Joe Barton: “Mr. Speaker, we're here today to honor one of the true lions of the Congress. I feel like since this is the third time…”

“Mr. Speaker, we're here today to honor one of the true lions of the Congress. I feel like since this is the third time I've made this type of a speech that I'm at a funeral, except for the fact that our honoree is not only alive, but he's still kicking and has lots of life left to give to his constituency and to the Congress and certainly to the committee that he's served as chairman for so many years in the Energy and Commerce Committee. I've known John Dingell in some ways since 1985 when I got sworn in as a freshman Member. I've served on the committee that he was the chairman of since 1987. I've served 22 years on the committee, and for the last 17 years, in some shape, form or fashion, I have sat beside him as subcommittee chairman, as ranking member, as full committee chairman, as ranking member of the full committee, and now again as ranking member with he as chairman emeritus. There is a public side of John Dingell, and there is a private side of John Dingell. We have numerous stories about the public side of John Dingell, the powerful, gruff chairman. You know, some of the private sides of John Dingell, much less public but just as important, when I had my heart attack 3 years ago, John Dingell is one of the people that called and gave me solace and counsel and checked on my wife and made sure that she was okay.”