Dean Phillips

Mr. Speaker, today, I bid farewell to my amazing staff, some of whom are in the gallery, my wonderful colleagues on both sides of the aisle, constituents, and the myriad of unsung heroes to whom our entire Nation owes a debt of gratitude.

I thank them all from the top of my heart.

To my amazing family all around the country who has stood by me in times of both great joy and pain: my mother, DeeDee, and my late father, Eddie; my brothers, Tyler, Jay, and Bobby; my sisters, Hutton and Lily; and my treasured daughters, Daniela and Pia, who compelled me to run for Congress in 2018: I love you all with all my heart.

I depart this august institution with a combination of deep gratitude, a little bit of attitude, and a healthy dose of American optimism.

To those who are pleased to see this affable but outspoken gadfly ride off into the sunset, I am sorry to say that my mission to restore common sense and a home for the exhausted majority of center left and center right Americans is just beginning. It is a mission whose roots were not planted here in Washington or back home in Minnesota but rather 8,000 miles away on Dragon Mountain in Pleiku, Vietnam, where my father, Captain Artie Pfefer, was killed fighting a war in which he did not believe, but for a country in which he believed very deeply.

Last year, I traveled to the very ground on which he took his last breath and where I took my first.

He died just 4 days after the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and I have often pictured him along with a half million other young soldiers looking up in awe that morning, many probably in tears, as two fellow Americans achieved the unthinkable. They got a glimpse of America at her very best up there while we were at our very worst down here.

I picture our predecessors in this very room voting to fund both that giant leap for mankind and that giant tragedy for mankind all in the same year.

On my flight home from Vietnam last year, I reflected on my father and the 1 million--yes, 1 million--Americans who have been killed in service to our country since 1776. I thought to myself they did not sacrifice their lives for Members of Congress to act like kindergartners.

They did not sacrifice their lives for Members of Congress to spend 10,000 hours per week begging for campaign cash used to eviscerate fellow Americans running for office.

They did not sacrifice their lives for Members of Congress to do nothing as 60 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

They did not sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 500,000 Americans go bankrupt every year from medical debt and 26 million go without any health insurance at all.

They did not sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 50,000 Americans die from gun violence and another 100,000 from overdoses every single year.

They did not sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as wealthy industries shower millions upon millions of campaign cash on the very committee members who set the rules for their industries, and then Congress allows each party to collect dues from those committee members to fund their campaigns. It is legalized corruption, and it is unacceptable.

My father and 1 million other Americans did not sacrifice their lives for Congress to enable two private corporations, the two major parties, to maintain a virtual monopoly on our democracy, and having paid the ultimate price themselves, they surely did not sacrifice their lives for Members of Congress to prioritize their own self-protection over their principles.

However, they did sacrifice their lives because of decisions made in this very room by people just like us.

So, as I bid farewell, I humbly ask all the Members of the next Congress on both sides of the aisle to call on their better angels and act with courage, not cowardice: the courage to compete with our ideas rather than defeat one another with our ideologies, the courage to fix our problems rather than fixate on our politics, the courage to replace condemnation with invitation,

and the courage to replace confrontation with common sense.

In closing, I believe that we all have a choice to make--all of us. Do we wish to be a nation that metaphorically goes to the Moon together or one that goes to war against one another?

As a free people, that choice remains ours, all of ours. As Albert Einstein, a notable immigrant to the United States of America, famously said that the world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.

I believe in us. I love you all, and I will see you down the road. Godspeed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my Legislative Assistant, Ruby Zimmerman, for her work on behalf of every constituent in Minnesota's Third Congressional District.

Ruby is a Georgia native who moved to Washington D.C. after graduating from Georgia College and State University with a double bachelor's degree in political science and government and rhetoric. She started her career on the Hill as a Staff Assistant in Congressman David Scott's office, working her way up to being his Legislative Aide before joining my team as my Legislative Assistant. Ruby was essential in introducing my American Dream Accounts Act, a legacy bill that would help kickstart the lives and careers of the next generation.

Ruby is full of life and puts a smile on everyone's faces with her energy, optimism, and dog Tillie. Despite being the most recent member of our team, she has made a large and lasting impression on the work we've been able to accomplish in the final months of my term. Ruby has been a steady hand during a time of major transition. On her first day, Ruby was ready with her sleeves rolled up and hit the ground running. She's been the epitome of a team player, and we're grateful for her tireless service in advocating for the people of our district.

The people of Minnesota's Third Congressional District were lucky to have her dedication and leadership, and she will be dearly missed. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors and thank her faithful service to this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my Legislative Director, Griffin Wong, for his work on behalf of every constituent in Minnesota's Third Congressional District. I am thrilled that the end of my time in Congress will not be the end of Griffin's service to the district, as he will now become the Legislative Director for my successor, Congresswoman-elect Kelly Morrison. I could not be more proud or grateful for his service.

Hailing from Montgomery County, Maryland, Griffin had an early introduction to life on the Hill. His mother worked for Congressman Bill Lipinski of Illinois when he was young, laying the groundwork for him to live a life of service. After graduating from Boston College in 2017, he set off to Phoenix, Arizona to teach at Brophy College Preparatory. In addition to teaching there he also coached tennis and ran their immigration advocacy program.

Griffin started his work in government in the Massachusetts State Senate before moving over to the U.S. Senate for Senator Chris Van Hollen, and then to the U.S. House of Representatives in my office. Griffin has spent most of his career working on banking and small business issues. During his tenure as my Legislative Assistant, he guided my role as the Vice-Ranking Member of the House Committee on Small Business as well as co-chair of the House Entrepreneurship Caucus and House Stakeholder Capitalism Caucus. Griffin took over as my Legislative Director during a pivotal moment in our office and has shown strong initiative in directing my entire legislative agenda.

Griffin has grown into a valuable team leader during his time in the office. From tackling particular legislative issues to now directing the legislative agenda, he has done so with a sense of humor and practicality that is admirable. He stepped up when the office needed him the most. As a Legislative Director, Griffin brings a calm and collected energy, giving staff a sense of ease and confidence that the job will be accomplished. Griffin is one of the hardest workers I know. No matter how busy he might be, he will take the time for a phone call from a colleague or a meeting with a constituent because he cares so deeply about this work. His instincts, critical thinking, and thoughtfulness have made him a strong leader and manager. He is a trusted advisor, a fierce advocate for his team, and a committed public servant for our constituents.

The people of Minnesota's Third Congressional District were lucky to have his dedication and leadership, and I'm extraordinarily happy that he will continue to do this work and serve the Nation and people of Minnesota's Third Congressional District. I wish Griffin all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for six years of faithful service to this Nation--and many more to come.