Keep it going, Lou. You are doing a great job. You know, all of the programs that we have described of course require both leadership and staff to implement. Our association is blessed to have top people in both categories. I want to take…

Thank you, Russ. And I know you abbreviated some of your comments, which will be in the Record. Our Association certainly has a very active and impressive international portfolio, and we appreciate your leadership in these endeavors. And…

We are very honored that our minority leader chose to join us again to greet us as well as the Speaker of the House and Steny Hoyer. So let's continue on with our program. We were talking about programs that focus on Europe and Asia and…

Thank you. I am now going to yield time to my colleague from Maryland, Beverly Byron, to report on some of the other activities of the association.

Thank you, Jack. You're right, it's a great way for us to share our experiences and enthusiasm with the younger group coming into leadership. Also, we thank Matt McHugh, your colleague, for the great job you've done with the program. As…

Thank you all for joining us today. Our association, as you know, was chartered by Congress, and one requirement of that charter is for us to report once a year to Congress about our activities. Today, therefore, is our opportunity to…

First of all, I want to thank, on behalf of all of us, Steny Hoyer for launching us this morning for this 43rd annual meeting that we had. Steny never really saw an aisle. He saw issues and compromise, and that's what we--the brothers and…

Thank you, Mickey. We very much value your participation. And by the way, it's a great book, very provocative. I really thought you highlighted some of the very important aspects of what's going on in today's politics and what we need to…

Thank you, Bev, for your leadership and your active involvement in this great program. As a former Ambassador, I am acutely aware of the power of personal interaction and people making a difference to bridge the cultural divide. This is…

I don't need to introduce this gentleman. You all know him. But I do want to say that he does exemplify what Ray LaHood has said about bipartisanship and drinking the waters of central Illinois. The bipartisan spirit in which Bob Michel is…

Thank you, Jim. All the programs that we have described of course require both leadership and staff to implement, and I want to say openly and very enthusiastically our association is blessed to have top people in both categories. I want…

That was a nice beginning of our annual meeting. I'm now privileged to report to Congress about the activities of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress since our last meeting in July of 2012. Our association is bipartisan…