Providing for Consideration of H.R. Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend from Georgia for yielding.

Normally, when I come down to this floor, it is to debate the rule with my good friend, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules, and it is to disagree with the legislation, in many cases. And at least that is true: I am opposed to the rule and opposed to the underlying legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the real purpose that I am here today is something that my friend from Georgia referred to oft too fleetingly in his opening comments, and that is that this may be his last appearance managing a rule of the floor of the House.

Now, I had the good fortune to serve in Congress throughout my friend's distinguished 10-year career. We served, as he said, on the Committee on Budget together. We have had the opportunity to serve on both the majority and the minority on the Committee on Rules together. I was very proud to be a member of the Republican Study Committee-- still am--during his tenure as our chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say, probably something that my good friend, the chairman, will agree with, we regret very much that my friend has made the decision to leave Congress and go pursue--and, I am sure, successfully--other things.

We regret it because Rob Woodall has been, throughout his 10 years, a Member's Member, a person whom I have never heard say one ill word about anyone on either side, even while vigorously disagreeing with that person; a person who has made us proud with the civility and the decency with which he has conducted his office and discharged his duties; somebody that I think everyone on the Committee on Rules not only likes and admires, but considers an invaluable part of the Committee on Rules because he manages to make his points and bring out the best in our committee and, again, do so in a way that is always civil, that is always appropriate, and, frankly, that is quite often humorous and diffuses difficult situations.

If we had more Members in the United States House of Representatives like Rob Woodall, we would be a better body than we are--and I think both sides would agree on that. He knows how to conduct debate and argument. He knows the process. He knows how to work through the process in a civil manner. I have seen him do it in the majority. I have seen him do it in the minority.

I could not be prouder of him and the service he has rendered to this institution. I could not be, frankly, sorrier about losing a colleague who I think has contributed each and every day.

Now, Rob was the chief of staff, Mr. Speaker, before he came here, to one of our predecessors, John Linder, who also was a member of the Committee on Rules. So he came to this committee really understanding how it works, much like the chairman, who had a very similar career pattern himself, working as a staffer then coming on and now, obviously, rising to the preeminent position on the committee as our distinguished chairman. He has seen a lot of Members work through this process as well, just as I have, and I suspect he values my friend, even though he is on the other side, as deeply as I do.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say, for the record, to my friend, Rob: We are going to miss you. We are going to miss you on the committee. But much more importantly, this institution is going to miss you. It is going to miss your civility. It is going to miss your decency. It is going to miss your industry. It is going to miss the manner in which you represent all of us to your constituents and, frankly, when you speak on this floor to the people of the United States of America. You have every reason to be proud of the career that you have built here. You could never be as proud of your career as all of us are of you and the manner in which you have conducted yourself.

My friend, this may be the last rule; although, I have got to tell you, if I can sneak you in one more time, I would. It is like we are losing, I think, our best pitcher, and if I can find one more game to stick him in, believe me, I will. But I want to tell you how much I admire you, how much I like you, how much I revere your career, how much I will miss you as a Member and a friend.

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