Consumer Product Safety Solutions Act of 2009

I appreciate the gentleman, Mr. King, for not only yielding me time to talk about our former colleague and the great Secretary of the Army, John McHugh, but I also thank the gentleman for his leadership on behalf of the State of New York. He really cochaired that responsibility and leadership in so many respects with the gentleman John McHugh.

As we see John's friends who have come to the floor this evening to talk about this great man John McHugh from New York--our former colleague, the gentleman from the 24th District of New York--and as his colleagues come to the floor to tout the attributes of service and respect and admiration that we have for John McHugh, I think it's important to note and to amplify how we believe that the men and women of the United States Army and every person who wears the uniform of the United States military will recognize this man who is from our body--a man who in service to his congressional district, to his State and to his country embodied the highest of skillsets, of personal accomplishment and the best wishes.

If I can for a minute, I'd like to talk about John McHugh, the man, as we have all taken the pleasure of doing. We just heard the gentleman Mr. LaTourette talk about how he worked with John McHugh on the Government Reform Committee. In fact, I arrived in Congress in 1997, and immediately found myself on the Government Reform Committee. I was a freshman who was eager to take part in the endeavors that lay ahead of us.

One of the subcommittees at that time, which I believe the gentleman Mr. LaTourette spoke about, was the Postal Subcommittee. The Postal Subcommittee had this bright, young person who was the subcommittee chairman. He was John McHugh, the gentleman from New York. John made sure, as my subcommittee chairman, that I was there at all the meetings--I was expected to be as a freshman--but more importantly, that I understood the substance and the issues that would be before us.

John took very seriously, as he always has, the duties and responsibilities that were there, presented to him and that he accepted. John made sure that I was well-versed on postal issues, talking about not just the compromises but the opportunities that lay ahead for us, making sure that the challenges were properly taken care of. I developed a deep and abiding relationship with John that I cherish even today--although, I'm sure he wants to forget a few of those meetings that we had that went on and on. It was all in the spirit of our service and in the need to make sure that we appropriately and properly did our duty.

I also had a chance to run across John McHugh as the left fielder for our baseball team. John McHugh played left field in college. John McHugh is a little, skinny runt who probably weighed about 115 pounds-- if he had a bat in his hand, maybe 120--but that old guy could catch flies out in left field. Some of the most fun activities

and times that I had here in Washington were on the baseball field in Alexandria. As Republicans, we would prepare for our baseball games and for the charity game that we do every year, Republicans against Democrats. John McHugh showed up every darned day. I, some days, wanted him not to be there because I wanted a chance to play in the ball game.

John started in left field. I didn't understand how this old guy, who was probably five or six years older than I am--and I was old at the time--could be a skinny runt with little legs that could carry him and how he could catch all the balls.

He was very kind to me. He showed me, really, how to dodge all of the mud puddles that were out in left field. That was when we had an amazing rain in about the year 2000, maybe '99, 2000, 2001. John had it down. As people across this country are hearing about this great guy John McHugh, John had his position down once again, and John in left field could walk out in the midst of all the mud that was outside there, play three or four innings, come back in, and not have a piece of dirt on him. I went out there and found the mud puddle as I was running, trying to catch the fly, staying up with just catching.

There were two ducks that were out there in the mud puddle in left field with us. John made friends with the ducks. The ducks got along with him, but when I went out there, I was in trouble. I remember diving and sliding and walking back and John just looking at me and laughing. He's not just a fun and kind guy. He found a way to allow me to play in the game. He allowed me to share in that endeavor, and we had a good time--always at my expense, I'm sure--but that just spoke volumes about the kind of man that he was early on in my career as we worked together.

John and I found lots of activities with each other, and John always included me, not just because of my thought processes of wanting to know what I was thinking but because of how we could work together and how we could make things work.

Well, when 9/11 came, Pete King, John McHugh and other members of the New York delegation who were hit and hit hard--Sue Kelly was in that group, John Sweeney and some others--really worked with members of other delegations to talk with them about the needs of New York and about what we needed to do. John McHugh was a strong advocate. He felt very strongly about the men and women who would be called also into harm's way as a result of 9/11. He understood firsthand those families.

John, as we know, ended up taking some 10 visits to Iraq and 4 visits to Afghanistan. He sat on the West Point or the U.S. Military Academy Board of Visitors. He knew that I went to the graduations at West Point and enjoyed them immensely. He knows that I have had and that virtually every Member of this body has had several young men or young women who are students at the Academy from all over this Congress and from all over this country. John had a strong sense of responsibility about believing in the mission and purpose, and knew that I felt that way, and looked at other Members the same way.

He was a co-Chair of the House Army Caucus. He understood firsthand not just the men and their missions but their families and their lives after coming back home. He spoke very passionately, he and I, about the needs of our returning vets who sometimes still need more in additional help. He has indicated that he will go and take this job. He is fulfilling this duty to do his best for the men and women of the United States Army--a branch of a service that he not only strongly identifies with but has worked with in his congressional duties.

John McHugh is a friend. He is a friend of anyone who has balance about trying to solve problems. John McHugh is a kind man. Many times in the midst, when lots of us are hurried in making decisions, John McHugh listens to the facts of the case. John McHugh has in this body exemplified himself. He has stood out as a person who can be trusted, who can make a wise decision and who cares about other people.

So, tonight, as this body honors the gentleman John McHugh, I would say to the men and women of the United States Army, to the spouses, to the children, and to the families that John McHugh is taking the place of Pete Geren. Pete Geren grew to have a strong reputation that the Army could count on, not only in discipline and leadership but in doing the right thing. John McHugh is that kind of man also. John McHugh will lead with honor and distinction. John McHugh will also do the right thing.

So, for our colleague who was tapped by the President of the United States to go and lead, for our colleague who worked with us day in and day out and year after year with honor and distinction, for our colleague John McHugh who will leave this body, knowing that he still had fight left in him, to go and still lead for the best, for this young man John McHugh, who has lots of friends here who wish him not only the very best but who want to see him again, for our friend John McHugh, who is serving with distinction and who will do well, we say:

John McHugh, we thank you. We thank you for who you are and for what you are. Don't change. Sure, get better, but go ahead, and do just what you've done all these years. Do this for the right reason.

The gentleman from New York, as I go to conclude here, I would like to read something which was part of John McHugh's statement as he left this body.

He said in July, I have been so struck how these heroes facing pain and loss and uncertainty asked one question, What else can I do to serve? He challenged himself when he said, We can ask no less of ourselves.

I would say to the men and women of the United States Army, you have a kind, gracious leader who will care about you. You have a man that understands that it is you who will be asked to sacrifice, but you will also have a man that will never ask you to do anything that he does not honestly believe in that is in the best interest of freedom and opportunity in the United States of America.

And as we hear these stories of bravery and heroism, as we see these men suffer, as we see their families well up, not only in pride, but also in fear for their families, we would offer one of our own from this body to say, We have confidence that you will lead, you will lead to the best; and we're going to miss you, but we're very, very proud of you.

From my left field buddy from congressional baseball, good luck with the New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies, because you guys are going to need it.

Madam Speaker, I proudly rise on the House floor tonight to manage a Special Order on behalf of our former colleague and the present Secretary of the Army, former Congressman John McHugh, now Secretary John McHugh.

Madam Speaker, before I begin my formal remarks, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) who does have to leave, and I would recognize him for 2 minutes.

I thank the gentleman from Illinois.

Madam Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

I thank the gentleman from Indiana.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York, who actually served in the State legislature with John McHugh back when John was a senator and the gentleman was an assemblyman, Mr. Tonko from Upstate New York.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his very gracious remarks.

In your remarks, you demonstrated the same bipartisan spirit that personified John McHugh's career here in the House of Representatives, and I thank the gentleman for his remarks.

Now I recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his remarks.

Madam Speaker, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania referenced, Congressman McHugh did go on a number of congressional delegations to Iraq. I was privileged to go on one that he led in 2004. But just to show that Congressman McHugh is not perfect, he did have one person on the trip who really didn't fit in at all, but Congressman McHugh, being the wonderful person that he is, brought him along with a sense of charity and compassion.

With that, I recognize the gentleman from Michigan, the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, Mr. McCotter.

I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his remarks.

Now I will yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey), who served in the New York State legislature with John McHugh when John was a senator and Mr. Hinchey was in the New York State Assembly. And I believe that Mr. Hinchey and Mr. McHugh came to Congress in the same year, in 1992. It was quite a year, Mo.

With that, I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his remarks.

I now yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for his remarks. I must say, I agree with him completely that Congressman McHugh had a level of sophistication and sartorial splendor which you and I certainly lack. We all try to emulate John but come nowhere close.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), who also served in the New York State Legislature, in the assembly when Congressman McHugh was at that time a State senator. I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

I thank the gentleman for his remarks.

I now yield to the gentleman from Ohio, a good friend of Secretary McHugh, Mr. LaTourette.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Ohio for always managing to get something good out of whatever happens. He gets John McHugh as Secretary of the Army, and Steve LaTourette has a good parking place, so all is right with the world.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains?

Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield to the distinguished gentleman from Texas, the chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, Mr. Sessions.

Thank you, Congressman Sessions.

We have seen tonight people from all regions of the country, from both sides of the aisle, come forward. No one personifies that more than the dean of the New York delegation, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Rangel.

I yield to the gentleman from New York.

(Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I thank Chairman Rangel for his remarks.

It's very appropriate, I believe, that Congressman McHugh has become Secretary of the Army, and these remarks tonight by Mr. Rangel were made by someone who has such a distinguished record in the United States Army in the Korean War. That's the type of person that John McHugh will be representing as Secretary of the Army, heroic men such as Congressman Rangel who certainly put their life on the line and answered their nation's call.

Mr. Speaker, we have seen a large number of people coming out tonight to speak on behalf of Secretary of the Army John McHugh. I was fortunate to be elected to the United States Congress in 1992, the same year as John McHugh. I knew John McHugh from his outstanding service in the New York State Senate, I knew that he was a legislator's legislator; and from the moment he arrived here in the Congress, John always to me exemplified what a Member of Congress should be. I don't know how many times you would walk out that door and see John sitting there at a chair and desk studying the legislation.

People say that Members of Congress don't read their legislation. I can tell that you John McHugh was constantly reading legislation, constantly studying up on what had to be done, constantly trying to find bipartisan solutions to problems.

It was mentioned tonight that he served on the Postal Subcommittee, where he did author reform legislation of the Postal Service, a very, very difficult job.

We talked about the trips he took, the 10 visits to Iraq, the four to Afghanistan that he took as a member of the Armed Services Committee. Then earlier this year he reached the culmination of his congressional career when he was elected as ranking member of the Armed Services Committee where, again, he worked very closely with Chairman Ike Skelton in a bipartisan way, always putting the troops first. I remember during his early years here in Congress when there was an attempt to close down Fort Drum and the work that John put in around the clock doing what he could and successfully doing what he could to save Fort Drum from being closed down.

These are just some examples of the type of dedication that John McHugh had. As Congressman Rangel said, there was something else; there was no meanness, there was no bitterness, there was no anger in John McHugh.

John wanted to find a way to get things done. He had strong principles. He had strong beliefs. But he also recognized that people on the other side of the aisle and people in his own party also had very strong beliefs, and they may be different from his, but he respected them.

I wish John the very best as Secretary of the Army. President Obama made an absolutely superb selection when he picked John McHugh. I can't think of anyone who would dedicate himself more to the men and women of the United States Army than John McHugh.

As was mentioned, having traveled with John to Iraq, I would see him sit with the generals, the two-star generals, the three-star generals, the four-star generals. He would sit with the ambassadors. He would sit with all of the high-ranking people. But he always found time to spend most of his time with the enlisted men, the enlisted women, the PFCs, the sergeants, the first lieutenants, second lieutenants. He realized that it wasn't just the people at the top, but it was people at all levels, the people who really did the heavy lifting, who put their lives on the line, who were the people who made the most impression on him and to whom he had the greatest responsibility.

John, I certainly wish you the best. We look forward to your service for the United States, for the United States Army. I know that more even than the feeling you are going to receive from the Members of Congress, it's the men and women of the Armed Forces, of the United States Army, who appreciate you the most, because they are going to be the greatest beneficiaries of your dedication, your patriotism and your hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I want to reflect just a moment, as we all have, on our mutual friend John McHugh. Obviously, I didn't have the opportunity to know him in New York. I first got to know him as a politician in 1992, about the same time I got to

know you, Mr. King. I was the executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee. John was running in what was a tumultuous year, a very challenging year for incumbents in both parties, an era of very low trust in the institution of Congress and in the politicians who engage in civic activities. And what I remembered was how effortless John McHugh made his victory appear. He was able to do that simply because the people in his district knew him from long years of public service, and they recognized the quality, the integrity, and the character of the man. The fact that he's been reelected eight times since that first election without ever having a serious contest in a very competitive district is a testament, frankly, to the excellence with which he represented his constituents and the high esteem in which he was held, frankly, not only by the people he represented, but by the people here in this institution.

We all know John as a Member's Member, somebody who is incredibly thoughtful, incredibly thorough, incredibly bipartisan, and incredibly gracious while still being amazingly effective in presenting an argument and a point of view. I had the privilege of getting to know John not as a candidate but as a public official when I arrived in Congress in 2003. I went to the Armed Services Committee and found myself--because I, too, represent a military district--his vice chairman on the Personnel Subcommittee. What impressed me about John's performance as the chairman of that subcommittee was his incredible depth of knowledge about all military issues but, particularly, his commitment to military families.

I remember, John taught me what is a very common saying on the Armed Services Committee, ``You recruit a soldier, but you retain a family.'' He thought about those soldiers very deeply. He understood the sacrifices they made. His intimate acquaintance with the great 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and his wide travels and interaction with military personnel made him understand that it was a social unit as well as a fighting unit, and how you retained the quality of life in an era of an all-volunteer army was really crucial to attracting and retaining soldiers and their families.

I grew up in a military family, and I remember my father leaving the military after 20 years, largely because it was the right thing to do for his family. He didn't want to, but there simply weren't the benefits available to the families that we now provide. John was a big part of moving us toward the kind of support systems for families that make it possible for our soldiers to perform so effectively in the field.

I, too, have had the opportunity travel with John abroad, and I just have to say this as an American, not just as his colleague--I can't think of anybody that I would rather have representing us in a foreign locale and in front of other nations than John McHugh. He exemplifies the very best traditions of public service in this country, and he always handles himself with such incredible grace and incredible wit, and he is so remarkably articulate when he's expressing his points of view.

I think the fact that he was chosen by President Obama to be Secretary of the Army speaks incredibly well of both of them. It tells you the manner in which John is regarded by members not only of his own party but the other party, and it tells you, frankly, that the President has thought profoundly, in a bipartisan sense, about foreign policy and certainly about the military, where he's tried to recruit the best people he could find to provide the civilian leadership for our forces at a time of war. I can't think of anybody better to fulfill that task than John.

Now, I have to say, there are a lot of reasons I will miss John McHugh, but probably, selfishly, the best is he smokes a mean cigar. Not only that, but he always looked like I always thought I would like to look as a Congressman. John looks the part. He could be a movie Congressman. You know, he is a handsome guy. He is extraordinarily well dressed, and when he smokes that cigar, he is so amazingly sophisticated. And by the way, he knows a lot about them.

I just want to close by saying that it's been a great personal privilege and an honor to serve with somebody like John McHugh, and I wish every American had the opportunity to know that Congress is, indeed, populated by people like John, that they come here, they're not flamboyant. He is not the sort of person that, you know, is ever going to lose his temper or create a scene. He just does his job with excellence, professionalism, decency, and courtesy every day, and I can't think of an individual who is as knowledgeable or as suited to lead the United States Army as a civilian Secretary in a time of war than John McHugh.

So I want to thank my friend for his years of splendid service in this House and to, frankly, thank him a little bit early for his service to our country, because I have no doubt he will discharge his duties as the Secretary of the Army. I also want to express my appreciation to the President of the United States for making such a wise and bipartisan choice.

With that, I yield back to my friend.

Thank you, Representative King.

The opportunity to share some thoughts about Representative McHugh here this evening is something I relish.

Our work partnership goes back several, several years, starting back in 1984 when Representative McHugh--then as State senator McHugh--was elected to serve for four terms. He obviously understands the needs of the North Country. He was returned to office several times over, not only in that role as State senator, but then to go on here to the House of Representatives and serve with distinction many terms over.

The importance of interacting with people in a bipartisan fashion was something that was always easily done with John McHugh. He understood that we in government have the opportunity to empower our communities, various organizations, and individuals. Certainly, in his role in the North Country, he represented several higher ed institutions, like the SUNY center at Plattsburgh, the SUNY campus at Potsdam, St. Lawrence University, the Ag and Tech Campus in the North Country in Canton, and then the campus of Clarkson University, my alma mater. So we always had opportunities to work on great things for these campuses, and in particular, to focus on some of the science and tech activities over at Clarkson University.

Here in the House, John McHugh had served for over 16 years as a Member of Congress representing that northern and central portion of what is deemed Upstate New York. During his service, he forged these very strong ties with Fort Drum, and it's there that I think he created this strong record of staunch advocacy on behalf of veterans and on behalf of soldiers and their families, working tirelessly to ensure that they had the necessary resources for proper facilities for training and for quality of life to carry on with their mission, and then to also make certain that he provided for those loved ones who remained at home.

As a Member of this august body, John McHugh served as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, which has been mentioned here this evening. I think it is there where he earned the opportunity to now be appointed as Secretary of the Army, by having worked with the Department of Defense and each of the Armed Forces. Certainly, his love for the North Country is very much defined by the work that he has done.

In closing, I would like to just cite two of the accomplishments that I thought spoke near and dear to my heart because of my work on science and tech as a committee and my work as the former Energy Committee Chair in the New York State Assembly. And being over at NYSERDA, being president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, I was happy to include John McHugh as one of those eight from the minority ranks in this House who voted for H.R. 2454, the ACES Act, the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

As we know, H.R. 2454 still looms out there as a measure to be completed by action that's required in the United States Senate, but there is no denying that if we can go forward with this legislation, it will help create millions of clean-energy jobs and save billions of dollars for consumers with utility bills that are ever on the rise.

This new economy and the new jobs generated by H.R. 2454 can spark that innovation economy, which would be key and premiere to New York State's economy and this Nation's economy. I have to applaud Representative McHugh for his work in that regard.

Secondly, as a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and after serving as Chair for some 6 years, I believe, of the Subcommittee on the Postal Service, John had done tremendous work on H.R. 22. I had the pleasure to help cast a vote in favor of the United States Postal Service Financial Relief Act of 2009. H.R. 22 will provide that sort of stability for our Postal Service system. And this House, with some 388 votes, voted in favor of the legislation that Representative McHugh had worked on so diligently.

In final comment, I just want to wish Representative John McHugh-- former New York State Senator John McHugh--the very best as he assumes his new duties. I have no doubt that he will serve the President's administration with distinction, and that he will provide a great service in a new capacity to this great country and to the military.

As we go forward, I know the partnerships with John McHugh will continue as we work in this House to make certain that those needs, those essentials are there as he continues in this new capacity.

So John, we wish you well and Godspeed as you serve this Nation now in yet another capacity.

I yield back to Representative King.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege to be here during this Special Order, talking about our friend John McHugh. You know, when somebody retires or leaves or goes on to something else, you miss him. People talk about the gym. I remember, and I miss, that on a pretty regular basis you would go out to the fireplace out here in the Speaker's Lobby and John would have the biggest cup of something with ice in it. He was a constant fixture out there, and you could talk to him on a regular basis.

People will talk about his service on the Armed Services Committee, but that isn't how I knew him. I'm going to talk a little bit about the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and his work on postal reform.

I know John's office, for some reason in the last three Congresses, has always been either next to or across from mine.

His commitment to the military was always evident. He always had more brass in his office than a Sousa band. They were always coming and going, and they wanted to make sure that John McHugh understood where they were coming from.

I met John when I came here in 1995. Our service was on the Government Reform and Oversight Committee. John's post, when we were in the majority at that time, was as the chairman of the Postal Service Subcommittee, which no longer exists, but it was the Postal Service Subcommittee. The hot topic was postal reform. Postal reform hadn't been accomplished in about 25-30 years in this country, and there was a reason for that--it wasn't an easy thing to do, but John stayed at it in Congress after Congress, and suffered mightily because all of the stakeholders had a different view; you had the private shippers; you had the postal unions; you had the people with the postage meters. Everybody sort of had a dog in that fight, and it was John's job to sort of guide that through.

I'll never forget. I was a member of that subcommittee, and I wasn't so crazy about his first draft. I think it was called H.R. 22, his first piece of legislation. I sent him a strongly worded letter, reading, You know, how could you do this on postal reform? Well, John sent me a letter back, and just about took the skin off the back of my hand. It was the most pointed letter I'd ever received, and so I trotted right over to his office because I wanted to make sure he wasn't mad at me. We all send letters. We make points, but I wanted to make sure John wasn't upset.

In the end, H.R. 22 did, in fact, become law, and John modernized through postal reform and helped take the United States Postal Service into the 21st century, and that was no small feat. I know that he will do the same for the President as the Secretary of the Army.

You know, I happen to belong to a group of moderate Republicans. Some of us have sort of suspected that the President and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel have devised a scheme to completely denude the House of Representatives of moderate Republicans. You know, first they started with my classmate, Ray LaHood, and they made him the Secretary of Transportation. Then they took McHugh, and made him the Secretary of the Army. At the time that they made that choice, I said--and I'll say again during this Special Order honoring John--that the President couldn't have made a better selection. We are the poorer here in the House without the benefit of his wisdom, experience and guidance, but I know he will well serve the men and women in uniform, and he will well serve his President of the United States.

Lastly, I would say that John and I also parked near each other. John did have a really sweet parking space in the Rayburn garage on G-3, and if there's only one good thing that has happened in the House as a result of his departure, it's now that I get to park in his parking space.

So I thank you for organizing this Special Order, Mr. King, and I yield back to you.