Providing for Consideration of H.R. Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of Providing for Consideration of H.R. Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, my good friend, for yielding.

I want to begin by responding to some of my friend's kind remarks, the chairman.

We belong to different parties. We sometimes have our different points of view in the committee itself, which means on occasion we are going to be taking contrasting positions with one another, but I think one of the common traits that we have is that we both revere the institution of the House of Representatives and all of its procedures.

I think we also really respect the staff, the personal staff, the committee staff, and, most especially, the professional staff of the House itself. What an extraordinary role they play in allowing us to do our job.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join Chairman McGovern in paying tribute to a dedicated public servant.

Tom Wickham, the House Parliamentarian, has served this House with honor and distinction for the past 25 years and will be taking a well- deserved retirement at the end of this month.

Tom has expertly advised five Speakers and countless Members and staff throughout his distinguished tenure. His exceptional knowledge and understanding of the rules, procedures, and parliamentary precedent has been invaluable to this institution, and he will be sorely missed.

Mr. Speaker, I am also proud to congratulate Jason Smith, the current Deputy Parliamentarian, on his appointment as the sixth Parliamentarian of the House.

The Rules Committee has the benefit of working with the Parliamentarian's Office, frankly, more than any other committee, and I have every confidence that Jason will lead the office with the same standard of excellence his predecessors, particularly Mr. Wickham, have set.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I just want to take a moment to thank Chairman McGovern for seeking my opinion during the process to select our next Parliamentarian. That is not something he was required to do, but it speaks volumes about his respect for this institution and the role that the Parliamentarian plays for the minority, particularly on the Rules Committee, that he was interested in our perspective on this important decision.

Let me close with this. My friend, the chairman, said that Mr. Wickham had seen everything.

Well, we are hopeful that you don't write about everything that you have seen, and that you remember us as fondly as we remember you. But the sad thing is not very many people get to see your work and what you and your colleagues in the Parliamentarian's Office have done for each and every Member of this institution. Even our own Members quite often don't understand how indispensable your decisions and recommendations are to each side, to facilitate a full and open debate, to make sure that every person has an opportunity to express their opinion in the appropriate way under the procedures and rules of the House.

So I just want to personally thank you for the extraordinary job you have done for all of those who have the privilege of being Members and, frankly, for our staffs as well, who work so closely with you and whom you advise so frequently and so professionally. We will really, really, really miss you, but we thank you for making sure that we had an adequate successor in place in Mr. Smith and a superb supporting staff that reflects your leadership.

So we thank you for your hard work in a very bipartisan way, your professionalism, your decency, and, frankly, the honorable way in which you have discharged your duties for 25 years.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source