Jack Kingston: “Thank you, Mr. Woodall. And I certainly join everything that has been said about Jay Pierson already, but I'm going to…”

“Thank you, Mr. Woodall. And I certainly join everything that has been said about Jay Pierson already, but I'm going to say it from my point of view. My daughter is in a rock and roll band, and one of her great frustrations is trying to get everybody in sync. Well, that's what Jay Pierson does here on the House floor. With all these 435 egos and all the parts and all the things that go on behind the scenes, he seems to be the conductor that gets everything running in a harmonious fashion. He's here early. I've never been able to beat him. I don't know what time he goes home at night. He stays very, very late. Whatever the subject matter is, he seems to be on top of it from a legislative and substantive point of view, then from a parliamentary point of view. He seems to know what the timing is. He knows the history of it. If there's a meltdown, he knows how to get out of it, because it seems like he's been there before. He listens to the speakers even when no one else seems to be speaking. And 2 or 3 weeks later he will say, You remember that speech you made? Is that right? It appears that he remembers that. I just have to thank him for his professionalism in that manner. I have to say this to Mr. Pierson. I want to say this on a very personal level. I've been married 33 years. I'm proud to be a Member of Congress, but I'm more proud that I've been able to be married 33 years and I've raised four kids. Jay, I have to say, you played a part in it.…”