Patrick J. Tiberi: “Thank you, Jean. We wish you and Peter well in the next door, in the next chapter. Five--five departing Ohioans, and I…”

“Thank you, Jean. We wish you and Peter well in the next door, in the next chapter. Five--five departing Ohioans, and I get to go last. It's been an honor to serve with all five of them. They leave a big void, Mr. Speaker. Steve Austria, Jean Schmidt, Betty Sutton--much has been said about all of these five. I actually knew Betty before I knew the other four. She and I were part of the freshman class of the Ohio class of Representatives in 1992, and we served 8 years together in the Ohio House. Obviously different political parties, but you knew right away that Betty was bright, tenacious, and she was a fighter for her beliefs. We rarely agreed on issues. We got to see each other again when she got elected in 2006 to replace Sherrod Brown, who got elected to the U.S. Senate. I know her career's not over. It began in the Barberton City Council, Summit County Council, and the 8 years she served in the House. I know she is going to continue to serve in some capacity, and I wish her and her husband, Doug, the best as they move on to the next chapter of their life. Dennis Kucinich, I first knew Dennis, he didn't know me, when he was the boy mayor of Cleveland and I was growing up in Columbus. He obviously made a lot of headlines around the State as mayor. I still call him ``Mayor'' today. I first got to know Dennis when he was in the legislature of the Ohio Senate and I was in the Ohio House in the early 1990s. He then got elected to Congress in 1996.…”