David Dreier

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, it is a great tribute to the gentleman from New York that more than a couple of people want to talk about him; as some said celebrate his planned departure. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that we extend the allotted time 5 minutes for the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley) and 5 minutes for our side.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my very good friend, who also is retiring, the gentleman from Naperville, IL (Mr. Fawell).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, my friend from New York (Mr. Rangel) has just touted the greatness of being from New York. I think it is great to be from California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my fellow Californian, the gentleman from Newport Beach (Mr. Cox).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my very good friend, the gentleman from Winter Park, FL (Mr. Mica). (Mr. MICA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kennedyville, Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), fellow Marine with the gentleman from New York, Mr. Solomon.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Staten Island, New York (Mr. Fossella). (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to another great gentleman from New York (Mr. Forbes).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to extend the debate for 5 minutes on each side.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Jacksonville, Florida (Mrs. Fowler), my good friend. (Mrs. Fowler asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Somerset, Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), my good friend.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Enterprise, Alabama (Mr. Everett) my good friend. (Mr. EVERETT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pleasantville, Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent again that we extend the debate for 5 minutes on each side.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Reno, Nevada (Mr. Gibbons).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Hartford, New York (Mr. Boehlert).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Syracuse, New York (Mr. Walsh), one of our distinguished cardinals.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman just spun around. I am sure they will be breaking down the doors to come in here. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Charlotte, North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick), a member from the Committee on Rules and my friend.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, are there no Democrats on the other side who want to talk either about this spectacular conference report or the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon)?

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DREIER. Where are your priorities? Mr. Speaker, I yield a minute and a half to the very distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), our majority leader.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my good friend, the gentleman from Huntington Beach, California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, tell them to cancel that meeting and get over here.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close this debate by saying that this was clearly one of the most moving testimonials, to a Member who is going to retirement, that I have seen in the 18 years that I have been privileged to serve here. Many people have talked about great things but one of the things that struck me is this issue of sacrifice. It is a privilege for all of us to serve here, and most everyone enjoys their service, but, in fact, there is sacrifice that goes with service as a Member of the United States Congress. Those of us who sit on the Committee on Rules have had the opportunity on many occasions to hear Jerry Solomon refer to the fact that when he came to the Congress he had to sell his real estate, his securities and his insurance businesses, and, it, in fact, has been a sacrifice for him. We often hear of our Founders who gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. We are glad that Jerry has not given his life and we know that he has not given up his sacred honor, but we know that he did have to give up much of his fortune to do that. So he has made a great sacrifice. His book, The Balanced Budget, has been a dream that he has had for many, many years, long before he came here. I am very gratified that we have been able to pass the first balanced budget in a quarter of a century while Jerry was here serving as a member of that committee. God and the voters willing, I will have the chance in the 106th Congress to keep the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley) sitting at my right as the ranking member, and to try to fill Jerry's shoes as chairman of the Committee on Rules. It will be an impossible task, but I have been privileged to enjoy his encouragement and support for the many years that I have served there. Mr. Speaker, while I know the time is rapidly coming to a close, I yield one minute to my very, very dear friend, the gentleman from Glens Falls, New York (Mr. Solomon).

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, there is a large group of people who are unable to speak here on the House floor. They sit here regularly; they work upstairs in the Committee on Rules, on many occasions around-the-clock, and I would like to, on behalf of those members of the staff of the Committee on Rules, say how much they will miss the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon) and how much they have appreciated their great time of service with him. Mr. Speaker, I will say that there are many other Members who have indicated to me that they would like to have had the chance to participate in this tribute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon), but because of the exigencies of their schedule they were unable to. General Leave