PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE EARL BLUMENAUER

On 2024-12-18, Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1) delivered a floor speech titled "PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE EARL BLUMENAUER" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, infrastructure.

PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE EARL BLUMENAUER

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)] [House] [Pages H7322-H7323] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE EARL BLUMENAUER The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes. Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, for many people across the country, their first introduction to Portland, Oregon, was the sketch comedy show ``Portlandia.'' Like any parody, it exaggerates reality. Contrary to popular belief, most Portlanders don't spend their time asking about a chicken's backstory at a farm-to-table restaurant and sorting their recycling into 50 bins. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you firsthand that the City of Roses is a place where people care about the environment, where their food comes from, sustainable transportation, and inclusive communities. There is no better advocate and no truer representative of Portland than my good friend, colleague, and mentor, Congressman Earl Blumenauer. Earl has been in public service for more than 50 years, 28 years here in Congress and 25 years in State and local government. He has devoted his career to making Oregon and the country more livable so individuals and families can be safe, healthy, and economically secure. As he has said, it is in his DNA to care about the community and to bring people together to accomplish a goal. Earl came to Congress after a special election in April 1996 when Ron Wyden moved to the Senate in one of five special elections that year. On the Hill, people know Earl by his bow ties, bike pins, and annual comedy events, but to those of us who know him well, he is so much more. Earl has a wide breadth of knowledge and extensive expertise gathered through his years in State and local government and now in Congress. When I went on a tour of the Library of Congress several years ago, I noticed how quiet and empty it was. When I asked if any Members of Congress actually use the Library, my tour guide asked: Do you know Earl Blumenauer? That is Earl. As former Congressman Peter DeFazio remarked, Earl goes to people with facts, and he goes back to them with facts, and he tries to wear them down. Earl can be very convincing. He is a long-term thinker, a skill that is sometimes in short supply in the policymaking arena, and a quintessential policy wonk. Earl's vision and tireless work have made real, game-changing progress for his hometown of Portland and for our State, for the region, for the Nation, and, in fact, around the world. He has been a key part of promoting curbside recycling; investing in bike and pedestrian infrastructure; advocating for animal welfare, transit, and water infrastructure; supporting Afghan interpreters; changing the regulatory structure of cannabis; reimagining food policy; and more. Earl always seeks to share what he knows. As a Portland city commissioner, Earl wanted to provide a way for Portland residents to engage constructively with the transportation system, so he created an evening class to give people the opportunity to learn about the system and suggest changes, a program that continues to this day at Portland State University. When new Members come to Congress, Earl welcomes them with a gift, a very thorough, multipage letter sharing some of his lessons and some of the knowledge that he has absorbed throughout his service. I came back to [[Page H7323]] that letter, and to Earl, for guidance as I found my way. Even Snoop Dogg asked Earl for advice on how he could help with cannabis legislation. Yes, Earl has friends everywhere, and I know many of us in Congress will miss him tremendously when he retires at the end of the 118th Congress, but for those of us who live, work, and visit Portland, Earl is not going anywhere. In his next role in Portland State's metropolitan studies program, he will continue to make things better for Oregonians with his typical thoughtful, methodical, and data- informed approach. {time} 1015 As the incoming dean of the Oregon delegation, I acknowledge that I have big shoes to fill, but Earl has charted a good and worthy path, and I know he will be around for advice when we need his wisdom, his sense of humor, and his sincerity about creating a better future. We wish Earl Blumenauer well, and I know he will appreciate his additional time with his wife, Margaret, and his children and grandchildren. Congress will not be the same without Congressman Earl Blumenauer. ____________________