[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10811]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING SENATOR KEVIN O'TOOLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the retirement 
of New Jersey Senator Kevin O'Toole.
  Like me, Senator O'Toole is a proud son of New Jersey. He was born to 
an Irish-American GI and Korean war refugee in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, 
where he still lives today with his wife, Beth. They are proud parents 
of two children, Kevin, Jr., and Ryan Marie.
  Kevin's parents instilled in him a strong commitment to service that 
shaped his entire career. At age 25, Kevin was elected to the Cedar 
Grove Township Council and then mayor.
  As assemblyman and State senator, Kevin has been a tireless advocate 
for small businesses, for law enforcement, first responders, our 
seniors, and our families. Like me, Kevin has been a strong advocate 
and force for lowering property taxes, supporting our veterans and 
first responders, cutting bureaucratic red tape, and strengthening 
domestic violence statutes. Kevin will soon continue his service at the 
New Jersey Port Authority, advocating for the critical infrastructure 
needed to drive economic growth.
  He has been a true leader on business growth and streamlining 
regulations to attract companies to our State and encourage the ones in 
New Jersey to stay in New Jersey.
  I applaud the high value Kevin has importantly placed on constituent 
service throughout his career as a legislator, a key and essential 
priority for any public servant. And Kevin has worked across the aisle 
with Republicans and Democrats alike, a practice that is essential in 
this time of gridlock.
  As Kevin departs the Senate, we wish him all the best. I hope he 
enjoys more time with his family, many more rounds of golf, and I 
applaud and thank Kevin O'Toole, a true public servant.

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