John S. Tanner

Madam Speaker, it has been a true privilege for Betty Ann and me to represent Tennessee's 8th district in this chamber for the past 22 years, and we will always be grateful to the people of west and middle Tennessee who have given us the chance to do so. We now look forward to the transition from our role in Congress to that of private citizens, often said to be the highest office in our country.

Following the Constitutional Convention, Madam Speaker, a citizen asked Benjamin Franklin what that important body had created, and he replied, ``A republic, if you can keep it.'' At the heart of this governmental model, public officials represent first and foremost the people who elect them.

I worry that our government is in danger of becoming more of a parliamentary system, where elected officials represent first and foremost their political parties. That is not what our founding fathers intended when they established this great nation, and it is not the right approach for our nation going forward.

The American people, by and large, do not reside in the extreme left wing or in the extreme right wing. They are solution-minded citizens who want their elected representatives to work together to address the problems that face us as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans.

Unfortunately, the current political system, especially following decades of partisan gerrymandering with more to come in the year ahead, does little to incentivize such cooperation. Consequently, the political center in our representative government has been decimated, resulting in a great disservice to the American people.

Many of us certainly understand and share the angst the American people feel in a time of economic uncertainty, two wars, a seemingly insurmountable federal debt and ongoing concerns over homeland security.

These are complex problems that cannot be solved with bumper-sticker solutions, over-simplified soundbites and combative rhetoric. They require cooperation among thoughtful individuals who will put their district and country first.

To address these problems and restore the faith in our republic, those inside and outside government must be willing to extend to one who disagrees the same purity of motive and intellectual honesty one claims for oneself.

That is necessary, Madam Speaker, if we are to keep our republic.

Thank you, Chairman Levin, and I want to thank Mr. Brady, who is the ranking member on the Trade Subcommittee.

The mentioning of the Trade Adjustment Provisions and the Generalized System of Trade Preferences are both important. I think they have been covered by Mr. Camp and Mr. Levin in their remarks. I want to talk just a minute about what I consider to be one of the most important features of this bill with respect to American jobs, and that is the miscellaneous tariff provisions contained in the bill.

These miscellaneous tariff provisions allow for U.S. companies to import items that cannot be obtained in this country to be used in the manufacturing process, thereby making U.S. manufacturing concerns more competitive in the world market and in being able to increase employment in our own country. This cannot be, I don't think, overstated or overestimated as to its importance; although, it might be a very small part of what we are trying to do in the whole area of trade.

I hope that we can move forward--even though I won't be here next year, I hope we can move forward on some trade agreements that are pending. This is an exciting time. It is a time for America to get back in the business, and this omnibus trade bill is a good start.

I want to applaud Mr. Levin and committee staff and thank them for all the help they have given to the Trade Subcommittee through the years.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to tell you about a dear friend of mine who has served the House of Representatives longer than you, me and the vast majority of our colleagues.

Kathy Becker's distinguished career on Capitol Hill spans more than 40 years, during which she has made important contributions not only to the districts she has served but to our country and our international alliances.

Kathy grew up near here in Federalsburg, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore and attended the University of Maryland and George Washington University before coming to Capitol Hill in May 1971. She worked almost four years for Congressman Frank Denholm of South Dakota and then-- fortunately, for us--came to the Tennessee delegation, where she has served much longer than any of us elected to represent Tennessee in this chamber. She worked for 3rd District Congresswoman Marilyn Lloyd for more than 4 years and then joined the 8th District team working for my predecessor, Congressman Ed Jones.

When Betty Ann and I took office in 1989, we were very grateful that Kathy agreed to stay on the team as executive assistant, and she has been a loyal, dedicated staff member to us and an exceptional public servant to the people of west and middle Tennessee.

Kathy has been on Capitol Hill for some of history's biggest moments. She has seen eight presidential administrations, including one president who was impeached and another who resigned to avoid the same. Kathy was here when the Vietnam War ended, the Berlin Wall came down and fundamental extremists attacked our country on September 11, 2001.

One of the great honors I have had is representing the House of Representatives on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, serving 6 years as chairman of the U.S. delegation to that body and 2 years as President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. This opportunity has allowed us to help strengthen diplomatic ties with parliamentarians from our closest allies, relationships that had been strained in recent years.

Our efforts there would not have been possible without Kathy's work staffing the U.S. delegation here and abroad. She has helped us stay in communication with our allies and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly team in Brussels; organized important sessions to help us get to know our fellow parliamentarians more closely; and ensured we are able to best represent our country and the House of Representatives on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Her commitment and hard work have helped our country continue rebuilding its reputation with our NATO allies, which is especially important to the men and women in uniform who are serving our nation around the world.

In January, Kathy will retire from Federal service, and she can do so proudly, knowing that in a career that spanned more than 4 decades, she has been a part of history and has served our district and her country honorably. Madam Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join Betty Ann, our family and me in congratulating and thanking Kathy Becker for her unparalleled commitment to public service.