It is a privilege to serve with Norm Dicks.  When I arrived in Congress last year as a freshman legislator, I didn't know what to expect from Norm.  After all, he is a Democrat and I am a Republican.  He is the dean of our delegation, and I am just beginning my service in Congress.  A different kind of public servant might have given me the cold shoulder.

But Norm went out of his way to welcome me to the delegation and to work with me on issues important to our state.  He knows that not everything in Congress needs to be a partisan fight, and that sometimes we really can work together to solve problems.  We don’t always agree on the issues, but he’s set an example of civility, hard work and service to his district for other Members of Congress to follow, and I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do next.