Mr. Speaker, as many of our colleagues know, tomorrow will mark my last day to walk onto this House floor as a Member of the United States House of Representatives. Since I announced my plans to leave this place in late May, a place where…
Mr. Speaker, as many of our colleagues know, tomorrow will mark my last day to walk onto this House floor as a Member of the United States House of Representatives.
Since I announced my plans to leave this place in late May, a place where I have been so privileged and honored to work for the last 28 years--18 as a staffer and the last 10\1/2\ as a Representative--the past few days and weeks, as you might imagine, have been rather poignant.
So many of you, my friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle, have been so very kind to offer an encouraging word, or to extend heartfelt good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life as the vice chancellor of government relations and economic development for the University of Alabama system. To each and every one of you who have been so generous with your words, thoughts, and even a few prayers, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
A few of you have even asked if I have any parting wisdom to offer, and I won't share these with my colleagues, I wouldn't do that to you, but I would like to speak for just one minute to the American people.
You know, one of the reasons I so rarely come to the House floor and speak is because my father, who died when I was 13, always told me, my brother, and sister that if you listen to the words of others instead of listening to your own words, you'll learn a lot more. So I've tried to follow my father's advice.
The other reason I so rarely take your time to listen to my thoughts is because of my very first speech on the House floor. With your indulgence, I will share it briefly with you.
Everyone remembers your first House speech, I'm sure, when you were a newly minted Member of Congress. Mine was unforgettable for a different reason. It was back in early 2003 when the House was debating the Healthy Forests bill. I remember it as though it were yesterday.
Like most freshmen, I served on several committees, and I was actually in a Budget Committee hearing all day long when I got a call from the chairman of the Ag Committee, Bob Goodlatte. He said:
Joe, you need to get over on the House floor because you're
getting ready to make your first speech.
One of our colleagues, who's still here and will remain anonymous, was about to offer an amendment to the Healthy Forests bill that would have stripped the $250,000 provision that I had inserted to do research on insects, on pine beetles that we don't care for in south Alabama and throughout the country, and he was going to strip it and take it for a project that was near and dear to him in his district.
As I was running over to the Capitol, I did what you would have done: I called my wife and told her to get the kids in front of the TV set, turn on the VCR, and I said to my daughter, Lee, who was 7 at the time, and my son, Robins, who was 5, I said, ``Daddy is about to make his first speech on the House floor.''
My staff had given me some beautiful words that day. They were somewhere
between the Gettysburg Address and the Kennedy inauguration.
But as so often is the case here on the floor, instead of having 5 or 10 minutes to speak, Chairman Goodlatte gave me 90 seconds. So I put aside my prepared remarks; and, instead, I spoke from the heart, or from the top of my head.
I said, ``Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the amendment from the gentleman from California and to urge support for the underlying bill.''
I went on to say, ``Now, if I represented pine beetles, I would actually support the gentleman's amendment, because, if I were a pine beetle, I would like it. He would take the money we've put in there and redirect it to a program out in his district in California.
``But I don't represent pine beetles. I represent hardworking men and women who own a few acres and they grow pine trees. And pine beetles are a real threat to a healthy forest.''
You know, if I'd only stopped there, I would have made a good first impression. But like so many new politicians who didn't know when to stop, I said, ``You know, we have a real problem with incest in south Alabama.''
I said, ``In fact, I would venture a guess that we have more problems with incest in my district in Alabama than in any other congressional district in America.''
Chairman Goodlatte was going like that, and I thought he was saying preach on, brother, preach on. Instead, he was urging me to shut up.
So I got back to my office, thinking I'd delivered one of the best speeches on insects ever made, and my staff said, ``Jo, in about 2 minutes you just reinforced in the minds of all Americans what we have a problem with in south Alabama.''
That's the other reason that I don't often speak on the House floor. But, fortunately for me, these wonderful people who work here taking note of every word knew what I meant to say, not what I did say.
I tell that story, Mr. Speaker, in closing, for this one reason: you all laughed at that story, as so many others have over the years. And a little laughter from time to time is good medicine, as the doctor says.
Perhaps our country needs to laugh a little more often, as well, and stop yelling at each other and work closer together.
For sure, our great country has many daunting challenges facing us. Sadly, all across our land, there's anger, there's frustration and concern on both sides of the political spectrum about what's going on or what's not going on.
Public approval of this body which we are all so honored to serve in is at or near an all-time record low.
But if I could say one parting word to the American people, it would be this: the men and women that you've elected to represent you in this, the people's House, have different views and positions on the very issues that you have different views and positions on.
And, by and large, and with rare exception, these are men and women of courage, of integrity, of decency, and they serve, along with many, many men and women, as staff, who work here, oftentimes in the shadows of the spotlight. They serve for the same reason, a common love of country.
Make no mistake. Sam Johnson loved America when he was being brutally beaten and held against his will as a prisoner of war for over 7 years in Vietnam, often wondering whether he would ever see his family again.
And John Lewis loved his country when he was beaten and bloodied, fighting for the civil rights of all Americans as he was crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the city I was born in, Selma.
And just like Sam and John, every other Member here, Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, we all work for the American people with the singular goal of making our country a better, more perfect Union, even though sometimes, as humans, we fail to meet your expectations.
This is especially true of our leadership, on both sides of the aisle, who often have one of the toughest jobs, trying to corral the strong will of 435 Members of Congress who come from all parts of America to try to do the right things. To my committee chairmen and ranking members, and all of the people I've served with, I owe you my debt of gratitude.
In closing, I want to express my last expression to the wonderful people of south Alabama for giving me the opportunity to work for you for the last 10\1/2\ years as your Congressman.
I came to this job having studied at the feet of two of the most outstanding men I know. Jack Edwards and Sonny Callahan, like me, came to office as a Representative from Alabama, but they left office as statesmen. And anything that my staff or I have ever been able to do for the people of my district, it's been to build on the legacy of those two great men.
Lastly, I would like to say this: the people of my district have afforded me a rare honor in Alabama, one of only 167 people, men and women, to ever serve in this body. The rest of us, only 10,000-plus, men and women, have ever had the privilege of being called a representative of the people.
I would be extremely remiss if I didn't say a special thank you to my wife, Janee, our daughter, Lee, and my son, Robins, who, like they were 10\1/2\ years ago, are back home in Alabama listening to your daddy talk about incest.
Thank you for your love and support. May God bless you, and may God bless America.
