On the recordFebruary 13, 2013
This is a day of mixed emotions for the House. John Lawrence's retirement means that we're losing a faithful public servant, one of our own. But we can all agree that John deserves some time off after 38 years of working here in the House. And for those of you who may not know John, he is currently the longest-serving staffer in the House. John and I have known each other for a long time, going back to my days as chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee. I can safely say that it really didn't matter whether we were on the same side of the page or whether we had opposing views--he always handled it in the same way, with class and integrity. He's a real stand-up guy. That didn't just make John an asset to George Miller or Leader Pelosi. It made him a great asset, I think, for the House as a whole and to the American people. So I know all of my colleagues and I want to say to John, thank you for all of your service to this House. We're sorry to see you go, but we want to wish you and your family the best in the future. Congratulations.
