ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Outgoing U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO3) gave his farewell speech in the House on Monday.

The St. Louis County representative thanked his family, his staff, and the constituents he represented for eight years. He says passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was one of the major accomplishments made during his years in office.

“I’ll never forget the mothers and their young children sitting in my office the day that the health care bill was approved,” he said. “Not a dry eye in the room because all of their kids had preexisting conditions.”

The Democrat also cited his time on the House Transportation Committee and passage of bills dealing with the economy, jobs, Wall Street reform, and stem cell research.

Carnahan called on congressional members to accept necessary reforms to make Congress work better. He says they need to put their personal differences aside and put the country first.

“I want to urge this new Congress that will be taking over in just a few days to pass a major transportation bill, it’s one of the best investments we can make in this country, to continue to grow this economy,” Carnahan said.

Carnahan lost to Rep. Lacy Clay in a congressional primary after losing his own seat to redistricting.