Debbie Dingell: “I rise with great personal sadness about the departure from this institution of a great friend, wise counselor, mentor…”

“I rise with great personal sadness about the departure from this institution of a great friend, wise counselor, mentor, and superb public servant. I do speak, however, with pride about the accomplishments of Charlie Johnson, who has served us, the House, and his country well. He is in all particulars a great patriot and a great American. He has been wise counselor to us, mentor; he has given us good advice; and he has seen to it that we understood the history and the traditions of this institution. He has served us in the great traditions of Clarence Cannon, Lewis Deschler, Bill Brown, and now the fine work which he has done. He is going to be missed by this institution. He has served as an example to all of us and to those who will follow in his particular task as Parliamentarian. It has been his responsibility to see to it that the House function as it should, in accord with the great traditions that we have here of respect, of decency, and of love of this institution. And for that and all of the other things that we can say good about Charlie, we have to recognize that we should say thank you; that we should say well done; that we should wish him well for what it is that he has accomplished. The House is a better institution for his wonderful service to this body.”