Bill Pascrell: “Michael, thank you for putting this together tonight. I come tonight not only to talk about Barry, but to talk about all…”

“Michael, thank you for putting this together tonight. I come tonight not only to talk about Barry, but to talk about all the staff. Please understand what I am saying tonight. If you feel that there is an injection in my words of politics, so be it. First of all, I never understood what Barry said at any time, so it is not a question of having a translation. Thank you for your service to your country and thank you for your service to this Congress--every Congressperson. The entire membership has been so fortunate to have you here. You know what I mean when I say Barry, Location, location, location. You were right: you fit, and you did what you said you were going to do. I do not speak to you in terms of your title, because titles come and go. I speak to your character. You are a person of character. Your word is always your bond. We joked and we kibitzed back and forth. We joked about sports. We joked about life. You are an example for all of us, as you move forward. And you may be on--as some might say--the down side of the mountain, but you are really not. I say this to all the staff members. I have been here for close to 17 years, and Barry, you are leaving at a time of most interest to me, since I always made it a habit, whether I was a teacher or whether I was in the mayor's office, whatever, to talk to everybody--the secretary, the administrator, the young lady on the elevator, the maintenance man, the guy who took care of the boiler.…”