Honoring Congressman Henry Waxman and Congressman George Miller on their Retirement

Floor Speech

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Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order on
honoring our retiring Members, Congressman Henry Waxman and Congressman
George Miller.

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Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am the chair of the California Democratic
delegation, and we are losing from our membership two spectacular
Members who have served with tremendous distinction for 40 years each.

Representative Miller and Representative Waxman were the final two
remaining Members of the House elected as part of the historic
Watergate class of 1974. Both were instrumental in passing the
Affordable Care Act of 2010, which is the culmination of a nearly
century-long struggle to guarantee that every American has access to
quality and affordable health care.

Representative Waxman was one of the most prolific lawmakers in
American history. He has a long record of not only legislative, but
oversight achievements. He was elected, as I said, in 1974 and
reelected 17 times. He chaired the Energy and Commerce Subcommittees on
Health and the Environment, the Energy and Commerce Committee from 2009
to 2011, and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from
2007 to 2009.

He left his mark all over this body, but the five areas that he will
be remembered most about is health care, consumer protection,
environmental protection, telecommunications policy, and just many good
government laws.

Some of the most important bills that he either wrote or coauthored
include: the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments--we can recall when we
couldn't breathe in Los Angeles, and that is no longer the case because
of Henry's leadership and work preventing smog, air pollution, acid
rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer; the Medicaid and CHIP
expansion gave coverage and access to health care for children and
working families; and his nursing home reforms helped protect the most
vulnerable people in America.

The Hatch-Waxman generic drug act gave rise to the generic drug
industry, and the Orphan Drug Act gave hope to families across the
country whose family members had diseases not lucrative prior to the
act. From the Ryan White CARE Act to the Nutrition Labeling and
Education Act to the cigarette and smokeless tobacco health warning
laws, Henry has been recognized as a leader here.

His oversight efforts were simply marvelous. Looking at waste, fraud,
and abuse, he identified over $1 trillion in wasteful and mismanaged
Federal contracts, including billions of dollars in wasteful spending
in Iraq and in response to Hurricane Katrina. His oversight of the
tobacco industry and the Wall Street collapse are known throughout the
country. He has over his 40 years here provided tremendous service to
our country.

Our colleague, Representative George Miller, has similarly left his
mark not only on this body, but on this country and indeed on this
world. Our friend, George, is an aggressive and unapologetic
investigator on behalf of taxpayers into the health and safety of
children and workers.

He took on asbestos executives, for-profit colleges, subsidized
agribusiness, mining corporations, oil companies, and administration
officials of both parties. Why? To stand up for the little guy who
didn't have a voice.

He chaired three committees during the past 40 years, the Select
Committee on Children, Youth, and Families from 1983 to 1992; the
Committee on Natural Resources from 1992 to 1994; and the Committee on Education and Labor from 2007 to 2010. He is a longtime cochair to the Democratic Steering Policy Committee. He is among the 50th, as is Henry, consecutive longest-serving Members of Congress in history out of more than 10,000 Members.
His list of accomplishments is too long to read, but they certainly
include fair pay for women; investigating sweatshops not only here, but
around the world; fighting for pension reform; standing up for
occupational safety and occupational disease compensation;
international labor standards; the minimum wage; antidiscrimination
laws; and the defense of the right to organize and collectively
bargain.

The notable legislation written or cowritten by George Miller
include: the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007; the student loan reforms of
2007 and 2010; the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002; the California
Desert Protection Act of 1994; the Education for All Handicapped
Children Act of 1975, now known as the Individuals With Disability Act;
and the Pay-As-You-Go Act, PAYGO, passed in 1982 to reduce the deficit
and instill greater discipline in the budget process and to ensure that
military and nonmilitary spending were treated under the same rules.

He played a key role in shaping the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, the response to the worst American recession since
the Great Depression.

California is proud of our two colleagues, and many Californians and
indeed some honorary Californians are here tonight who would like to
say a few words to honor these two outstanding men.
First, I yield to the gentleman from California, Mr. Alan Lowenthal,
who represents a district in southern California for his tribute.

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Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, we are through with an hour. We could have
filled many hours, but we say goodbye to these two colleagues. Eighty
years of experience and expertise will leave this Chamber.
I looked--in 1974, the top of the charts was ``The Way We Were,''
that was the song, but also on that chart was a song called ``Rock
On,'' and that is what we want our two colleagues to do.
We are in their debt. We are impressed. Our country and our world is
a better place because of their wonderful service.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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