Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Sale and Slaughter

Floor Speech

WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS SALE AND SLAUGHTER PROHIBITION

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise to join him in thanking Paul Hays for the extraordinary service he has given to this institution.

Our reading clerk, Paul Hays, who after 19 years in this position as reading clerk and, as has been noted by the distinguished minority leader, 41 years as an employee of this House, has announced he will retire effective Monday, April 30, and begin a new phase of his life.

The fact is, Mr. Speaker, Paul Hays, with his deep, crisp, commanding voice is perhaps most recognized to our viewers on C-SPAN, perhaps more than many of the rest of us, because he is here all the time and that voice is heard and his visage is seen.

It has been a privilege, I know, for him to serve here, but as I have noted on other occasions when other members of the desk have retired, they serve our country as well as those who have been elected to serve, and we appreciate their service.

Since 1789, the House has employed reading clerks, who are responsible for reading aloud, obviously, the text of bills, amendments, motions, messages, special rules and other privileged resolutions and veto messages. Our reading clerks almost always, almost always, have been appointed from the ranks of existing House employees who have extensive prior floor experience. Paul was one of those.

Paul, a graduate of Georgetown University, is no exception. In fact, Paul was appointed reading clerk in 1988 by one of the most distinguished persons with whom I have served, one of the most decent Americans that has served in this House, the distinguished minority leader, Bob Michel.

It is no coincidence, Mr. Speaker, that given his speaking talents, Paul, as I understand it, intends to do voiceover work in the future.

Now, Paul, we want you to be very discriminating in what voiceovers you do. There may be a lot of requests. We want you to know how nice we are being to you today.

Paul, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for your service to this institution and to our country. As you go from this phase of your very successful life into the next successful phase of your life, not only do we thank you, but we wish you well.

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