On the recordFebruary 8, 2019
I appreciate my dear friend and, actually, college friend for these many years, since we were in school together at Texas A&M, and the great tribute. There was another superb tribute today paid to a giant of a man in more recent days. John Dingell had been reduced to a wheelchair, but having visited with him when his health was great and when he was in his wheelchair, Madam Speaker, I can confirm either way he was a giant of a man. Now, make no mistake, we had some significant political differences of opinion, but I never, ever had to wonder about the integrity, the honesty, just the greatness of John Dingell. He shot straight. Sometimes they were things you didn't want to hear. I loved his mischievous sense of humor, his way of making his point. I had no problem with the way he sometimes went after witnesses that he felt were being less than candid. He was a great man. He was a great Member of Congress. One of the things that has brought prior comments of his back to mind, prior activity here, was the proposed Green New Deal. I disagreed with John Dingell's effort for some type of government-run or universal-type health insurance, but we both--and I know the man's heart. He wanted what he believed was best for the American people. He was a man that staunch conservatives like me could talk to and could trust.…
