Debbie Dingell: “I rise to thank my good friend and colleague from Michigan, John Conyers, my dear friend of long standing, for his…”

“I rise to thank my good friend and colleague from Michigan, John Conyers, my dear friend of long standing, for his gracious kindness in this Special Order tonight, and I thank all of my good friends and colleagues who have participated in that. I am deeply grateful, and I am very proud of the friendship that they show me and that I have for them and the kindness that they have shown me throughout these years I have had the privilege of serving in this body. I want to say that I have been uniquely blessed. Not only have I had the privilege of serving wonderful people in the southeast corner of Michigan, people who are uniquely loyal, decent and good, hardworking and patriotic, who believe in their country and who work to make it better and who raise good kids and who are concerned not just about their well-being but about the country and its future, I have also been uniquely blessed in having an extraordinary staff which has stood loyally by me and which has provided me the basis of knowing how to be a good and effective Congressman. I have had one unique and special blessing, and that is a beautiful woman who has stood by my side all of these years, the lovely Deborah, who has worked with me, worked for me, worked with and for the people that I have the honor to serve and who is much loved in Michigan and here in Washington, whose good works and whose talents are extraordinary and whose decency and loyalty are absolutely unique.…”