Honoring John D. Dingell for holding the record as the longest serving member of the House of Representatives.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, today is Dingell Day. John Dingell has served more than 53 years in this body. And at a wonderful reception last night in Statuary Hall it was commented over and over, it is not length of his service, but it in fact is the quality of that service.

As chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, he has been certainly one of the most influential legislators in the history of the United States, as he'd like to say, with jurisdiction over almost everything. In fact, I think he coined this term many years ago when he said, ``If it moves it's energy, and if it doesn't, it's commerce. With that, our committee has that jurisdiction.'' And this resolution honors that service.

Mr. Speaker, time will judge all of our actions, and serves as the legacy that each of us will carry as it relates to the difference that we made on behalf of the districts that we represented, but also the Nation that we serve. And history will certainly look favorably on the wonderful service of John Dingell in this body. He has been on the right side almost all the time, but not always, but certainly he's been an architect of the great debates that we have had in this Chamber.

John Dingell is a governing type of legislator, and he knows that good ideas are not just Democratic ideas, and that awful ideas are not just Republican ideas. He demands the best from all of us. And, as a consequence, he has had tremendous relationships with the ranking member or the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, certainly, for all the years that I've served, whether it be with Norman Lent, Tom Bliley, Billy Tauzin, and certainly Joe Barton, one of his best friends.

John Dingell doesn't care about the pride of authorship. He wants the job done. We've sat and had many conversations about issues that he's asked me to carry, and it has strengthened those bills as we moved those pieces of legislation to the floor.

We teamed most recently on the auto legislation. Dale Kildee, the sponsor of this resolution, and myself are co-

chairs of the Auto Caucus. But together, we teamed together with all of our Michigan colleagues, regardless of party, and we were able to shepherd that legislation through to really help try and save the manufacturing base of this country over these last few months.

For me, I've always enjoyed the relationship that I've had with my good friend, John Dingell. Obviously, there are times when we've been on the opposing side of an issue, but plenty of times when we've been in the same foxhole, on the same side. And I'll confess, it's the latter that I enjoy the most. It's a lot easier for, I would like to think, the both of us when we're on the same side.

But John Dingell plays by the rules. I think maybe in another life he would have been an umpire or a referee. Ken Duberstein, Ronald Reagan's former Chief of Staff, said this most recently: ``He followed wherever the facts dictated. Sometimes you don't like what he finds, but you know that he did it honestly. He is a straight shooter.'' Indeed, he is.

We are a wonderful and diverse country, and we know that sometimes this is a very tough place to govern. And it comes with the territory that to be a good legislator, you need to be blessed with a lot of things. Luck is one. You need a great staff. You need a district back home that respects your decision-making, you need colleagues that know that you're somewhat of an expert and they will listen. But you also need a great spouse. All of those elements make a necessary and personal sacrifice to the success of your career.

Well, John Dingell has been one that has hit a home run with all of those qualities. He has been a man for all seasons. He is a true giant in the history of this institution. We wish him well in the many years that he has left.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this point I would yield 1 minute to the distinguished minority leader of the House, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I would yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter).

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I would yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the great State of Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of Members who may be coming over. We have no one here at the moment, but I would ask at this point to give all Members the opportunity to revise and extend their remarks and to be able to submit that material for the Record.

Mr. Speaker, at this point I would yield 2 minutes to another gentleman from the great State of Michigan (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. Speaker, at this point I would yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the good State of Indiana (Mr. Buyer).

I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I would yield 4 minutes to the former chairman and now distinguished ranking member of the powerful and influential Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Barton.

(Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).

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

I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that my good friend Ed Markey's statement that, ``I'm just a poor Polish lawyer,'' that reminds me of a story. I wasn't going to tell this until then, but those of us on the committee certainly know the story because our good friend Mr. Tauzin has told this story many, many times. And that was when Mr. Dingell, I think then the chairman, used that line, ``I'm just a poor Polish lawyer.'' And Mr. Tauzin, who is always known to have one of the best wits ever not only in this body but across the country, was about to relate to him a ``Polish joke,'' Mr. Dingell reminded him that he was just a poor Polish lawyer. And Mr. Tauzin then said, ``Well, I will then tell the joke very slowly.''

Mr. Speaker, in the short time that I have served in this body, John Dingell and I have had really countless conversations and stories. Our offices were across the hall for a number of years, so we would walk to the floor for votes. We would do joint press conferences. We often sat together on the Northwest flight to Detroit, where I then would fly on to Kalamazoo or South Bend and he would stay with his constituents on that side of the State. We obviously worked very closely and in my work on the committee and subcommittees in so many different ways, as not only the dean of the House for Mr. Dingell, he was also the dean of our delegation and I have been dean of the Republican side of that delegation as well. So our delegations work very closely on many fronts. And in all of those conversations, I want to say I think they have all ended with his closing, ``God bless you, my friend.''

We are fortunate that God has blessed the Dingell family, certainly this House in all the great work that he has done as a real legislator, a good friend of all the people regardless of party or affiliation, or staying on the issue. He has been there for the country.

So we say, God bless you, our friend, Mr. Dingell. We salute you for your service. And we look forward to our continuing strong relationship in so many ways.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Many times you will hear us suggest that we are privileged to be on the floor and to be able to speak to a particular resolution. I know that the distinguished gentleman who I speak of this morning, Congressman Dingell, is a respecter and a lover of this institution. He often supports and calls for regular

order, but this morning, I would like to be given a waiver to speak particularly in a personal manner because I believe that the courage of John Dingell truly has impacted my life. So, even though I might have been--and I can probably say this--just a junior high school student as John Dingell took his oath of office, he does not realize the many lives like mine that he impacted. I am what I am today because John Dingell had the courage and the fortitude, the strength and love of this country to stand in times of difficulty.

Where would this Nation be if a man by the name of Martin Luther King had not been listened to by a man like John Dingell, who then stood on the floor of the House, alongside of a southern President, and voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act?

The southern districts were created and opportunities for many of us to ascend to higher office and to be welcomed in places of accommodation, maybe even for this young President, President Obama, to attend Columbia University or for myself to attend Yale University.

John Dingell was not thinking about individual persons, nameless persons like me, but he took a stand when he knew that he might be subjected to an enormous primary fight or that he would be considered, if you will, a lover of those colored people.

But like Thomas Jefferson said, ``Some men are born for the public.''

Jefferson continued, ``Nature, by fitting them for the service of the human race on a broad scale, has stamped them with the evidences of her destination and their duty.''

John Dingell has protected my mother. She's in a nursing home. How is she able to do that having worked 37 years as a vocational nurse? Because of Medicare. There are many children in my district who are glad that in 1997 I was able to join John Dingell for the implementation of the children's health coverage.

So John, I know that you like regular order, but I decided to be personal today. I want to thank you for those 19,420 days because they were not in vain. You saved many lives, you gave us opportunities. I am forever grateful, and I stand here as a daughter of America saying thank you on behalf of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I am overjoyed today that I have the opportunity to speak on one of America's true public servants. The resolution before us today on the House floor recognizes Representative John Dingell for his distinguished public service and for his holding the record as the longest serving member of the House of Representatives. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Thomas Jefferson said that ``Some men are born for the public. Nature by fitting them for the service of the human race on a broad scale, has stamped them with the evidences of her destination and their duty.'' If any man or woman I have ever served with is born for the public, it is my good friend from Michigan.

Congressman John Dingell has been devoted to this chamber since he first started working as a Congressional Page in 1938. He was already a seasoned Washington, D.C. veteran when he won a special election to replace his father who had served his constituents the last 22 years of his life. While few back then knew that he would serve undisrupted for 53 years, everyone knew that he would be a difference maker. He now has an office that is named for the Speaker of the House that first swore him in, Speaker Sam Rayburn from my home State of Texas.

In his illustrious career, Congressman Dingell has seen it all. He has gone from rank and file member, to Chairman, and accomplished more than most can even dream possible. Starting his career under John F. Kennedy, he has been a driver on the course of history. He has never apologized for his beliefs even during a time when being a ``Liberal'' was as bad an insult as you could sling.

A devoted advocate for nationalized health care, he has never relented in introducing a national healthcare system at the start of every Congressional Session. He was never able to stomach that there were people among us who lacked the ability to have access to the basic right to care for their health. He has used his natural ability to talk to his fellow Members to help those who need the help the most.

A strict watchman for the people's resources, he went against his own leadership to bring attention to government waste. Making sure that any person, Democrat or Republican, who came to give testimony to his Committee were sworn in under oath, he made sure that even subjects that most would want to keep quiet, he brought in to the light. Whether it is holding hearings on $600 dollar Pentagon toilet seats or preventing scientific fraud with who discovered the AIDS virus, Congressman Dingell is the quintessential defender of the little guy. He has never believed that just because an injustice is small it should not be fought with every ounce of effort that he had. I also must thank his lovely, wife Debbie; she has been a mighty force in all he has done and a great support for all his causes.

This man is an American hero and I am honored to be able to vote on this important resolution. We have a chance to thank the man who has done so much for all of our constituents and I hope to be one of the first ``yes'' votes on this resolution. This resolution can show us all that remaining committed to our constituents is the best path to keep our jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the passage of this resolution.

Thank you, Congressman Upton.

Mr. Speaker, we're here today to honor one of the true lions of the Congress. I feel like since this is the third time I've made this type of a speech that I'm at a funeral, except for the fact that our honoree is not only alive, but he's still kicking and has lots of life left to give to his constituency and to the Congress and certainly to the committee that he's served as chairman for so many years in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

I've known John Dingell in some ways since 1985 when I got sworn in as a freshman Member. I've served on the committee that he was the chairman of since 1987. I've served 22 years on the committee, and for the last 17 years, in some shape, form or fashion, I have sat beside him as subcommittee chairman, as ranking member, as full committee chairman, as ranking member of the full committee, and now again as ranking member with he as chairman emeritus.

There is a public side of John Dingell, and there is a private side of John Dingell. We have numerous stories about the public side of John Dingell, the powerful, gruff chairman. You know, some of the private sides of John Dingell, much less public but just as important, when I had my heart attack 3 years ago, John Dingell is one of the people that called and gave me solace and counsel and checked on my wife and made sure that she was okay.

When Terri and I had our son 3 years ago, John and Debbie called and asked what kind of a gift, and knowing of their association with the auto industry, I thought a Cadillac Escalade might be in order. But what we got were car seats, a car seat for Washington and a car seat for Texas, very practical gift, also within the House ethics rules and also very thoughtful.

One of the things that has not been said that I'm aware of is that in spite of the many legislative achievements, the Clean Water Act, Safe Water Drinking Act, the Clean Air Act Amendments, a lead role in the original Clean Air Act, John Dingell is a very humble man. He has not asked that his name be put on any of that legislation.

When I chaired the energy conference report that later became the Energy Policy Act of 2005, I wanted my name on the bill and Senator Domenici and Senator Bingaman and Congressman Dingell. And so I went to Mr. Dingell. I said, Let's put your name on the bill; we will call it the Barton-Domenici-Dingell-Bingaman bill. And he said, no, he didn't want his name on the bill. I said, Is it because it's too controversial? He said, No, I don't believe that a man should be that presumptuous.

And I may be wrong, but I'm not aware of any piece of legislation that is called the Dingell bill because he just wants to get the job done. He's not interested in personal memorials.

As I've said numerous times, when they write the history of the Congress, of the 20,000 men and women who have had the honor to call themselves U.S. representatives, John Dingell will be one of those representatives that is highlighted.

I think he's probably the most influential House Member in the history of the Congress who has not been Speaker of the House, and he could have been Speaker at some point in time. And I don't mean that as a personal attack on our current Speaker. I'm just saying the esteem that this man has been held in for over 50 years is something that we should all try to emulate, because on both sides of the aisle, he is really, really held in high esteem and is considered, as I said earlier, one of the lions, not just of this Congress but every Congress.

I consider it one of the highest honors of my life that I have been able to serve with him and by him and learn from him and, on occasion, emulate him.

And, Mr. Speaker, I will also say that he still has work to do. The fact that we're all honoring him with this resolution today--

The fact that we're honoring this fine gentleman today does not mean that he can rest on his laurels. I fully expect within the month to be totally engaged on opposite sides in the public health care debate as he tries to fulfill one of his lifetime obligations of moving some sort of a national health care bill. I believe in a more market-oriented, private sector approach.

So, while part of me says I wish he would go ahead and retire, the better part of me says we want you here, Chairman Dingell. We want you engaged in the debate. We want you giving your ideas on what you think is right for the American people, just like you've been doing for the last 53-years-and-some-odd days, because on your best day you make this body and our country a better body and a better country, and even on your worst day, you improve the atmosphere and improve the prospects for a brighter future for our people of the United States of America.

God bless you.

I thank the two gentlemen from Michigan, Mr. Peters and my good friend Mr. Upton.

There is no partisanship on this floor today. There is a universal expression of respect, affection, admiration, sometimes fear, always awe. I rise to note the service of a great American, a good man, who has advantaged this House, his State, and the American people by his service.

Today, we honor a man who has sat in this Chamber for nearly a quarter of its existence. Think about it. He and his father have served longer than a quarter of the existence of this House. In so many ways, the history of this House is the history of John Dingell and his family.

His father helped create Social Security. John presided over the House, as has been noted, when we passed Medicare. In his time here, John has had his hand in everything from the Clean Air Act to the Endangered Species Act, to the just recently passed Children's Health Insurance Program.

And John Dingell sat to the right of the President of the United States as the President signed that bill, and President Obama took that first pen with which he signed that bill and turned to Chairman Dingell and gave it to him. How appropriate it was for President Obama, a young and vigorous President, whose tenure in public office is relatively short, to turn and give that pen to an individual whose term in office has exceeded now that of every other American in history.

John was here when we passed the first civil rights bill. John was here when we put a man on the Moon. He was here when the Berlin Wall and the Twin Towers fell.

So much of our institutional memory is embodied in this one giant of a man, the longest-serving Member in the history of the House--a walking, talking, Library of Congress.

One way to last this long is to keep your head down, to stay quiet and unobtrusive, to hope that no one notices you year after year. That may be one way. It was not John Dingell's way. But the other way is to make yourself so instrumental that your constituents and this body could hardly imagine life and legislation without your input, without your advice, without your counsel, without your prodding, without your expressing a vision for a better America. Everyone here knows that that is the path that our friend John Dingell took.

For more than half a century--it's been mentioned, 19,420 days--John came here, to this Chamber, every day, asking what he could do to bring a little more security, a little more dignity, a little more prosperity, to his constituents and to my constituents, and to all of our constituents, to his fellow citizens.

And he came here to this Chamber, every day, asking what he could do to advance the ideals that he has held so tenaciously and so ably and defended so passionately throughout his life and throughout his career in this body.

As Michael Barone wrote a few years ago, and I quote, ``Whether you agree or disagree, the social Democratic tradition is one of the great traditions in our history, and John Dingell has fought for it for a very long time.''

The good news for my great granddaughter is that John Dingell is still fighting for that tradition. Still fighting for her and the millions of her cohorts, very small. They will not know John Dingell personally, but all of them will benefit by John Dingell's service and passion and caring and effectiveness as a giant among the legislators of our history. He is still fighting. And he will go on fighting.

We know how much more John has to contribute to the life of this House and this Nation as he adds to his record every 24 hours, from here on out. I want to join my friend Joe Barton, who's John Dingell's friend, as is Fred Upton, his friends and his admirers join Joe Barton in saying that we look forward to John Dingell's leading us as we confront the issue of the passion of his life and of his father's life. And that is ensuring that every American has the availability of quality health care.

John Dingell will be the principal sponsor of that health bill, and our principal leader on that effort. He has much to do. As Ulysses once said, ``Tho' much is taken, much abides.''

I understand that President Clinton quoted that famous Ulysses poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. That poem ends by saying that, ``Tho' we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.''

Tennyson did not know John Dingell, but Tennyson spoke of the character and courage and commitment of our friend, of our historic colleague, our chairman, John Dingell of Michigan.

Congratulations, and thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the distinguished majority leader, my classmate and friend from Maryland, was absolutely right when he reminded us that just last night at the great ceremony in Statuary Hall, President Clinton directed us to in fact read Tennyson's Ulysses last night.

The thing that struck me as I listened to the majority leader again talk about John Dingell was something else that President Clinton said. He said, ``Interestingly enough, if you look at the number of Presidents with whom,'' and I underscore, John, with whom, as you said last night, ``John Dingell has served, it is 25 percent of the Presidents--25 percent of the Presidents that we have had in the United States of America.''

It is an absolutely amazing accomplishment, and it's a great privilege and honor for me to be able to be part of this.

John Dingell and I, Mr. Speaker, have not always agreed on every single issue, and I know that has clearly come to the forefront from probably people on both sides of the aisle. But one of the interesting things that I have observed is that alliances regularly shift around here.

In the early 1990s, there was a clash that Mr. Dingell and I had over the issue of jurisdiction. I was charged by then-Speaker Gingrich early on to bring about a modification in committee jurisdiction. And I did some things that my friend John Dingell didn't particularly like.

But when I talk about how alliances shift, I have to say that then, just a few years ago, Mr. Dingell approached me and asked me to help him as he was dealing with a jurisdictional challenge, and I totally agreed with what it was he was trying to do at that point.

And so as you look at a long period of time, while we can have passionate disagreements, it's clear that we can just as passionately come together and agree on some issues.

John Dingell is clearly an institutionalist. And I told him last night, Mr. Speaker, at the great ceremony in Statuary Hall, that I have always been struck--I have served in almost every capacity one can on the House Rules Committee just upstairs on the third floor, and as all of our colleagues know, this is where Members come to testify on behalf of amendments or proposals that they would like to have considered on the House floor.

I thank my very good friend for yielding me additional time.

In the Rules Committee, Members have to stand in line to offer their testimony. And sometimes, if questions go on, we don't impose limits there on questioning, as in the case in other committees, and often one person can be there and testify for a long period of time if the questioning goes on.

Well, we will have maybe two-term, second-term Members come in and they will get antsy and start to pace around and grumble over the fact they are not being immediately recognized before the Rules Committee to testify on behalf of the legislation.

And I will say that I have been regularly struck at the fact that John Dingell, the Dean of the House, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, has often come before the House Rules Committee and literally sat patiently for 45 minutes, an hour, an hour and a half, as others have gone before him to testify, never thinking for one second that he should be recognized.

Now, of course I should say parenthetically that when I was chairman of the Rules Committee, I always wanted to rush to recognize John Dingell as quickly as I possibly could. But his understanding of this institution is, to me, evidenced in what he regularly did when I would see him in that capacity in the House Rules Committee.

And I have to say that he talked about staff members last night, and recognizing the people who give us the opportunity to do the work that we do is something that John Dingell did so well. And he, of course, talked about his wonderful partner, Debbie.

So, I have to say, Mr. Speaker, this job has a tendency to become very frustrating. When you have gone from the majority to the minority, and Mr. Dingell knows this, it is frustrating and challenging and difficult. But I am in the minority now, and some of the days aren't as exciting as they were when I was in the majority.

To be able to be here on the day that recognizes John Dingell's amazing service to this institution is something of which I am very proud, and has given me just the boost that I need.

So, thank you very much, and I thank my friend for yielding.