50th Anniversary of President Kennedy's Inaugural Address

Floor Speech

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address and celebrate the many moments of altruism that have emerged from the simple words, ``Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.'' It is this expression of love of country, this spirit that President Kennedy evoked in all of us that causes me to rise today for my maiden speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. Even 50 years later, we take from this speech the reminder that we still have work to do to improve our country, and that work is incumbent upon us to finish.

As a young child, I remember watching the ceremony on January 20, 1961. I remember the poet Robert Frost read a poem from the podium as his eyeglasses fogged up. I remember President Kennedy taking the stage, and I could have never imagined the impact he would have on my generation and the generations to come.

Here in Washington, President Kennedy is never far from my mind because I have the distinct honor of coming to work to the same office that President Kennedy had when he was a Member of Congress. Our space is a historic treasure. I am so fortunate to be entrusted with the safekeeping of this memorial and all that it represents to the people of Massachusetts and every American who has been inspired by President Kennedy.

My first days and weeks in Congress have been an incredible privilege, serving my community in Massachusetts and working to find solutions for the challenges that our country faces.

President Kennedy's words are timeless, and we can and should learn from them today. He called on our country to remember that ``civility is not a sign of weakness.'' His words should inform our national conversation as we hopefully renew our commitment to respect and graciousness, where politics means more than stark division and glaring partisanship.

Our country needs healing, and Kennedy would believe that it is up to all of us to participate in restoring this type of civility. Fifty years ago he said, ``Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.'' I welcome this challenge, and I will spend my time in Congress living up to those words.

Good ideas are not restricted to one political party or the other, so I look forward to hearing from my constituents of all political stripes. If my neighbor in Weymouth has an idea to create jobs, I want to hear it. If a resident of Plymouth has a proposal on how we can move our country forward, I want to help. If a fellow citizen in Barnstable has a plan to make our country safer and stronger, I look forward to working together.

In closing, let us remember that President Kennedy had a long-term vision for this country. He understood that a change in direction takes time, and we understand that a return to the values that he kept will not be immediate. As he said, ``All of this will not be finished in the first 100 days, nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.''

So as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration, let us begin anew.

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