CONGRESSMAN CHRIS VAN HOLLEN
Maryland’s 8th District
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2016
Van Hollen Gives Remarks at Baltimore City Council Swearing In Ceremony
“Vision with action can lift our City, and it can lift our state, and it can change the world”
Washington, DC – Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen delivered remarks at the Baltimore City Council swearing-in ceremony at the Baltimore War Memorial, introducing Council President Jack Young. Below are his remarks, as prepared for delivery:
“Thank you, Vic. Good Morning Baltimore!
“It is great to be with you on this very special occasion, the swearing in of the Baltimore City Council.
“I want to congratulate all the returning Members of the Council, and I want to congratulate all of the new Members of the Council. You’ve got a great mix here of seasoned experience and new ideas, all of them focused on moving Baltimore City forward.
“Let’s give them a big round of applause, God bless you.
“I was so proud to be here just a few days ago for the swearing in of the Mayor of Baltimore City, Catherine Pugh. I’m looking forward to working with her and with all of you. As the Mayor said, she is looking forward to working together in partnership with this new Council – and I know the new Council is looking forward to working in partnership with her. She will have an incredible partner in my friend, our friend, President of the Council, Jack Young.
“Jack, congratulations.
“All of you know Jack, and Jack is passionate about Baltimore City. He loves the people of Baltimore City. He gets up every morning, living and breathing Baltimore City. And I know this because whenever I talk to Jack – and I talk to Jack a lot – he is always focused on meeting the challenges we face today and rising to the vision he has for tomorrow.
“And what I love about the President of the Council is that he combines that passion with an impatience to get things done. He combines that passion with what Dr. King called the ‘fierce urgency of now.’ And all of us know that we need to work together – not tomorrow, not sometime down the road – but we need to work together right now putting ideas into action.
“Jack Young has a vision for the city – but I’ve also seen him sweat the details. When someone comes to him in pain, when someone is hurting, I see him pick up the phone, call his office and his team, and say we’ve got to address this issue now.
“Many years ago, I worked for William Donald Schaefer. William Donald Schaefer, when he saw the trash not being picked up, or a pothole that wasn’t filled, or someone in pain, he didn’t ask for a memo – he got on the phone and asked for the problem to be solved. That is the philosophy that Jack Young has for Baltimore City.
“It is said that vision without action is merely is a dream. Action without vision is just passing the time. Vision with action can lift our City, and it can lift our state, and it can change the world. Jack Young combines both of those things. This City has seen its fair share of challenges, but it also has real opportunities – opportunities that we will all seize together. And the best days of this City are still ahead if we work together as a team.
“I pledge to you to work with all of our colleagues here in City government – with the new Mayor, with my friend Nathaniel McFadden and the whole team of legislators, the Comptroller, and with all of you. Because this requires all of Baltimore’s citizens to work together to get things done. At the end of the day, all of us serve the same constituents – it doesn’t matter if you’re at the federal level, state level, local level, or people with an association. We need to work together to get the job done and meet the challenges ahead.
“One of my favorite quotes is that the world needs dreamers, and the world needs doers, but most of all the world needs dreamers who do. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome to the stage someone who has a great dream for the future of the City of Baltimore and someone who puts dreams into action – the President of the Baltimore City Council, Jack Young.”
