Saying Goodbye To The Pages

Floor Speech

SAYING GOODBYE TO THE PAGES -- (House of Representatives - June 07, 2007)

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Mr. WICKER. I wonder if the gentleman would yield?

Mr. KILDEE. I would be happy to yield.

Mr. WICKER. I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, let me just say, not everyone within the sound of my voice realizes how hard these young people have worked, some of them, for the last semester, some of them for the past 9 or 10 months, but almost to a person they have been in the page school. There will be a graduation ceremony tomorrow, I understand.

They get up in the wee hours of the morning and go to school in a very rigorous academic course, and then they put in a full day. On those frequent occasions when we are in session late at night, they are here with us. So we appreciate their hard work. It has been a great learning experience for them, I know; and I just want them to know how much we appreciate it.

They have been here during momentous times. They have seen the President of the United States, as my friend from Maryland stated. They have seen heads of state come and go in the building and witnessed debates concerning the great issues of our time, issues today concerning the very question of life itself. Issues of war and peace and billions of dollars being debated, they have been able to witness.

Just as significantly as all of those issues, they have witnessed the orderly transfer of power that we have seen year in and year out, Congress in and Congress out in this great institution. The transfer of power not at the point of a gun, as a result of a battle, but as a result of Americans, one by one, going eventually in the millions and voting in the ballot at the ballot box.

Sometimes we are delighted with that orderly transfer of power, as I was in 1994 and 1995, when I first came here as a Member of a new majority. Sometimes, as occurred last November and this past January, I was not particularly overly delighted, but it is profound, nonetheless, that we make those changes in government at the ballot box and not at the point of a gun.

In 1967, I had the privilege for only 1 month to serve as a page in this great Chamber for this great body. It was a life-changing experience for a young boy from Pontotoc, Mississippi; and I daresay for the young people lining the back rail and listening to our words this afternoon it has been, in so many ways, a life-changing experience for them.

It occurred to me during that brief stay here as a page that I might someday, if given an opportunity and if luck came through, come back here as a Member of the House of Representatives. I had that great opportunity.

But to so many of them, undoubtedly, they have no desire whatever to come back here as a Member but to go on and serve their country in other respects, in their professions, perhaps in the military, or perhaps some of you also in public service.

But I would simply say that, in closing, they have had such a rare opportunity to serve their country in a way that so few young people have been able to do. We appreciate it very, very, very much. We wish each and every one of them Godspeed as they go back to their homes and families.

I thank my friend for yielding the time.

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