Goodbye To Colleagues

GOODBYE TO COLLEAGUES -- (House of Representatives - December 06, 2006)

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Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the New York delegation is a strong and unified delegation. At the end of the 109th Congress, four of our colleagues and friends will be exiting Congress. Tonight, we honor them.

SHERWOOD BOEHLERT

I first commend my dear friend and colleague Sherry Boehlert on his service to the people of New York and the people of this country. He has developed the reputation as one of the most well-respected Members of this body, and it is well-deserved. Since he came to Washington in 1983, Sherry has helped make good policy for our nation, and he has made countless friends along the way.

From the minute I set foot in the halls of Congress, it became clear to me that Sherry was a colleague to whom I could look for honest opinions, respectful dialog and sound advice. It never mattered that he was on the other side of the aisle.

Sherry's legislative skill is reflected in his record, which includes a rise through the ranks of the Science Committee to the Chairmanship in 2001. On that committee as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he has a long list of accomplishments. Clearly, anyone who says ``Nice guys finish last'' never met Sherry Boehlert.

I am glad that I have had the honor to serve with Sherry and to be able to call him my friend. I wish my colleague a long, happy and healthy life away from the Congress, and I thank him for his friendship.

SUE KELLY

I want to speak about my friend and colleague Sue Kelly, who has worked with me for many years in the Financial Services Committee, the Women's Caucus, and the Terrorist Financing Task Force, among other things.

Congresswoman Kelly has worked hard for New York. One of the issues on which she has been a strong voice is the renewal of TRIA. I know she shares my view that TRIA is essential for New York's economy and growth and she has advocated vigorously for its renewal.

Like the rest of us who lived through 9/11 in New York she understands the need to provide continuing support as the city continues to recover, and to provide economic security against the possibility of future terrorism.

She has also worked hard for women. As a member of the Women's Caucus she and I have worked together to advance the rights of women in many areas, and I consider this a very important part of her service.

Perhaps my favorite memory of something that Sue and I did together was our visit to Qatar in 1999 to observe and celebrate its first democratic elections, and the first time that women of any of the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council had the right to vote and run for office.

Allowing women to vote and giving them the opportunity to run for office was a major step forward in the democratic transformation of Qatar and I know we both felt that it was a truly momentous occasion.

I thank Congresswoman Kelly for her service to New York and for her support for these issues that are dear to me as well.

MAJOR OWENS

I would like to wish a very fond farewell to my good friend and colleague Major Owens. The residents of our city, our state and our nation are better off for his service, and on a personal level, I am better off for his friendship.

MAJOR has done a tremendous job for the working men and women of this country, most recently serving as ranking member of the Subcommittee for Workforce Protections and helping lead on such important issues as raising the minimum wage and protecting OSHA. His work on civil rights has been vital, and his work on behalf of New Yorkers has been tireless. We have worked closely together to ensure that the recovery from 9/11 is followed through, and he has shown himself to be an insightful and hard working legislator.

I will certainly miss my colleague from Brooklyn. We have served together for my entire time in Congress, and I cannot imagine this place without him. I wish Major nothing but the best, I thank him for his dedicated work for the people of New York, and I will always treasure our friendship.

JOHN SWEENEY

I honor my colleague and fellow New Yorker John Sweeney for his service. Together, we have collaborated on a number of issues vital to our state, including the recovery from 9/11 to the fight for fairer homeland security funding for high-threat areas.

John has always been an impassioned advocate for his beliefs, and I have very much enjoyed and appreciated our work together.

I wish John nothing but the best, and I am proud to have served with him and to call him my friend.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to respectfully acknowledge and pay tribute to the distinguished careers of the four retiring Members of the New York delegation, Sherwood Boehlert, Major Owens, John Sweeney, and Sue Kelly.

Representative Boehlert has served the people of his upstate New York district with pride for 12 consecutive terms and leaves us now as the Republican dean of our delegation. His tenure in the House will be reflected upon with admiration and he will be remembered in particular for his successful efforts at bipartisan compromise. Reaching across the aisle numerous times, SHERRY has delivered results which have benefited not only the people of his native New York but which have also enhanced the welfare of the entire nation. As long-time Chair of the House Science Committee, he has worked on a number of issues ranging from fuel efficiency and researching environmentally-friendly energies to improving the quality of math and science education programs for our nation's youth.

Congressman Owens leaves behind a distinguished record as a legislator who has devoted special attention to labor and education. His commitment to social issues as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus has also led to a number of far-reaching improvements for the American people. Since his election in 1982, MAJOR has fought for school modernization and, most recently, has been an advocate for increased No Child Left Behind funding. Additionally, he has promoted initiatives to increase the minimum wage and create a system of universal health care.

Congressman Sweeney is someone whom I had the fortune to know in Albany and deserves recognition for his tireless service to the citizens of New York State. His accomplishments are felt from his northern upstate district down to the five boroughs of New York City. As Vice-Chairman of the Transportation, Treasury, and HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, John has always been a reliable source of support for the state's small business owners and has championed projects facilitating growth and job development. As a Member representing Queens and the Bronx, I am also personally indebted to John for his successful fight to secure over $21 billion in recovery aid for the people of New York City in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on our city.

I also wish to highlight the achievements of Representative Kelly, and in particular, her work as a colleague of mine on the House Financial Services Committee. She has made large contributions to significant pieces of legislation such as the Sarbanes-Oxley bill that ensures greater corporate accountability and has led the battle to enforce corporate diligence by heading initial hearings into fraud cases involving Enron and WorldCom. Mrs. Kelly also merits appreciation for her efforts to achieve justice for Holocaust survivors by leading hearings regarding WWII restitution. I wish Representative Kelly well in future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank these Members for their distinguished service to this Congress and I wish them the sincerest of luck on their upcoming projects. New York State and this Congress are richer as a result of their contributions.

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