please stand for the united states capitol police ceremonial and remain standing for the presentation of the colors and singing of our national anthem by arena strike over. texas. or. after. o say you ken you see by the time one s early ly what s so proud of the way here? and that s why i liked leslie leaming, whose broad stripes seen bright stars through the perry u+ fa or the ramparts we watched were so ga fluently stream beaming at the rocket oracle the bombs in tear gives proof through the night and the raffle was still there oh does that star spangled banner yet? well. or the letter the free. the whole of the bird. give hope. poems or life. please remain standing and welcome u.s. house chaplain reverend margaret gibbon for an open opening prayer. would pray with me greatest. thy faithfulness, o god our creator. in the summer of life and the winter of death. in joy. and in grief. your mercies, sorrow us. we now that in the words of tribute offered for our friends and colleagues and families in the stories told and the laughter shared that you would hear our deepest for the mercy you have shown us through these your servants who have offered so much their time and talent in devotion to you and to this nation. we pray that you have received them into your presence granting them rest from their labors and reward for their toil. armed with unique but common purpose, they have faithfully used the gifts and graces you bestowed on them. each one we name today and those former members who have gone before them have in their lifetimes exemplified the all out to which you ask of each us, our country is in debt to their faithfulness in face of adversity, their courage in the face of their resolve love, in the face of overwhelming challenges as we ask now, then your blessing on all who grieve their deaths, all that they need. oh, lord, your hand provide, may they receive strength for today and bright for all the tomorrows ahead of them. then may we with the manifold witness of these faithful surrounding us bear tested mony to your great mercy and steadfast love. great is your faithfulness, lord, onto us in the strength of your name we pray amen. good evening and please seated. my name is pete white line and. i am the ceo of fmc, former members of congress association. we are so honored to welcome you today to the u.s. capitol to this hallowed ground statuary, where the house of representative met until 1857, where abraham sat during his one term in congress, and where john quincy adams 17 years as a house member following his presidency. it is altogether fitting that we commemorate the public service of loved ones in this historic space. and i wish to thank speaker pelosi for granting us the use of statuary hall for today s memorial service. and we are also so grateful that we can return to statuary hall after to hold this memorial service for the past two years due to covid. on behalf fmc, i welcome the families and former staffers of the members of the senate and house being commemorated this year. we also appreciate the many and former members of congress who have taken time out of their busy to pay tribute to their colleagues and friends. fmc, especially appreciates the time given to us in this memorial service by. the distinguished members of our official party. they include the speaker of the house of representatives, nancy pelosi of california, the republican leader of house of representatives. kevin mccarthy of california. representative dan kildee of, michigan. the president, fmc. alec payne of virginia. the honorable elizabeth dole, senator from north carolina, the honorable byron dorgan, former senator from north dakota. the honorable susan brooks, former representative from indiana, the chaplain of the senate. dr. barry c black. the chaplain of the house, dr. margaret green, kim and mr. dean swihart, spouse of representative jackie walorski of indiana, who we are commemorating this evening. our sincere thanks to each of you for being part of this special event. this ceremony is about recognizing and honoring the public service of your ones. the public service they rendered everyday to our nation. we had fmc on the stand, like few others, that serving in congress is family business and that it involves and the spouses and children like other occupations. we share in your sense of loss and we offer our gratitude for your sharing with us the talents, dedication, leadership and vision of those we have lost. margaret chase smith, the first woman to serve in both the house and the senate, said public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. it must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation. all of you here know better than anyone the dedication and the personal sacrifice that comes with serving in congress. today, we recognize, the public service of your loved ones. and as we pay tribute to them, we also paid to you for supporting in their work so that they could follow their calling. this of 36 outstanding representatives and senators gave a combined. five centuries of public service to the american people right in this building. that s almost 500 years of public service in congress. and that number doesn t even include the years many of them also served in local state offices. of the 36, 29 served in the house of representatives and seven served in the u.s. senate. you know, of those seven, four served in both chambers, two thirds of them were veterans in all branches of our nation s armed forces are represented in this group. after congress, they continue to serve and advocate for myriad issues, including education, mental, the environment, small businesses, minority populations and much more. to their country and to their fellow americans was indeed their calling. and we you for being here to celebrate that service. last year, addition to offering a virtual memorial service, fnc planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the capitol as a living tribute to the men and who have served in congress since our nation was created. from james madison to crockett. from john lewis to john glenn. all the to the 36 members we commemorate today. this tiny right now. but history will be here for generations of family and friends to visit as they remember their loved ones and hope you ll have time to see it while you re here. it is situated on the house side of the capitol as you make your way down hill. it s across the street from the entrance to the rayburn office building, and we hope you have a chance to visit again behalf of fmc. welcome. and it is now my pleasure to recognize the family s president, former representative from virginia ellis payne, for opening remarks. thank you very. and thank all of for being here with us this afternoon. my name is left payne and. i had the honor of serving with of the people whose lives are remembering today. i represented the fifth congressional district of virginia in the house of representatives, and now i have the privilege of representing about 800 former senators, house members as part of the association of former members of congress, of which i am the president on their. i want to welcome the families and the friends and the staff members of those who we commemorate this afternoon. and as former and current members, we are very much aware that service comes with sacrifice, that this sacrifice is by entire families. it is therefore fitting to convene the entire family to recognize the public service. of these 36 men and women who chose to serve. they may have disagreed, on the issues of the day, but they had a fundamental and unifying truth in that served in congress was a privilege that came with the response ability of seeking positive change on behalf of men and women who sent them here. these 36 individuals had their of public servants. they came from 22 states. they were mayors. and lawyers and teachers, judges, soldiers, state representatives, senators, businesspeople, journalists chiefs of staff and more, representing 63 consecutive years of american history. they served a combined hundred and 99 years in the congress from the 82nd service to the 117th congress, 20 veterans were in this honorable group, and they served in every branch of the armed services, and they served in the national guard, and they served in the u.s. capitol police, and they served from war two through the gulf war, some earning medals for bravery including the purple heart, the silver star, the bronze star, and more. they broke barriers. they challenged the status quo and they left a lasting impact on this nation through landmark legislation, including the americans with disabilities act legislation to protect rights, voting, human rights, social security for seniors, 19. among the group dedicated more than a decade of their life in congress and served for more than four decades. three of today s honorees served as majority leader, minority leader and president pro tem of the u.s. senate, spanning more than 50 years in that chamber. and when the dean, the house congressman, don, passed away, he the longest serving republican in congressional history, focused on solutions for americans. they sought out common ground as they worked across aisle to advance legislation that shaped health care and energy in international relations, labor and oversight, transportation, taxes, mental health, environmental policy and much, much more. and when their in congress ended, they continued to serve causes greater than themselves with their families as ambassadors, as president and founders of institutions, as presidential candidates and as cabinet members, as governors, lieutenant governors, lawyers, directors of nonprofit civic education advocates, members of the association, former members of congress and so many more positions they were always devoted to the american values that defined the pillars of this building and our nation. and they were dedicated to the blessings of liberty that we cherish. and we wish the world. they answered the call to serve from those who came before them, to carry on traditions of democracy given to us by our founding fathers and all who have fought for freedom. and we are grateful for their lives and their service and, for their example, to serve something greater than themselves. thank you. supporting them and for allowing them to serve us. we are better for knowing them in is better because of and their service. i am now honored to be joined by members, our official party who are here this to remember their loved ones and their colleagues, including the next three people on our program. speaker nancy pelosi, with a reading from sir winston churchill, whose memoirs entitled let us be contended republican leader of house kevin mccarthy. with the reading of maya angelou, those when great trees fall and senator elizabeth dole, who will share her thoughts us as well. madam speaker. thank you very much, congressman. thank you much to all of you for making this important day part. our instruction just to read this election. but if i may briefly want to say thank you for bringing us together. i ve served with most of these people in my 35 years in congress not from the start of their terms, but in part of their terms. and they have left a great legacy. i just want to name three in this room. we celebrated bob dole s 90th birthday, 90th birthday. it was quite a cause for celebration in this room. well, not in this room, but in the newly cannon room. we celebrate it. don young being the dean, the congress and the serving republican. i hosted that the longest serving republican, but it was only three months later when he lay in honor here in this very room as. well, in statuary hall, someone who campaigned for him, is with us. the congressman, new congressman from alaska, congressman paul, who served who campaigned for him being a democrat, but this is how it is here. and then today we sign the legislation dedicating, naming day clinic in honor of our former colleague jackie walorski, whose mother more this year and whose husband you ll be hearing. this is the fastest naming a building of someone who left us. i want you to know more than. so in any event, this is where we come together in our humanity, in our gratitude to the service of so many, so many you ll hear about so many whose legacy again is important to our nation. i m going to read the selection, as was indicated by my former congressman, tain. now i m going introduce it as he said, a writing by winston churchill. but i m going to acknowledge someone who died recently her majesty queen elizabeth, the second, while she was not a member of congress. she did speak to a joint session of congress in may of 1991. we send our condolence to the people of the u.k., the kingdom. she a monarch to british empire. that she a matriarch to so many in the world. winston churchill. let us be content with what has happened and thankful for all that we have been spared. let us accept the natural order of things in which we move. let us reconcile ourselves. the mysterious rhythm of our destiny. such as? there must be this world of space and time. let us treasure our joys, but not be. wail our sorrows. the glory of light cannot exist without its shadows. life as a whole. and good. we must accept together. the journey been enjoyable and well making. once. thank you. by the way. winston churchill was the first prime minister under which her majesty, served as queen. it seems as though god has called too many of our family and friends home this year in such an early moment, i will read when great trees fall, when great trees fall, rocks sun distance, hills shudder, lions hunkered down in tall grasses and even elephants lumber after safety when great trees fall in forest. small things recoil in silence. their senses eroded beyond fear. when great souls die. the air around us becomes light rare. sterile. we breathe briefly. our eyes briefly see with a hurtful. claire. our memory suddenly sharpens. examines. gnaws on kind words. unsaid promise walks never taken. great souls die. in our reality. bound to them. takes leaves of us. our souls is dependent upon their nurture. now shrink. wizened our minds. form armed and informed by their radiance. fall away. we are not so much as reduced to the unutterable. ignore of dark cold caves. and when great souls die after a period peace blooms slowly and always is irregularly spaces filled with a kind of soothing electric vibrate in our senses, restore heard never to be the same whisper to us. they existed. they existed. we can be, be and be better. for they existed. thank you. thanks very. good evening to everyone here tonight who is remembering a loved or a dear friend or colleague. please know you have my condolences this evening. we re paying tribute to their legacies as leaders of our great democracy. but i know that each of them left much more personal imprints on your hearts as our president and a longtime member of these chambers has said. the day will when the memory of the person you lost brings a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye. i certainly wish that day soon all of us until then, we can laugh and cry together. in preparing for tonight, i spent reflecting on the distinguished public. we are here to honor. together they struck me as a great cross-section of america. they came here to washington. from bustling cities. and quiet countrysides. they took time away from other noble professions as dr. was educators, farmers and chaplains and more than a few lawyers too. they each carried with them the causes and of their neighbors home. no. two stories. among them alike. but they all had thing in common. they had all been given the trust of their fellow americans to serve as their representatives in washington. my beloved husband, bob said this trust is perhaps the greatest gift that come to any citizen in our democracy tonight and always. i hope you cherish the fact that the person you remember this evening was granted such a profound privilege and honor. bob in congress for 35 years. yet he never lost his appreciation for the people who sent him here. he even appreciated those who tried keep him from coming back because once you were here, bob said. whether they are democrats, republicans or independents, they are all your constituents. bob viewed his colleague much in the same way there was time for political competition. but in the end, the members of these chambers were representing americans with real concern friends and real perspectives on how their country should be run. and it was up to their elected representatives to see political labels in order to fix was broken and preserve nation s best. bob never needed many words to make a good point, but if you ask him to list his proudest accomplishments as a member of congress, he always recounted the leaders on both sides of the aisle who joined him in making them possible. he worked with senator birch by to revolutionize the field of medicine through the trademark atom. of 1980, with senator daniel patrick moynihan. he crafted legislation to the social security system from bankruptcy. with senator george mcgovern. bob created. the food stamp program. international aid. and went on promote a global school lunch program. one of his most historic accomplishments, the americans with disabilities act, was created with a cold of senators, including orrin hatch, who we remember tonight. and despite being seen a lion of the republicans. bob built strong bonds with the leaders of both parties who preceded and followed him. those leaders certainly senator harry reid, who we also honor this in farewell address to the senate. bob said he always differences were a healthy thing. then looking around at his colleagues he said i ve never seen a healthier group in my life. yet throughout his career, he managed to rise above those differences for the good of the nation as did your loved ones. and they worked together to change the course of history in their honor. let us all commit ourselves to reminding the nation that we are strong, major, when we are united. let us ensure our country never forgets the extraordinary feats we have accomplished when we bridge our divides. and let s allow the cherished of our loved ones to inspire our own kind compassion and service to others. may god bless leaders. we remember this evening and each of you, and may you continue to bless the united states of america. you. thank you. thank you so much. speaker pelosi, leader mccarthy and senator dole. i now invite fmc president cliff payne and former member of congress susan brooks to the podium to read the names of the members we are commemorating this evening as each name is read a bell will ring when you ve heard the name of your loved one. we invite the family members, friends and former staffers that member to stand and remain standing until all names have been read following the completion. the honor roll. we ask that everyone please remain standing as we observe a moment of silence. todd aiken. brad asch. heard of nebraska. dan benishek. clarence bud brown junior. albert bustamante. max cleland and. barbara rose. john cooksey. robert dole. harris feiwel. vic fazio. ed. george gekas. jim hagedorn. orrin hatch. kenny hodges. junior. larry hopkins hopkins. johnny isaacson. timothy johnson. dale kildee. bob kruger. claude buddy leach. jack h. mcdonnell mcdonnell. kerry meek. norm mineta mineta. dennis moore. johnny porter. harry reid. james roy rowland jr. nielsen. james they stand. as stubborn. torres. jolene unseld. don young. bill zellick. jackie will. and her staffers. zachary potts and. emma thompson. ladies and gentlemen, please join in a moment of silence. all our honorees. ladies and gentlemen, please. your seats. we. thank you for the next part of this evening s program. we are deeply grateful to senator byron dorgan. congressman dan kildee and dean swinehart, husband of congresswoman jackie, for offering a reading remarks and a musical performance. thank you very much. i know that every single person sitting in this room has a treasury of memories. of all the names we have just read and those many memories come to us in the most unusual places and unusual times to a smile on our lips, remembering once again, always remembering. i m going to read to you a piece. farewell, my friends. and it describes the value of that smile. it describes the value of that smile to those us who are here and to those who are gone. it says, all i need is your smile. from rabindranath tagore. farewell, my friends. it was beautiful as long as it lasted. the journey of my life. i have no regrets whatsoever, he said. the pain i ll leave behind those dear hearts who love and care and the strings pulling at the heart, soul the strong arms that held me up when my own strength let me down at the turning of my life i came across good friends friends who stood by me, even when even when raced me by. so farewell, farewell, my friends. i smile and bid you goodbye goodbye. shed no tears for i need them not all i need is your smile. all i need is your smile. if you feel sad, do of me for that s what i am like when you live in the hearts of those you love remember that you never die. as i listen to the the names called in the bell ring, it occurred to me i. i knew every one of those names. i ve been here serving in congress for the last decade, so some, including jackie walorski, with whom i came to congress i knew personally were dying. but the rest of, the names i knew because i heard them in, the stories that my uncle dale told me for the 36 years that he served here. he loved this place and he loved the people who served here. so that he he shared that with me. and so i m very for the of former members of congress for for taking this time. remember those individuals and their service, those that we ve lost over the last year, including, of course, my uncle dale, who served here as i 36 years, elected 18 times one of the longest serving members, certainly from michigan, but a very long term member here in the house growing up in the kildee family. my brothers and sisters, we were always part of his effort, part of his as young kids. we just assumed everybody worked on campaigns. but let me be clear, were not volunteers volunteers, were conscripts. but we all came eventually to love it. and we were grateful to be a part of deals campaigns and by extension part of his service to this country. first and foremost, you know, dale, his wife, gail, i like cousins. they re family to me and that s where the pain really is powerful but he was also my mentor the power of have his example opened the door for me a long time ago and while i did not know where that door might lead, i guess in retrospect i should have because i followed him and he was a really good example for me to follow. he spoke for people who needed somebody to their voice. he believed, as i m sure many have him say, so many times, that the role of government was to preserve, to protect, to defend, and to enhance human dignity. i heard him say that a thousand times, maybe 10,000 times, but for dale, those just weren t words. those were his work and that was his code. he ll be remembered a lot of things here in his time in congress for his work supporting, early childhood education, head. for programs to address hunger for summer nutrition. for his work on behalf of native, despite the fact that he never directly represented a tribe. but i think his most important legacy the most important aspect of his legacy will be how he treated other people. and i know those of you who served with him even today have made reference that and i think that is a characteristic that defines so many of the people that we re honoring today. his respect for dignity of every person was not just some sort of policy prescription him. it was his way of life. members of congress, former members congressional staff, capitol police, the building staff have all told me the very same thing since there s been gone, that there s not been a more kind and decent person here. i long ago lost the number of times that a staff person working in the capitol told. me what a friend they had in him in dale and how respect and collegial he was here in washington back home in michigan, he treated people with kindness and with dignity and with love. and the example that he said think is so important. but now it s so important more than ever. and this is a characteristic i said that he shares with so many of the names i just heard called. we can have our differences. we re supposed to have our differences as senator dole said. but we can do that without disagreeable without being disrespectful. and i believe that s the way honor those who have left us is to follow that legacy, to learn lessons of the most recent history in place where people could have a decent argument share, their differences but still treat one another with kindness and respect. i think we d all do a little bit if we would honor the legacy of those who have left us by following that lesson. thank you. um. am. thank you, dean, for this beautiful and heartfelt tribute to jackie into the group of members we are commemorating as. we conclude tonight s memorial service. i d like to thank those who helped make this evening so special. the madrid trio the u.s. police ceremonial union soloist arena stucco, a the sergeant at arms office at the office of the architect of the capitol and the speaker s also a thanks to jane campbell. the team of the u.s. capitol historical society for volunteering their time tonight. and i also want to acknowledge and thank my amazing staff at the former members association, especially cathy hunter, for making this evening possible. and last but certainly not least, let me thank of you for honoring us with your presence and for the commitment you and your loved ones to public, to the congress and to the nation. i hope you will join us for your gathering. the rayburn room next door after the service and. now, please stand for the concluding offered by the chaplain of the u.s., reverend barry black, and remain standing as we sing the beautiful. thank you. let us. pray. oh, lord god almighty, we thank you for your amazing grace. we have set aside this time to remember our lawmakers who have transitioned from time into eternity we thank you for their legacy that inspires us to call be compassionate hearts, clear conscience is and again glory honor may we learn from their lives to be dependent on your loving kindness and tender mercies. lord, strengthen us to follow their of being courageous defenders and guardians of freedom. as you them in the way of moral responsibility lead us also on paths of truth and justice and lord, when we have been in heaven. 10,000 years bright shining as the sun we know days to sing your praise than when we ve first begun we pray in your sovereign name amen. you and. the. lady heathen. gentlemen, thank you so much for being here this evening to celebrate the lives and service of our 36 honorees. if you re interested in joining us for a reception in the rayburn room, please head off to your right. if you re interested in leaving capital, please go to your left. thank so much and have a good evening. thank you so much for joining us tonight. the rayburn room is right this way. thank you. sorry that on the floor.
please stand for the united states capitol police ceremonial and remain standing for the presentation of the colors and singing of our national anthem by arena strike over. texas. or. after. o say you ken you see by the time one s early ly what s so proud of the way here? and that s why i liked leslie leaming, whose broad stripes seen bright stars through the perry u+ fa or the ramparts we watched were so ga fluently stream beaming at the rocket oracle the bombs in tear gives proof through the night and the raffle was still there oh does that star spangled banner yet? well. or the letter the free. the whole of the bird. give hope. poems or life. please remain standing and welcome u.s. house chaplain reverend margaret gibbon for an open opening prayer. would pray with me greatest. thy faithfulness, o god our creator. in the summer of life and the winter of death. in joy. and in grief. your mercies, sorrow us. we now that in the words of tribute offered for our friends and colleagues and families in the stories told and the laughter shared that you would hear our deepest for the mercy you have shown us through these your servants who have offered so much their time and talent in devotion to you and to this nation. we pray that you have received them into your presence granting them rest from their labors and reward for their toil. armed with unique but common purpose, they have faithfully used the gifts and graces you bestowed on them. each one we name today and those former members who have gone before them have in their lifetimes exemplified the all out to which you ask of each us, our country is in debt to their faithfulness in face of adversity, their courage in the face of their resolve love, in the face of overwhelming challenges as we ask now, then your blessing on all who grieve their deaths, all that they need. oh, lord, your hand provide, may they receive strength for today and bright for all the tomorrows ahead of them. then may we with the manifold witness of these faithful surrounding us bear tested mony to your great mercy and steadfast love. great is your faithfulness, lord, onto us in the strength of your name we pray amen. good evening and please seated. my name is pete white line and. i am the ceo of fmc, former members of congress association. we are so honored to welcome you today to the u.s. capitol to this hallowed ground statuary, where the house of representative met until 1857, where abraham sat during his one term in congress, and where john quincy adams 17 years as a house member following his presidency. it is altogether fitting that we commemorate the public service of loved ones in this historic space. and i wish to thank speaker pelosi for granting us the use of statuary hall for today s memorial service. and we are also so grateful that we can return to statuary hall after to hold this memorial service for the past two years due to covid. on behalf fmc, i welcome the families and former staffers of the members of the senate and house being commemorated this year. we also appreciate the many and former members of congress who have taken time out of their busy to pay tribute to their colleagues and friends. fmc, especially appreciates the time given to us in this memorial service by. the distinguished members of our official party. they include the speaker of the house of representatives, nancy pelosi of california, the republican leader of house of representatives. kevin mccarthy of california. representative dan kildee of, michigan. the president, fmc. alec payne of virginia. the honorable elizabeth dole, senator from north carolina, the honorable byron dorgan, former senator from north dakota. the honorable susan brooks, former representative from indiana, the chaplain of the senate. dr. barry c black. the chaplain of the house, dr. margaret green, kim and mr. dean swihart, spouse of representative jackie walorski of indiana, who we are commemorating this evening. our sincere thanks to each of you for being part of this special event. this ceremony is about recognizing and honoring the public service of your ones. the public service they rendered everyday to our nation. we had fmc on the stand, like few others, that serving in congress is family business and that it involves and the spouses and children like other occupations. we share in your sense of loss and we offer our gratitude for your sharing with us the talents, dedication, leadership and vision of those we have lost. margaret chase smith, the first woman to serve in both the house and the senate, said public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. it must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation. all of you here know better than anyone the dedication and the personal sacrifice that comes with serving in congress. today, we recognize, the public service of your loved ones. and as we pay tribute to them, we also paid to you for supporting in their work so that they could follow their calling. this of 36 outstanding representatives and senators gave a combined. five centuries of public service to the american people right in this building. that s almost 500 years of public service in congress. and that number doesn t even include the years many of them also served in local state offices. of the 36, 29 served in the house of representatives and seven served in the u.s. senate. you know, of those seven, four served in both chambers, two thirds of them were veterans in all branches of our nation s armed forces are represented in this group. after congress, they continue to serve and advocate for myriad issues, including education, mental, the environment, small businesses, minority populations and much more. to their country and to their fellow americans was indeed their calling. and we you for being here to celebrate that service. last year, addition to offering a virtual memorial service, fnc planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the capitol as a living tribute to the men and who have served in congress since our nation was created. from james madison to crockett. from john lewis to john glenn. all the to the 36 members we commemorate today. this tiny right now. but history will be here for generations of family and friends to visit as they remember their loved ones and hope you ll have time to see it while you re here. it is situated on the house side of the capitol as you make your way down hill. it s across the street from the entrance to the rayburn office building, and we hope you have a chance to visit again behalf of fmc. welcome. and it is now my pleasure to recognize the family s president, former representative from virginia ellis payne, for opening remarks. thank you very. and thank all of for being here with us this afternoon. my name is left payne and. i had the honor of serving with of the people whose lives are remembering today. i represented the fifth congressional district of virginia in the house of representatives, and now i have the privilege of representing about 800 former senators, house members as part of the association of former members of congress, of which i am the president on their. i want to welcome the families and the friends and the staff members of those who we commemorate this afternoon. and as former and current members, we are very much aware that service comes with sacrifice, that this sacrifice is by entire families. it is therefore fitting to convene the entire family to recognize the public service. of these 36 men and women who chose to serve. they may have disagreed, on the issues of the day, but they had a fundamental and unifying truth in that served in congress was a privilege that came with the response ability of seeking positive change on behalf of men and women who sent them here. these 36 individuals had their of public servants. they came from 22 states. they were mayors. and lawyers and teachers, judges, soldiers, state representatives, senators, businesspeople, journalists chiefs of staff and more, representing 63 consecutive years of american history. they served a combined hundred and 99 years in the congress from the 82nd service to the 117th congress, 20 veterans were in this honorable group, and they served in every branch of the armed services, and they served in the national guard, and they served in the u.s. capitol police, and they served from war two through the gulf war, some earning medals for bravery including the purple heart, the silver star, the bronze star, and more. they broke barriers. they challenged the status quo and they left a lasting impact on this nation through landmark legislation, including the americans with disabilities act legislation to protect rights, voting, human rights, social security for seniors, 19. among the group dedicated more than a decade of their life in congress and served for more than four decades. three of today s honorees served as majority leader, minority leader and president pro tem of the u.s. senate, spanning more than 50 years in that chamber. and when the dean, the house congressman, don, passed away, he the longest serving republican in congressional history, focused on solutions for americans. they sought out common ground as they worked across aisle to advance legislation that shaped health care and energy in international relations, labor and oversight, transportation, taxes, mental health, environmental policy and much, much more. and when their in congress ended, they continued to serve causes greater than themselves with their families as ambassadors, as president and founders of institutions, as presidential candidates and as cabinet members, as governors, lieutenant governors, lawyers, directors of nonprofit civic education advocates, members of the association, former members of congress and so many more positions they were always devoted to the american values that defined the pillars of this building and our nation. and they were dedicated to the blessings of liberty that we cherish. and we wish the world. they answered the call to serve from those who came before them, to carry on traditions of democracy given to us by our founding fathers and all who have fought for freedom. and we are grateful for their lives and their service and, for their example, to serve something greater than themselves. thank you. supporting them and for allowing them to serve us. we are better for knowing them in is better because of and their service. i am now honored to be joined by members, our official party who are here this to remember their loved ones and their colleagues, including the next three people on our program. speaker nancy pelosi, with a reading from sir winston churchill, whose memoirs entitled let us be contended republican leader of house kevin mccarthy. with the reading of maya angelou, those when great trees fall and senator elizabeth dole, who will share her thoughts us as well. madam speaker. thank you very much, congressman. thank you much to all of you for making this important day part. our instruction just to read this election. but if i may briefly want to say thank you for bringing us together. i ve served with most of these people in my 35 years in congress not from the start of their terms, but in part of their terms. and they have left a great legacy. i just want to name three in this room. we celebrated bob dole s 90th birthday, 90th birthday. it was quite a cause for celebration in this room. well, not in this room, but in the newly cannon room. we celebrate it. don young being the dean, the congress and the serving republican. i hosted that the longest serving republican, but it was only three months later when he lay in honor here in this very room as. well, in statuary hall, someone who campaigned for him, is with us. the congressman, new congressman from alaska, congressman paul, who served who campaigned for him being a democrat, but this is how it is here. and then today we sign the legislation dedicating, naming day clinic in honor of our former colleague jackie walorski, whose mother more this year and whose husband you ll be hearing. this is the fastest naming a building of someone who left us. i want you to know more than. so in any event, this is where we come together in our humanity, in our gratitude to the service of so many, so many you ll hear about so many whose legacy again is important to our nation. i m going to read the selection, as was indicated by my former congressman, tain. now i m going introduce it as he said, a writing by winston churchill. but i m going to acknowledge someone who died recently her majesty queen elizabeth, the second, while she was not a member of congress. she did speak to a joint session of congress in may of 1991. we send our condolence to the people of the u.k., the kingdom. she a monarch to british empire. that she a matriarch to so many in the world. winston churchill. let us be content with what has happened and thankful for all that we have been spared. let us accept the natural order of things in which we move. let us reconcile ourselves. the mysterious rhythm of our destiny. such as? there must be this world of space and time. let us treasure our joys, but not be. wail our sorrows. the glory of light cannot exist without its shadows. life as a whole. and good. we must accept together. the journey been enjoyable and well making. once. thank you. by the way. winston churchill was the first prime minister under which her majesty, served as queen. it seems as though god has called too many of our family and friends home this year in such an early moment, i will read when great trees fall, when great trees fall, rocks sun distance, hills shudder, lions hunkered down in tall grasses and even elephants lumber after safety when great trees fall in forest. small things recoil in silence. their senses eroded beyond fear. when great souls die. the air around us becomes light rare. sterile. we breathe briefly. our eyes briefly see with a hurtful. claire. our memory suddenly sharpens. examines. gnaws on kind words. unsaid promise walks never taken. great souls die. in our reality. bound to them. takes leaves of us. our souls is dependent upon their nurture. now shrink. wizened our minds. form armed and informed by their radiance. fall away. we are not so much as reduced to the unutterable. ignore of dark cold caves. and when great souls die after a period peace blooms slowly and always is irregularly spaces filled with a kind of soothing electric vibrate in our senses, restore heard never to be the same whisper to us. they existed. they existed. we can be, be and be better. for they existed. thank you. thanks very. good evening to everyone here tonight who is remembering a loved or a dear friend or colleague. please know you have my condolences this evening. we re paying tribute to their legacies as leaders of our great democracy. but i know that each of them left much more personal imprints on your hearts as our president and a longtime member of these chambers has said. the day will when the memory of the person you lost brings a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye. i certainly wish that day soon all of us until then, we can laugh and cry together. in preparing for tonight, i spent reflecting on the distinguished public. we are here to honor. together they struck me as a great cross-section of america. they came here to washington. from bustling cities. and quiet countrysides. they took time away from other noble professions as dr. was educators, farmers and chaplains and more than a few lawyers too. they each carried with them the causes and of their neighbors home. no. two stories. among them alike. but they all had thing in common. they had all been given the trust of their fellow americans to serve as their representatives in washington. my beloved husband, bob said this trust is perhaps the greatest gift that come to any citizen in our democracy tonight and always. i hope you cherish the fact that the person you remember this evening was granted such a profound privilege and honor. bob in congress for 35 years. yet he never lost his appreciation for the people who sent him here. he even appreciated those who tried keep him from coming back because once you were here, bob said. whether they are democrats, republicans or independents, they are all your constituents. bob viewed his colleague much in the same way there was time for political competition. but in the end, the members of these chambers were representing americans with real concern friends and real perspectives on how their country should be run. and it was up to their elected representatives to see political labels in order to fix was broken and preserve nation s best. bob never needed many words to make a good point, but if you ask him to list his proudest accomplishments as a member of congress, he always recounted the leaders on both sides of the aisle who joined him in making them possible. he worked with senator birch by to revolutionize the field of medicine through the trademark atom. of 1980, with senator daniel patrick moynihan. he crafted legislation to the social security system from bankruptcy. with senator george mcgovern. bob created. the food stamp program. international aid. and went on promote a global school lunch program. one of his most historic accomplishments, the americans with disabilities act, was created with a cold of senators, including orrin hatch, who we remember tonight. and despite being seen a lion of the republicans. bob built strong bonds with the leaders of both parties who preceded and followed him. those leaders certainly senator harry reid, who we also honor this in farewell address to the senate. bob said he always differences were a healthy thing. then looking around at his colleagues he said i ve never seen a healthier group in my life. yet throughout his career, he managed to rise above those differences for the good of the nation as did your loved ones. and they worked together to change the course of history in their honor. let us all commit ourselves to reminding the nation that we are strong, major, when we are united. let us ensure our country never forgets the extraordinary feats we have accomplished when we bridge our divides. and let s allow the cherished of our loved ones to inspire our own kind compassion and service to others. may god bless leaders. we remember this evening and each of you, and may you continue to bless the united states of america. you. thank you. thank you so much. speaker pelosi, leader mccarthy and senator dole. i now invite fmc president cliff payne and former member of congress susan brooks to the podium to read the names of the members we are commemorating this evening as each name is read a bell will ring when you ve heard the name of your loved one. we invite the family members, friends and former staffers that member to stand and remain standing until all names have been read following the completion. the honor roll. we ask that everyone please remain standing as we observe a moment of silence. todd aiken. brad asch. heard of nebraska. dan benishek. clarence bud brown junior. albert bustamante. max cleland and. barbara rose. john cooksey. robert dole. harris feiwel. vic fazio. ed. george gekas. jim hagedorn. orrin hatch. kenny hodges. junior. larry hopkins hopkins. johnny isaacson. timothy johnson. dale kildee. bob kruger. claude buddy leach. jack h. mcdonnell mcdonnell. kerry meek. norm mineta mineta. dennis moore. johnny porter. harry reid. james roy rowland jr. nielsen. james they stand. as stubborn. torres. jolene unseld. don young. bill zellick. jackie will. and her staffers. zachary potts and. emma thompson. ladies and gentlemen, please join in a moment of silence. all our honorees. ladies and gentlemen, please. your seats. we. thank you for the next part of this evening s program. we are deeply grateful to senator byron dorgan. congressman dan kildee and dean swinehart, husband of congresswoman jackie, for offering a reading remarks and a musical performance. thank you very much. i know that every single person sitting in this room has a treasury of memories. of all the names we have just read and those many memories come to us in the most unusual places and unusual times to a smile on our lips, remembering once again, always remembering. i m going to read to you a piece. farewell, my friends. and it describes the value of that smile. it describes the value of that smile to those us who are here and to those who are gone. it says, all i need is your smile. from rabindranath tagore. farewell, my friends. it was beautiful as long as it lasted. the journey of my life. i have no regrets whatsoever, he said. the pain i ll leave behind those dear hearts who love and care and the strings pulling at the heart, soul the strong arms that held me up when my own strength let me down at the turning of my life i came across good friends friends who stood by me, even when even when raced me by. so farewell, farewell, my friends. i smile and bid you goodbye goodbye. shed no tears for i need them not all i need is your smile. all i need is your smile. if you feel sad, do of me for that s what i am like when you live in the hearts of those you love remember that you never die. as i listen to the the names called in the bell ring, it occurred to me i. i knew every one of those names. i ve been here serving in congress for the last decade, so some, including jackie walorski, with whom i came to congress i knew personally were dying. but the rest of, the names i knew because i heard them in, the stories that my uncle dale told me for the 36 years that he served here. he loved this place and he loved the people who served here. so that he he shared that with me. and so i m very for the of former members of congress for for taking this time. remember those individuals and their service, those that we ve lost over the last year, including, of course, my uncle dale, who served here as i 36 years, elected 18 times one of the longest serving members, certainly from michigan, but a very long term member here in the house growing up in the kildee family. my brothers and sisters, we were always part of his effort, part of his as young kids. we just assumed everybody worked on campaigns. but let me be clear, were not volunteers volunteers, were conscripts. but we all came eventually to love it. and we were grateful to be a part of deals campaigns and by extension part of his service to this country. first and foremost, you know, dale, his wife, gail, i like cousins. they re family to me and that s where the pain really is powerful but he was also my mentor the power of have his example opened the door for me a long time ago and while i did not know where that door might lead, i guess in retrospect i should have because i followed him and he was a really good example for me to follow. he spoke for people who needed somebody to their voice. he believed, as i m sure many have him say, so many times, that the role of government was to preserve, to protect, to defend, and to enhance human dignity. i heard him say that a thousand times, maybe 10,000 times, but for dale, those just weren t words. those were his work and that was his code. he ll be remembered a lot of things here in his time in congress for his work supporting, early childhood education, head. for programs to address hunger for summer nutrition. for his work on behalf of native, despite the fact that he never directly represented a tribe. but i think his most important legacy the most important aspect of his legacy will be how he treated other people. and i know those of you who served with him even today have made reference that and i think that is a characteristic that defines so many of the people that we re honoring today. his respect for dignity of every person was not just some sort of policy prescription him. it was his way of life. members of congress, former members congressional staff, capitol police, the building staff have all told me the very same thing since there s been gone, that there s not been a more kind and decent person here. i long ago lost the number of times that a staff person working in the capitol told. me what a friend they had in him in dale and how respect and collegial he was here in washington back home in michigan, he treated people with kindness and with dignity and with love. and the example that he said think is so important. but now it s so important more than ever. and this is a characteristic i said that he shares with so many of the names i just heard called. we can have our differences. we re supposed to have our differences as senator dole said. but we can do that without disagreeable without being disrespectful. and i believe that s the way honor those who have left us is to follow that legacy, to learn lessons of the most recent history in place where people could have a decent argument share, their differences but still treat one another with kindness and respect. i think we d all do a little bit if we would honor the legacy of those who have left us by following that lesson. thank you. um. am. thank you, dean, for this beautiful and heartfelt tribute to jackie into the group of members we are commemorating as. we conclude tonight s memorial service. i d like to thank those who helped make this evening so special. the madrid trio the u.s. police ceremonial union soloist arena stucco, a the sergeant at arms office at the office of the architect of the capitol and the speaker s also a thanks to jane campbell. the team of the u.s. capitol historical society for volunteering their time tonight. and i also want to acknowledge and thank my amazing staff at the former members association, especially cathy hunter, for making this evening possible. and last but certainly not least, let me thank of you for honoring us with your presence and for the commitment you and your loved ones to public, to the congress and to the nation. i hope you will join us for your gathering. the rayburn room next door after the service and. now, please stand for the concluding offered by the chaplain of the u.s., reverend barry black, and remain standing as we sing the beautiful. thank you. let us. pray. oh, lord god almighty, we thank you for your amazing grace. we have set aside this time to remember our lawmakers who have transitioned from time into eternity we thank you for their legacy that inspires us to call be compassionate hearts, clear conscience is and again glory honor may we learn from their lives to be dependent on your loving kindness and tender mercies. lord, strengthen us to follow their of being courageous defenders and guardians of freedom. as you them in the way of moral responsibility lead us also on paths of truth and justice and lord, when we have been in heaven. 10,000 years bright shining as the sun we know days to sing your praise than when we ve first begun we pray in your sovereign name amen. you and. the. lady heathen. gentlemen, thank you so much for being here this evening to celebrate the lives and service of our 36 honorees. if you re interested in joining us for a reception in the rayburn room, please head off to your right. if you re interested in leaving capital, please go to your left. thank so much and have a good evening. thank you so much for joining us tonight. the rayburn room is right this way. thank you. sorry that on the floor.
please stand for the united states capitol police ceremonial and remain standing for the presentation of the colors and singing of our national anthem by arena strike over. texas. or. after. o say you ken you see by the time one s early ly what s so proud of the way here? and that s why i liked leslie leaming, whose broad stripes seen bright stars through the perry u+ fa or the ramparts we watched were so ga fluently stream beaming at the rocket oracle the bombs in tear gives proof through the night and the raffle was still there oh does that star spangled banner yet? well. or the letter the free. the whole of the bird. give hope. poems or life. please remain standing and welcome u.s. house chaplain reverend margaret gibbon for an open opening prayer. would pray with me greatest. thy faithfulness, o god our creator. in the summer of life and the winter of death. in joy. and in grief. your mercies, sorrow us. we now that in the words of tribute offered for our friends and colleagues and families in the stories told and the laughter shared that you would hear our deepest for the mercy you have shown us through these your servants who have offered so much their time and talent in devotion to you and to this nation. we pray that you have received them into your presence granting them rest from their labors and reward for their toil. armed with unique but common purpose, they have faithfully used the gifts and graces you bestowed on them. each one we name today and those former members who have gone before them have in their lifetimes exemplified the all out to which you ask of each us, our country is in debt to their faithfulness in face of adversity, their courage in the face of their resolve love, in the face of overwhelming challenges as we ask now, then your blessing on all who grieve their deaths, all that they need. oh, lord, your hand provide, may they receive strength for today and bright for all the tomorrows ahead of them. then may we with the manifold witness of these faithful surrounding us bear tested mony to your great mercy and steadfast love. great is your faithfulness, lord, onto us in the strength of your name we pray amen. good evening and please seated. my name is pete white line and. i am the ceo of fmc, former members of congress association. we are so honored to welcome you today to the u.s. capitol to this hallowed ground statuary, where the house of representative met until 1857, where abraham sat during his one term in congress, and where john quincy adams 17 years as a house member following his presidency. it is altogether fitting that we commemorate the public service of loved ones in this historic space. and i wish to thank speaker pelosi for granting us the use of statuary hall for today s memorial service. and we are also so grateful that we can return to statuary hall after to hold this memorial service for the past two years due to covid. on behalf fmc, i welcome the families and former staffers of the members of the senate and house being commemorated this year. we also appreciate the many and former members of congress who have taken time out of their busy to pay tribute to their colleagues and friends. fmc, especially appreciates the time given to us in this memorial service by. the distinguished members of our official party. they include the speaker of the house of representatives, nancy pelosi of california, the republican leader of house of representatives. kevin mccarthy of california. representative dan kildee of, michigan. the president, fmc. alec payne of virginia. the honorable elizabeth dole, senator from north carolina, the honorable byron dorgan, former senator from north dakota. the honorable susan brooks, former representative from indiana, the chaplain of the senate. dr. barry c black. the chaplain of the house, dr. margaret green, kim and mr. dean swihart, spouse of representative jackie walorski of indiana, who we are commemorating this evening. our sincere thanks to each of you for being part of this special event. this ceremony is about recognizing and honoring the public service of your ones. the public service they rendered everyday to our nation. we had fmc on the stand, like few others, that serving in congress is family business and that it involves and the spouses and children like other occupations. we share in your sense of loss and we offer our gratitude for your sharing with us the talents, dedication, leadership and vision of those we have lost. margaret chase smith, the first woman to serve in both the house and the senate, said public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. it must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation. all of you here know better than anyone the dedication and the personal sacrifice that comes with serving in congress. today, we recognize, the public service of your loved ones. and as we pay tribute to them, we also paid to you for supporting in their work so that they could follow their calling. this of 36 outstanding representatives and senators gave a combined. five centuries of public service to the american people right in this building. that s almost 500 years of public service in congress. and that number doesn t even include the years many of them also served in local state offices. of the 36, 29 served in the house of representatives and seven served in the u.s. senate. you know, of those seven, four served in both chambers, two thirds of them were veterans in all branches of our nation s armed forces are represented in this group. after congress, they continue to serve and advocate for myriad issues, including education, mental, the environment, small businesses, minority populations and much more. to their country and to their fellow americans was indeed their calling. and we you for being here to celebrate that service. last year, addition to offering a virtual memorial service, fnc planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the capitol as a living tribute to the men and who have served in congress since our nation was created. from james madison to crockett. from john lewis to john glenn. all the to the 36 members we commemorate today. this tiny right now. but history will be here for generations of family and friends to visit as they remember their loved ones and hope you ll have time to see it while you re here. it is situated on the house side of the capitol as you make your way down hill. it s across the street from the entrance to the rayburn office building, and we hope you have a chance to visit again behalf of fmc. welcome. and it is now my pleasure to recognize the family s president, former representative from virginia ellis payne, for opening remarks. thank you very. and thank all of for being here with us this afternoon. my name is left payne and. i had the honor of serving with of the people whose lives are remembering today. i represented the fifth congressional district of virginia in the house of representatives, and now i have the privilege of representing about 800 former senators, house members as part of the association of former members of congress, of which i am the president on their. i want to welcome the families and the friends and the staff members of those who we commemorate this afternoon. and as former and current members, we are very much aware that service comes with sacrifice, that this sacrifice is by entire families. it is therefore fitting to convene the entire family to recognize the public service. of these 36 men and women who chose to serve. they may have disagreed, on the issues of the day, but they had a fundamental and unifying truth in that served in congress was a privilege that came with the response ability of seeking positive change on behalf of men and women who sent them here. these 36 individuals had their of public servants. they came from 22 states. they were mayors. and lawyers and teachers, judges, soldiers, state representatives, senators, businesspeople, journalists chiefs of staff and more, representing 63 consecutive years of american history. they served a combined hundred and 99 years in the congress from the 82nd service to the 117th congress, 20 veterans were in this honorable group, and they served in every branch of the armed services, and they served in the national guard, and they served in the u.s. capitol police, and they served from war two through the gulf war, some earning medals for bravery including the purple heart, the silver star, the bronze star, and more. they broke barriers. they challenged the status quo and they left a lasting impact on this nation through landmark legislation, including the americans with disabilities act legislation to protect rights, voting, human rights, social security for seniors, 19. among the group dedicated more than a decade of their life in congress and served for more than four decades. three of today s honorees served as majority leader, minority leader and president pro tem of the u.s. senate, spanning more than 50 years in that chamber. and when the dean, the house congressman, don, passed away, he the longest serving republican in congressional history, focused on solutions for americans. they sought out common ground as they worked across aisle to advance legislation that shaped health care and energy in international relations, labor and oversight, transportation, taxes, mental health, environmental policy and much, much more. and when their in congress ended, they continued to serve causes greater than themselves with their families as ambassadors, as president and founders of institutions, as presidential candidates and as cabinet members, as governors, lieutenant governors, lawyers, directors of nonprofit civic education advocates, members of the association, former members of congress and so many more positions they were always devoted to the american values that defined the pillars of this building and our nation. and they were dedicated to the blessings of liberty that we cherish. and we wish the world. they answered the call to serve from those who came before them, to carry on traditions of democracy given to us by our founding fathers and all who have fought for freedom. and we are grateful for their lives and their service and, for their example, to serve something greater than themselves. thank you. supporting them and for allowing them to serve us. we are better for knowing them in is better because of and their service. i am now honored to be joined by members, our official party who are here this to remember their loved ones and their colleagues, including the next three people on our program. speaker nancy pelosi, with a reading from sir winston churchill, whose memoirs entitled let us be contended republican leader of house kevin mccarthy. with the reading of maya angelou, those when great trees fall and senator elizabeth dole, who will share her thoughts us as well. madam speaker. thank you very much, congressman. thank you much to all of you for making this important day part. our instruction just to read this election. but if i may briefly want to say thank you for bringing us together. i ve served with most of these people in my 35 years in congress not from the start of their terms, but in part of their terms. and they have left a great legacy. i just want to name three in this room. we celebrated bob dole s 90th birthday, 90th birthday. it was quite a cause for celebration in this room. well, not in this room, but in the newly cannon room. we celebrate it. don young being the dean, the congress and the serving republican. i hosted that the longest serving republican, but it was only three months later when he lay in honor here in this very room as. well, in statuary hall, someone who campaigned for him, is with us. the congressman, new congressman from alaska, congressman paul, who served who campaigned for him being a democrat, but this is how it is here. and then today we sign the legislation dedicating, naming day clinic in honor of our former colleague jackie walorski, whose mother more this year and whose husband you ll be hearing. this is the fastest naming a building of someone who left us. i want you to know more than. so in any event, this is where we come together in our humanity, in our gratitude to the service of so many, so many you ll hear about so many whose legacy again is important to our nation. i m going to read the selection, as was indicated by my former congressman, tain. now i m going introduce it as he said, a writing by winston churchill. but i m going to acknowledge someone who died recently her majesty queen elizabeth, the second, while she was not a member of congress. she did speak to a joint session of congress in may of 1991. we send our condolence to the people of the u.k., the kingdom. she a monarch to british empire. that she a matriarch to so many in the world. winston churchill. let us be content with what has happened and thankful for all that we have been spared. let us accept the natural order of things in which we move. let us reconcile ourselves. the mysterious rhythm of our destiny. such as? there must be this world of space and time. let us treasure our joys, but not be. wail our sorrows. the glory of light cannot exist without its shadows. life as a whole. and good. we must accept together. the journey been enjoyable and well making. once. thank you. by the way. winston churchill was the first prime minister under which her majesty, served as queen. it seems as though god has called too many of our family and friends home this year in such an early moment, i will read when great trees fall, when great trees fall, rocks sun distance, hills shudder, lions hunkered down in tall grasses and even elephants lumber after safety when great trees fall in forest. small things recoil in silence. their senses eroded beyond fear. when great souls die. the air around us becomes light rare. sterile. we breathe briefly. our eyes briefly see with a hurtful. claire. our memory suddenly sharpens. examines. gnaws on kind words. unsaid promise walks never taken. great souls die. in our reality. bound to them. takes leaves of us. our souls is dependent upon their nurture. now shrink. wizened our minds. form armed and informed by their radiance. fall away. we are not so much as reduced to the unutterable. ignore of dark cold caves. and when great souls die after a period peace blooms slowly and always is irregularly spaces filled with a kind of soothing electric vibrate in our senses, restore heard never to be the same whisper to us. they existed. they existed. we can be, be and be better. for they existed. thank you. thanks very. good evening to everyone here tonight who is remembering a loved or a dear friend or colleague. please know you have my condolences this evening. we re paying tribute to their legacies as leaders of our great democracy. but i know that each of them left much more personal imprints on your hearts as our president and a longtime member of these chambers has said. the day will when the memory of the person you lost brings a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye. i certainly wish that day soon all of us until then, we can laugh and cry together. in preparing for tonight, i spent reflecting on the distinguished public. we are here to honor. together they struck me as a great cross-section of america. they came here to washington. from bustling cities. and quiet countrysides. they took time away from other noble professions as dr. was educators, farmers and chaplains and more than a few lawyers too. they each carried with them the causes and of their neighbors home. no. two stories. among them alike. but they all had thing in common. they had all been given the trust of their fellow americans to serve as their representatives in washington. my beloved husband, bob said this trust is perhaps the greatest gift that come to any citizen in our democracy tonight and always. i hope you cherish the fact that the person you remember this evening was granted such a profound privilege and honor. bob in congress for 35 years. yet he never lost his appreciation for the people who sent him here. he even appreciated those who tried keep him from coming back because once you were here, bob said. whether they are democrats, republicans or independents, they are all your constituents. bob viewed his colleague much in the same way there was time for political competition. but in the end, the members of these chambers were representing americans with real concern friends and real perspectives on how their country should be run. and it was up to their elected representatives to see political labels in order to fix was broken and preserve nation s best. bob never needed many words to make a good point, but if you ask him to list his proudest accomplishments as a member of congress, he always recounted the leaders on both sides of the aisle who joined him in making them possible. he worked with senator birch by to revolutionize the field of medicine through the trademark atom. of 1980, with senator daniel patrick moynihan. he crafted legislation to the social security system from bankruptcy. with senator george mcgovern. bob created. the food stamp program. international aid. and went on promote a global school lunch program. one of his most historic accomplishments, the americans with disabilities act, was created with a cold of senators, including orrin hatch, who we remember tonight. and despite being seen a lion of the republicans. bob built strong bonds with the leaders of both parties who preceded and followed him. those leaders certainly senator harry reid, who we also honor this in farewell address to the senate. bob said he always differences were a healthy thing. then looking around at his colleagues he said i ve never seen a healthier group in my life. yet throughout his career, he managed to rise above those differences for the good of the nation as did your loved ones. and they worked together to change the course of history in their honor. let us all commit ourselves to reminding the nation that we are strong, major, when we are united. let us ensure our country never forgets the extraordinary feats we have accomplished when we bridge our divides. and let s allow the cherished of our loved ones to inspire our own kind compassion and service to others. may god bless leaders. we remember this evening and each of you, and may you continue to bless the united states of america. you. thank you. thank you so much. speaker pelosi, leader mccarthy and senator dole. i now invite fmc president cliff payne and former member of congress susan brooks to the podium to read the names of the members we are commemorating this evening as each name is read a bell will ring when you ve heard the name of your loved one. we invite the family members, friends and former staffers that member to stand and remain standing until all names have been read following the completion. the honor roll. we ask that everyone please remain standing as we observe a moment of silence. todd aiken. brad asch. heard of nebraska. dan benishek. clarence bud brown junior. albert bustamante. max cleland and. barbara rose. john cooksey. robert dole. harris feiwel. vic fazio. ed. george gekas. jim hagedorn. orrin hatch. kenny hodges. junior. larry hopkins hopkins. johnny isaacson. timothy johnson. dale kildee. bob kruger. claude buddy leach. jack h. mcdonnell mcdonnell. kerry meek. norm mineta mineta. dennis moore. johnny porter. harry reid. james roy rowland jr. nielsen. james they stand. as stubborn. torres. jolene unseld. don young. bill zellick. jackie will. and her staffers. zachary potts and. emma thompson. ladies and gentlemen, please join in a moment of silence. all our honorees. ladies and gentlemen, please. your seats. we. thank you for the next part of this evening s program. we are deeply grateful to senator byron dorgan. congressman dan kildee and dean swinehart, husband of congresswoman jackie, for offering a reading remarks and a musical performance. thank you very much. i know that every single person sitting in this room has a treasury of memories. of all the names we have just read and those many memories come to us in the most unusual places and unusual times to a smile on our lips, remembering once again, always remembering. i m going to read to you a piece. farewell, my friends. and it describes the value of that smile. it describes the value of that smile to those us who are here and to those who are gone. it says, all i need is your smile. from rabindranath tagore. farewell, my friends. it was beautiful as long as it lasted. the journey of my life. i have no regrets whatsoever, he said. the pain i ll leave behind those dear hearts who love and care and the strings pulling at the heart, soul the strong arms that held me up when my own strength let me down at the turning of my life i came across good friends friends who stood by me, even when even when raced me by. so farewell, farewell, my friends. i smile and bid you goodbye goodbye. shed no tears for i need them not all i need is your smile. all i need is your smile. if you feel sad, do of me for that s what i am like when you live in the hearts of those you love remember that you never die. as i listen to the the names called in the bell ring, it occurred to me i. i knew every one of those names. i ve been here serving in congress for the last decade, so some, including jackie walorski, with whom i came to congress i knew personally were dying. but the rest of, the names i knew because i heard them in, the stories that my uncle dale told me for the 36 years that he served here. he loved this place and he loved the people who served here. so that he he shared that with me. and so i m very for the of former members of congress for for taking this time. remember those individuals and their service, those that we ve lost over the last year, including, of course, my uncle dale, who served here as i 36 years, elected 18 times one of the longest serving members, certainly from michigan, but a very long term member here in the house growing up in the kildee family. my brothers and sisters, we were always part of his effort, part of his as young kids. we just assumed everybody worked on campaigns. but let me be clear, were not volunteers volunteers, were conscripts. but we all came eventually to love it. and we were grateful to be a part of deals campaigns and by extension part of his service to this country. first and foremost, you know, dale, his wife, gail, i like cousins. they re family to me and that s where the pain really is powerful but he was also my mentor the power of have his example opened the door for me a long time ago and while i did not know where that door might lead, i guess in retrospect i should have because i followed him and he was a really good example for me to follow. he spoke for people who needed somebody to their voice. he believed, as i m sure many have him say, so many times, that the role of government was to preserve, to protect, to defend, and to enhance human dignity. i heard him say that a thousand times, maybe 10,000 times, but for dale, those just weren t words. those were his work and that was his code. he ll be remembered a lot of things here in his time in congress for his work supporting, early childhood education, head. for programs to address hunger for summer nutrition. for his work on behalf of native, despite the fact that he never directly represented a tribe. but i think his most important legacy the most important aspect of his legacy will be how he treated other people. and i know those of you who served with him even today have made reference that and i think that is a characteristic that defines so many of the people that we re honoring today. his respect for dignity of every person was not just some sort of policy prescription him. it was his way of life. members of congress, former members congressional staff, capitol police, the building staff have all told me the very same thing since there s been gone, that there s not been a more kind and decent person here. i long ago lost the number of times that a staff person working in the capitol told. me what a friend they had in him in dale and how respect and collegial he was here in washington back home in michigan, he treated people with kindness and with dignity and with love. and the example that he said think is so important. but now it s so important more than ever. and this is a characteristic i said that he shares with so many of the names i just heard called. we can have our differences. we re supposed to have our differences as senator dole said. but we can do that without disagreeable without being disrespectful. and i believe that s the way honor those who have left us is to follow that legacy, to learn lessons of the most recent history in place where people could have a decent argument share, their differences but still treat one another with kindness and respect. i think we d all do a little bit if we would honor the legacy of those who have left us by following that lesson. thank you. um. am. thank you, dean, for this beautiful and heartfelt tribute to jackie into the group of members we are commemorating as. we conclude tonight s memorial service. i d like to thank those who helped make this evening so special. the madrid trio the u.s. police ceremonial union soloist arena stucco, a the sergeant at arms office at the office of the architect of the capitol and the speaker s also a thanks to jane campbell. the team of the u.s. capitol historical society for volunteering their time tonight. and i also want to acknowledge and thank my amazing staff at the former members association, especially cathy hunter, for making this evening possible. and last but certainly not least, let me thank of you for honoring us with your presence and for the commitment you and your loved ones to public, to the congress and to the nation. i hope you will join us for your gathering. the rayburn room next door after the service and. now, please stand for the concluding offered by the chaplain of the u.s., reverend barry black, and remain standing as we sing the beautiful. thank you. let us. pray. oh, lord god almighty, we thank you for your amazing grace. we have set aside this time to remember our lawmakers who have transitioned from time into eternity we thank you for their legacy that inspires us to call be compassionate hearts, clear conscience is and again glory honor may we learn from their lives to be dependent on your loving kindness and tender mercies. lord, strengthen us to follow their of being courageous defenders and guardians of freedom. as you them in the way of moral responsibility lead us also on paths of truth and justice and lord, when we have been in heaven. 10,000 years bright shining as the sun we know days to sing your praise than when we ve first begun we pray in your sovereign name amen. you and. the. lady heathen. gentlemen, thank you so much for being here this evening to celebrate the lives and service of our 36 honorees. if you re interested in joining us for a reception in the rayburn room, please head off to your right. if you re interested in leaving capital, please go to your left. thank so much and have a good evening. thank you so much for joining us tonight. the rayburn room is right this way. thank you. sorry that on the floor.
please stand for the united states capitol police ceremonial and remain standing for the presentation of the colors and singing of our national anthem by arena strike over. texas. or. after. o say you ken you see by the time one s early ly what s so proud of the way here? and that s why i liked leslie leaming, whose broad stripes seen bright stars through the perry u+ fa or the ramparts we watched were so ga fluently stream beaming at the rocket oracle the bombs in tear gives proof through the night and the raffle was still there oh does that star spangled banner yet? well. or the letter the free. the whole of the bird. give hope. poems or life. please remain standing and welcome u.s. house chaplain reverend margaret gibbon for an open opening prayer. would pray with me greatest. thy faithfulness, o god our creator. in the summer of life and the winter of death. in joy. and in grief. your mercies, sorrow us. we now that in the words of tribute offered for our friends and colleagues and families in the stories told and the laughter shared that you would hear our deepest for the mercy you have shown us through these your servants who have offered so much their time and talent in devotion to you and to this nation. we pray that you have received them into your presence granting them rest from their labors and reward for their toil. armed with unique but common purpose, they have faithfully used the gifts and graces you bestowed on them. each one we name today and those former members who have gone before them have in their lifetimes exemplified the all out to which you ask of each us, our country is in debt to their faithfulness in face of adversity, their courage in the face of their resolve love, in the face of overwhelming challenges as we ask now, then your blessing on all who grieve their deaths, all that they need. oh, lord, your hand provide, may they receive strength for today and bright for all the tomorrows ahead of them. then may we with the manifold witness of these faithful surrounding us bear tested mony to your great mercy and steadfast love. great is your faithfulness, lord, onto us in the strength of your name we pray amen. good evening and please seated. my name is pete white line and. i am the ceo of fmc, former members of congress association. we are so honored to welcome you today to the u.s. capitol to this hallowed ground statuary, where the house of representative met until 1857, where abraham sat during his one term in congress, and where john quincy adams 17 years as a house member following his presidency. it is altogether fitting that we commemorate the public service of loved ones in this historic space. and i wish to thank speaker pelosi for granting us the use of statuary hall for today s memorial service. and we are also so grateful that we can return to statuary hall after to hold this memorial service for the past two years due to covid. on behalf fmc, i welcome the families and former staffers of the members of the senate and house being commemorated this year. we also appreciate the many and former members of congress who have taken time out of their busy to pay tribute to their colleagues and friends. fmc, especially appreciates the time given to us in this memorial service by. the distinguished members of our official party. they include the speaker of the house of representatives, nancy pelosi of california, the republican leader of house of representatives. kevin mccarthy of california. representative dan kildee of, michigan. the president, fmc. alec payne of virginia. the honorable elizabeth dole, senator from north carolina, the honorable byron dorgan, former senator from north dakota. the honorable susan brooks, former representative from indiana, the chaplain of the senate. dr. barry c black. the chaplain of the house, dr. margaret green, kim and mr. dean swihart, spouse of representative jackie walorski of indiana, who we are commemorating this evening. our sincere thanks to each of you for being part of this special event. this ceremony is about recognizing and honoring the public service of your ones. the public service they rendered everyday to our nation. we had fmc on the stand, like few others, that serving in congress is family business and that it involves and the spouses and children like other occupations. we share in your sense of loss and we offer our gratitude for your sharing with us the talents, dedication, leadership and vision of those we have lost. margaret chase smith, the first woman to serve in both the house and the senate, said public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. it must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation. all of you here know better than anyone the dedication and the personal sacrifice that comes with serving in congress. today, we recognize, the public service of your loved ones. and as we pay tribute to them, we also paid to you for supporting in their work so that they could follow their calling. this of 36 outstanding representatives and senators gave a combined. five centuries of public service to the american people right in this building. that s almost 500 years of public service in congress. and that number doesn t even include the years many of them also served in local state offices. of the 36, 29 served in the house of representatives and seven served in the u.s. senate. you know, of those seven, four served in both chambers, two thirds of them were veterans in all branches of our nation s armed forces are represented in this group. after congress, they continue to serve and advocate for myriad issues, including education, mental, the environment, small businesses, minority populations and much more. to their country and to their fellow americans was indeed their calling. and we you for being here to celebrate that service. last year, addition to offering a virtual memorial service, fnc planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the capitol as a living tribute to the men and who have served in congress since our nation was created. from james madison to crockett. from john lewis to john glenn. all the to the 36 members we commemorate today. this tiny right now. but history will be here for generations of family and friends to visit as they remember their loved ones and hope you ll have time to see it while you re here. it is situated on the house side of the capitol as you make your way down hill. it s across the street from the entrance to the rayburn office building, and we hope you have a chance to visit again behalf of fmc. welcome. and it is now my pleasure to recognize the family s president, former representative from virginia ellis payne, for opening remarks. thank you very. and thank all of for being here with us this afternoon. my name is left payne and. i had the honor of serving with of the people whose lives are remembering today. i represented the fifth congressional district of virginia in the house of representatives, and now i have the privilege of representing about 800 former senators, house members as part of the association of former members of congress, of which i am the president on their. i want to welcome the families and the friends and the staff members of those who we commemorate this afternoon. and as former and current members, we are very much aware that service comes with sacrifice, that this sacrifice is by entire families. it is therefore fitting to convene the entire family to recognize the public service. of these 36 men and women who chose to serve. they may have disagreed, on the issues of the day, but they had a fundamental and unifying truth in that served in congress was a privilege that came with the response ability of seeking positive change on behalf of men and women who sent them here. these 36 individuals had their of public servants. they came from 22 states. they were mayors. and lawyers and teachers, judges, soldiers, state representatives, senators, businesspeople, journalists chiefs of staff and more, representing 63 consecutive years of american history. they served a combined hundred and 99 years in the congress from the 82nd service to the 117th congress, 20 veterans were in this honorable group, and they served in every branch of the armed services, and they served in the national guard, and they served in the u.s. capitol police, and they served from war two through the gulf war, some earning medals for bravery including the purple heart, the silver star, the bronze star, and more. they broke barriers. they challenged the status quo and they left a lasting impact on this nation through landmark legislation, including the americans with disabilities act legislation to protect rights, voting, human rights, social security for seniors, 19. among the group dedicated more than a decade of their life in congress and served for more than four decades. three of today s honorees served as majority leader, minority leader and president pro tem of the u.s. senate, spanning more than 50 years in that chamber. and when the dean, the house congressman, don, passed away, he the longest serving republican in congressional history, focused on solutions for americans. they sought out common ground as they worked across aisle to advance legislation that shaped health care and energy in international relations, labor and oversight, transportation, taxes, mental health, environmental policy and much, much more. and when their in congress ended, they continued to serve causes greater than themselves with their families as ambassadors, as president and founders of institutions, as presidential candidates and as cabinet members, as governors, lieutenant governors, lawyers, directors of nonprofit civic education advocates, members of the association, former members of congress and so many more positions they were always devoted to the american values that defined the pillars of this building and our nation. and they were dedicated to the blessings of liberty that we cherish. and we wish the world. they answered the call to serve from those who came before them, to carry on traditions of democracy given to us by our founding fathers and all who have fought for freedom. and we are grateful for their lives and their service and, for their example, to serve something greater than themselves. thank you. supporting them and for allowing them to serve us. we are better for knowing them in is better because of and their service. i am now honored to be joined by members, our official party who are here this to remember their loved ones and their colleagues, including the next three people on our program. speaker nancy pelosi, with a reading from sir winston churchill, whose memoirs entitled let us be contended republican leader of house kevin mccarthy. with the reading of maya angelou, those when great trees fall and senator elizabeth dole, who will share her thoughts us as well. madam speaker. thank you very much, congressman. thank you much to all of you for making this important day part. our instruction just to read this election. but if i may briefly want to say thank you for bringing us together. i ve served with most of these people in my 35 years in congress not from the start of their terms, but in part of their terms. and they have left a great legacy. i just want to name three in this room. we celebrated bob dole s 90th birthday, 90th birthday. it was quite a cause for celebration in this room. well, not in this room, but in the newly cannon room. we celebrate it. don young being the dean, the congress and the serving republican. i hosted that the longest serving republican, but it was only three months later when he lay in honor here in this very room as. well, in statuary hall, someone who campaigned for him, is with us. the congressman, new congressman from alaska, congressman paul, who served who campaigned for him being a democrat, but this is how it is here. and then today we sign the legislation dedicating, naming day clinic in honor of our former colleague jackie walorski, whose mother more this year and whose husband you ll be hearing. this is the fastest naming a building of someone who left us. i want you to know more than. so in any event, this is where we come together in our humanity, in our gratitude to the service of so many, so many you ll hear about so many whose legacy again is important to our nation. i m going to read the selection, as was indicated by my former congressman, tain. now i m going introduce it as he said, a writing by winston churchill. but i m going to acknowledge someone who died recently her majesty queen elizabeth, the second, while she was not a member of congress. she did speak to a joint session of congress in may of 1991. we send our condolence to the people of the u.k., the kingdom. she a monarch to british empire. that she a matriarch to so many in the world. winston churchill. let us be content with what has happened and thankful for all that we have been spared. let us accept the natural order of things in which we move. let us reconcile ourselves. the mysterious rhythm of our destiny. such as? there must be this world of space and time. let us treasure our joys, but not be. wail our sorrows. the glory of light cannot exist without its shadows. life as a whole. and good. we must accept together. the journey been enjoyable and well making. once. thank you. by the way. winston churchill was the first prime minister under which her majesty, served as queen. it seems as though god has called too many of our family and friends home this year in such an early moment, i will read when great trees fall, when great trees fall, rocks sun distance, hills shudder, lions hunkered down in tall grasses and even elephants lumber after safety when great trees fall in forest. small things recoil in silence. their senses eroded beyond fear. when great souls die. the air around us becomes light rare. sterile. we breathe briefly. our eyes briefly see with a hurtful. claire. our memory suddenly sharpens. examines. gnaws on kind words. unsaid promise walks never taken. great souls die. in our reality. bound to them. takes leaves of us. our souls is dependent upon their nurture. now shrink. wizened our minds. form armed and informed by their radiance. fall away. we are not so much as reduced to the unutterable. ignore of dark cold caves. and when great souls die after a period peace blooms slowly and always is irregularly spaces filled with a kind of soothing electric vibrate in our senses, restore heard never to be the same whisper to us. they existed. they existed. we can be, be and be better. for they existed. thank you. thanks very. good evening to everyone here tonight who is remembering a loved or a dear friend or colleague. please know you have my condolences this evening. we re paying tribute to their legacies as leaders of our great democracy. but i know that each of them left much more personal imprints on your hearts as our president and a longtime member of these chambers has said. the day will when the memory of the person you lost brings a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye. i certainly wish that day soon all of us until then, we can laugh and cry together. in preparing for tonight, i spent reflecting on the distinguished public. we are here to honor. together they struck me as a great cross-section of america. they came here to washington. from bustling cities. and quiet countrysides. they took time away from other noble professions as dr. was educators, farmers and chaplains and more than a few lawyers too. they each carried with them the causes and of their neighbors home. no. two stories. among them alike. but they all had thing in common. they had all been given the trust of their fellow americans to serve as their representatives in washington. my beloved husband, bob said this trust is perhaps the greatest gift that come to any citizen in our democracy tonight and always. i hope you cherish the fact that the person you remember this evening was granted such a profound privilege and honor. bob in congress for 35 years. yet he never lost his appreciation for the people who sent him here. he even appreciated those who tried keep him from coming back because once you were here, bob said. whether they are democrats, republicans or independents, they are all your constituents. bob viewed his colleague much in the same way there was time for political competition. but in the end, the members of these chambers were representing americans with real concern friends and real perspectives on how their country should be run. and it was up to their elected representatives to see political labels in order to fix was broken and preserve nation s best. bob never needed many words to make a good point, but if you ask him to list his proudest accomplishments as a member of congress, he always recounted the leaders on both sides of the aisle who joined him in making them possible. he worked with senator birch by to revolutionize the field of medicine through the trademark atom. of 1980, with senator daniel patrick moynihan. he crafted legislation to the social security system from bankruptcy. with senator george mcgovern. bob created. the food stamp program. international aid. and went on promote a global school lunch program. one of his most historic accomplishments, the americans with disabilities act, was created with a cold of senators, including orrin hatch, who we remember tonight. and despite being seen a lion of the republicans. bob built strong bonds with the leaders of both parties who preceded and followed him. those leaders certainly senator harry reid, who we also honor this in farewell address to the senate. bob said he always differences were a healthy thing. then looking around at his colleagues he said i ve never seen a healthier group in my life. yet throughout his career, he managed to rise above those differences for the good of the nation as did your loved ones. and they worked together to change the course of history in their honor. let us all commit ourselves to reminding the nation that we are strong, major, when we are united. let us ensure our country never forgets the extraordinary feats we have accomplished when we bridge our divides. and let s allow the cherished of our loved ones to inspire our own kind compassion and service to others. may god bless leaders. we remember this evening and each of you, and may you continue to bless the united states of america. you. thank you. thank you so much. speaker pelosi, leader mccarthy and senator dole. i now invite fmc president cliff payne and former member of congress susan brooks to the podium to read the names of the members we are commemorating this evening as each name is read a bell will ring when you ve heard the name of your loved one. we invite the family members, friends and former staffers that member to stand and remain standing until all names have been read following the completion. the honor roll. we ask that everyone please remain standing as we observe a moment of silence. todd aiken. brad asch. heard of nebraska. dan benishek. clarence bud brown junior. albert bustamante. max cleland and. barbara rose. john cooksey. robert dole. harris feiwel. vic fazio. ed. george gekas. jim hagedorn. orrin hatch. kenny hodges. junior. larry hopkins hopkins. johnny isaacson. timothy johnson. dale kildee. bob kruger. claude buddy leach. jack h. mcdonnell mcdonnell. kerry meek. norm mineta mineta. dennis moore. johnny porter. harry reid. james roy rowland jr. nielsen. james they stand. as stubborn. torres. jolene unseld. don young. bill zellick. jackie will. and her staffers. zachary potts and. emma thompson. ladies and gentlemen, please join in a moment of silence. all our honorees. ladies and gentlemen, please. your seats. we. thank you for the next part of this evening s program. we are deeply grateful to senator byron dorgan. congressman dan kildee and dean swinehart, husband of congresswoman jackie, for offering a reading remarks and a musical performance. thank you very much. i know that every single person sitting in this room has a treasury of memories. of all the names we have just read and those many memories come to us in the most unusual places and unusual times to a smile on our lips, remembering once again, always remembering. i m going to read to you a piece. farewell, my friends. and it describes the value of that smile. it describes the value of that smile to those us who are here and to those who are gone. it says, all i need is your smile. from rabindranath tagore. farewell, my friends. it was beautiful as long as it lasted. the journey of my life. i have no regrets whatsoever, he said. the pain i ll leave behind those dear hearts who love and care and the strings pulling at the heart, soul the strong arms that held me up when my own strength let me down at the turning of my life i came across good friends friends who stood by me, even when even when raced me by. so farewell, farewell, my friends. i smile and bid you goodbye goodbye. shed no tears for i need them not all i need is your smile. all i need is your smile. if you feel sad, do of me for that s what i am like when you live in the hearts of those you love remember that you never die. as i listen to the the names called in the bell ring, it occurred to me i. i knew every one of those names. i ve been here serving in congress for the last decade, so some, including jackie walorski, with whom i came to congress i knew personally were dying. but the rest of, the names i knew because i heard them in, the stories that my uncle dale told me for the 36 years that he served here. he loved this place and he loved the people who served here. so that he he shared that with me. and so i m very for the of former members of congress for for taking this time. remember those individuals and their service, those that we ve lost over the last year, including, of course, my uncle dale, who served here as i 36 years, elected 18 times one of the longest serving members, certainly from michigan, but a very long term member here in the house growing up in the kildee family. my brothers and sisters, we were always part of his effort, part of his as young kids. we just assumed everybody worked on campaigns. but let me be clear, were not volunteers volunteers, were conscripts. but we all came eventually to love it. and we were grateful to be a part of deals campaigns and by extension part of his service to this country. first and foremost, you know, dale, his wife, gail, i like cousins. they re family to me and that s where the pain really is powerful but he was also my mentor the power of have his example opened the door for me a long time ago and while i did not know where that door might lead, i guess in retrospect i should have because i followed him and he was a really good example for me to follow. he spoke for people who needed somebody to their voice. he believed, as i m sure many have him say, so many times, that the role of government was to preserve, to protect, to defend, and to enhance human dignity. i heard him say that a thousand times, maybe 10,000 times, but for dale, those just weren t words. those were his work and that was his code. he ll be remembered a lot of things here in his time in congress for his work supporting, early childhood education, head. for programs to address hunger for summer nutrition. for his work on behalf of native, despite the fact that he never directly represented a tribe. but i think his most important legacy the most important aspect of his legacy will be how he treated other people. and i know those of you who served with him even today have made reference that and i think that is a characteristic that defines so many of the people that we re honoring today. his respect for dignity of every person was not just some sort of policy prescription him. it was his way of life. members of congress, former members congressional staff, capitol police, the building staff have all told me the very same thing since there s been gone, that there s not been a more kind and decent person here. i long ago lost the number of times that a staff person working in the capitol told. me what a friend they had in him in dale and how respect and collegial he was here in washington back home in michigan, he treated people with kindness and with dignity and with love. and the example that he said think is so important. but now it s so important more than ever. and this is a characteristic i said that he shares with so many of the names i just heard called. we can have our differences. we re supposed to have our differences as senator dole said. but we can do that without disagreeable without being disrespectful. and i believe that s the way honor those who have left us is to follow that legacy, to learn lessons of the most recent history in place where people could have a decent argument share, their differences but still treat one another with kindness and respect. i think we d all do a little bit if we would honor the legacy of those who have left us by following that lesson. thank you. um. am. thank you, dean, for this beautiful and heartfelt tribute to jackie into the group of members we are commemorating as. we conclude tonight s memorial service. i d like to thank those who helped make this evening so special. the madrid trio the u.s. police ceremonial union soloist arena stucco, a the sergeant at arms office at the office of the architect of the capitol and the speaker s also a thanks to jane campbell. the team of the u.s. capitol historical society for volunteering their time tonight. and i also want to acknowledge and thank my amazing staff at the former members association, especially cathy hunter, for making this evening possible. and last but certainly not least, let me thank of you for honoring us with your presence and for the commitment you and your loved ones to public, to the congress and to the nation. i hope you will join us for your gathering. the rayburn room next door after the service and. now, please stand for the concluding offered by the chaplain of the u.s., reverend barry black, and remain standing as we sing the beautiful. thank you. let us. pray. oh, lord god almighty, we thank you for your amazing grace. we have set aside this time to remember our lawmakers who have transitioned from time into eternity we thank you for their legacy that inspires us to call be compassionate hearts, clear conscience is and again glory honor may we learn from their lives to be dependent on your loving kindness and tender mercies. lord, strengthen us to follow their of being courageous defenders and guardians of freedom. as you them in the way of moral responsibility lead us also on paths of truth and justice and lord, when we have been in heaven. 10,000 years bright shining as the sun we know days to sing your praise than when we ve first begun we pray in your sovereign name amen. you and. the. lady heathen. gentlemen, thank you so much for being here this evening to celebrate the lives and service of our 36 honorees. if you re interested in joining us for a reception in the rayburn room, please head off to your right. if you re interested in leaving capital, please go to your left. thank so much and have a good evening. thank you so much for joining us tonight. the rayburn room is right this way. thank you. sorry that on the floor.
states capitol police ceremonial and remain standing for the presentation of the colors and singing of our national anthem by arena strike over. texas. or. after. o say you ken you see by the time one s early ly what s so proud of the way here? and that s why i liked leslie leaming, whose broad stripes seen bright stars through the perry u+ fa or the ramparts we watched were so ga fluently stream beaming at the rocket oracle the bombs in tear gives proof through the night and the raffle was still there oh does that star spangled banner yet? well. or the letter the free. the whole of the bird. give hope. poems or life. please remain standing and welcome u.s. house chaplain reverend margaret gibbon for an open opening prayer. would pray with me greatest. thy faithfulness, o god our creator. in the summer of life and the winter of death. in joy. and in grief. your mercies, sorrow us. we now that in the words of tribute offered for our friends and colleagues and families in the stories told and the laughter shared that you would hear our deepest for the mercy you have shown us through these your servants who have offered so much their time and talent in devotion to you and to this nation. we pray that you have received them into your presence granting them rest from their labors and reward for their toil. armed with unique but common purpose, they have faithfully used the gifts and graces you bestowed on them. each one we name today and those former members who have gone before them have in their lifetimes exemplified the all out to which you ask of each us, our country is in debt to their faithfulness in face of adversity, their courage in the face of their resolve love, in the face of overwhelming challenges as we ask now, then your blessing on all who grieve their deaths, all that they need. oh, lord, your hand provide, may they receive strength for today and bright for all the tomorrows ahead of them. then may we with the manifold witness of these faithful surrounding us bear tested mony to your great mercy and steadfast love. great is your faithfulness, lord, onto us in the strength of your name we pray amen. good evening and please seated. my name is pete white line and. i am the ceo of fmc, former members of congress association. we are so honored to welcome you today to the u.s. capitol to this hallowed ground statuary, where the house of representative met until 1857, where abraham sat during his one term in congress, and where john quincy adams 17 years as a house member following his presidency. it is altogether fitting that we commemorate the public service of loved ones in this historic space. and i wish to thank speaker pelosi for granting us the use of statuary hall for today s memorial service. and we are also so grateful that we can return to statuary hall after to hold this memorial service for the past two years due to covid. on behalf fmc, i welcome the families and former staffers of the members of the senate and house being commemorated this year. we also appreciate the many and former members of congress who have taken time out of their busy to pay tribute to their colleagues and friends. fmc, especially appreciates the time given to us in this memorial service by. the distinguished members of our official party. they include the speaker of the house of representatives, nancy pelosi of california, the republican leader of house of representatives. kevin mccarthy of california. representative dan kildee of, michigan. the president, fmc. alec payne of virginia. the honorable elizabeth dole, senator from north carolina, the honorable byron dorgan, former senator from north dakota. the honorable susan brooks, former representative from indiana, the chaplain of the senate. dr. barry c black. the chaplain of the house, dr. margaret green, kim and mr. dean swihart, spouse of representative jackie walorski of indiana, who we are commemorating this evening. our sincere thanks to each of you for being part of this special event. this ceremony is about recognizing and honoring the public service of your ones. the public service they rendered everyday to our nation. we had fmc on the stand, like few others, that serving in congress is family business and that it involves and the spouses and children like other occupations. we share in your sense of loss and we offer our gratitude for your sharing with us the talents, dedication, leadership and vision of those we have lost. margaret chase smith, the first woman to serve in both the house and the senate, said public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. it must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation. all of you here know better than anyone the dedication and the personal sacrifice that comes with serving in congress. today, we recognize, the public service of your loved ones. and as we pay tribute to them, we also paid to you for supporting in their work so that they could follow their calling. this of 36 outstanding representatives and senators gave a combined. five centuries of public service to the american people right in this building. that s almost 500 years of public service in congress. and that number doesn t even include the years many of them also served in local state offices. of the 36, 29 served in the house of representatives and seven served in the u.s. senate. you know, of those seven, four served in both chambers, two thirds of them were veterans in all branches of our nation s armed forces are represented in this group. after congress, they continue to serve and advocate for myriad issues, including education, mental, the environment, small businesses, minority populations and much more. to their country and to their fellow americans was indeed their calling. and we you for being here to celebrate that service. last year, addition to offering a virtual memorial service, fnc planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the capitol as a living tribute to the men and who have served in congress since our nation was created. from james madison to crockett. from john lewis to john glenn. all the to the 36 members we commemorate today. this tiny right now. but history will be here for generations of family and friends to visit as they remember their loved ones and hope you ll have time to see it while you re here. it is situated on the house side of the capitol as you make your way down hill. it s across the street from the entrance to the rayburn office building, and we hope you have a chance to visit again behalf of fmc. welcome. and it is now my pleasure to recognize the family s president, former representative from virginia ellis payne, for opening remarks. thank you very. and thank all of for being here with us this afternoon. my name is left payne and. i had the honor of serving with of the people whose lives are remembering today. i represented the fifth congressional district of virginia in the house of representatives, and now i have the privilege of representing about 800 former senators, house members as part of the association of former members of congress, of which i am the president on their. i want to welcome the families and the friends and the staff members of those who we commemorate this afternoon. and as former and current members, we are very much aware that service comes with sacrifice, that this sacrifice is by entire families. it is therefore fitting to convene the entire family to recognize the public service. of these 36 men and women who chose to serve. they may have disagreed, on the issues of the day, but they had a fundamental and unifying truth in that served in congress was a privilege that came with the response ability of seeking positive change on behalf of men and women who sent them here. these 36 individuals had their of public servants. they came from 22 states. they were mayors. and lawyers and teachers, judges, soldiers, state representatives, senators, businesspeople, journalists chiefs of staff and more, representing 63 consecutive years of american history. they served a combined hundred and 99 years in the congress from the 82nd service to the 117th congress, 20 veterans were in this honorable group, and they served in every branch of the armed services, and they served in the national guard, and they served in the u.s. capitol police, and they served from war two through the gulf war, some earning medals for bravery including the purple heart, the silver star, the bronze star, and more. they broke barriers. they challenged the status quo and they left a lasting impact on this nation through landmark legislation, including the americans with disabilities act legislation to protect rights, voting, human rights, social security for seniors, 19. among the group dedicated more than a decade of their life in congress and served for more than four decades. three of today s honorees served as majority leader, minority leader and president pro tem of the u.s. senate, spanning more than 50 years in that chamber. and when the dean, the house congressman, don, passed away, he the longest serving republican in congressional history, focused on solutions for americans. they sought out common ground as they worked across aisle to advance legislation that shaped health care and energy in international relations, labor and oversight, transportation, taxes, mental health, environmental policy and much, much more. and when their in congress ended, they continued to serve causes greater than themselves with their families as ambassadors, as president and founders of institutions, as presidential candidates and as cabinet members, as governors, lieutenant governors, lawyers, directors of nonprofit civic education advocates, members of the association, former members of congress and so many more positions they were always devoted to the american values that defined the pillars of this building and our nation. and they were dedicated to the blessings of liberty that we cherish. and we wish the world. they answered the call to serve from those who came before them, to carry on traditions of democracy given to us by our founding fathers and all who have fought for freedom. and we are grateful for their lives and their service and, for their example, to serve something greater than themselves. thank you. supporting them and for allowing them to serve us. we are better for knowing them in is better because of and their service. i am now honored to be joined by members, our official party who are here this to remember their loved ones and their colleagues, including the next three people on our program. speaker nancy pelosi, with a reading from sir winston churchill, whose memoirs entitled let us be contended republican leader of house kevin mccarthy. with the reading of maya angelou, those when great trees fall and senator elizabeth dole, who will share her thoughts us as well. madam speaker. thank you very much, congressman. thank you much to all of you for making this important day part. our instruction just to read this election. but if i may briefly want to say thank you for bringing us together. i ve served with most of these people in my 35 years in congress not from the start of their terms, but in part of their terms. and they have left a great legacy. i just want to name three in this room. we celebrated bob dole s 90th birthday, 90th birthday. it was quite a cause for celebration in this room. well, not in this room, but in the newly cannon room. we celebrate it. don young being the dean, the congress and the serving republican. i hosted that the longest serving republican, but it was only three months later when he lay in honor here in this very room as. well, in statuary hall, someone who campaigned for him, is with us. the congressman, new congressman from alaska, congressman paul, who served who campaigned for him being a democrat, but this is how it is here. and then today we sign the legislation dedicating, naming day clinic in honor of our former colleague jackie walorski, whose mother more this year and whose husband you ll be hearing. this is the fastest naming a building of someone who left us. i want you to know more than. so in any event, this is where we come together in our humanity, in our gratitude to the service of so many, so many you ll hear about so many whose legacy again is important to our nation. i m going to read the selection, as was indicated by my former congressman, tain. now i m going introduce it as he said, a writing by winston churchill. but i m going to acknowledge someone who died recently her majesty queen elizabeth, the second, while she was not a member of congress. she did speak to a joint session of congress in may of 1991. we send our condolence to the people of the u.k., the kingdom. she a monarch to british empire. that she a matriarch to so many in the world. winston churchill. let us be content with what has happened and thankful for all that we have been spared. let us accept the natural order of things in which we move. let us reconcile ourselves. the mysterious rhythm of our destiny. such as? there must be this world of space and time. let us treasure our joys, but not be. wail our sorrows. the glory of light cannot exist without its shadows. life as a whole. and good. we must accept together. the journey been enjoyable and well making. once. thank you. by the way. winston churchill was the first prime minister under which her majesty, served as queen. it seems as though god has called too many of our family and friends home this year in such an early moment, i will read when great trees fall, when great trees fall, rocks sun distance, hills shudder, lions hunkered down in tall grasses and even elephants lumber after safety when great trees fall in forest. small things recoil in silence. their senses eroded beyond fear. when great souls die. the air around us becomes light rare. sterile. we breathe briefly. our eyes briefly see with a hurtful. claire. our memory suddenly sharpens. examines. gnaws on kind words. unsaid promise walks never taken. great souls die. in our reality. bound to them. takes leaves of us. our souls is dependent upon their nurture. now shrink. wizened our minds. form armed and informed by their radiance. fall away. we are not so much as reduced to the unutterable. ignore of dark cold caves. and when great souls die after a period peace blooms slowly and always is irregularly spaces filled with a kind of soothing electric vibrate in our senses, restore heard never to be the same whisper to us. they existed. they existed. we can be, be and be better. for they existed. thank you. thanks very. good evening to everyone here tonight who is remembering a loved or a dear friend or colleague. please know you have my condolences this evening. we re paying tribute to their legacies as leaders of our great democracy. but i know that each of them left much more personal imprints on your hearts as our president and a longtime member of these chambers has said. the day will when the memory of the person you lost brings a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye. i certainly wish that day soon all of us until then, we can laugh and cry together. in preparing for tonight, i spent reflecting on the distinguished public. we are here to honor. together they struck me as a great cross-section of america. they came here to washington. from bustling cities. and quiet countrysides. they took time away from other noble professions as dr. was educators, farmers and chaplains and more than a few lawyers too. they each carried with them the causes and of their neighbors home. no. two stories. among them alike. but they all had thing in common. they had all been given the trust of their fellow americans to serve as their representatives in washington. my beloved husband, bob said this trust is perhaps the greatest gift that come to any citizen in our democracy tonight and always. i hope you cherish the fact that the person you remember this evening was granted such a profound privilege and honor. bob in congress for 35 years. yet he never lost his appreciation for the people who sent him here. he even appreciated those who tried keep him from coming back because once you were here, bob said. whether they are democrats, republicans or independents, they are all your constituents. bob viewed his colleague much in the same way there was time for political competition. but in the end, the members of these chambers were representing americans with real concern friends and real perspectives on how their country should be run. and it was up to their elected representatives to see political labels in order to fix was broken and preserve nation s best. bob never needed many words to make a good point, but if you ask him to list his proudest accomplishments as a member of congress, he always recounted the leaders on both sides of the aisle who joined him in making them possible. he worked with senator birch by to revolutionize the field of medicine through the trademark atom. of 1980, with senator daniel patrick moynihan. he crafted legislation to the social security system from bankruptcy. with senator george mcgovern. bob created. the food stamp program. international aid. and went on promote a global school lunch program. one of his most historic accomplishments, the americans with disabilities act, was created with a cold of senators, including orrin hatch, who we remember tonight. and despite being seen a lion of the republicans. bob built strong bonds with the leaders of both parties who preceded and followed him. those leaders certainly senator harry reid, who we also honor this in farewell address to the senate. bob said he always differences were a healthy thing. then looking around at his colleagues he said i ve never seen a healthier group in my life. yet throughout his career, he managed to rise above those differences for the good of the nation as did your loved ones. and they worked together to change the course of history in their honor. let us all commit ourselves to reminding the nation that we are strong, major, when we are united. let us ensure our country never forgets the extraordinary feats we have accomplished when we bridge our divides. and let s allow the cherished of our loved ones to inspire our own kind compassion and service to others. may god bless leaders. we remember this evening and each of you, and may you continue to bless the united states of america. you. thank you. thank you so much. speaker pelosi, leader mccarthy and senator dole. i now invite fmc president cliff payne and former member of congress susan brooks to the podium to read the names of the members we are commemorating this evening as each name is read a bell will ring when you ve heard the name of your loved one. we invite the family members, friends and former staffers that member to stand and remain standing until all names have been read following the completion. the honor roll. we ask that everyone please remain standing as we observe a moment of silence. todd aiken. brad asch. heard of nebraska. dan benishek. clarence bud brown junior. albert bustamante. max cleland and. barbara rose. john cooksey. robert dole. harris feiwel. vic fazio. ed. george gekas. jim hagedorn. orrin hatch. kenny hodges. junior. larry hopkins hopkins. johnny isaacson. timothy johnson. dale kildee. bob kruger. claude buddy leach. jack h. mcdonnell mcdonnell. kerry meek. norm mineta mineta. dennis moore. johnny porter. harry reid. james roy rowland jr. nielsen. james they stand. as stubborn. torres. jolene unseld. don young. bill zellick. jackie will. and her staffers. zachary potts and. emma thompson. ladies and gentlemen, please join in a moment of silence. all our honorees. ladies and gentlemen, please. your seats. we. thank you for the next part of this evening s program. we are deeply grateful to senator byron dorgan. congressman dan kildee and dean swinehart, husband of congresswoman jackie, for offering a reading remarks and a musical performance. thank you very much. i know that every single person sitting in this room has a treasury of memories. of all the names we have just read and those many memories come to us in the most unusual places and unusual times to a smile on our lips, remembering once again, always remembering. i m going to read to you a piece. farewell, my friends. and it describes the value of that smile. it describes the value of that smile to those us who are here and to those who are gone. it says, all i need is your smile. from rabindranath tagore. farewell, my friends. it was beautiful as long as it lasted. the journey of my life. i have no regrets whatsoever, he said. the pain i ll leave behind those dear hearts who love and care and the strings pulling at the heart, soul the strong arms that held me up when my own strength let me down at the turning of my life i came across good friends friends who stood by me, even when even when raced me by. so farewell, farewell, my friends. i smile and bid you goodbye goodbye. shed no tears for i need them not all i need is your smile. all i need is your smile. if you feel sad, do of me for that s what i am like when you live in the hearts of those you love remember that you never die. as i listen to the the names called in the bell ring, it occurred to me i. i knew every one of those names. i ve been here serving in congress for the last decade, so some, including jackie walorski, with whom i came to congress i knew personally were dying. but the rest of, the names i knew because i heard them in, the stories that my uncle dale told me for the 36 years that he served here. he loved this place and he loved the people who served here. so that he he shared that with me. and so i m very for the of former members of congress for for taking this time. remember those individuals and their service, those that we ve lost over the last year, including, of course, my uncle dale, who served here as i 36 years, elected 18 times one of the longest serving members, certainly from michigan, but a very long term member here in the house growing up in the kildee family. my brothers and sisters, we were always part of his effort, part of his as young kids. we just assumed everybody worked on campaigns. but let me be clear, were not volunteers volunteers, were conscripts. but we all came eventually to love it. and we were grateful to be a part of deals campaigns and by extension part of his service to this country. first and foremost, you know, dale, his wife, gail, i like cousins. they re family to me and that s where the pain really is powerful but he was also my mentor the power of have his example opened the door for me a long time ago and while i did not know where that door might lead, i guess in retrospect i should have because i followed him and he was a really good example for me to follow. he spoke for people who needed somebody to their voice. he believed, as i m sure many have him say, so many times, that the role of government was to preserve, to protect, to defend, and to enhance human dignity. i heard him say that a thousand times, maybe 10,000 times, but for dale, those just weren t words. those were his work and that was his code. he ll be remembered a lot of things here in his time in congress for his work supporting, early childhood education, head. for programs to address hunger for summer nutrition. for his work on behalf of native, despite the fact that he never directly represented a tribe. but i think his most important legacy the most important aspect of his legacy will be how he treated other people. and i know those of you who served with him even today have made reference that and i think that is a characteristic that defines so many of the people that we re honoring today. his respect for dignity of every person was not just some sort of policy prescription him. it was his way of life. members of congress, former members congressional staff, capitol police, the building staff have all told me the very same thing since there s been gone, that there s not been a more kind and decent person here. i long ago lost the number of times that a staff person working in the capitol told. me what a friend they had in him in dale and how respect and collegial he was here in washington back home in michigan, he treated people with kindness and with dignity and with love. and the example that he said think is so important. but now it s so important more than ever. and this is a characteristic i said that he shares with so many of the names i just heard called. we can have our differences. we re supposed to have our differences as senator dole said. but we can do that without disagreeable without being disrespectful. and i believe that s the way honor those who have left us is to follow that legacy, to learn lessons of the most recent history in place where people could have a decent argument share, their differences but still treat one another with kindness and respect. i think we d all do a little bit if we would honor the legacy of those who have left us by following that lesson. thank you. um. am. thank you, dean, for this beautiful and heartfelt tribute to jackie into the group of members we are commemorating as. we conclude tonight s memorial service. i d like to thank those who helped make this evening so special. the madrid trio the u.s. police ceremonial union soloist arena stucco, a the sergeant at arms office at the office of the architect of the capitol and the speaker s also a thanks to jane campbell. the team of the u.s. capitol historical society for volunteering their time tonight. and i also want to acknowledge and thank my amazing staff at the former members association, especially cathy hunter, for making this evening possible. and last but certainly not least, let me thank of you for honoring us with your presence and for the commitment you and your loved ones to public, to the congress and to the nation. i hope you will join us for your gathering. the rayburn room next door after the service and. now, please stand for the concluding offered by the chaplain of the u.s., reverend barry black, and remain standing as we sing the beautiful. thank you. let us. pray. oh, lord god almighty, we thank you for your amazing grace. we have set aside this time to remember our lawmakers who have transitioned from time into eternity we thank you for their legacy that inspires us to call be compassionate hearts, clear conscience is and again glory honor may we learn from their lives to be dependent on your loving kindness and tender mercies. lord, strengthen us to follow their of being courageous defenders and guardians of freedom. as you them in the way of moral responsibility lead us also on paths of truth and justice and lord, when we have been in heaven. 10,000 years bright shining as the sun we know days to sing your praise than when we ve first begun we pray in your sovereign name amen. you and. the. lady heathen. gentlemen, thank you so much for being here this evening to celebrate the lives and service of our 36 honorees. if you re interested in joining us for a reception in the rayburn room, please head off to your right. if you re interested in leaving capital, please go to your left. thank so much and have a good evening. thank you so much for joining us tonight. the rayburn room is right this way. thank you. sorry that on the floor.