Carl Levin: “I thank Ms. Slotkin for yielding and for organizing this Special Order in honor of our dear friend, Paul Mitchell. Mr.…”

“I thank Ms. Slotkin for yielding and for organizing this Special Order in honor of our dear friend, Paul Mitchell. Mr. Speaker, I represent parts of Macomb and Oakland counties. And during my first term in Congress, Paul and I shared representation of Macomb. Paul represented the northern part; I represent the southern part. And while there were plenty of policies we disagreed on, there were a lot of things we connected on, too. We wanted to bring better water infrastructure to Macomb. And, Paul, I am still working on it, and we are going to get there. We talked about our shared history in the workforce world. Paul was a real leader in workforce policy through his company, and I used to run the State workforce system in Michigan. And he was a real leader and a thought leader in that area. And, Paul, I am trying to carry that on as best I can, too, as we look towards WIOA reauthorization. And when we did spar over policy positions, it wasn't mean-spirited. In fact, it was really close to my ideal of what it means to serve in this body. It was real, honest debate, the kind I was happy to have and honored to have. Paul and I now share one more connection, and it is one we didn't share. As a two-time cancer survivor, I know what it is like to get that diagnosis, and I know the stress and the pain that Paul and his family are facing. It is something I wouldn't wish on anyone, and I am devastated that they have to go through it.…”