Congratulating Washington Nationals on Winning World Series

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, today is a serious day. Last night was an extraordinary night.

I rise for the millions of people who live in the Washington metropolitan area to congratulate and to exalt with all of our region on the extraordinary achievement of the Washington Nationals.

This morning in Washington, the heavens are crying tears of joy. In other words, it is raining. But there is no rain in any of our hearts or minds today. It may be raining, but the faces of Nationals fans are shining with pride and happiness.

For the first time in 95 years--we have waited a long time, Madam Speaker--the Major League Baseball team from our Nation's Capital is bringing home a World Series Championship. My colleague Ms. Norton is here, being urged to put on a sweater, over her pride.

With the might of their bats and the lightness of their feet, the Nats pushed through to a hard-won victory in game seven last night against the Houston Astros--arguably, the best team in either league this year--who won the most games.

While I congratulate the Houston Astros on an extraordinary season, they just didn't count on the Washington Nationals.

But, today, the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals are in absolute agreement. It is my understanding that they are sending a joint letter to Major League Baseball, saying: ``We want all of our games to be road games from now on.''

In case you didn't get that, neither team won at home. They all won games on the road. The good news was, the Washington Nationals had four games in Houston, and the Astros had only three games in Washington.

So there is joy in Washington this day. It is sustained by a spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship. Our Nats grew strength from their dedicated fans across this region, including, of course, my district.

We have been waiting a very long time for this day, so I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating the 2019 Nationals, led by their extraordinary manager Dave Martinez, who played earlier in his career for the team that moved from Montreal to become the Nats. How appropriate. How wonderful.

I hope my colleagues will also join me in congratulating this year's most valuable player. Very frankly, there were a lot to choose from on the Washington Nats, who started out with a 19-wins-and-31-losses season.

What an extraordinary achievement to come that far that quickly, to meet, arguably, as I said at the beginning, the best team in baseball, the Houston Astros.

I also want to mention, as I said, the most valuable player. There were a lot to choose from. Stephen Strasburg was recruited and signed by the Washington Nationals some years ago as a very young man. He pitched extraordinarily, then got his elbow and had to be operated on, a Tommy John operation, they call it, and he has come back to be one of the best pitchers in the major leagues. He won three games. What an extraordinary achievement. So let's congratulate, as well as Stephen Strasburg, all the members of the team on this victory.

To paraphrase the old poem: ``Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout.''

Today, Madam Speaker, that somewhere is the Nation's Capital.

Congratulations, Nationals. We love you.

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