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“RECOGNIZING AND HONORING AN AMERICAN GIANT: CONGRESSMAN JOHN D. DINGELL, JR.” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H11477-H11484 on Dec. 13, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING AND HONORING AN AMERICAN GIANT: CONGRESSMAN JOHN D.
DINGELL, JR.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2005, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order today.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I have over 15 persons including myself who have asked to be included in this Special Order, that is, celebrating the 50th year of service of the Dean of the House of Representatives John Dingell of Michigan; and I am very pleased and honored to lead this discussion. I would encourage all of the Members to share this time as expeditiously as they can and insert the rest of their materials or remarks into the Record.
Let me begin, Mr. Speaker, by pointing out that the first Member of Congress I ever met in my life was John Dingell, namely, because he was my Congressman. Further, our relationship and family went back before because my father knew John Dingell's father. Further, we shared contiguous districts across the entire span of my service, and many of our constituents were mutual and frequently, according to the whims of the Michigan legislature the lines that changed from time to time, and frequently my constituents became his as his became mine.
This is a particularly moving event for me because it did not take long for me to realize that one of the more formidable legislators of the 20th century was the same person who worked so hard for my family as his constituents and for the congressional district he represented, but more for all of the citizens of this country.
The legislative prowess and the ability with which he exercised his leadership as chairman of a major committee and the many different and important pieces of legislation have been recounted already tonight and at other events. But I merely want to say that John Dingell is the Renaissance man of the 20th century in the Congress, the man for all issues, the leader for all challenges, and the person who has created a friendship and a relationship with, as far as I can tell, every single Member of the House of Representatives who has served with him during these 50 years.
So this celebration is absolutely in order. The fact that it has been so widely recognized and so movingly responded to, not only by Members of Congress but by those across the country, it is no easy task to win the admiration and love of the labor movement and yet retain the respect of the corporate economic system leaders of this great country.
And so it is with great pleasure that I begin this recounting of our memories, of our relationships, of our legislative successes with the Dean of the Congress. And it seems fairly clear to most of us that he will soon be able to exceed the staying power of those several Members who exceeded him in 50 years of service. I am, of course, one of those looking happily and proudly toward that day when that occurs.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, do we have to tell the truth about the persons we are honoring tonight?
Mr. Speaker, I guess if we have to tell the truth, then I will have to say the same thing I would have said if we did not have to tell the truth, that John Dingell is one of the great men in the history of this institution.
I want to thank John Dingell, not because he is Dean of the House, not because he is the third longest serving Member in the history of the House. I think the most notable aspect of John Dingell's career is not his length of service, but its quality.
When each of us comes to this institution, we come with one of two desires, either to be something and somebody, or to stand for something. In the end, we take little note of those who merely want to be a Member of Congress, or be a United States Senator. But we take great note of those who use their service here to do things on behalf of the country and the people they represent.
John Dingell and I both share admiration for former Congressman John Moss, who is a great leader in his own right in this institution. John Moss earned a reputation as a lion fighting for justice and for the rights of the common people of this country. Like John Moss, John Dingell personifies integrity, courage, independence, and dedication to the public interest. John follows in the footsteps of his father. He has championed the cause of wildlife, of wild lands and wild places. He has championed the cause of consumers in an economy of corporate giants.
He has championed the cause of medical research. He has followed in his father's footsteps in championing the cause of health insurance for all Americans. He is truly a social gospel Democrat who understands that we are elected to this House for the same reason that we are placed on this Earth, namely, to try to do good for others.
I want to congratulate John Dingell for his passion, for his conscience, for his vigor; and I want to thank his remarkable wife, Debbie, for helping him focus his prodigious abilities on behalf of not only his constituents but so many of our own.
I feel privileged to have served in the same institution with John Dingell. I am proud of his service, and I want to thank John for the honor that he has done this place by the quality of his service for the last 50 years.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to be here with my colleagues. John Dingell is being lionized here tonight and for good reason, as was true on previous occasions. And I think ``lion'' is a good term to describe John Dingell. Ferociousness. There is a ferocity about John, about his beliefs, a belief in the common man and woman and their aspirations and their needs.
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A ferociousness about the need for health for everybody in this country. He has devoted his life to this. A ferociousness, and I am not on the committee, but Members who have been there tell me that is so true when he investigates. And also for the automotive industry, it is in his blood. It is in his being, raised in southeast Michigan, knowing the importance of it.
A lion is also known for bravery, and, John, you are gutsy. You are brave. You do not simply look to see where the winds are blowing, and that has been a mark of your career.
A lion is also known for eminence. And I think just, for example, and Mr. Obey and others have talked about the environment, what a lofty person John has been about our earth, about its sacredness, its sanctity.
And also, John, you have been an eminence in terms of the institution here. You believe in it, and you want everybody else to believe in it.
A lion is also known for gruffness, and there is a bit of that in John. He can be very succinct.
So all those characteristics of a lion, I think, apply to John Dingell as a lion in this place. But we were chatting in my office. Some of the staff has worked directly with John, and everybody has worked with his staff, and we were talking about another characteristic of John that is sometimes lost, and that is gentleness. Some of it comes from his beloved wife, Debbie, but I think it is part of his being.
So we were talking about, and I finish with this, a fable about a lion, the fable about Androcles and the lion. Androcles was a slave, as we might remember, who escaped. He fled from the Emperor. He wandered about and came across a lion. And the lion, he thought, would go after him. But, no, it was kind of moaning and groaning, and so Androcles approached and found the lion with a huge thorn in the paw. And Androcles took out the thorn, and they became friends. And the lion took Androcles, as the Members may remember, to the cave and helped to feed him. But soon afterwards, the lion and Androcles were captured, and the sentence was to throw the slave into, I guess, the center of a ring and throw him to the lion. And so here they came. And the emperor showed up, and all of his court, and they expected that the lion would approach Androcles and maul and eat him. So they let the lion loose. And the lion comes from the den and rushes in, and there is a lot of roaring. And at first, I guess, the lion roars at Androcles, but then as he comes close, he recognizes who it is, and he licks his hands like a friendly dog.
And the emperor hears this story, wondering what had happened, and Androcles tells the story, and the slave is let loose and the lion.
And I close, if this fable applies, and I think it does, to John and his gentleness, I think John would have done something different. Androcles would have said, Look, the lion is loose; however, I think the lion also would have said to the emperor, We will go after you unless you make sure among all your constituents there is universal health care.
And, John, you have been a lion with the ferociousness of your beliefs and all the other qualities but also with a gentleness. And we salute you today. We are proud of you in good measure because you have made this institution something to be very proud of.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Levin for his comments.
I now am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for from Michigan for holding this Special Order, this well-deserved Special Order.
I have had the privilege of serving on the Energy and Commerce Committee for 30 years with Mr. Dingell, and I have seen him through three energy crises, two Clean Air Acts, a complete rewrite of the 1934 Communications Act, the creation of Super Fund, on and on and on and on. And he is, without question, going to go down as one of the great congressmen who have ever served in the history of this institution.
And I am not going to go through the entire litany, but what I am going to do is, because I had a front-row seat all those years, and these years continue, and what I am about to describe to the Members continues even this week in the Energy and Commerce Committee, I am just going to take the Members back through time and give them some idea of what happens on our committee on a regular basis because, before John Dingell was elected to Congress, he was an assistant District Attorney in the State of Michigan where he learned many skills, including the art of inducing recalcitrant witnesses into cooperating. Some of my most memorable moments as his colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee have occurred as an observer of this talent, judiciously but forcefully applied, to those who over the years have accepted invitations to give testimony on one subject or another before the Energy and Commerce Committee. I have kept a little list of some of the more effective rhetorical gambits, verbal jabs, crosses and haymakers that tend to leave the witness to whom they are directed a little stunned just as he or she is being called upon to respond.
I have culled the list to bring some of the best, which I humbly share with the Members tonight as we celebrate a public life whose tenure in service is as long as its beneficial impact on America is wide and deep.
Mr. Speaker, I give you the top ten John Dingell hearing questions that mean you are in real trouble.
Number ten: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Number nine: Would the gentleman yield for a few questions, as I am trying to better understand where the witness is going, what the witness is saying?
Number eight: Does the very distinguished gentleman know how much affection and respect that I have for him?
Number seven: Perhaps if I direct a few questions to the distinguished majority counsel, we might be able to shed a little light on the gentleman's proposal.
Number six: Is the witness at all familiar with the Tucker Act?
Number five: I hear what you are saying, but what are you telling me?
Number four: That is an excellent answer but not to the question that I asked.
Number three: I am just a poor Polish lawyer. Perhaps you could help explain a few things to me?
Number two: Did you happen to know that my father wrote that law?
And the number one John Dingell hearing question that means that you are in real trouble: Did you know that I wrote that law?
Mr. Speaker, one of the great congressmen of all time is being honored on his 50th but not by far his last year in this institution. May he stay here forever.
I thank all here for honoring this gentleman tonight. And I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for holding this Special Order.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Markey for his statement.
I now yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend, John D. Dingell of Michigan.
Today marks John's 50th year of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. John's entire life has been one of service. He has served his community, his State of Michigan and his country as a prosecutor, as a soldier in World War II and now as a congressman.
He is not only the Dean of the House, he is the dean of our Michigan Congressional Delegation. He brings our delegation together to do what is best for the State of Michigan, and our State is a much better place because of all his hard work.
Mr. Speaker, no one in this House has a firmer grasp of the legislative process and the Rules of the House, and John uses his knowledge and experience to move his legislative agenda forward to passage.
John has always taken a balanced approach to the art of governing. While justly earning the title of defender of the automotive industry, John has amassed one of Congress's most meaningful legislative records of protecting our Nation's air, water, land and wildlife. And he has fought tirelessly to protect the rights of organized labor.
This balance tells a lot about the kind of man and the kind of legislator John Dingell is.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to number John Dingell among my colleagues in this House. But I am even more proud to number John among my close, personal friends.
Mr. Speaker, this country is certainly a better Nation because of John Dingell. This Congress is certainly a better body because of John Dingell. And I know, Mr. Speaker, that I am a better person because of John Dingell, and I shall always be grateful for that.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his statement.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Missouri
(Mr. Skelton), the ranking member of his committee.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for this Special Order and for giving me the opportunity to say a word or two about my friend John Dingell.
John Dingell is a friend, a colleague, a gentleman of great knowledge, stature. And at the end of the day, he is known as a pillar of this institution. Fifty years of service to the Nation as a Member of this body. That is wonderful.
It is interesting, having the thrill of a spouse, a wife, who is such a companion to me, I know full well that so much credit goes to the wife of John Dingell, Debbie Dingell, because she has devoted her life to making this institution better and our country a better place to live. So along with John Dingell, tonight, we salute Debbie.
In 1944, at the age of 18, John joined the United States Army. He became a second lieutenant and received orders to take part in the first wave of a planned invasion of Japan in November of 1945.
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He has been reported to have said that Harry Truman saved his life by using the weapon that he had at hand to end the war with Japan. He finished the military service in the fall of 1946, studied chemistry and law at Georgetown before working as a forest ranger, prosecuting attorney and a lawyer.
When his father passed away while still a Member of this Congress, John was elected to that open seat at the age of 29. He has served Michigan, our country, and this body ever since.
Mr. Speaker, this is an institution of relationships, those who have knowledge, those who have studied this subject and those who understand the word ``friendship.'' If you want something done or something passed, one must have the knowledge and the stature and the respect of others before something becomes law. That is the way this institution works. It is a wonderful, wonderful American way of doing things. John Dingell is the master of all. He understands the subject matter, he studies it, he speaks well, but, most of all, all of us look to him as a friend.
So we are pleased to salute him tonight as the dean of the House, as a role model for those who will follow in the days and years to come. I can honestly say that each of us who has had the privilege of serving in Congress with John Dingell says it is a true highlight in our life to do so.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call upon the gentleman from Texas (Gene Green).
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our ranking member and good friend, John Conyers, for allowing us to speak tonight and putting together this hour-long Special Order for John Dingell.
John Dingell has taught as much as any Member of this House about what it means to represent your district, and, more importantly, what it means to represent the Nation as a whole and to protect the integrity of this House.
John Dingell has devoted his life to the House of Representatives, the people's House, where his patriotism, intelligence, and trust have been put to the test every 2 years for 50 years; and every other November John has passed that test with flying colors. While the newspapers have recently featured stories of elected officials at all levels who abandon the public's trust and instead look out for themselves or other powerful interests, John has created an unbelievable and unbeatable record of accomplishment fighting for the American consumers for half a century.
He accomplished much of this during his terms as subcommittee and committee Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which I am honored to serve with him on; but he also continued his strong record of accomplishment as the ranking member. That is the toughest test of effectiveness, being able to get things done when you do not have all the cards.
I am glad that John is still filled with vigor and vitality, and I encourage all Members to seek his advice and wisdom. He is a great resource for all Members, Republican and Democrat.
The mark that John has made on Congress and this House in particular will be enduring. For example, there is no Member that has been more effective at protecting the jurisdiction of this Congress under the U.S. Constitution. John practically invented the modern practice of congressional oversight of the executive branch, which, I may add, we have not been doing for the last few sessions. In addition, he exposed more waste, fraud and abuse in the Federal Government probably than any person in history.
John's partner in his work is his wife, Debbie, or as he refers to her, as his beautiful wife Debbie; and they are a great team. My wife and I enjoy their friendship, and I have enjoyed serving with John on the Energy and Commerce Committee. But even more fun is when we had the chance to go hunting the few times we could, whether it be quail in Texas or duck on the Eastern Shore or pheasant in northern Maryland. He is a true sportsman in every sense of the word, not only in the field, but as a Member of Congress and his leadership, again, carrying on the tradition that his father did in being an outdoorsman and sportsman.
America owes him a debt of gratitude for his many years, and even more years of service to this Congress and to this country.
I thank, again, my colleague from Michigan for allowing me to speak tonight.
Mr. CONYERS. Thank you so much.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted now to turn to the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Frank Pallone, and recognize him at this time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Michigan for organizing this Special Order tonight as a tribute to John Dingell.
I did not really have any prepared notes tonight. I figured I would get up here and maybe write a few things down before I got up to speak.
I have to say I have been here 17 years, and that seems like such a short time compared to the time that John Dingell has been here, 50 years; but I have had enough time in those 17 years to watch John and to realize why he is such a giant in this institution. I want to mention a few things.
First of all, I think most important, John Dingell is so proud to be a Member of the House of Representatives, and he really sees the House as an institution. In the 17 years I have been here, I have watched as the House has been basically put down, denigrated, many times compared not favorably to the other body or to the other branches of government.
No matter how many times I would come down on this floor, John would remind me about why the House was so important. It was the people's House, and we are elected here every 2 years because we are really more directly representative of the American people than any other institution here in Washington. He is proud to be a Member of this institution, and he wants to make sure that it continues as an outstanding institution.
I think that is one of the reasons that he stayed here for 50 years, or more. We know it is going to be more, because he really thinks it is important to build the House as an institution and to make people proud to be Members here.
The second thing he is so proud of is his committee; and, of course, it is my committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee. If you have watched also in the last 10-or-so years, or maybe more, we have seen the committees sort of break down as institutions. The committees may be seen as less important. Their chairmen, even in the minority now as Democrats, seem less important.
I think once again John feels that that is wrong, that the committees as an institution are just as important as the House as an institution and we need to be proud of them. We need to follow the procedure. We need to have jurisdiction that is defined. We need to have proper process. I think, again, he feels that the institution suffers if we do not follow proper procedure, if we do not follow the process, and he wants to build the institution, not tear it down.
The third thing I want to say is that he is so proud to be a legislator. I think it was Dave Obey that said before, some people come down here to be a Congressman or to be a Senator, not to be a legislator and to legislate. He wants to get things done. He wants to get them done on a bipartisan basis, if possible; but, most of all, he wants to get them done. And he wants to hear from the other side. He wants to listen to what the other side of the aisle says. He respects the rights of the minority.
When he was in the majority, and I was there, he always respected the rights of the minority, mainly because he feels that if a person is elected to come down here, then they should have a voice and we should listen to what they have to say so we can get good legislation passed.
Another Member, I think it was Gene Green, talked about the oversight and investigative responsibility of Congress. Once again, John always stressed that. He believes that it is an important function of the Congress.
When you think about it, it is not enough to just pass a bill; you want to follow up to make sure it works and it is carried out by the executive branch in the right way. So that is why oversight and investigation are so important, because if we need to make changes, then John wants to say let us make those changes, and he has been forthright in saying that regardless of who is in power, regardless of who is in the majority, that we have to take that oversight and investigation responsibility very seriously.
Now, I have talked about the institutional aspects of John, which I think are so important; but I want to just say a couple personal things before I sit down. First of all, he is always someone that you can turn to for advice. I have not turned to him that many times; but whenever I have, he was always there and offered advice that was very valuable to me.
Next, I want to say he is someone who you can trust. His word is gold. You can take his handshake to the bank, as we say, and that is, unfortunately, not true of every Member; but I think it is more true of him than any other Member, and I think he wants us all to be that way, and it is one of the reasons he is that way.
The last thing I want to mention is Debbie. I see her sitting up there in the gallery, his wife. She has always been by his side, and she also believes in the House as an institution. I have to assume that part of that is because John believes in it, but I also think that she takes on sort of her own responsibility and her own views in that regard. But she shares his views on all the things that I mentioned, and I think those things are so important as well. So I want to thank Debbie as well.
Again, I thank John for being a giant, not because of the legislation that he passed, and I know that it is important, but because of what he stands for and what he believes that this House of Representatives should be.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield to Carolyn Maloney of New York in this very moving tribute.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for organizing this important Special Order.
Tonight, we stand to honor Michigan's most famous export, John Dingell. He has served and led in this body for many years. His partner in life, Debbie Dingell, has been an important part of his work and causes.
It is absolutely amazing how much he has helped improve people's lives through the legislation and causes he has advanced. Because John is so tenacious, determined, knowledgeable and effective, I always seek him out to help me with those causes nearest to my heart. There have been many, but one is the equal rights amendment which like-minded men and women have been trying to pass since the first women's rights meeting at Seneca Falls in New York in 1848.
John believed that the best way to advance women's rights was through an economic argument, so we commissioned and worked together on what became known as the Dingell-Maloney Reports. One called ``A New Look at the Glass Ceiling'' proved that women managers earned significantly less than their male counterparts. Another, ``The Glass Ceiling Under the Microscope,'' proved that this wage gap had persisted unchanged for 20 years. College professors and teachers tell me that they use the Glass Ceiling reports as part of their women's studies curriculum.
John, thank you for helping me on these reports, and for so many other issues, health care, campaign finance reform, energy policy, clean water, clean air.
John is known for many, many, many achievements. He is one of the most outstanding legislators this body has ever seen, but, above all, John cares. He cares about people, and he cares about quality public policy.
We thank Michigan tonight for her proud gift to the Nation, Congressman John Dingell. And as we say in New York, sto lat, sto lat: may you live 1,000 years, may you serve 1,000 years.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield to the gentlelady from Illinois, Jan Schakowsky.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding to me.
When I came to the House in 1999, I was often asked what surprised me the most. I answered that it was the passion, energy and depth of engagement of many of the longest-serving Members, and would cite John Dingell as the example.
John Dingell has been the driving force behind major landmark progressive legislation, from the Children's Health Insurance Program, to electric utility consumer standards, to environmental protections like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act; and he is still going strong.
A master of the legislative process, he is legendary for his oversight hearings, dogged in his determination to protect the public by holding government officials, corporations, and others accountable for their actions.
John Dingell is a fighter. He continues to be a strong voice for consumers and workers in Michigan and across the country. He told us all at his magnificent 50th anniversary celebration that he has no intention of leaving the House anytime soon and that he intends to be chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee once again; and I fully believe it will happen, and very soon.
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When it does, I will do all I can to support him as he works to win his goal of securing health care for every American.
Some have used the word ``feared'' when talking about John Dingell, and it certainly is true that you want to have him on your side and not against him. But the John Dingell I have personally experienced is a gentleman to all, a loving husband to his spectacular wife and partner, Debbie, a man who is respectful and generous to his staff, who in turn work tirelessly and effectively and are ever loyal to him. He is patient with newer Members, always willing to share his experiences and, when asked, offer solid advice.
I feel privileged to serve with John Dingell, a patriot, a role model, mentor, and friend. I thank him for his 50 years of service to our country and wish him many, many more.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am now delighted to turn to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) to help us wind down on this Special Order in honor of the Dean of the Congress.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague from Michigan for organizing and for allowing me to speak in this time of tribute. It is truly a high privilege and a rare moment to recognize someone who has served 50 years in this remarkable institution and, of course, that is my colleague John Dingell.
Of course, I am also privileged to call him a friend and a great mentor. And that extends to Debbie, the beautiful Debbie as he calls her, whom I knew first as a congressional spouse and got a glimpse of the partnership that now I know even better, when I saw her leadership among the spouses who add a lot to this place here and a respect for her tireless work amongst us all.
John Dingell has been a remarkable role model for me in the House and particularly on the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is an understatement to say it is the highest privilege and a matter of great pride to be able to serve with him, to learn from him, to catch the spirit of tenacity, being a bulldog on issues that you care very deeply about. He works so hard on behalf of his constituents and it shows. No matter the issue, first and foremost, as many years as he has served and as beloved as he is by them, he goes back to them time after time.
It has been a pleasure to be in his district and to see the great affection with which he is held. For me he gave reason and definition to my being here to see that there really, truly are people in places of leadership who are champions for the working people of this country. To those without privilege and strong voice, except through those of us who serve here, he has never lost sight of why he followed in his father's footsteps to be here.
He takes a back seat to no one. Those who have opposed him on issues he cared about have learned what a strong advocate he is and how tough it is to face him. But he is also one of the best examples I have seen in this place of how to work across the aisle, how to maneuver deftly amongst the parliamentary procedures to get things done. When there is a chance to make some progress on an issue, when there is a chance to improve the lives of the American people, John Dingell will not let party lines stand in the way.
I am so privileged that I have had the opportunity to see someone here, and there are more, there are quite a few, but to see someone with the kind of respect he has for this institution. This connection that we have, going back to the beginning, and the way that he conducts the affairs, a lesson for us all in civility and the way to treat other people, particularly those you serve with and especially with whom you do not agree, making a strong point and yet doing it in such a respectful way.
He has been a most important person to me here in my career in Congress. When I was newly elected, he helped me secure a seat on the committee where I wanted to be to serve particularly on the matters of health care. He guided me through the committee's traditions and procedures and has always been there to help me with any kind of particular need I might have to fulfill the goals I have that are similar to his. And for me, for John, it is being a relentless advocate for health care, for health care for everyone.
When the committee, for example, began addressing the nursing shortage, and that was a priority of mine, he joined with me and made it clear that supporting nurses was a personal priority for him; and I can tell you that if you ask a nurse around this country who represents them and what they care about, it is Mr. Dingell. And that makes me proud as a nurse to be able to serve with my colleague, Mr. Dingell.
I watched as the Energy and Commerce Committee marked up a couple years ago now the Medicare bill, John's bill, John's father's bill. John did not take this easy. Long into the night for 3 days in a row he led our efforts to reshape that bill into a better proposal, truer to the ideals that came into being. I could go on and on, but I know this country is a better place because John Dingell has been here for 50 years. It is something that my children, though they have not met him, will appreciate. It is something for sure that my grandchildren will be beneficiaries of.
And only one thing will make my service here better than it already is, and that will be to serve with John Dingell as chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted now to turn to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui) to express her congratulations in this tribute.
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for putting together this special time and for yielding me some time.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased this evening to honor a dear friend, John Dingell, who because of life's twists and turns has also become my colleague. It was actually about 30 years ago that I first met John Dingell. At that time my husband, Bob, was serving on the Sacramento City Council as well as chair of the reelection campaign of Congressman John Moss.
John Moss and John Dingell had arrived in Congress at about the same time, building a relationship and friendship as the years passed. When John Moss marked his 20th year in office, he asked his friend, John Dingell, to come to Sacramento to speak. It was at this milestone that Bob and I first met John Dingell. Little did Bob and I know that this was only the beginning of what would become a very deep and abiding friendship, as 4 years later John Moss would announce his retirement and Bob would run and succeed him in Congress.
Following his election, John Moss offered Bob some sage advice which, among other things, included John Moss's hope that Bob would build his own relationship and friendship with John Dingell. Bob took this advice to heart and built a friendship with his new colleague. It was clear that John Dingell respects and deeply cares and loves this institution. He brings knowledge that spans generations to any debate. And Bob, as a junior Member served alongside him on the Energy and Commerce Committee before his assignment to joining Ways and Means, saw why John Moss had given him the advice he had.
Simultaneously, Bob and I also began a friendship with John and his wife, the lovely Deborah. I would be hard pressed to talk about John without also mentioning Debbie as she is a strength in her own right. Their marriage is a true partnership, and because of that when we honor John, we are also honoring Debbie. Together they have made each other stronger. The friendship I have with both John and Debbie is one I truly value.
John, I know that you have many more years to serve in Congress, and I look forward to working with you through all those many years. Congratulations on the first 50 years.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted now to recognize a Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague from Michigan, and I thank you for yielding and convening us on the floor of the House to have an opportunity to be part of the celebration and the honoring of our friend and colleague, John Dingell, for 50 years of service.
I have not had the privilege of serving as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and so I cannot give testimony to the privilege and the pleasure and the excitement of that room on the first floor in the Rayburn Building. I do know that the fireworks are strong and the leadership is strong because John Dingell is in the room.
I do, however, have the memories of Mickey Leland, who made it very well known of the excitement he had in having the opportunity to serve on such an important committee and serve alongside of John Dingell. It was a great step up for the Congressman, and he did great works alongside of John Dingell as a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
And so, yes, I came here longing after the opportunity to serve on that committee, knowing about John Dingell's leadership and the great things that could be done. But I am very glad to say that I serve alongside him just down the hall on the Committee on the Judiciary. And even without any membership on that committee, I come here today to cite the kind of counsel that John Dingell gives to Members, whether it is a minute amendment or a question of an issue going on in his committee or the sharing of his staff to answer questions. I want you to know, Congressman Dingell, thank you for being a counsel to many Members, whether they served with you in their committee or they just walked past the hall that you are in and are concerned about those issues.
I also want to thank John Dingell and make mention of the fact that his 50 years saw a lot of tumultuous times, and those times included the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voter Rights Act. Those were difficult times, and no matter whether you were a Member from a northern State or a southern State, there was a great controversy of whether or not you would support that kind of legislation.
Might I say that John Dingell's courage in standing up to maybe even the obstacles and opposition in his own district, being a vigorous and vibrant supporter of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voter Rights Bill really gives cause and a basis for me standing here today. For out of that vote that you have made was the creation of what we call majority-minority districts which allowed the maiden holder of this seat, the Honorable Barbara Jordan, to come to Congress as the first African American woman and African American elected to Congress after Reconstruction from the State of Texas.
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That was not an easy vote or an easy debate, and those of us who read the history of that debate realize that there was a lot of cajoling and encouraging and sacrifices to be made.
As well I want to thank Congressman Dingell for another tough time that came along during this recent time in Congress, and that, of course, was the Enron tragedy. I was a Member of the Congress but, of course, not a member of the committee, but of course, Enron was in my congressional district. I went to my ranking member, who I call Chairman DIINGELL, and inquired as to whether or not I could be allowed to sit on the panel as the Enron proceedings began. It was a crowded room, a lot of Members, and he could have easily said it was just simply untenable at the time. Knowing how important it was to our constituents in Houston, many of whom had been laid off, I want to thank you again, Mr. Dingell, for recognizing the important issues to Members, embracing them and creating a pathway of opportunity.
So, as I rise this evening to be able to cite you for the 50 years and congratulate you, might I thank you for the personal counsel and concern you take on Members' progress and growth and opportunity. Might I thank you for paving the way for sometimes a difficult road, sharing with us maybe the opportunity to pass an amendment or give insight to an issue, albeit we might be on that particular committee and a very powerful committee.
Again, as I met with my senior citizens over this past weekend, talking about the Medicare enrollment part D, I was so proud to be associated with a man who understood what Medicare is supposed to be, the real safety net for senior citizens, something they understand, applaud and appreciate, something that has helped save lives. For many of my seniors, when I asked the question, had they enrolled in Medicare part D or did they understand it, maybe one hand raised in the room. As I asked them whether they had enrolled already, with only a few days before the deadline for them to be covered on January 1, as I looked at their eyes, I was glad to be part of the Dingell plan, who understood the right kind of benefit, a guaranteed prescription drug benefit, that you led the fight on, that someday I know we will have.
So, Mr. Dingell, you have had 50 years. It may seem like a long time, but I know it has been made lighter by having a wonderful partner like Debbie Dingell alongside of you. Although she handles many of the spouse issues, she is a friend to many of us who are Members of the United States Congress. Her insight and understanding and friendship have certainly been appreciated by all of us. So I think you all make a dynamic duo, a dynamite duo, if you will, and I thank you both for your service to this country.
Thank you, Mr. Conyers, for giving me the opportunity to salute our friend.
Of course, what I say to him, you are a great American. Certainly a hero, and thank you again for the contributions you make to this great institution, and thank you for allowing us to understand that it is, in fact, a dignified and sacred institution and all who walk into this chamber must show it the respect that you have shown for the years of your service. God bless you as He blesses America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this proposed resolution,
``Honoring Rep. John Dingell on his 50 years of service to the United States House of Representatives and the people of Michigan.''
Only two members in the history of the House of Representatives have served longer than our friend, Mr. Dingell. It is almost hard to believe that he has served his country and his fine state of Michigan in this House for 50 years to the day. This is especially difficult for me because I could have sworn he doesn't look a day over 40 years old!
Over the last five decades, Congressman Dingell has been a steadfast champion of healthcare. At the beginning of every Congress, Congressman Dingell introduces the same bill to the House floor, providing for a national health insurance system. This bill was authored by his father many years ago when he was serving in Congress. Congressman Dingell also remains vigilant in his pursuit of a United States Patients' Bill of Rights. Mr. Dingle's bill would ensure patients' care is in the hands of doctors.
Aside from fighting for better health care for this country, Dingell may be best known as one the most committed protectors of our environment, being himself an avid hunter and outdoorsman. Perhaps one of his most famous of his bills is the 1990 Clean Air Act, which ensures cleaner air for our children tomorrow by encouraging responsible stewardship of our air quality today. He also fought for the passage of such landmark legislation such as the Endangered Species Act.
John Dingell, Dean of the House, is a giant among men. His resume reads as one of the great stories of this past century, but five decades of service in the House has not slowed Mr. Dingell down one bit. If one man could embody all that is great about this Institution of ours, John Dingell is that man. For half a century, he has resolutely left his mark on some of the most important legislation of our time. He tirelessly and tenaciously serves the interests of his constituents, and of average citizens across the United States. Quite simply, his enduring presence in the House of Representatives has made the United States a better place for all of us.
I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Congressman John Dingell for his 50 years of service and devotion to his country he loves so much. We all look forward to many more years of sharing the Halls of Congress with this great man.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank so much Ms. Jackson-Lee for her very moving tribute.
Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, on this day, when our colleague and friend Congressman John Dingell is celebrating 50 years of service in the House of Representatives, I believe it is important for all Members--
however long they have served--to reflect not only on the number of years that he has served in this institution, but also on the contributions he has made and on the example that he continues to set for all of us.
In the finest traditions of the House, John Dingell remains a powerful force among us because of the commitment he made 50 years ago as he took the oath of office for the first time in this chamber. He took that oath very seriously that day and has lived up to it each day since, as he has represented the interests of the people in his district in the State of Michigan. His legislative accomplishments are legendary, and I know many Members today have praised him as a champion of health care reform, consumer protection, worker rights and environmental protection. He deserves all of that praise, and more, because he is truly one of the ``workhorses'' around the House of Representatives. Without a doubt, John Dingell is one of the hardest working Members of Congress I have seen during my tenure here, and I am sure he is one of the hardest working individuals who has ever served in the House. Largely because of that work ethic, most of the Members here have their own personal stories about the help or advice they have received from John on issues of importance in their own districts. Since I was elected to Congress in 1976, and certainly during his tenure as Chairman and now Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee, John Dingell has helped me and has worked with me on a variety of issues that are important to me and to my constituents in the State of Washington. He fought hard for the creation of the Superfund and to sustain it so that harmful contamination at toxic sites in and around Puget Sound can be identified and cleaned up. He has demanded accountability from the Department of Energy, which is responsible for eliminating the waste that still remains from decades of nuclear production work on the Hanford Reservation. Through his leadership of the investigations subcommittee over many years, he exposed abuses and set a new standard for Pentagon procurement and contracting that helps us expand the purchasing power of our defense dollars today. And as an sportsman and wildlife advocate, he has strongly supported our efforts in the House to increase funding for critical habitat protection and for acquisition of public lands for recreational purposes. I have appreciated his support and his leadership on these issues, and I have appreciated his friendship.
So as the House today recognizes Congressman John Dingell today for the chronological length of his tenure in this institution, I also want to remark that it is recognizing one of the legislative giants who has made his indelible mark on this chamber not just by his tenure but by the breadth and depth of his influence and his accomplishments here. I congratulate him, but I also look forward to continuing to work with him long beyond today's milestone.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I think it is fitting and so appropriate that Members of the U.S. House of Representatives pay tribute to the Honorable John Dingell on his 50 years of distinguished service in this body.
I want to take a little time to thank my friend John Dingell for all he has done to make America a better place.
When I was growing up in rural Alabama, and I would visit the little town of Troy, I saw those signs that said ``White Men, Colored Men, White Women, Colored Women, White Waiting, Colored Waiting.''
I used to ask my mother, my father, my grandparents, and great grandparents, ``Why segregation? Why racial discrimination?''
And they would tell me, ``Don't get in trouble. Don't get in the way.'' John Dingell got in trouble. He got in the way. And it was good trouble. It was necessary trouble.
For the past 50 years, John Dingell has said through his leadership and with his votes, that as Americans, we have a right to know what is in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. He has said that all Americans have a right to expect and demand simple justice.
He came here to Washington at a time when there was a great deal of drama all over this Nation related to civil rights and social justice. But John Dingell wasn't afraid to take a stand for what is right.
Mr. Speaker, I believe it was no accident that 12 days before John Dingell was elected in 1955, a humble and dignified woman named Rosa Parks decided to stand up by sitting down on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
It was no accident that in 1955, the world learned a 14-year-old boy named Emmett Till was kidnapped and murdered in Money, Mississippi.
It was no accident that in 1955 the U.S. Supreme Court said the Brown v. Board of Education decision should be carried out with ``all deliberate speed.''
It was no accident that in that same year, Congressman John Dingell took the place of his father in the House of Representatives. And when he did, he took this oath: He said, ``. . . I will support and defend the constitution . . . against all enemies, foreign and domestic . . . and I will faithfully discharge the duties of this office . . . so help me God.''
He has used the power of his office to fight for the cause of justice, to protect what is good, what is honorable, what is great about America. He used all his power to defend the integrity of this great Nation.
I said this about the late Rosa Parks, and I think it also applies to John Dingell. There is a force that I like to call the spirit of history that can track you down and select you to help right the wrongs of this world.
John Dingell is one among a chosen few in the U.S. House of Representatives who helped chart a new ethical and legislative future for these United States.
I am among the many who call him the Dean of the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, John Dingell showed us all how it should be done. He is a champion of the people from the great state of Michigan who has brought honor and dignity to this chamber. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve with him.
Mrs. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor my friend and colleague, John Dingell.
Mr. Dingell has been a member of the House for 50 years. He is truly an institution within this institution.
Mr. Dingell has been a leader in passing legislation to improve people's lives. And he has an unmatched record of fighting corruption and waste in this body and throughout the government.
I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will take a good look at Mr. Dingell's record of accomplishment and cooperation.
Mr. Dingell has demonstrated how well this body can operate and how much we can achieve by setting aside partisan differences and working together to do what's right for the American people.
Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, whether you are on the same side of an issue or have an opposing view, Mr. Dingell will work with you to make our country a better place.
The ultimate tribute to the Dean of the House on his first 50 years of service would be to follow his lead and end the partisanship and politics of personal destruction that's going on now.
Our country needs members of Congress to lead, not constantly question the motivation of those who do not agree with them.
Mr. Dingell serves as the founding fathers intended us to serve.
I am proud to call Mr. Dingell a colleague. And I am honored to call him a friend. And I look forward to working with him in coming years to help make America stronger and better place.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the service of one of our most distinguished members, Mr. John Dingell. Today we honor the ``Dean of the House'' as he celebrates 50 years of service to the people of the state of Michigan and of this country. We also celebrate his wonderful spouse Debbie Dingell.
During his tenure in the House, Representative Dingell has fought for access to affordable healthcare, a strong economy, and the protection of our environment. He authored the 1990 Clean Air Act which is credited with cleaning up the air we breathe, while preserving American competitiveness. Additionally he has championed laws that address America's most pressing needs like the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Mammography Quality Standards Act.
He has worked tirelessly for the people of Michigan's 15th District. He established the first international wildlife refuge in North America to protect thousands of acres of natural habitat in both Michigan and Canada. He worked with officials in Wayne County to save local taxpayers more than $350 million of the cost to stop pollution of the Rouge River and has been relentless in his efforts to limit the importation of Canadian waste into Michigan.
Representative Dingell is truly a leader and trailblazer within the House of Representatives. He not only leads by example but sets the example by which we all strive to emulate. On behalf of the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, I thank you Representative Dingell for your leadership and wish you continued success.
Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, Detroit, Michigan is known as Motown, mecca for Soul R&B music. Here, in the Halls of Congress, Detroit is known as
``Dingell town.''
Tonight, we continue our salute to Congressman John David Dingell, Jr. for his 50 years of service as an elected representative in the House of the people.
With the service of Congressman Dingell's father, the late John Dingell, Sr., in the House for 22 years, the people of Detroit, the state of Michigan, and indeed the Nation have benefited from the Dingell legacy of public service for 72 uninterrupted years.
Congressman Dingell served in the United States Army during World War II, then attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he graduated in law in 1952. He worked as a Congressional employee, a forest ranger and a prosecuting attorney for Wayne County until 1955, when his father died and he succeeded him in his district.
Congressman Dingell won the seat in his own right in 1956 and has been re-elected 25 times.
With the retirement of Jamie L. Whitten at the start of a new Congress in January 1995, he became the longest-serving member in Congress. He is only the third person to serve in the House for 50 years, behind only Whitten and Carl Vinson.
Since 1994, Congressman Dingell has been the Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Before that, he was Chairman for many years of Energy and Commerce.
Congressman Dingell: Regardless of the change in party majority, the esteem and high regard that your colleagues, and I, past and present, hold for you, will honor you always as Mr. Chairman.
I am pleased to add my best wishes to a statesman and a great American.
Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to add my voice to the praise of a remarkable man--one of the most effective legislators ever to grace the Halls of Congress--the gentleman from Michigan, John Dingell.
Today we celebrate his 50 years in the U.S. Congress. I feel extremely fortunate to have had the chance to observe John Dingell as one of the most powerful Chairmen of the House and for the last decade a canny Ranking Member, influential by any measure.
If there would ever be a Hall of Fame for Members of Congress, John Dingell would be admitted on the first ballot.
I consider it a great privilege to have had the chance to learn from a person of such enormous talent, dedication and perservance.
John Dingell has been steadfast in fighting for the rights and interests of ordinary Americans. He has been unrelenting in his willingness to take on any interest--no matter how powerful--as he has stood up for all who needed such a gifted and forceful champion.
I hope John Dingell will celebrate many more anniversaries of distinguished service in the House as his tenure continues.
He is a national treasure and we need him now more than ever.
Best wishes John Dingell. I am proud to be your colleague--prouder yet to be your friend. God bless you.
Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, thank you, Mr. Conyers, for the opportunity to stand and recognize one of the finest men to ever serve in the United States Congress.
John Dingell can be and has been described using a wide variety of adjectives--ranging anywhere from fierce and intimidating to kind and charming and just about everywhere in between. This man has been leaving vivid impressions on those of us he has worked with during his 50 years as a United States Congressman.
Whether one may have come to enjoy the deeply intellectual candor associated with his great knowledge of issues spanning from health care to the environment to labor; or whether one may have become a victim of his witty tongue lashings he has been known to dole out to his opposition or to those testifying before him--either way, these individuals have more than likely walked away from these scenarios respecting Mr. John Dingell all the more.
Mr. Dingell is the Dean of the House because he has spent 50 years working diligently to fight for those who may not be able to fight for themselves. He has fought for vulnerable people and worthy causes with an iron first. He has defended large companies even when allies have criticized him because those companies sustain the jobs his constituents depend on to feed their families. He has stood up for unpopular ideas based on righteous values. He has led wars for universal causes in order to see the eventual acceptance of a fair ideal.
The people of southeast Michigan continue to elect John Dingell to serve and represent them and many others across the country in Congress because he is a good man. He is a shining example as to why term limits are not wise in governance. Consumers would have a hard time investing in a company where a new set of untrained professionals were ushered in to run a major corporation just as their predecessors finally obtained the necessary skills and experiences to truly excel on their behalf.
Each term John Dingell has brought with him another two years of valuable experiences that help him craft better legislation, provide deeper insight, and mentor his colleagues to be more prepared to lead.
Mr. Speaker, I have the proud privilege of not only standing beside Mr. Dingell as a friend and colleague from the great state of Michigan, but I am honored to have found his mentorship in our last 6 terms in Congress as some of the most profound advice I could have received.
Congressman Dingell spent nearly 2 decades heading the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation. There he uncovered unparallel fraud and deceptions of companies and government agencies. He drilled witnesses and experts in order to obtain the answers necessary to protect the American people. John Dingell spent his years on that subcommittee with an unwavering, fiery commitment to do the right thing.
When Congressman John Dingell, Jr. was inaugurated after winning a special election to succeed his late father, who had served in the House of Representatives since 1932, he told his new colleagues ``if I can be half the man my father was, I shall feel I am a great success.''
As the new ranking Democrat on the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee where the great John Dingell accomplished some of the most memorable and most remarkable feats on behalf of the American people, I declare that if I can do half the job John Dingell has done during his tenure in Congress, I shall feel I am too am a great success.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank Mr. John Dingell of Michigan for being a great leader, example, servant, mentor, and friend. Mr. Dingell and the work he has done in the last 50 years in the United State Congress will be remembered, valued and respected for as long as this great country stands united.
Mr. CONYERS. If it pleases the House, I would like to invite the object of our affection this evening and through the last few weeks to make a closing comment, and I would yield now to the Dean of the House of Representatives, the honorable John Dingell.
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