Thomas Foley: “first, let us all give each other a round of applause for a very, very successful year here in Congress. The first time…”

“first, let us all give each other a round of applause for a very, very successful year here in Congress. The first time you have actually been able to sit in the seats of Members on Congress and be on national TV. Congratulations. You really are living in a unique time in our country. I think my colleagues have well expressed the sentiments all of us having watched you arrive one day as very young and excited newcomers to Washington, some with fear in your eyes because you have left friends and family, others with a sense of optimism and pride that you are getting to represent your districts from around this country. It is fun to watch the transformation from that first day to the last week. Because I see in all of you that sense of kind of reluctance to some degree to leave this place. You have met and have established lifelong friends in this very process. What is exciting for all of us that serve here is that you truly represent the best and brightest in this country. It is very, very difficult, as you know, to become a page in the Congress. It requires a number of skill sets that will serve you in life: leadership, intelligence, personality, perseverance, and faith; and those are attributes that, as you mature and go forward in life, will serve you in phenomenal ways. Many of you know that several Members of Congress originated in the page class. So it is not only a training and testing ground.…”