On the recordDecember 9, 2014
John Dingell is a legend in the Congress and a national treasure. As the Dean of the House of Representatives, Congressman Dingell will be retiring at the end of the 113th Congress, and his body of legislative achievements will continue to be experienced by every American for generations to come. From protecting the environment, to promoting civil and worker rights, Congressman Dingell's legislative hand shaped it. He famously introduced health care reform legislation in 1955 and in every Congress since then to provide affordable, accessible care for every American. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 1965 Medicare Act, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, and the 2011 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act were all championed by Congressman Dingell. His meritorious contributions to society span his time serving in Congress and in the U.S. Army, where at the age of 18 he had orders to take part in the first wave of the planned invasion of Japan in 1945. Congressman Dingell is the longest serving Member of the House, and he is one of two World War II veterans still serving in Congress. President Obama recently awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. I recall so well the first time I walked into the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing room. It was 1995 and my eyes immediately went to an enormous picture of the Earth hanging on the wall.…
