Donna Edwards: “As I am a junior Member of the House of Representatives, I am very pleased to join you, Mr. Speaker, in this…”

“As I am a junior Member of the House of Representatives, I am very pleased to join you, Mr. Speaker, in this recognition. I know that there are a lot of old friends in the House of Representatives. But, Mr. Speaker, I hope that Mr. Dingell will count me as one of his new friends. 19,420 days. I can't even imagine, having only served in this House for a mere 7 months. And, today I think, Mr. Speaker, we value more than just the longevity of the service, but we value its character, its quality, its substance, and its leadership. And so I am really pleased to be here today, Mr. Speaker, in celebration of a wonderful time of public service in this institution. And I want to share with you that when I arrived in this Congress, Mr. Speaker, there was one gentleman who pulled me aside in the Members' Cloakroom and he said to me something that I won't forget, and I believe will carry many of our junior Members through our time in service. Mr. Dingell said, "You are my peer, and don't you ever forget that, because it will serve you well in this institution." And already that has been true.”