Benjamin Gilman: “I consider it a privilege to rise to honor the retirement of a colleague who has been an outstanding leader of this…”

“I consider it a privilege to rise to honor the retirement of a colleague who has been an outstanding leader of this body. I have had the opportunity to work with John Porter since he first came to this Chamber back in 1980. He brought with him honor to this job, and has shown great commitment and dedication to his country. Prior to his election to Congress, John practiced law and served in the Illinois House of Representatives for eight years. He brought with him a great deal of legislative experience and has shown a rich understanding of the legislative process. The leadership skills that have allowed him to accomplish so much are inspiring. John has accomplished a great deal while serving as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. He has diligently worked to allocate funds for family planning and for Medicaid. John has worked to revitalize involvement in the political process, trying to draw voters in, to take part in the legislative process. He has been an advocate for education. He has also worked tirelessly to increase spending on medical research, recognizing the need to find cures for many life-threatening diseases. As Chairman of the International Relations Committee, I am pleased to note that John Porter co-founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and has in that capacity worked to raise awareness of the injustices that have been occurring in other countries.”