Joe Barton: “Before Congressman Hensarling leaves, I just want to commend him for his service and tell him what a privilege it has…”

“Before Congressman Hensarling leaves, I just want to commend him for his service and tell him what a privilege it has been for me to serve with him and to know him as a friend. We are both retiring, and we are both, so far as I know, going to move home to Texas. And if we don't see each other anyplace else, we will see each other at some Texas A&M football games. So I thank my good friend. Mr. Speaker, in January of 1985, at the ripe old age of 34, I stood right here in the well of the House with my 2-year-old daughter, Kristin, in my left arm, held up my right hand, and took the oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, to the best of my ability. I was one of 43, I believe, of that year's freshmen. I think we had a little over 30 Republicans and a dozen or more Democrats. As soon as I took the oath, I walked over to the hopper--and, yes, there really is a little wooden hopper here in the well of the House, as I look out, on the right-hand side, as the audience looks in, on the left-hand side--and I dropped the Barton Tax Limitation/Balanced Budget Amendment into the hopper. That constitutional amendment in 1995 was the number one item in the Contract with America, which, when the Republicans took over the House majority for the first time since 1954, we voted on this same floor the first day that we were in session in January of 1995 on my amendment. It failed.…”