On the recordDecember 19, 2012
I thank Mr. Markey for recognizing me at this point in time for the Special Order. You know, we did a little research so I wouldn't just stand up here, because I know John and Barney are sticklers for detail. So we did a little research. We found a Special Order of some time ago when Barney Frank, Congressman Frank, came down to the floor basically to chastise one of the colleagues who had made a false claim during their Special Order. What Barney had to say at that point: Special Orders are a time when Members can fairly freely say things without fear of contradiction because there's generally no one there. And as you listen to many of the Special Orders, there is a very good reason why no one is here: no one ought to pay a lot of attention to them. Well, Barney and John, today people ought to pay attention to what we are saying during this particular Special Order because you have both served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States for a long period of time, ably, and in a way that nobody should forget and everybody should want to talk about and recount. There's a lot of years between the two of you. John, 40 years in total, over 20 of them here in the United States House of Representatives. But I remember knowing you well before you knew me. Back when John Olver was a senator in the State of Massachusetts, as a young student at the time, I had the responsibility of janitorial services and cleaning up that State house.…
