I thank the gentleman. I want to first thank the Ohio delegation for taking time this evening to recognize the departing members of the Ohio delegation; and to those Members on both sides of the aisle who have supported me and helped me…
I thank the gentleman.
I want to first thank the Ohio delegation for taking time this evening to recognize the departing members of the Ohio delegation; and to those Members on both sides of the aisle who have supported me and helped me throughout my 4 years of Congress, I thank you.
To those departing Members, for your service and your commitment to the Buckeye State, you will be missed. You've done a great job. I've had the distinct opportunity to work with many of you in the State legislature as well as in Congress, and I thank you for your service, and I especially thank those Members who have given me advice and helped me and supported me through this last year.
As the Members who are here on the floor today know, as well as many of the folks back in Ohio, the Seventh Congressional District that I represent was eliminated with redistricting. This has been a tough year. To those Members who have given me advice, encouragement, and sometimes just that pat on the back to keep going through these challenging times, I thank you for that, and your friendship will always be remembered.
It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve in Congress and to represent the eight counties and the residents of those eight counties that I represent in the Seventh Congressional District; to be blessed with a family and friends and a great staff who have supported and stayed with me during this past year; and to serve in this fine institution with so many good people--and there are good people here in Congress. I will miss serving in Congress, but the friendships that I have made here in Washington and throughout my district will be forever.
It was my father who first introduced me to politics and government. My father came to this country from the Philippines, and he came here to live the American Dream. He became a legal citizen, and he was so proud of that. He met my mother. They got married. They raised a family--nine kids and now 28 grandkids. God bless my mother who is still alive. He started his own business. He always gave back to his community, and he always believed in making this place he called ``home'' a better place for his children and grandchildren to live. I think if he were alive today--and I'm sure he's looking down from heaven somewhere--he'd be very proud of his oldest son, who, to my knowledge, is the first first-generation Filipino American to serve in the United States Congress.
I am proud to be part of the Asian American community. This has been a job for the past 14 years, in having served in the State legislature for 10 years and now in Congress for 4 years, that I have taken very seriously. I've tried to give it my all--100 percent--and have dedicated my life to it. I want to thank my family for all of the sacrifices that they have made to allow me to be the best Congressman that I could be.
Many Members of Congress have family members back home who are making tremendous sacrifices, and I thank you for those sacrifices to allow the Members of Congress to serve our government.
I also must recognize and thank my staff. You see, when I started my service in Congress, I was very blessed with a great staff that I inherited from my predecessor, Congressman Dave Hobson. Most have gone on to bigger and better things, but I am also blessed to end my service here with a very dedicated and committed staff who are dedicated to helping our constituents back in our district--whether they be veterans, whether they be seniors, whether they be hardworking Americans--and having a positive impact on their lives. There is a loyalty that this staff has given to our district. It is a very committed staff both in D.C. and back in the district; and most of the staff, actually, have stayed with me until the very end.
To our staff, to our team, you are the best.
To the freshman class of the 111th Congress that I came in with--in particular, our Republican members of the freshman class--I want to thank you for your service and the friendships and the support that we've had throughout the years.
I came in in 2008. It was a tough year for Republicans, and I was the only Republican in Ohio to win an open seat. Then, in 2010, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle experienced, I think, the same thing. We had a small Republican class that came in--22 members. It was a very talented class, a class that showed great leadership and was very vibrant, and I believe that they will be part of the future of this Congress as far as leadership. It was a great honor to be elected by my Republican peers and my freshman class as our class President. The freshman class of the 111th Congress was a special group of friends on both sides of the aisle that will be remembered forever.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to Ohio's Seventh Congressional District, which I've had the honor to represent for the last 4 years. As I mentioned, this district was eliminated because of redistricting in Ohio; but it's a district with great history and one with great integrity, and it has had great leaders. It has been represented by leaders such as Congressman Dave Hobson, known as ``Uncle Dave'' here on the Hill and back home for the great work he has done in Washington and throughout the State of Ohio; by former Senator and now Attorney General Mike DeWine, a personal friend who continues to lead our great State of Ohio; Congressman Bud Brown and Joyce Brown and his father, Clarence Brown, who also served in the United States Congress. The list goes on and on. To follow these great leaders and to have the opportunity to serve behind my mentors has been a great honor.
When I'm here in Washington, I often walk through the Halls of the Capitol at night when there are very few people around. I can tell you the history, the tradition, the integrity of this Capitol is still there, and it speaks to you at night. Often as I walk through the Halls of the Capitol or am traveling throughout the district, folks will come up to me and remind me that, when one door closes, another opens and that God has a plan for all of us.
So as I begin the next chapter of my life with my wife of 26 years, Eileen, and our three boys--Brian, Kevin, and Eric--I will take this great experience, the knowledge, and the memories here in Congress with me into the future. I always will remember the advice my father gave to me when I ran for my first office nearly 25 years ago--a local precinct, a county central committee--which is: always do the right thing.
To the new Members who are here, I would encourage you to continue to do the right thing.
And to our members of the Ohio delegation, never forget our men and women who are serving in our military and our veterans and the sacrifices that they are making and continue to make for our country and for our freedoms.
May God bless this great country. It has been a privilege to serve you in Congress. Thank you.
