America: Land of Liberty

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, you have heard that Representative John Dingell from
Michigan is the longest-serving Member of the House of Representatives
in the history of this institution. You have heard that he has been a
Member since 1955 and has held a seat in this body since President
Eisenhower sat in the White House.

You heard that exactly 1 day and 73 years ago, a young John Dingell,
then a page in the House, was standing in this very room when President
Roosevelt gave his declaration-of-war speech against Japan. He was a
page.

Needless to say, it has been a long road of public service for our
friend and colleague, John Dingell. A great defender of civil
liberties, John Dingell stood beside President Johnson as he signed the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. Over his illustrious career, he fought for
civil rights, for clean water, for Medicare, for American workers'
rights.

On a more personal note, he has always been helpful to me even when I
was just a wet-behind-the-ears freshman, and he shared his overflowing
reservoir of knowledge and wisdom about the history and customs of this
body and the workings of Congress. He will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I will always remember and appreciate his character, his
integrity, and his courage in the fight for a better quality of life
for the American people.

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