Steven Holt: “As one who has also chosen to step aside at the end of this term, I want to recognize and thank two legislative giants…”

“As one who has also chosen to step aside at the end of this term, I want to recognize and thank two legislative giants, Henry Waxman and George Miller. They came at the same time. Although they are very different people, each shows compassion, courage, determination, persistence, powerful mind skill, and even good humor in accomplishing all these things that we have heard about tonight. I have seen their personal qualities up close. I have been with Henry as he stands for fairness and justice in Israel. I have been with George Miller as he inspects the vanishing glaciers that are the victims of our climate change. They have worked, as you heard, on elementary and secondary education, worker protection, health care, communication, clean air, clean water, sustaining lands and climates. They will not tolerate those who violate workers' rights, family welfare, and individual opportunity, in America or elsewhere. We have heard about Central America. I was with George Miller in Chile this year when he received the highest medal that country gives, the O'Higgins Medal, for activities that he did as a freshman from this House when he went to Chile and courageously stood up in the face of Pinochet's terrorism to defend labor and individual rights. We could go on far beyond the hour that is allotted here. Simply put, their record puts to rest any claim that government doesn't work, that government can't help people, that special interests always prevail.…”