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Bill Clinton at John Dingell funeral: He was a 'world-class doer'
Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press
WASHINGTON — A week after his death in Dearborn, former U.S. Rep. John Dingell was remembered Thursday in the nation's capital by several legislative colleagues and one old hunting buddy — former President Bill Clinton.
"The thing that I loved most about him was that he was a world-class doer," said Clinton of Dingell, who during more than 59 years in Congress helped write and pass some of the most important civil rights, environmental and health care legislation in the nation's history. "John Dingell was just about the best doer in the history of American public life."
Dingell, a Democrat who became the longest-serving member of Congress, died last week at age 92. A funeral was held for him in Dearborn on Tuesday and another service began Thursday shortly after 10:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in northwest Washington, D.C.
A veteran, he is expected to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday.
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Bill Clinton turns comforter-in-chief as he hugs John Dingell’s widow Debbie at longest-ever serving Congressman’s Washington D.C. funeral attended by political leaders and Wonder Woman
By Associated Press
- Former president leads mourners at Washington D.C. funeral for John Dingell, who died last week aged 92
- Longest-serving Congressman in history was praised for his 59 years representing Michigan district
- Clinton and his wife flanked Debbie Dingell, the congressman’s widow, who now holds his district
- Clinton joked that it was only time people could get the last word from Dingell and hugged his widow
- Also eulogized by John Boehner, the former GOP speaker, John Lewis, the civil rights icon and Democratic Congressman, and Steny Hoyer, second most powerful Democrat in Congress
- Mourners included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi, presidential hopefuls Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gilibrand – and Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman
Published: 11:18 EST, 14 February 2019 | Updated: 15:50 EST, 14 February 2019
Longtime Rep. John Dingell was remembered Thursday as ‘one of the greats’ as lawmakers and former colleagues hailed his record-breaking service in the House.
The 92-year-old Dingell who died last week, served 59 years in Congress, longer than anyone else in U.S. history. The Michigan Democrat was the longtime chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Many of the laws forged over the past 60 years reflect Dingell’s influence, former House Speaker John Boehner and other speakers said, and touch on everything from health care to the environment, civil rights and the auto industry, which Dingell fiercely defended throughout his tenure.
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