representatives, he said that the times he was proudest of 
     were the Ronald Reagan years, starting in 1981, his first 
     year as a minority leader, when he was able to create 
     coalitions to help big parts of President Reagan's agenda 
     pass.
       I was elected 2 years later, in a tumultuous election in 
     1982. Bob, of course, was the Republican leader at that time, 
     and we had adjoining congressional districts. Now, a lesser 
     man and a different leader might have written me off as just 
     another freshman Democrat; but Bob Michel treated me as a 
     colleague and as a friend, and I never forgot it.
       I used to love the stories. We would meet just around the 
     corner there once every month with an Illinois delegation for 
     lunch. it was such a treat to hear the great stories from our 
     delegation in those days, but especially the stories between 
     Bob Michel and Dan Rostenkowski.
       Are there two more different politicians alive in the State 
     of Illinois than Bob Michel of Peoria and Dan Rostenkowski of 
     the bare-knuckle wards of the city of Chicago? You would 
     think it was just going to be a knock-down-drag-out every 
     time they got in the same room, and you couldn't be further 
     from the truth.
       They became such close friends that--listen to this--they 
     would actually get in a station wagon after the adjournment 
     of the House and take turns driving back to Illinois. one 
     would drive, the other would sleep on a mattress in the back 
     of the station wagon. That was their regular return home and 
     back and forth. They were that close.
       Over the years, Corinne and LaVerne Rostenkowski and Bob 
     and Dan were the closest of friends. I never shared a station 
     wagon trip with Bob--thank goodness neither of us had to do 
     that--but what we did share was a commitment to our state and 
     a reverence for the House of Representatives and this great 
     Nation.
       We were both children of immigrants, and like many first-
     generation Americans, we shared an awe for this great Nation. 
     That was the foundation of a friendship for the 12 years that 
     we served together in the House of Representatives and all 
     the years since.
       The last time I saw Bob, I was telling the family, was at a 
     Cubs-Nats game over at the stadium. And he was having the 
     time of his life, as usual.
       Bob Michel taught us the importance of listening and 
     respecting other persons and the other person's views, even 
     if you didn't agree with them. He never mistook politics for 
     warfare because he had seen real war, like Bob Dole.
       It is an honor that you are with us today, Senator Dole. 
     Thank you for being here.
       (Applause.)
       Mr. Durbin: John Warner, thank you for being here, too.
       And men like Danny Inouye. so many of the Greatest 
     Generation. There was a quiet, battle tested bravery about 
     them.
       He showed us that consensus is not weakness, and 
     principled, intelligent compromise is not capitulation. it is 
     how a democracy works. He once said, and I quote: ``Raising 
     the level of your voice doesn't raise the level of 
     discussion. . . . Peaks of uncommon progress can be reached 
     by paths of common courtesy.'' One look at his historic 
     legislative achievements and you know that that is true.
       Bob Michel often said that the real heroes of World War II 
     never came home. At the risk of correcting my old friend, I 
     have to say this: Some of those heroes did come home. It was 
     our honor to know and work with one of the finest.
       In his great, beloved hometown of Peoria, one of the 
     tributes after his passing read: ``They certainly don't make 
     'em like Bob Michel anymore.''
       And I might add: We are all the lesser for it.
       Thank you.
       (Applause.)
       (The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader of the 
     United States House of Representatives)
       Minority Leader Pelosi: Good afternoon, everyone. Senator 
     Dole, Senator Warner, thank you for honoring us with your 
     presence.
       Many honors are afforded members of Congress, but to be 
     asked to speak at a memorial service for Leader Michel is an 
     honor indeed. It is an honor to be here with speaker Ryan and 
     senator Durbin, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Baker, 
     Secretary LaHood, Secretary Jack Lew, Billy Pitts. I will 
     talk about the two of them later.
       Today we remember a beloved former colleague who embodied 
     the highest ideals of our democracy: Leader Robert Henry 
     Michel. In this hallowed Hall, gathered beneath the great 
     statue of Clio, the muse of history, Clio and her clock 
     remind us that our time is short and history is watching. She 
     reminds us that we are part of history, that our words and 
     our actions will face the judgment of history, that we are 
     part of the long and honorable heritage of our democracy.
       This distinguished gathering is a tribute to Leader 
     Michel's leadership, service, and civility, embodying 
     everything we hope our heritage would be.
       Bob Michel was a patriot, a proud immigrant's son, a 
     soldier, and a great American statesman--a patriot indeed.
       In World War II, Bob served with heroism and honor, which 
     earned him the first congressional Distinguished Service 
     Award.
       In the Congress, Leader Michel fought for the people of 
     Peoria and his beloved Illinois. He brought the values of the 
     heartland to Washington. And he personified the highest 
     ideals of our Nation.
       His valor and leadership were recognized with the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom, with the high honor of 
     France's Knights of the Legion of Honor. We all benefited 
     from his wisdom, his dignity, and his integrity.
       Bob once said: ``Understanding the other person's viewpoint 
     is the beginning of political wisdom. It doesn't mean we will 
     always agree. But it does mean that when we disagree, it's a 
     disagreement based on fact.''
       What great guidance.
       Leader Michel reminded all of us that we have a role to 
     play in strengthening our democracy. Let us carry forward 
     Bob's courage, his conviction, and his civility.
       With his characteristic civility and grace, Bob Michel held 
     the respect of colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I am 
     sure that Steny Hoyer will attest that Democrats in the House 
     who served with him and since then all respected and loved 
     Bob Michel.
       His relationship with Speaker O'Neill was legendary. Tip 
     O'Neill served as Speaker, and he took the leader's office 
     and yielded the speaker's office to Bob Michel. That office 
     is now named for Bob Michel. And it brings a joy to all of us 
     that it is, and it brings luster to that office that it bears 
     his name.
       They were really close friends, and they traveled a bit. 
     And I am just telling you this one story about Jack Lew, who 
     worked with Tip O'Neill, and Billy Pitts, who worked with Bob 
     Michel. One time they were on a trip visiting Gorbachev in 
     Russia, the Soviet Union at the time. And they were so close 
     and interacted in such a nonpartisan, bipartisan way that, 
     when Tip O'Neill's spokesperson was not available to lead the 
     press event that they would both speak at, Billy Pitts 
     stepped in for the Democrats.
       Okay, Billy? Billy and Jack, please stand up, because they 
     are probably the two closest people to Tip and Bob Michel.
       (Applause.)
       Minority Leader Pelosi: It wasn't that long ago when we all 
     gathered in Statuary Hall for the service for Speaker Tom 
     Foley. All of us remember the beautiful, beautiful 
     presentation that Bob Michel made about Tom Foley and about 
     bipartisanship and working together and respecting each 
     other's views. In fact, Bob Michel was one of the last people 
     that Tom Foley saw before he left us. So, whatever the 
     politics were, the personal respect always prevailed.
       Leader Michel, may I say again, had a role to play in 
     strengthening our democracy, but he also understood that we 
     were engaged in a political disagreement from time to time. 
     Leader Michel and Democrats might disagree on policy 
     proposals, but we always agreed, because he led us that way, 
     on the importance of public service. He believed in the truth 
     and compromise and working out differences to meet the needs 
     of the American people.
       It was a joy to behold Leader Michel's devotion to his late 
     wife, Corinne, and love for their children, grandchildren, 
     and great-grandchildren. I hope the grandchildren and the 
     great-grandchildren who are here understand how much their 
     grandfather is revered--is revered--and for a long time to 
     come. Of all of his achievements as Republican leader of the 
     House, Bob Michel was most proud of being a husband, father, 
     and grandfather.
       So, for many of us, it was such an honor to serve with him, 
     to be his colleague in the Congress. It was a privilege to 
     serve with him. It was an honor to call him colleague and a 
     joy to call him friend. Many of us, maybe, presuming, but he 
     made us feel that we were all his friends.
       To Scott, Bruce, Laurie, and Robin, thank you for sharing 
     your father with all of us over the years. May it be a source 
     of comfort to you, to your whole family, the people of 
     Illinois, and the people of America who loved him that so 
     many join all of you in celebrating the life of this 
     extraordinary American, mourn your loss, and are praying for 
     your family at this sad time. Thank you again for sharing 
     this great, patriotic American statesman, a person who taught 
     us all so much about civility and about our country--a great 
     patriot.
       Thank you.
       MUSICAL SELECTION--(``Mansions of the Lord'' performed by 
     the United States Army chorus)
       (The Honorable Dick Cheney, 46th vice President of the 
     United States)
       Vice President Cheney: Good afternoon. This is a sad 
     occasion, obviously, for all of us, but it is also an 
     opportunity to give thanks for the fact that we were able to 
     share time with Bob. He was a major, major influence in my 
     life.
       When I arrived here after the 1978 election, Bob took me 
     under his wing, taught me a lot about what he knew about the 
     House. He did his darndest, with some success: got me elected 
     to the leadership in my first term, made me a member of the 
     Intelligence Committee--his committee assignments were

[[Page 4139]]

     very important--and eventually put me in charge of the Iran-
     Contra investigation. And I loved every one of those. I was 
     never quite certain it was going to come out the way Bob 
     thought it was going to come out, but his role as my mentor I 
     will never forget.
       My highest aspiration was to follow in Bob's footsteps and 
     hopefully some day become the Speaker. Speaker Ryan and I 
     have often reminisced over the fact that my desire was to 
     become Speaker of the House and his was to become the Vice 
     President. It didn't work out quite the way we planned.
       But Bob was one of the finest men I have ever known. There 
     cannot be many others who spent so much time here yet were 
     held in such thoroughly high regard by everyone, from 
     beginning to end. Our leader was never known to make a 
     disagreement personal or let opposition give way to 
     hostility, to show the signs of injured vanity. And forget 
     holding a grudge; Bob wouldn't know how to acquire a grudge 
     in the first place. He was a straight-up guy through and 
     through, as authentic and devoid of pretense as any man could 
     be.
       Like his counterpart, Senator Dole, Bob was a man of his 
     generation who knew far bigger tests than a tough vote or a 
     heated floor debate. I guess when you have landed at 
     Normandy, led a platoon in combat, been wounded by machine 
     gun fire in the Battle of the Bulge, you gain a perspective 
     that doesn't come any other way. You know what a real fight 
     looks like, what a real loss feels like, and the dramas and 
     reversals of politics are all a little bit more manageable.
       When we are young and we first start reading about 
     politics, we picture a certain kind of individual to serve in 
     Congress. Maybe, in time, reality teaches us a little 
     differently. In this case, the man and the ideal were awfully 
     close.
       The gentleman from Illinois commanded respect well beyond 
     anything required by title. He was a man of courage, 
     rectitude, and personal kindness, a friend we looked up to 
     and were lucky to have in our lives. We honor Bob for all 
     that he gave to America, and we are grateful for all that he 
     meant to us.
       (Applause.)
       (The Honorable Jim Baker, 61st United States Secretary of 
     State)
       Secretary Baker: Of course it is traditional to refer to 
     Members of Congress as ``The Honorable.'' In Bob Michel's 
     case it was particularly appropriate when people called him 
     The Honorable Bob Michel because it was a simple fact. He was 
     a most honorable man.
       The words ``duty,'' ``honor,'' and ``country'' were not 
     catchphrases for Bob Michel; they described a prescription 
     for almost everything he did. He was a masterful legislator, 
     of course, and a leader of his party in the House who had 
     enough accomplishments to fill the rotunda of this building 
     where he worked for so very long.
       But more importantly, he remained a generous and decent man 
     whose ego was as humble as his Midwestern roots. After all, 
     as Senator Durbin has said, how can you not like someone who 
     cusses like a choir boy? While the Halls of Congress echoed 
     with supercharged expletives deleted, Bob would simply smile 
     and say, ``geez,'' or maybe if he was really steamed, 
     ``dagnabbit.''
       A conciliatory influence who knew how to work with 
     Democrats, Bob was also tough and strong-willed, and he knew 
     how to swing votes. Without his skill, we could never have 
     helped President Reagan achieve his 1986 income tax reform, 
     the only time our tax system has been completely overhauled 
     successfully. With a deadline approaching, we gathered in our 
     leader's office and began working the phones to seek support 
     from wary Members. It took a lot of calls and it took a lot 
     of horse trading--Bill Pitts remembers all that--but we got 
     it done. It was classic Michel: fair, but very strong.
       Rather than rely on bellicosity--a trait that, sadly, I am 
     afraid to say is in vogue today--Bob's actions always spoke a 
     lot louder than his words. In what now seems to be a long 
     lost approach to governance, Bob preferred to reach across 
     the aisle than battle across the aisle. He could, and he did, 
     disagree agreeably.
       So I can just imagine the scene when Bob arrived at the 
     pearly gates not very long ago. He is greeted by St. Peter, 
     who smiles, spreads his arms wide, and tells him: ``It's good 
     to see you up here, Bob, but dagnabbit, you really are missed 
     back down there.''
       Thank you.
       (Applause.)
       (The Honorable Ray LaHood, 16th United States Secretary of 
     Transportation)
       Mr. LaHood: Thank you all for being here. We knew that this 
     would be a standing-room-only crowd. And I can't pass up the 
     opportunity to recognize the Chief Justice of the Supreme 
     Court, John Roberts. When I called the Chief Justice and 
     invited him, I told him what an honor it would be for the 
     family.
       When Bob left Congress, he went to work at Hogan Hartson, 
     which is now Hogan Lovells, and he met one of the top 
     partners there, John Roberts, and they became good friends. 
     So, Mr. Chief Justice, I know it is an honor for the family 
     to have you here, and I know Bob would be so humbled to have 
     your presence here. So thank you for coming.
       (Applause.)
       Mr. LaHood: Bob Michel's life reflects the perfect 
     definition of what Tom Brokaw called the Greatest Generation. 
     Bob was raised by two loving parents with his two sisters in 
     Peoria, Illinois. He learned his strong Midwestern values of 
     faith in good, hard work and play by the rules in Peoria. He 
     and Corinne raised an all-American family, obviously.
       Bob served his country for 50 years: as a decorated war 
     hero in World War II, as an American hero to his constituents 
     from the 18th Congressional District, and as a teacher for 
     those of us who had the greatest privilege of working for 
     him. I consider myself, as well as many other people 
     sprinkled throughout this wonderful Statuary Hall, a graduate 
     of the Robert H. Michel School of Applied Political Arts and 
     Sciences.
       And if I could, just for a moment, ask all of you that were 
     touched by having the privilege of serving as a Bob Michel 
     staffer to stand up, just to say thank you to all of you for 
     what you did for our leader. Please stand, all of you that 
     were a part of it.
       (Applause.)
       Mr. LaHood: When you worked for Bob Michel, you were a part 
     of his family. He cared as much about you as a staffer as he 
     did any one of his children or grandchildren. Bob's 
     classrooms were his office, the floor of the House, its 
     committee rooms, and the farms and towns of the 18th 
     District. Everywhere he went he taught his staff by his 
     example what it means to be a great public servant.
       President John Adams once said the Constitution is the 
     project of good heads, prompted by good hearts. Bob taught us 
     that both a good head and a good heart are necessary in order 
     to be a good Congressman, but also to be a good staffer.
       Bob taught us by example that the 18th Congressional 
     District should offer a forum for reasoned debate among 
     constituents equal in dignity. Bob taught us to respect every 
     person, no matter their opinion or political persuasion. I 
     heard him say on more than one occasion: ``You learn much 
     more from listening.''
       Bob worked every day, either in Washington or in the 
     district, for the people, not to engage in ideological 
     melodramas or political vendettas, and he expected and 
     demanded all of his staff to do the same.
       Bob knew warfare firsthand--not war in a Steven Spielberg 
     movie or war fought on the pages of a book, but real war. I 
     guess that is the reason that he never used macho phrases 
     like ``warfare'' and ``take no prisoners'' when discussing 
     politics with his staff. To Bob, the harsh personal rhetoric 
     of ideological warfare had no place in his office, no place 
     in the House, and no place in American politics. He knew that 
     the rhetoric we use often shapes the political actions we 
     take.
       I never saw Bob get angry or use a swear word--lots of 
     deviations of swear words, but never a swear word. Whenever 
     there is a debate on the House floor or in the 18th District 
     conducted by men and women with good heads and good hearts, 
     treating each other with mutual respect, Bob Michel's long, 
     rich history of respect for others and uncommon decency to 
     all will endure. He was a great Congressman, a great leader, 
     and a great teacher.
       Three final thoughts:
       Many of you that knew Bob knew that he was the best 
     gardener in the world. If you drive by his townhouse on A 
     street today, what you will see are barrels in front of his 
     house with tulips coming up, planted by him--the best tulips, 
     the best flower beds. And he taught all of us about flowers 
     and how to plant them and when to plant them, when to pull 
     the tulip bulbs up. He was a great gardener. We learned a lot 
     from him. He spent more time in his garden than on any piece 
     of legislation that he ever wrote.
       Bob Michel loved Bradley University. We had a wonderful 
     memorial service at Bradley a week ago to honor Bob. On that 
     university, there are a couple of buildings that are named in 
     his honor. That is where he met the love of his life, 
     Corinne, and that is where he really developed his love for 
     music. Bob was an extraordinary singer. He loved to sing. I 
     traveled with him all over the district on many occasions, 
     and he was either whistling or singing. And he loved singing. 
     He would have loved what you all presented today; and thank 
     you for doing that, and thank you for being here.
       (Applause.)
       Mr. LaHood: And finally, Bob Michel the Cub fan. Many of us 
     in this room received Christmas cards from Bob year in and 
     year out, great family pictures going way, way back to 1956 
     and 1957, when he was first elected. The best Christmas card 
     picture was this year, which is on the back cover of the 
     program. Bob stayed up until 2 o'clock in the morning when 
     the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. And I called him the 
     next day and I said: ``Did you watch the game?'' He said: ``I 
     stayed up until 2 o'clock.'' And he wasn't feeling that well.
       There is nobody that was a more long-suffering Cub fan than 
     Bob Michel--nobody. And he loved it when the Cubs won the 
     World Series, and he never dreamed that he would live long 
     enough for that to happen. So we are grateful to the Ricketts 
     family and all of the people that put together that great 
     organization that helped a great Cub fan watch them win the 
     World Series.

[[Page 4140]]

       I am going to finish with a quote from the Journal Star. We 
     were told we were only going to get 300 words, but when I saw 
     the Speaker go over and all these other speakers, I figured I 
     am going to, too. I want to read from an editorial tribute 
     that was in the Peoria Journal Star. And it's a quote from 
     Bob. Michel was ``always proud to say he was from Peoria.''
       This is a quote from me when I was asked about this, and 
     the reporter asked me if Bob was going to be buried in 
     Peoria. I recall my asking him: ``Bob, do you want to be 
     buried at Arlington Cemetery?'' which, by all rights, he 
     would be able to do. And he said: ``No.'' He said: ``Everett 
     Dirksen was a big man.'' And Everett Dirksen was Bob Michel's 
     mentor. He was the Congressman before Bob was elected, and he 
     was the Senator while Bob was serving. And he said: ``If 
     Everett Dirksen was not too big to be buried in Peoria, then 
     I'm not too big to be buried in Peoria.''
       And the final quote in this editorial is from Bob. And it 
     begins: ``You never know for sure how you are going to be 
     perceived in history. But you want to be a credit to your 
     kids and to the people that are closest around you, that they 
     will maybe take a leaf from your book if it's desirable, and 
     will fill the shoes that get emptied when you pass on.''
       So, lastly, we remember a Bob Michel who did that, who made 
     Congress better by being here, and who brought honor to his 
     hometown of Peoria.
       Let me introduce, finally, Scott Michel. When the Michel 
     family gave me the privilege of helping them organize the 
     memorial service in Peoria and here, all of us, except for 
     Scott, thought that a family member should say something. We 
     persuaded Scott to be the spokesman for the family. You all 
     know Bob loved every one of his children and his 
     grandchildren. So Scott really stepped up and decided that he 
     would be the one to represent the family. So please welcome 
     Scott Michel.
       (Applause.)
       (Mr. Scott Michel, son of the Honorable Robert H. Michel)
       Mr. Michel: Thank you, Ray.
       First, let me thank all of you, on behalf of the entire 
     Michel family, for joining us here this afternoon to 
     celebrate the life of my dad, Bob Michel.
       Since his passing last month in Arlington, Virginia, I have 
     read glowing tributes, news articles, and obituaries 
     capturing the highlights of his illustrious career and 
     extolling the virtues of his character. What I want to tell 
     you today is that the qualities that propelled him to such 
     lofty heights were made a part of him by his father and 
     mother, Charles and Anna Michel, back in Peoria, Illinois. 
     His parents instilled in him values and character that 
     developed, matured, and later were passed on to his sons and 
     daughter, just as his parents had done for him.
       As I got older and had a son of my own, I looked back and 
     tried to replicate what I saw and learned when I was growing 
     up. What did I see and learn? First, I saw a larger than life 
     figure with a booming voice, a vivid presence, and the 
     bearing of a leader. He was in charge. And even though his 
     work in Washington meant we saw him only twice a month on 
     weekends, he called us almost every day to check on our 
     academic progress, our athletic pursuits, our musical 
     instrument accomplishments, and our chores around the house. 
     We all saw that he was in our midst even while being away, 
     and we saw his involvement, commitment, and influence, which 
     was constant and reassuring.
       Second, when he was at home, we saw up close what he was 
     made of, and that made a lasting impression on all of us. 
     Learning his life lessons was simple: just watch and listen. 
     His lessons weren't taught so much by conversation as by 
     simple observation. We could see how he interacted with my 
     mother: how he treated her, how he respected her, how they 
     spoke with each other. It was with love, sensitivity, and 
     without harsh or bitter words. We could see how he treated 
     each of us, too. He was fair, evenhanded, strict when needed, 
     held us accountable for our actions, and expected no less 
     than our best at whatever we were doing, whatever tasks we 
     were given, or whatever our school studies demanded. All of 
     this reinforced his desire for us to be responsible.
       He also showed us how to be humble by practicing humility. 
     Bragging was called out. So was self-centeredness and 
     arrogance. He showed us that working hard and doing a good 
     job was its own reward. He showed us how to be honest by 
     demanding the truth from us and expecting no less when 
     dealing with others. He showed us how to be generous and 
     compassionate by his countless efforts to help assist, 
     console, and empathize with those less fortunate or those who 
     had fallen on difficult times. And he showed us how to 
     respect others by treating them the way he would want to be 
     treated. That sounds like the Golden Rule.
       As I look back at the values and character that witnessed 
     growing up with my father--his humility, his honesty, his 
     work ethic, his generosity, his respect for others, and his 
     abiding faith in God and our country--I feel so fortunate and 
     blessed to have had him as my father. He loved us and his 
     family in every way and with all his heart. He was a one-of-
     a-kind role model.
       While his accomplishments in public life make us all so 
     very proud, it is his values and character that he instilled 
     in each of us that means the most to us. That will be his 
     lasting legacy.
       Godspeed, Dad. I love you. I miss you. I know you are in 
     God's hands now.
       Before we close, I would like to ask that you all join the 
     U.S. Army chorus in singing ``God Bless America,'' which was 
     one of my dad's favorite songs, especially when he could lead 
     the singing, as he did on numerous occasions.
       MUSICAL SELECTION--(``God Bless America,'' performed by the 
     United States Army Chorus)
       Reverend Conroy: Dear Lord, as we close our time together, 
     send Your spirit of peace and consolation upon us who mourn 
     the loss of the Honorable, former minority leader of the 
     House, Bob Michel.
       He was a glowing example, an icon of what it means to be a 
     man for others. His decades of service to his home State of 
     Illinois and to our great Nation will be long appreciated by 
     those whose lives are forever blessed by his life's work and 
     dedication.
       His belief in the durability and transcendence of Congress 
     as an institution, the first branch of government, is a 
     challenge in this day of severe partisan divide and a 
     persistent and seeming inability to consider compromise in 
     order to reach consensus. May some from both sides of the 
     aisle be inspired to emulate such a great statesman.
       May Your angels, O God, come to greet our beloved Bob 
     Michel, and may those who mourn him here be consoled with the 
     knowledge that, for those whom love You, everything is turned 
     to good.
       Amen.
       POSTLUDE--(United States Army Brass Quintet)

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