Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) said he was honored and pleased with four special tributes this week, each recognizing his dedication to important concerns of his during his 53-year career.

Health Care

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce Henry Waxman announced the landmark health care reform bill now, of which Congressman Dingell will be the lead sponsor, will also bear his name.

“I like to think this is also a tribute to my dad, who worked for two decades on this issue, and actually predicted back in the 1930’s that we’d see the problems we have if we failed to establish a system that provides quality, affordable health care for all,” Dingell said. “I want to thank the Speaker and Chairman Waxman, who has been a friend and a partner in this cause for many, many years. I am committed to fulfilling President Obama’s request – get a bill on his desk to sign by October 1.”

Energy and the Environment

The Congressman has also received a lifetime achievement award from The National Energy Resources Organization (NERO). The Congressman was honored for his outstanding service on energy issues. NERO is a non-partisan, non-profit organization comprised of dozens of companies and organizations concerned with energy and conservation issues.

“I have many friends at NERO and the organization has been part of a constructive dialogue on one of the biggest issues of our time – climate change,” Dingell said. “This is a fine honor and I appreciate NERO’s participation in the process.”

Additionally, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Committee, an international body that provides leadership on waterfowl conservation and management issues, honored the Congressman with its International Canvasback award.  Congressman Dingell received the award during today’s meeting of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, a commission the Congressman has served on for nearly 40 years.  According to a press release from U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Plan Committee recognized the Congressman’s “leadership in efforts to pass landmark legislation such as the National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act and the Clean Water Act. He is also a founding member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus. Congressman Dingell was the catalyst for the creation of the first wildlife refuge that spanned national borders – the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.” He was nominated for the award by Ducks Unlimited, Inc., a major international wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization.

“For me, this work protecting our planet is truly a labor of love. Conservationists have been some of my best friends in my Congressional career,” Dingell said. “Of course the greatest reward of all is seeing our land; our water and our air get the protections they deserve. The people at the Plan Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and Ducks Unlimited, they are wonderful partners in the conservation movement and they all provide a valuable service to our world.”

Civil Rights

Finally, this weekend, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) will honor the Congressman with its lifetime achievement award at an event in Washington, DC. The Congressman has proudly represented part or all of Dearborn, home to one of the largest Arab-American populations in the nation, for more four decades.

“The ADC has faced enormous challenges, particularly in the last decade, but this fine organization has handled those challenges with grace and dignity,” Dingell said. “I am proud to be considered a friend of a group defending civil rights and equal treatment under the law. This is a great tribute and I am humbled by the ADC’s gesture.”

 
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