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1252087
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10/3/74 - Congressional Retirees Dinner
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1252087
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document
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10/3/74 - Congressional Retirees Dinner
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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U.S. Congress. (1789 - )
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1974-10-03
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10
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1974
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1974-10-03
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10
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1974
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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "10/3/74 - Congressional Retirees
Dinner" of the President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 1 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
CONGRESSIONAL RETIREES DINNER
OCTOBER 3, 1974
my Johnson
Callergus Karpers
AS I LOOK ABOUT ME TONIGHT AT so MANY GOOD FRIENDS
WHO WILL BE LEAV ING THE CONGRESS IN JANUARY -- I DON'T KNOW
WHETHER TO SING AULD LANG SYNE OR I OUR PENSION PLAN IS BREAKING
UP THAT OLD GANG OF MINE.
- 2 -
ANYONE WHO HAS SPENT A LIFETIME IN POLITICS CAN
APPRECIATE THE APPEAL OF RETIREMENT -- WHEN THE ONLY ROLL CALL
IS FOR BREAKFAST AND THE ONLY MOTION BEFORE THE HOUSE IS IN A
HAMMOCK. IN FACT, I WAS TALKING TO GEORGE AIKEN AND
LES ARENDS DUR ING DINNER AND I ASKED GEORGE HOW HE PLANNED TO
SPEND HIS RETIREMENT. GEORGE SAID, "I'M GOI NG TO DO NOTHING
IN a AFTERNOON, AND
NOTHING AT NIGHT."
THEN I ASKED LES ARENDS WHAT HE WAS GOING
TO DO. HE SAID, "I'M GOING TO HELP HIM."
- 3 -
THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO SAY TONIGHT, IT OCCURRED TO
ME THAT I, TOO, AM A CONGRESSIONAL RETIREE.
LEAVING THE
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES WAS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT
TRANSITIONS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I HAD MANY REGRETS ABOUT
LEAVING, BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR:
t
I ALWAYS WANTED TO GIVE
CARL ALBERT THE THRILL OF SERVING AS MINORITY LEADER.
- 4 -
BUT I STILL MISS THE DAY TO DAY CONTACT WITH SUCH
STALWARTS AS SENATOR NORRIS COTTON AND REPRESENTATIVES
CHET HOLIFIELD, EDITH GREEN AND MARTHA GRIFFITHS.
I MENTIONED
LES ARENDS A MOMENT AGO.
DO YOU KNOW THAT LES WAS PASS ING
BILLS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHEN I WAS STILL PASSING
FOOTBALLS AT THE UNIVERS ITY OF MICHIGAN?
\
AND I MIGHT ADD --
WITH FEWER FUMBLES.
- 5 -
AND WHO CAN EVER FORGET THE LEGENDARY EFFORTS OF
H. R. GROSS
\
SOMETIMES KNOWN AS THE H. R. BLOCK TO UNNECESSARY
SPENDING? I HOPE H. R. AND HAZEL ENJOY THEIR VACATION TRIP
TO PARIS
t
AT NO EXPENSE TO THE TAXPAYERS.
- 6 -
I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A WARM AND SPECIAL GREETING
TO ALL THE LONG-SUFFERING SPOUSES OF OUR CONGRESSIONAL
RETIREES.
IF YOU THINK LIFE WITH A SENATOR OR CONGRESSMAN
HAS BEEN DIFFICULT,
WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE THEM FULL TIME AT HOME
THEY SAY THAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OF RETIREMENT.
YOU HAVE
HALF AS MUCH INCOME AND h TWICE AS MUCH HUSBAND.
- 7 -
I'M NOT GOING TO TALK TOO LONG TONIGHT.
I'M STILL
MORE USED TO THE ONE MINUTE RULE OF THE HOUSE THAN THE
UNLIMITED DEBATE OF THE SENATE.
IN FACT, SOMETIMES I WONDER
IF THAT ISN'T THE REASON A CONGRES SMAN CAN GET HIS WORK DONE
IN TWO YEARS -- AND A SENATOR NEEDS SIX.
- 8 -
NEVERTHELESS, I LEFT THE CONGRESS WITH RICH
MEMORIES.
NOT JUST THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN WHICH
I SERVED FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS -- BUT ALSO THE "OTHER BODY,"
THE SENATE, OVER WHICH I HAD THE HONOR AND PLEASURE TO PRESIDE --
EVEN THOUGH I NEVER GOT TO BREAK A TIE.
- 9 -
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME -- BUT ALL
OF YOU KNOW THAT THE CONGRESS BECOMES A HOME FOR US ALL
FOR ME, THE HOUSE WAS A HOME.
IT WAS THE SEAT OF SHARED
EXPERIENCES.
IT WAS THE SITE OF VICTORY AND DEFEAT.
I SAW
HISTORY'S GREATNESS AND ITS SADNESS THERE.
ITS GREAT
TRADITIONS WERE VERY MUCH A PART OF MY LIFE.
IT WAS, TRULY,
A SECOND HOME.
- IO -
AND TONIGHT, WE COME TOGETHER TO HONOR THIS
EXPERIENCE WHICH I AM SURE ALL OF US WILL VALUE FOR THE REST
OF OUR LIVES.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE HERE TONIGHT IS ALSO A TRIBUTE
TO THE COUNTRY WE ARE ALL HONORED TO SERVE.
EVERY ONE OF US
HAVE HAD HUNDREDS OF HONEST DIFFERENCES AND EVEN A FEW HEATED
ONES.
YETWE USUALLY DISAGREED WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE, \
AT LEAST, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT ANY OF YOU WERE. desagreeable
to me of 2 trust 2 recyrocated.
- II -
ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS IS
THAT IT BRINGS FROM ALL OVER OUR COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN OF
SUCH CONTRASTING BACKGROUND AND BEARING.
IT BRINGS TOGETHER
A PLURALITY OF OPINIONS AND A RICH DIVERSITY OF CHARACTER AND
EXPERIENCE. FOR EXAMPLE:
--THERE ARE TWO FORMER GOVERNORS IN THIS GROUP.
--MANY OF YOU HAD LONG EXPERIENCES IN STATE LEGISLATURES.
--SOME WERE MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT.
- I2 -
KNOWING ALL OF YOU AND WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU HAS
ENRICHED MY LIFE.
I HAVE BENEFITED FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE
AND DIFFERENT THOUGHTS.
I HAVE LEARNED MUCH FROM DISTANT
GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVES AND CONTENDING POINTS OF VIEW.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO SAY TO ALL OF YOU
TONIGHT THAT THE NATION IS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AMERICA
IS A FAR BETTER COUNTRY FOR THE DEDICATED WORK YOU HAVE DONE.
- 13 -
I THINK OF THE FORTY YEARS SERVICE OF LES ARENDS AND
MARVEL AT THE DISTANCE AMERICA HAS TRAVELED IN THAT TIME
I THINK OF THE THREE WARS AND MANY CRISES, BUT I ALSO THINK OF
ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
COMMON TO ALL YOUR CAREERS IS SINGULAR PROGRESS
FOR AMERICA.
THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE A GREAT SOURCE OF
SATISFACTION FOR YOU.
- I4 -
MAY I ADD ONE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT THING ON THIS
EVENING. WE KNOW so VERY WELL WHAT A TOLL PUBLIC SERVICE
TAKES ON OUR PERSONAL LIVES.
IT HAS CALLED FOR MUCH SACRIFICE
ON THE PART OF PATIENT FAMILIES.
THAT IS WHY I AM HAPPY TO
SEE THAT SPOUSES WERE ABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT.
I THINK IT IS
CLEAR THAT THEY ARE EVERY BIT AS MUCH, IF NOT MORE, DESERVING
OF BEING HONORED TONIGHT AS THOSE LEAV ING THE CONGRESS.
- 15 -
I KNOW, IN THIS RESPECT, THAT BETTY HAS BEEN A SOURCE
OF STRENGTH AND SUPPORT TO ME ALL THESE YEARS.
SHE HAS BEEN A
PARTNER IN MY PUBLIC SERVICE, AND A PARTICIPANT IN EVERY MAJOR
EVENT.
SHE WANTED so MUCH TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO SEE OLD
FRIENDS, BUT SHE ASKED THAT SHE BE REMEMBERED.
SHE ASKED
ESPECIALLY FOR ME TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN so KIND IN
SENDING GET-WELL MESSAGES AND WHO HAVE REMEMBERED US IN PRAYERS
will
BELIEVE ME, YOUR WARM CONS IDERATION IS GOING TO BE CHERISHED
BY OUR ENTIRE FAMILY FOREVER.
- 16 -
I WILL MISS ALL OF YOU AS COLLEAGUES.
BUT THE NATION
WILL MISS YOU AS SERVANTS.
THOUGH YOU ARE ALL LEAVING THE
CONGRESS, I TRUST THAT NONE OF YOU ARE LEAVING PUBLIC SERVICE,
YOU MAY BE AWAY FROM THE HILL,
BUT YOU ARE CERTAINLY NOT OVER
THE HILL.
- 17 -
THERE IS TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE, TOO MUCH WISDOM,
AND TOO MUCH INTELLIGENCE IN THIS ROOM TO GO UNUSED IN THE
DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD.
BY MY OWN ROUGH CALCULATIONS, I
FOUND THAT THE 27 DEMOCRATS AND 25 REPUBLICANS WHO LEAVE OFFICE
THIS YEAR REPRESENT ABOUT 850 YEARS OF FEDERAL SERVICE.
THAT
KIND OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING IS HARD TO REPLACE.
- 18 -
AND SO, IN CONCLUS ION, I OFFER THIS TOAST:
MAY YOUR DAYS OF RETIREMENT BE MANY --
AND YOUR MOMENTS OF TROUBLE FEW.
SAVOR YOUR MEMORIES OLD --
BUT RELISH THE FUTURE THAT'S NEW.
- 19 -
TO ALL OF YOU, I EXTEND MY HOPES AND BETTY'S THAT
YOUR DAYS OUT OF CONGRESS WILL BE PRODUCTIVE AND HAPPY ONES.
THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.
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