Mr. DREIER. I thank my friend for yielding, and I would like to join with my friend in stating that this great level of patriotism and dedication to the United States of America is something that obviously does transcend party. And while we obviously disagree on lots of issues, I appreciate the fact that she has pointed to this spirit of agreement and comity. I think it's very key on this particular day, as we have dealt in a bipartisan way with the threat of a government shutdown that's looming just hours away from us now, we have been able to successfully avert that.

But the reason that I have asked my friend to yield is that we met in the Rules Committee until early this morning, and I've been going for the last couple of days, and I just heard over the past several hours of the passing of a good friend of mine who was one of the greatest essayists and witticists of our time.

And when I heard the news of Christopher Hitchens' passing, I was struck with what a dedicated and patriotic individual he was. I suspect that he [Page: H9916] would have disagreed with my friend on the issue of dealing with radical Islam, but it's one of the things that brought the two of us together. He and I, over the last decade-plus, have spent a great deal of time talking about that and other international policy issues.

But if one looks at the series that he wrote in Vanity Fair, as he was diagnosed with cancer, they are very, very powerful. And, again, Christopher Hitchens and I didn't agree on every issue, but I always enjoyed the exchanges and the time that I was able to spend with him and, of course, have been fascinated by his works. I think that the world is a better place for Christopher Hitchens having lived and, obviously, we're saddened by his passing.

I want to say to his wife and daughters that our thoughts--I hesitate to say prayers when it comes to Christopher--go to him, because he was a very committed atheist; but I will say that our thoughts and, since we have them, our prayers are with the members of the Hitchens family, and to say that his works, because he was such a great writer, will continue for years and years to come to fascinate and intrigue and create the kind of intellectual curiosity that is necessary.

I just would like to say that I am saddened by the passing of my friend, Christopher Hitchens, and certainly have had my life improved and bettered by his having lived.