Hastert's Farewell Address

More than 25 years ago, when I entered politics, I never envisioned that this former teacher and wrestling coach from Kendall County, Illinois, would have the opportunity to lead the United States House of Representatives. It was you, the members of this house, who gave me that opportunity longer than any other member of my party in history, and I'm grateful to you.

Becoming was a very humbling experience, an opportunity that only 51 men and one woman have ever had since 1789. I suspect that sitting here in this chamber are several men and women who will someday have the honor to be speaker of this house.

But whether that honor comes your way or not, you're already the trustee of one of the most wonderful jobs that anyone wanting to serve their country can have. You are a member of the United States House of Representatives, entrusted by more than 700,000 people, citizens, to represent them.

Eleven times the voters of the 14th district of Illinois hired me as their representative. It's been a journey that we've traveled together, and every year brought new challenges.

I am proud of so many of the things that I was able to work on over those years: working to make health care more affordable and accessible by creating tax-free health savings accounts; delivering on long-awaited prescription drug coverage for seniors, while, at the same time, modernizing Medicare for the 21st century; passing two of the largest tax relief packages for working Americans in our nation's history, which encouraged Americans to invest and small businesses to grow and to create new jobs; and reducing the unfair Social Security earnings limit on our senior citizens that needed to work.

HASTERT: And back home in Illinois, I was proud to work on environmental issues, like the removal of the dangerous thorium tailings from West Chicago, Illinois, and preserving the vital drinking water supply of the people of the Fox Valley.