Elton Gallegly: “before I yield back, I would just like to say that this is a classic example of sending a message around the world of…”

“before I yield back, I would just like to say that this is a classic example of sending a message around the world of what America is all about. We stand here in this room, not as Democrats and Republicans, but as individuals fighting oppression and human rights violations around the world. I applaud Chris Smith for his longstanding leadership. It has been an honor for me to serve with my good friend Tom Lantos on the other side of the aisle, it doesn't seem possible that I have been here 20 years, Tom, but he is a colleague from California. He is to be applauded. I would be remiss if I didn't recognize our mutual friend, Henry Hyde, a mentor of mine for every year that I have been here on an ongoing basis, who has dedicated much of his life to fighting oppression and the violation of human rights around the world. Henry Hyde will be missed, as he is retiring this year, but his legacy will live on, and I hope that is a message we will send to the rest of the world. That is what America is all about.”