Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary career of Cheri Williams--and to give my sincere thanks to her for serving as Director of Constituent Services on my team.

For over three decades, Cheri has devoted her life to helping Washingtonians. In fact, thousands of folks back in my neck of the woods have had their problems with the federal government solved by Cheri and her dedicated team. Cheri has worked to ensure that

every person in our region who reached out was treated fairly by the federal government. Over the years, she has been vital to a simple mission--make government work better for the people. But that was more than a tagline. It led to real impacts for real people.

She helped seniors get access to Social Security and Medicaid so they could retire with dignity. She helped shipyard workers and other public servants resolve issues with their benefits and pensions to ensure they could get what they've earned. She helped reunite families and ensure immigrants in our country could continue to contribute meaningfully to the fabric of our society. She helped newlyweds go on their honeymoon when they didn't realize they didn't have an up-to-date passport. She helped small businesses get access to federal funding to get back on their feet during and after the pandemic. She helped veterans get the benefits and recognition that they deserve for their extraordinary service.

Cheri is not only known in every corner of our district; she is loved in every corner of our district. And there's a very simple reason.

It's because Cheri Williams is a difference-maker.

I am so grateful to her for being a part of my team, a mentor to members of our team, and the definition of a public servant. As I complete my time in office, I want to commend Cheri and her family for all that they have committed to our community. And I want to thank Cheri for her service to folks in our region and to making life better for Washingtonians.

I thank Cheri, on behalf of the people of Washington's Sixth District.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Bradford Fitch for his 17 years of service to the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF).

As most of my colleagues are well aware, CMF has played a vital role over the last five decades in supporting Congressional offices' continuous efforts to improve their staff management skills and function as high-performing teams. Through individual and group training, informative publications and events that highlight best practices in management and constituent service, CMF has been instrumental in helping Members and staff fulfill their responsibilities to their country, state and district.

Brad first joined CMF in 2001 as Deputy Director and returned to lead the organization as CEO in 2010. Prior to joining CMF, Brad spent the early years of his notable career as a congressional aide, journalist, consultant, college instructor, internet entrepreneur, and writer.

Brad has served Congress in a variety of roles throughout his professional life and is well-known and regarded in Washington. Those who know Brad won't be surprised to learn he began his career out of school as a radio and television reporter. His compelling speech and engaging personality have been cornerstones to his success.

In 1988, when Brad began on Capitol Hill, he worked for four members of Congress in a variety of positions, including press secretary, campaign manager, legislative director and chief of staff. It was during this period that it became clear that Brad was a passionate advocate for the institution of Congress as well as the members and their dedicated staff.

This year is the 40th Anniversary of CMF's consequential book-- Setting Course: A Congressional Management Guide. This book has been extremely influential in how Congressional offices are run today and we applaud Brad's significant role in its many updates and biennial distribution for over half of its existence.

In 2002, during a period of rapid--but uneven--shift of Congressional office communication to the internet, Brad initiated the Gold Mouse Awards to recognize the best congressional websites and share their best practices for communicating with, and providing services

to, constituents. The research and analysis that CMF performed for the Gold Mouse Awards identified the most innovative and effective web page practices and then shared that critical information with all Congressional offices so they could benefit everyone.

In 2018, Brad's vision for establishing an ``Academy Awards'' for Congress provided the spark for the creation of CMF's Democracy Awards program. The Democracy Awards, in a similar approach to the Gold Mouse Awards before them, are presented to both staff and members to acknowledge their exemplary use of best management practices, constituent services and transparency. By shining a spotlight on these leaders, the awards showcase their skills and practices for others to utilize and improve on.

Through his tenure at CMF, Brad has carefully stewarded its strong reputation for nonpartisan work strengthening the management skills and workplace practices in Congress while building public understanding and trust in the legislative branch. Brad has been a lifelong advocate for the institution of Congress, members, and staff and we thank him for his dedication and work on our behalf.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kate Dean for her years of public service to the Jefferson County community. As a member of the Jefferson County Commission, Commissioner Dean demonstrated unparalleled leadership and advocacy for the Jefferson County community as she prepares to step down from the Commission.

Commissioner Dean moved to Jefferson County, Washington in 1999 and spent 10 years farming and working to grow the local food economy through small business development, including co-founding FinnRiver Farm and Mt. Townsend Creamery. She also started a consulting business that focused on natural resource and economic development issues both locally and across the region. Later, she served as the Regional Director for the North Olympic Development Council.

Commissioner Dean was then elected to the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners in 2017 representing Port Townsend. While on the board, she became a driving force for rural economic development and environmental sustainability in the county. She has been behind groundbreaking work that has bridged public, private, and nonprofit sectors tackling complex rural issues.

Outside of our region, the impact of Commissioner Dean's efforts has been felt around the state. In 2023, Governor Inslee appointed Commissioner Dean to the Washington State Board of Health, where she advocated for rural healthcare issues and access. She also serves as a member of the Leadership Council for the Puget Sound Partnership.

Commissioner Dean has been a staunch advocate for public funding of major infrastructure projects, increased access to supporting housing, and overall economic growth in a county that desperately needs it. And this advocacy has led to record levels of public investment, including successful Community Project Funding wins for the Port Hadlock Sewer and Caswell-Brown Emergency Shelter and Supportive Housing Projects. The impact of Commissioner Dean's work has been profound and will have lasting impacts for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I have been grateful for Commissioner Dean's leadership, partnership, and friendship--and I applaud her for her successes in working to make her community stronger. Commissioner Dean's leadership and passion for revitalizing rural Jefferson County has forever impacted the future of the communities she served. Her advocacy and energy will be sorely missed.

For these reasons, I am pleased to recognize Commissioner Kate Dean in the United States Congress.

Mr. Speaker, over most of the past decade, each time I boarded a plane to head to D.C., I would write a note to my kids, Sophie and Aven, to explain to them why I was leaving and what I would be working on while I was gone.

My kids were three and six when I started here, and when they were little, my letters were elementary: ``This week, I will be working for more jobs in our region.''

My letters always ended with: ``Be good. I love you.''

Later, as they became older, my notes to them became more complicated, covering all sorts of things, from Russia's invasion to Ukraine, to immigration reform, to the intricacies of the congressional appropriations process. Even as they became more complicated, a common thread in each of those letters was this: I tried to communicate to them that I was trying to work every day to make things better for their generation and for their country.

Mr. Speaker, today, as I prepared to give these final remarks on the House floor, I sent my kids this note, and with your permission, I will read it.

I wrote:

Sophie and Aven--After 20 years total in public service and

the last 12 years in Congress, I have had a lot of people ask

me what I have learned.

Honestly, I have learned a lot.

I have learned that my left knee handles the aisle seat way

better than the middle or the window.

I have learned where the best cups of coffee, the best

tacos, the best burgers, and the best bathrooms are in

Washington's Sixth Congressional District.

I have learned more lyrics to more songs driving around our

district than anyone could imagine and certainly more than my

staff cared to hear me sing.

But I have also learned some valuable lessons, and today,

kids, I want to share with you some of the things I have

learned.

I have learned the importance of knowing your why.

As you guys know, I grew up in the district that I

represent, in Port Angeles.

When I was in high school, it was right around the time the

timber industry took it on the chin, and a lot of my friends'

parents lost their jobs, and a lot of my neighbors lost their

jobs. It had a big impact on me.

So I went off to college, and my senior thesis was focused

on how to help timber towns in Washington State. When I went

to grad school, my doctoral dissertation focused on

challenges facing single-industry communities. I looked at

mining towns in the U.K. and timber towns in Washington,

trying to figure out what to do when the main industry that

is the reason for a community's existence declines.

While I was always interested in our democracy, I didn't

know I was going to run for office. I was working in economic

development, and, honestly, I just got grumpy. I found myself

saying: Our ability to grow jobs in this region is surely

impacted by what government does and doesn't do.

Finally, some of my friends said: Well, you seem like you

have a lot of good ideas, and you sure complain a lot. Why

don't you go do something about it?

The next thing I knew, I was serving in the State

legislature.

Then, about 12-\1/2\ years ago, my predecessor, Norm Dicks,

who has been and continues to be an extraordinary friend and

mentor to me, called me and said: In an hour, I am going to

announce that I am not running again, and you should figure

out whether this is something you want to do.

The chance to create more economic opportunity for more

people in more places was the main reason I came here.

That is my why.

I came to Congress because I wanted to grow jobs and help

the area where I grew up.

It has been the honor of my life getting to represent my

hometown and our entire region. Whether it has been helping

folks get access to broadband or securing funding for ports,

fighting for our community hospitals, delivering funds to

address flooding, securing investments to restore Puget

Sound, or helping ensure that the Federal Government lives up

to its trust and treaty obligations, I have been honored to

work for our region. I would like to hope that the work that

I have done has provided more opportunity for folks who

deserve it.

Part of that effort involved taking some of the findings of

my doctoral dissertation and some smart ideas from some other

folks and turning them into legislation called the RECOMPETE

Act, legislation to provide flexible, multiyear support to

communities that are struggling. I am really proud that we

got this bill included in the CHIPS and Science Act, and I am

proud that it has become the most popular program in the

history of the Economic Development Administration, getting

565 applications from 49 States.

Out of the 565 applications, there were 6 that got large-

scale implementation grants,

and one of the 6 was for the region where I grew up. How cool

is that?

What are the takeaways?

Well, first, apparently, I am really slow. It took me more

than 20 years to do something with my doctoral dissertation,

but, most importantly, I never forgot my why.

Sophie and Aven--Whatever you do in your life, I hope you

find your why. I hope you are able to find something that

gives you as much drive as helping my hometown gave me.

Mr. Speaker, I also wrote my kids the following:

Sophie and Aven--I have also learned about the importance

of being a steward. I want to encourage you to care about

your country, your community, and the organizations that you

are a part of.

Tearing things down is easy. Building things up is hard.

In a commencement speech delivered in 1968 at Cornell University, former Secretary John Gardner spoke about the importance of stewardship. He spoke of the importance of people being what he called loving critics of the institutions and communities in which they work, and he spoke of two concerns.

Sometimes, he said, institutions and communities suffer from what he called uncritical lovers, folks who went about their business smothering their institutions with love without thinking about how to improve them.

Functional organizations and successful communities want to get better.

Gardner also said that institutions and communities suffered from unloving critics, people who treat an institution like the pinata at the party.

I see that a lot in my job. The most popular thing a politician can do is bash Congress, and if it is done in a way that is focused on demolition rather than on improvement, that is a problem, too.

So why do I mention this? Well, John Gardner sounded that alarm 56 years ago, and the alarm is ringing louder now.

According to recent polling, faith in our institutions is at a historically low point. I am not just talking about Congress--which, according to recent polling, is less popular than head lice, colonoscopies, and the rock band Nickelback--but, according to recent polling, a majority of Americans no longer view institutions of higher education as forces for good.

Fewer and fewer Americans have faith in public schools. Less than one in five have faith in newspapers and in news media in general. Faith in business is at the lowest point it has been since Gallup began polling that question. Heck, even organized religion has taken a hit. You know you are in trouble when we are losing faith in faith.

What does it mean for us? It means all of us--we, all of us--need to be better stewards. Each of us needs to be a loving critic of our community and of the organizations and institutions about which we care.

For me, it has meant trying to make Congress better. That is why I became chair of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which was nicknamed the fix-Congress committee. We showed that Congress can do things better when folks checked their partisan agendas at the door and just focused on working together. The Democrats and Republicans on that committee were loving critics of Congress.

We did things differently, to sit not by party, not on a dais, but around a round table, sitting next to someone from a different party. We had one staff, not separate Republican and Democratic staffs. We broke bread together and planned the work of the committee together, and it helped.

Our committee, in the midst of Presidential elections, pandemics, insurrections, and other chaos, managed to pass 202 recommendations to make Congress function better for the American people. At this point, over half of them have been implemented. Another quarter are on their way toward implementation.

Now someone can look at our record and say: Well, hey, bang-up job, pal. Clearly, Congress is fixed.

Obviously, that is not the case, although I am reminded of a conversation I had right there on the House floor with the House Chaplain during the 15th or so round of votes for Speaker of the House. I saw her here on the House floor, and I said: Pray harder.

She put her hand on my elbow, and she said: Just imagine how bad things would be in this place if I wasn't praying so hard.

So that is sort of how I look at the work of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. I think that, over time, you are going to see some positive change within this institution because of that work.

I feel lucky that I got to work with some loving critics of the institution, such as William Timmons and Tom Graves. I want to thank them for being collaborators, partners, and friends.

I also appreciate the efforts of Stephanie Bice and Joe Morelle, who want to see the efforts to improve Congress continue.

I thank Speaker Emerita Pelosi for her vision in creating the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and for her faith in me to serve as its chair. It has been such an honor to get to learn from her throughout my time in Congress.

I also got to work with amazing committee staff, such as Yuri Beckelman, who has an infectious enthusiasm for making the institution better; Derek Harley, who, over the last 4 years, has spent more time than anyone I know working to improve Congress; Allie Neill and Jake Olson, who built the committee from the ground up; and Marian Currinder, who brought more content knowledge on Congress than anyone.

It takes special people to try new things, and I applaud all of the committee staff for the courage and commitment to that cause.

We were also blessed to work with a cohort of nonprofits and think tanks and academics who have dedicated their time and energy to making government work better, and their work matters.

To state the obvious, there is a lot more work to do there. We are better than our current politics. I feel so lucky to have been partners with them, and I sure hope to continue to partner with them down the road.

Sophie and Aven, I have tried to be a loving critic of this institution. I hope you will find a way to play that role in our democracy as well as steward the places and organizations that you care about.

Mr. Speaker, I wrote my kids that I have learned that we are incredibly fortunate to live in one of the most special places on the planet. A lot of the work I have done has been focused on being stewards of those places, and I feel so grateful to have had amazing partners in that work. We are blessed to have the most extraordinary national park on Earth, with places like the Hoh Rain Forest and Hurricane Ridge. We are fortunate to have folks who work for the Park Service as stewards of those treasures.

We are fortunate to have the United States Navy in our community. Our community is stronger because of the patriots who serve this Nation and call our community home. They bring their service ethic, skills, community pride, and pride as Americans to our community. We must be stewards for them and make investments in our naval shipyards to ensure that they can continue to keep our servicemembers and country safe.

We are fortunate to be home to more military veterans than nearly any other place in our country, and, again, we are stronger for that. If someone serves this country, we should have their back. I am grateful for the folks at the VA and all the veterans service organizations who do that work.

We are fortunate to have communities with local leaders, county and municipal elected officials and staff, port districts, public utility districts, chambers of commerce, economic development councils, and many others. There are too many to name, but they have been my friends and partners, and together, we have navigated a pandemic, built affordable housing, supported local businesses, and worked to make our communities safer and more vibrant. We have worked to fix flooding in Grays Harbor and to fix traffic problems in Gorst. We have stood up a forest collaborative to try to manage our forests in a way that works better.

Mr. Speaker, these partners are stewards. They are my friends, and I am grateful for them.

I wrote: Sophie and Aven, we have also worked to recover Puget Sound. We are fortunate to have this natural treasure that has supported livelihoods and lives for generations. We are fortunate to have a group of stewards that are fighting to help it.

Paramount among those stewards are our Tribal partners. We are fortunate to have 12 Native American Tribes who call Washington's Sixth Congressional District home. They are extraordinary stewards who think seven generations into the future.

I have worked with our Tribal partners on efforts to combat the climate crisis and to deal with its impacts as they try to move to higher ground, to strengthen Tribal healthcare and housing options, and on so many initiatives. The Tribal leaders in our region have been my friends and partners. They have taught me so much, and personally, I feel fortunate to consider them my friends.

Sophie and Aven, one of the lessons I have learned is that the boat moves best when everyone has their oars in the water rowing in the same direction. You get further with partners, and I am so grateful to every constituent who has been a partner in the work of our office.

Sophie and Aven, there are other things I have learned. I have learned that we have work to do to protect this amazing democratic Republic. When I say ``we,'' I mean all of us.

President Kennedy said: ``In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, `holds office'; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities.''

To me, that is a reminder that we are not observers in this democracy. We are participants in it.

How is that going? An NBC News poll found that 70 percent of Americans agreed with this statement: America is so divided it is now incapable of solving big problems, and the problem is getting worse.

There was a battleground poll last year that found that, on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being no conflict and 100 being civil war, Americans put us at a 70. The median was a 70. That is the highest on record. That means, on average, Americans believe we are more than two- thirds of the way to civil war.

I visited a YMCA in our district thinking they wanted to talk to me about gymnasiums struggling from the pandemic. Instead, they wanted to talk to me about conflicts breaking out at the Y due to politics.

I don't think we just need to accept that. None of us should throw up our hands and say, well, I guess that is just life in 2024. We just won't solve any big problems and just hate each other and worry about getting punched out on the elliptical at the gym. We need to figure out how to engage folks we disagree with.

To that end, I introduced a bill called the Building Civic Bridges Act to support local efforts to bridge divides, to train AmeriCorps members in the skills related to bridge building, and to support colleges and universities that are doing work in this space. I hope Congress will eventually pass it.

We are even trying to do some of the bridge building in Congress. I am a co-chair of a group called the Bipartisan Working Group, which is about a dozen Democrats and a dozen Republicans who meet regularly over breakfast to just try to find some common ground.

I don't want to mislead you all into thinking that we are all sitting around the table and holding hands and singing ``Kumbaya'' or closing our eyes and doing trust falls into each other's arms. We stopped doing that after we dropped a guy. But I do find myself thinking that the work we are doing in the Bipartisan Working Group, the challenging work of trying to solve problems together, is something we need to see more of, not just in Congress, but in our country, too.

I am grateful to my colleagues who are part of that group, particularly Scott Peters and my friends Andy Barr, Jack Bergman, and

John Rutherford, who have been great partners from the Republican Conference.

There are also civil society organizations, academics, and individuals trying to bring folks together to foster understanding, dialogue, and collaboration across our diverse communities to build bridges. I am really grateful to them. I am hopeful that their work will help us live up to our national motto, ``E pluribus unum,'' ``Out of many, one.''

Just yesterday, former President Obama said: ``If you want to create lasting change, you have to find ways to practice addition rather than subtraction.''

Sophie and Aven, I hope you will do the hard work of trying to bridge divides. We all have choices about whether we exacerbate polarization or bring people together. We do better when we listen to people, when we choose to go into conversations understanding that we may be wrong and others may be right, when we respect people even when we disagree with them, when we show empathy when we are trying to bridge those divides.

Sophie and Aven, we are going to rely on your generation to help us heal.

Sophie and Aven, I have learned the value of having an amazing team. You have been there when I have been asked by people, ``What are you proudest of during your time in Congress?'' You have always heard me give the exact same response, ``I am proudest of my team.''

A lot of the success that I have shared with you wouldn't have been possible without the tremendous team I have had. From the beginning, I had an office led by Jonathan Smith in D.C. and by Meadow Johnson in the district. They, and the rest of the team, got us off to a great start. They had vision and hustle that set the tone for us.

Over time, Joe Dacca became my district director. Whether we were visiting the naval shipyard, rooting for the Huskies, or listening to 80's tunes circumnavigating the Olympic Peninsula, Joe was an amazing partner.

Rachel Kelly was a top-notch chief while I chaired the New Dems and the modernization committee. She was a tremendous leader for our team, especially during the tumult of the pandemic.

It was such a pleasure for me to watch the growth of Andrea Roper, who started as an intern on my campaign, became scheduler in my district office, and went on to become our district director and deputy chief of staff. She is a terrific professional, and I am proud of her.

Heather Painter and our policy team have been tenacious about getting pucks into the net for our constituents. Heather is so talented. In fact, I won the lottery with talented leg. directors.

In addition to Heather, we had Katie Allen, who was a wizard on environmental issues and knew so much about salmon recovery and managing healthy forests.

We had Aaron Wasserman, who laid the foundation for our work with the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

My first LD, Kevin Warnke, always engaged with a strategic mind and with kindness.

I am grateful for every person who worked on our policy team over the years.

I have had such excellent team members who helped us communicate with our constituents: Stephen, Tim, Jason, Martha, and Ian, who led the way.

We had amazing schedulers in D.C. and in the district who made sure we always made time for our constituents, including Jolie and Tory, who are here today. I am grateful to each of them.

Cheri Williams has dedicated her life to helping our constituents and has had a talented group of caseworkers, including our longtime team member, Chantell Munoz. They have done so much good for so many people that I could spend my entire time telling stories of the wins they have gotten for the people we represent.

Sophie and Aven, I have had folks in the district, people you kids have met at events over the years, including, currently, Courtney, Haley, and Stephanie, and folks like Nicholas, Rob, Katy, MaryJane, Judith, and others who served our constituents for a long time and who have made sure we were available, accessible, and accountable to our constituents.

My current chief of staff, Andrew Wright, is everything Americans should want in their public servants: ethical, kind, visionary, someone who hustles, someone who looks for wins for the American people. In every role he has been in on our team, he has been just awesome. I am grateful for him.

I can't name everyone, but every person who worked on our team is worthy

of gratitude. Over the years, I have had absolutely outstanding folks who have worked in my district and D.C. offices, and I am so grateful for that and the fact that, without exception, they have focused on doing the right thing for our constituents.

I also thank the Irwin family for sharing their daughter Kate with us. Though Kate passed away a few years ago, I think about her often and have told colleagues and staffers her wise words during one of our last times together. She said, ``This isn't have-to-do stuff; this is get-to-do stuff.'' She was an amazing young woman who made a very big difference in far too short a time.

I thank each and every team member who served the people of Washington's Sixth Congressional District during my time in office. Together, we made a real difference.

Sophie and Aven, whatever you do in your life, I hope you have a team as good as I have had--people who work hard, who do the right thing, and who care.

Sophie and Aven, it is good to have a crew. You have heard more about the New Democrat Coalition than most Americans and certainly than most teenagers. I was honored to serve as leader in the New Dems throughout my tenure in Congress, including serving as chair.

The New Dems are the best kept secret in politics, a group of pragmatic, problem-solving Democrats who chase impact more than headlines. Simply put, they are focused on getting things done for the American people. Politics could use more of that.

I thank Ron Kind and Jim Himes for being mentors to me in that coalition as well as the New Dem staff, including former staff members like J.D. Grom and current leaders like Anne Sokolov and Leighton Huch, among others. I also thank Helen Milby, who has been the fairy godmother of the New Dems and an amazing friend to me.

Beyond that, I assure you that you can even find friends in the most unusual places, even in Congress. When I got to Congress, I was told, if you want a friend in this place, get a dog. I feel very lucky that my experience hasn't been like that at all.

Sophie and Aven, I am proud that you can sing the Ami Bera song and you know that he is a delight to travel with, that you speak of Scott Peters like he is a superhero, and in many ways, he is. I am proud that you can do the Dan Kildee handshake and that you know that he is an amazing roommate who has been with me on the toughest days here. I am proud that you know what to do for Adam Schiff when you see the Dave Grohl autobiography and that you watched ``The Big Lebowski'' to honor him and his courageous leadership.

I am proud that you are wowed by friends like Abigail and Mikie, who are former CIA agents and helicopter pilots and who have such bright futures; that you know Jim Himes hosts a great dinner party and that when I met him, I told you that I would at least have one friend in Congress; that you know that Lori Trahan can get me to laugh on even the roughest of days; that you know Pete Aguilar and I get into trouble when we sit next to each other at events, and that institution is stronger because Pete is one of its greatest leaders with a bright disposition, a willingness to have tough conversations on both sides of the aisle, and a passion for service.

Sophie and Aven, I am sort of tickled that when I read this note to you on the House floor, it will formally enter into the Congressional Record the names ``Back Row Hecklers,'' ``Rusty Butterknives,'' and ``The Indespicables'' into the Congressional Record.

But whatever we call them, they are people I have broken bread with, talked about the world's problems with, been through a whole lot personally with, and I want each of them to know how grateful I am for them, for their friendship. Though I am moving on from Congress, I am confident I am not moving on from my friendships with them.

I appreciate my plane buddies, particularly Suzan DelBene, Adam Smith, Dan Newhouse, and Marilyn Strickland, who, in addition to being great leaders and partners, often made the time go faster on what really is a long flight. They have been amazing partners in standing up for our State.

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge my former roommate and former colleague, Denny Heck, who is a great Lieutenant Governor and a dear friend who often shared his warm almonds with me on the plane.

I am thankful to the class of 2012 in Congress. What a dynamic group of people. Included among them are Hakeem Jeffries and Katherine Clark, both of whom are dear friends and stewards of this institution.

Outside of Congress, I have had an amazing support system of friends and family. I am grateful, Sophie and Aven, to your Uncles Ryan and Jason and to your grandparents. They have instilled in me an ethic of service and have supported me throughout. My mom and dad taught me the value of education and the importance of thinking before you spell, and they taught me one word--family.

Tim, Ryan, and Ray are the definition of friends, being there when I most needed a hand and spending a very long day with me.

Turi Widsteen has been my longest friend, and her family has been important to me for decades.

Andy Weinstein and Jon Goldman, my college roommates, with whom I have shared music and laughter and ups and downs, have been there from the beginning.

Sue and Chad have been rays of sunshine while working in a place that occasionally needs more sunshine.

I enjoy thinking about leadership, asking all of the questions, and visiting Abe at the Lincoln Memorial with Lauren.

I want to voice special gratitude to J.J. Balaban, who has been the most extraordinary adviser and friend a guy could ask for. I would not have served in Congress had it not been for his advice and help. Since I get to put this into the Congressional Record, I want to say this: I love you, J.

I have learned how lucky I am to have such good friends.

Finally, Sophie and Aven, I have learned how lucky I am to be your dad. I am grateful to you both. You were 3 and 6 when I was elected to this job. You are now 15 and 18. Over the years, you have come with me to fairs and festivals, parades and party events. You have met two Presidents and even talked about SpongeBob SquarePants with President Obama in the Oval Office. I hope some of those experiences are amazing memories for you, just as they are for me.

Having said that, as nourishing as this job has been, in some respects I know it has come with profound costs for our family. Every theatrical performance and musical recital I missed, every family dinner I wasn't there for all had an impact on our family.

I thank your mom for supporting me personally and professionally. I thank her for supporting our family during some tough times, particularly when I was in Washington, D.C. Though our marriage didn't last, my gratitude to her does.

Sophie and Aven, I am conscious that I didn't always deliver in the way I wanted, and I hope you will forgive me for that. I hope you know that I was really trying my best to make the world better for you and for your generation.

I want you to know how proud of you I am. You are informed. You are inquisitive. You can walk into a room of adults and make conversation about the events of the world. You have learned to use your voices in powerful ways. You can study politics or be involved in JROTC, and people see you as leaders.

You have become terrific citizens in a way that makes me proud, that would make your oma proud.

I remember sitting right over there in January of 2013 when I was sworn into this body. Aven didn't last long, but Sophie sat by my side when I got sworn in. When the ceremony was over, Sophie, you looked at me and said: Why was that supposed to be special?

I hope, after 12 years of service in Congress, you see that this was special, that the capacity to work to try to solve problems for our region is, indeed, a special honor. I hope, despite personal setbacks and frustrations with our politics, you come away with hope.

As I wrap up two decades in public service, I am so grateful for the people of the Sixth Congressional District for

giving me the honor of representing them. As I conclude this role on their behalf, I am hopeful.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once wrote:

Optimism and hope are not the same thing. Optimism is the

belief that things are going to get better. Hope is the

belief that if we work hard enough, together, we can make

things better.

He also wrote:

It needs no courage to be an optimist, but it does take a

great deal of courage to hope.

Sophie and Aven, the task ahead for each of us, myself included, though soon from outside this building, is to be a part of that, to work together to make things better, to have hope.

Sophie and Aven, have hope. Be good. I love you.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan, Dan Kildee, my friend.

I am Honored to have Served Mid-Michigan in Congress

Madam Speaker, every now and then, Democrats and Republicans come together to do something that matters for our veterans, and today is one of those days as we honor Vietnam veterans for their service and sacrifice, especially Dustoff crews.

Madam Speaker, between 1956 and 1975, 2.7 million Americans served in some of the most severe conditions in the history of American warfare. Unfortunately, when our servicemembers came home, they often didn't get the gratitude that they earned.

The legislation in front of us today is a small step in the effort to correct that.

Today is an opportunity for our Congress and our country to say to Vietnam veterans and specifically to Dustoff crewmembers that we are grateful for their service and sacrifice for this country. They stepped up and offered their bodies and lives to protect our way of life.

Despite everything Vietnam veterans went through, many never stopped serving our country or looking out for people who wear the uniform. As a Representative, that means a lot to me. As a dad, knowing my kids are growing up in a country that is stronger and freer because of those who served means a lot to me, as well.

That gratitude needs to come with more than words of thanks. It needs to come with a commitment that future generations know of their sacrifice and service to our country. It means backing up words with action. It means the men and women who fight for our country shouldn't have to fight for a job when they come home. It means that in the land of the free and the home of the brave, every brave servicemember should have a home. It means ensuring that veterans get the care, benefits, and recognition that they have earned.

Today, Congress can take another step forward in recognizing the valiant efforts of our Vietnam veterans by passing this bipartisan legislation, led by myself and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, called the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act.

This legislation has a simple but important mission: to award Dustoff crews of the Vietnam war with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Dustoff crewmembers--helicopter air ambulance pilots, crew chiefs, and

medics--performed aeromedical evacuations of over 900,000 U.S., Vietnamese, and allied forces from May 1962 to March 1973. Dustoff crews often faced foul weather, mountainous terrain, and intense enemy fire, with crewmembers facing a one-in-three chance of being wounded or killed.

These were heroes who saved lives.

One Dustoff unit, the 54th Medical Detachment, typified the heroism of Dustoff crews. Over 10 months, 40 soldiers equipped with only three helicopters evacuated over 21,000 patients on 8,600 missions over nearly 5,000 hours, earning 78 valor awards.

Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dustoff crews of the Vietnam war is an important step toward recognizing the pivotal role that these servicemembers played in saving the lives of so many and serving our country so proudly.

Since the American Revolution, Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Congress has never awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to any group of Vietnam veterans. Today, we can change that by passing this legislation. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote to do just that.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative McMorris Rodgers and Senators Cornyn and Warren for their partnership and leadership on this effort. I also thank our veterans and every family member or friend who has supported a veteran.

Madam Speaker, we honor the service of our Vietnam veterans. Today, we move forward in ensuring that the Dustoff crews are recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal, and I thank them for their service.

May God bless them and this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Andrea Roper for her 12 years of working on behalf of Washington's Sixth Congressional District.

A graduate UW-Tacoma, Andrea started on our team as a scheduler, went on to do outreach in Kitsap County, and is departing as our district director and deputy chief of staff.

Every day, she has shown professionalism managing an amazing team and being available and responsive to constituents around clock. Every day she has been committed to solving problems, whether leading the charge to fix traffic challenges in Gorst or advancing economic development initiatives for communities across our district. Every day, she has remembered

that the people of our district are our bosses.

Andrea developed and oversaw a community project funding process for our office that should be the model of how things work, bringing efficiency, community input, and accountability into the process.

Andrea will soon be bringing her talents to the city of Tacoma where I am confident she will do great.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in thanking Andrea Roper for her service and wishing her well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary service of Bruce Kendall, a man who has served as the president and CEO of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County.

There are so many things I could say to recognize Bruce. I could speak to the phenomenal way in which he developed partnerships both within Pierce County and with neighbors in our region. I could praise the leadership he showed to shepherd our community through the pandemic and to ensure small businesses had the information and resources that they needed.

I could express my gratitude personally for the role he played to me as a mentor when I worked with him at the EDB for 10 years before coming to Congress.

However, the main thing I want to convey today is that Bruce Kendall has changed lives. There are people in our region who have jobs today because of Bruce. There are families able to put food on their tables because of Bruce. Our community is stronger and more prosperous because of Bruce. Bruce Kendall has been a real difference maker, and for that today on the House floor I thank him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Roosevelt Smith. A passionate historian and community educator, Mr. Smith passed away in late June after leading a life of service to his community and to his Nation.

Mr. Smith attended the second oldest Black High School in Memphis. He was later kicked out of college for demanding the hiring of more African American professors. That caused his draft status to be changed to 1A, leading to his enlistment in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for six years.

After serving his country, Mr. Smith chose to serve his community as a historian and activist. Upon moving to Kitsap County, Washington in the late 1970s, Mr. Roosevelt helped found the Bremerton chapter of the National Association of Black Veterans, led the Black Historical Society of Kitsap County, and served as a board member for the Kitsap History Museum. At the museum, Mr. Smith ensured that Black history was told through sharing his own memorabilia in the Black Americana exhibit. For Mr. Smith, justice for the Black community was always a priority.

Mr. Smith used his historical pieces to educate the community. When items would upset visitors, he welcomed the uncomfortable moments and awkward conversation and used this as a time to teach and encourage others to understand the significance without confrontation. He was also well-known in the local antiques and art community, where he worked each year at the Kitsap Antiques Show as an appraiser, owned his own watch repair business, and was a familiar face at Kitsap's antique and vintage shops looking for pieces of historical significance to conserve and educate the public.

Mr. Smith dedicated his life to ensuring that the historical experience of the Black community of this Nation are not forgotten, no matter how uncomfortable that history may be. He fought to ensure the Black veterans of Kitsap County had equitable access to their earned benefits and resources where there had previously been barriers. In short, in so many ways, Roosevelt Smith was a difference-maker.

Mr. Speaker, I join our community in grieving the loss of a pillar of the community, a dedicated and passionate historian and activist, and compassionate father, husband, and friend. I join Roosevelt's wife, Deadra, his children, and the rest of his family in grieving this loss. I am honored to recognize his life's work on the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to stand before you today to speak about two bills that have come from the Modernization Subcommittee, which encompass the select committee's mission to make Congress work better for the American people. Each of these bills addresses a problem or challenge we identified through the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

I thank our subcommittee chair, Stephanie Bice, and our subcommittee colleagues, Joe Morelle and Mike Carey, for their bipartisan partnership on these bills, too, as well as our full committee chairman, Bryan Steil.

As many of you know, the Congressional Research Service, or CRS, mission is to provide timely, objective, and authoritative research and analysis to Congress, its Members, committees, and staff.

The policy proposals we put forth are better for CRS' involvement and support of us. That is why our subcommittee took it very seriously when CRS' interim director, Robert Newlen, approached us about a few challenges CRS was having and ways we could help.

In the select committee, we recommended congressional committees consider the authorities for congressional support agencies and identify those that need updating. H.R. 7592 and our next bill, H.R. 7593, are perfect examples of this.

Under existing law, the Library of Congress is required to produce hardbound copies of the Constitution

with annotations, also referred to as CONAN.

You actually have to be as strong as Conan to lift this. My mother tells me that at birth, I was 6 pounds, 8 ounces. This is 8 pounds, 14 ounces, so it is larger than small Derek Kilmer.

The task of printing this behemoth has fallen to CRS, and the most recent CONAN print cost $1 million per year to print, not to mention the considerable staff time and attention spent formatting, printing, and distributing said books.

The law requiring printed CONAN copies predated widespread internet access. Since 2019, the Library of Congress and CRS have made this same information available online, free of cost, with the added benefit of real-time updates that just aren't possible with printed books.

This bill simply replaces the requirement for the Library of Congress and CRS to prepare hardbound versions of the CONAN and replaces it with a requirement to prepare digital versions and publish them online instead, as they already have been doing.

Through this bill, the American people can receive better and more up-to-date information online. We can save taxpayer dollars and valuable CRS staff capacity. We can eliminate the 8 pounds and 14 ounces of print. I personally would like to eliminate 8 pounds and 14 ounces after the weight I have gained over the August recess.

I think this is a commonsense bill, and I thank my colleague, Chairwoman Bice, for her leadership on this.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have any additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The second bill we are considering today from the Modernization Subcommittee is H.R. 7593, the Modernizing the Congressional Research Service's Access to Data Act, which aims to address issues regarding CRS' access to Federal data.

As with the first bill, CRS itself has asked for this change, and it is a change that will again help the agency keep up with the times. When CRS' statute was developed in the 1970s, it stated that Federal agencies need to comply with data requests from Congress to serve congressional committees, and it mentions that CRS is responsible for otherwise assisting offices with informational requests, too. This stems from the committee-centric nature of Congress at the time.

However, given the lack of explicit reference to personal offices, CRS indicated to the Modernization Subcommittee that they, at times, have struggled to access necessary information from Federal agencies to execute their mission of serving committees and individual personal offices alike.

CRS should be able to update reports on nationally significant issues proactively and simultaneously respond to specific Member office requests. Additionally, their access should be on par with that provided to other legislative branch support agencies, like the Congressional Budget Office, for example.

Accordingly, this bill updates the material CRS can request from Federal agencies to cover CRS' broad mission without the existing committee-specific limitation. The bill requires CRS to maintain the broad confidentiality protections for data as required by law of the agency providing the information. It also ensures the CRS director themself would oversee the process of these Member-specific requests to ensure they align with CRS' long-standing objective, nonpartisan mission, and that they would not create additional burdens for Federal agencies.

It matters to me, to our Modernization Subcommittee, and hopefully to all my colleagues here that CRS has the Federal data resources it needs to do its job, to serve Congress as we serve the people we represent.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have any additional speakers. If the chairman is prepared to close, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6513. I am proud to say this measure is the by-product of bipartisan agreement.

Article I, Section 5, Clause 1 of the Constitution grants Congress the authority to be the ``judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own Members.''

The House of Representatives serves as the final arbiter over any contest to the seating of any putative Member-elect.

Simply put, this measure, H.R. 6513, confirms Congress' constitutional authority to designated congressional staff to observe election administration procedures in congressional elections.

I am grateful to my colleague, Chairman Steil, for agreeing to address several concerns raised in committee with an earlier version of the text.

For example, we were able to agree on the need to preserve the authority of local election officials to remove an observer who is being disruptive or interfering with the elections process, as well as the additional language stating our sense that all House employees deployed as observers must adhere to the Code of Official Conduct while serving in this role.

It is important to balance transparency with security, and at a time when election officials across the country have raised concerns about safety, security, and privacy, we should hold ourselves and our staff to the highest standards.

We are glad to have worked with Chairman Steil and his staff to reach a bipartisan agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6513, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the lead sponsor of the bill, Mr. Carey,

both for his leadership on this bill and for his partnership on the Modernization Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

For the past several years, I have been part of an effort to modernize the legislative branch to ensure that this institution is working better for the American people. The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress passed 202 recommendations. Roughly two- thirds of them have been fully or partially implemented. We looked at everything from congressional capacity to outdated technology to rising polarization.

Chair Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and their staffs have been invaluable partners in these efforts.

Importantly, the FY 2025 bill includes funding for something called the Modernization Initiatives Account, which helps implement some of the open recommendations made by the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. It also includes language to address a range of other recommendations, including training for Members and staff, improving constituent services, and better use of data.

These are important efforts because it helps this institution build its capacity to better serve our constituents.

While a lot has been accomplished, lots of work on implementation remains, and this funding helps.

Now, I am disappointed that I can't vote for this bill given the partisan riders; however, I remain grateful for the worthwhile investments that are in this bill, the investment that Congress makes in itself not just for the institution but for the institution's ability to serve the people we represent.

Leaving this institution better off than we found it I think is a responsibility of each Member. It is certainly a responsibility that I will keep in mind during my final 6 months here in the institution. I am grateful, again, to the

chair and the ranking member for their leadership on this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. John Brewer. A passionate journalist and dedicated community leader, John passed away in mid-April.

I got to know John when I first ran for Congress back in 2012. From the first moments I spent with him, I learned just how deeply he cared about his community, and his passion for local journalism.

John was the consummate newsman and dedicated his professional career to the field of journalism. His first job was with the weekly Upland News in his hometown of Upland, California in 1965. From there, he went on to work with The Associated Press for 19 years as a reporter, editor, bureau chief, and executive in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.

As the Seattle bureau chief, he oversaw the coverage of the devastating 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. In Los Angeles, he oversaw the coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympics. During his 10 years as president, CEO, and editor-in-chief of The New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., he enlisted high-profile columnists, including Mikhail Gorbachev, Martha Stewart, and former President Jimmy Carter.

After a prolific career around the country, John joined the Peninsula Daily News in 1998, where he championed local journalism until his retirement in 2015.

John was heavily involved in his community in the North Olympic Peninsula, supporting over 25 nonprofits and other organizations, including the Port Angeles Downtown Association, Community Multicultural Alliance, and Peninsula Home Fund. He served on several

community boards and was a past president of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, a statewide press association.

Mr. Speaker, I join our communities of Clallam and Jefferson counties in grieving the loss of a pillar of the community, passionate and dedicated journalist, and compassionate father, brother, husband, and friend. I join John's wife, Barbara, his two sons, and the rest of his family in grieving this sudden and tragic loss.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that journalism, not just at the local level, but across the country, is better because of the dedicated work and passion of Mr. John Brewer. His impact and legacy will be felt in Port Angeles and the broader Washington State community for many, many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Confirmation Act, a critical piece of legislation that represents not only an act of justice, but a significant step toward economic revitalization and sustainable development in our region.

This bill, introduced by myself alongside my colleagues, Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Patty Murray, and Representative Marilyn Strickland, seeks to transfer over 17 acres of land currently owned by Puyallup Tribe into Federal trust.

This action is not merely administrative, it is a restoration of the Tribe's ancestral homeland, a place that holds a deep cultural and historical significance for the Puyallup people.

As the Puyallup Tribe's lands, after recent congressional redistricting, fall within the region I am privileged to represent, I am aware of the profound impact this legislation can have.

Indeed, it is not just about land. It is about enabling the Puyallup Tribe to further diversify and expand economic opportunities, to spur job creation at the Port of Tacoma and along the Tacoma waterfront, a vision of prosperity that benefits not only the Tribe, but the entire South Puget Sound region.

When we introduced this bill, I pointed out that this legislation will help restore the Tribe's homelands, ensuring the Tribe can continue to diversify and grow economic opportunities and create jobs across our region. I stand by those words today, committed to ensuring that the Federal Government upholds its trust and treaty obligations.

Last year, I attended the State of the Union address with Puyallup Tribal Chairman Bill Sterud as my guest. Chairman Sterud joined the Puyallup Tribal Council in 1978 and has served as chairman and vice- chairman several times since his first election.

Chairman Sterud is a proud father and grandfather of a University of Washington Husky, who frequently gives welcomes to incoming students at the UW Tacoma and graduates at UW commencement, and someone who cares deeply about his people and those who live in the surrounding community.

In his own words, Chairman Sterud believes that the land into trust act will help the Tribe diversify its economy and bring critical infrastructure and business to the Tribe's port development and the entire region. In other words, this is a game changer for the Puyallup Tribe.

Our Federal Government has a solemn duty to ensure that Tribal communities are afforded the same opportunities that have spurred growth and prosperity across other communities in our State and Nation. Moreover, by putting this land into trust, Congress

can help unlock a host of Federal programs and services that can catalyze significant economic development and infrastructure investments for the Puyallup Tribe and surrounding communities.

In Washington State, this proposal has garnered widespread support not only from within the Tribe, but also from the city of Tacoma, from Pierce County, from Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and the team at the Port of Tacoma.

This broad base of community support underscores the mutual benefits anticipated from this action, benefits that will surely extend well beyond the boundaries of the land in question, fostering a more vibrant, healthy, and economically robust Puget Sound region.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Confirmation Act. I thank the gentlewoman from across the aisle for her support of it. I thank my colleague for her support of it.

Let us take this step together as a forward-looking investment in the economic vitality and cultural richness of the Pacific northwest.

Moving forward, Congress can honor its commitments to Native nations, respect our shared history, and work hand in hand with Tribes like the Puyallup to build a future of prosperity and partnership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Gary Nelson for his many years of public service to our community as he enters his retirement. As the Executive Director of the Port of Grays Harbor for nearly 24 years, Mr. Nelson has demonstrated unparalleled leadership and advocacy for the Grays Harbor community.

Mr. Nelson joined the Port of Grays Harbor in 2000, when there were only 21 vessel calls handling 85,000 tons of cargo. When Mr. Nelson stepped into leadership, the Port of Grays Harbor, like many other communities in my district, had fallen on hard times when the timber industry took it on the chin. Some folks feared that good things couldn't happen in Grays Harbor County anymore.

But not Gary. Under his visionary leadership over the last 24 years, the number of vessel calls increased nearly 500 percent, and the number of metric tons of cargo was up over 3 million in 2023.

During his tenure at the Port of Grays Harbor, Mr. Nelson oversaw the diversification of the Port's revenue streams and business ventures. This includes the operations at Satsop Business Park and recreational facilities at Friends Landing. He oversaw more than $275 million in private investment throughout Port facilities, as weII as millions of dollars in federal and state grants to modernize and improve the Westport Marina, Marine Terminals in Aberdeen, and the Bowerman Airport, positioning the Port to accommodate current and future economic growth.

Gary's leadership will continue to impact the entire region for years to come. Put simply, because of Gary Nelson, there are people in Grays Harbor who now have jobs. Because of Gary Nelson, there are families that can now put food on the table. Because of Gary Nelson, the future for our region is brighter.

Beyond his local impact, Mr. Nelson is a nationally recognized leader in the industry. He served as the Chair of the American Association of Port Authorities from 2019 to 2020, chaired the Washington Public Ports Association Legislative Committee, and served on the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Executive Board.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud and thank Gary Nelson for his amazing tenure. Gary's passionate and caring stewardship of the Port of Grays Harbor has impacted the future of the community and shown that not only can good things happen in Grays Harbor County--great things can. I wish him the best in his retirement. He will be sorely missed. I am pleased to recognize Mr. Gary Nelson in the United States Congress.