On the recordJanuary 5, 2011
It is a high honor to welcome all Members of Congress and their families to the House of Representatives. To the new Members and their families, a special congratulations and welcome to you. We all wish you great success. Congratulations to you. We all come here to represent our constituents. Our respect for each other is founded in our respect for the people that we represent. This month, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of John F. Kennedy as President of the United States. As a student, I was there in the freezing cold. For some of you, you have read about it in the history books, but to Bob and me, it was our youth. I was there in the freezing cold and heard the stirring address that inspired generations of Americans to public service. In his 1962 State of the Union Address, President Kennedy said to the Congress: the Constitution makes us all trustees of the American people, custodians of the American heritage. Today, as we take the oath of office to support and defend our Constitution, we do so as trustees of America's best hopes and as custodians of America's highest values.
