Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on behalf of the entire 6th Congressional District of Indiana, to recognize Doug Rose for his contribution to our state.

Doug is the President of Irwin R. Rose & Company, which owns and manages thousands of housing rental properties across the country. Doug is an extraordinary man who, in addition to being a successful businessman, has continually invested his time and resources into our state. It has been an honor to work with him in advancing our shared Republican principles.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Doug for nearly two decades. To me, Doug has been a friend, supporter and trusted advisor during my entire tenure in Congress. We have worked particularly closely over the past year and a half. Doug is smart, hardworking and full of integrity. Simply put, Doug is a leader and person who I greatly admire.

I want to thank Doug for his friendship and loyalty to me over all these years. I wish him continued success in all that God has planned for his family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a longtime friend and member of my staff, Doug Menorca, for his work in my office and his service to our state.

Doug has served as my Chief of Staff throughout my entire time in Congress. His dedication to our team has been unmatched, and there's no doubt I could not have done this job without him. As the leader of our staff, he was the glue that held our team together. Doug has also been a trusted adviser and incredible friend to my family and me.

On a personal note, words cannot express my gratitude to Doug for his help in this journey. Generations ago, Harry Truman famously said, ``if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.'' That's a funny line, but Truman was wrong. I believe that if you want a friend in Washington, you better find a partner. And, I am proud and grateful that Doug Menorca was my loyal partner in this effort.

The Messer family thanks the Menorca family for all their help through the years. We wish Doug, Diane and Sam continued success in all that God has planned for their family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on behalf of the entire 6th Congressional District of Indiana, to recognize Craig Dunn for his contribution to our state.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Craig for more than a decade. Craig served Howard County as the GOP Chairman for nearly my entire tenure in Congress. Although Howard County is not in my district, we have grown to become close friends and he remains a trusted advisor to me. Craig served the County with honor and distinction for years, and I have no doubt that our state is better off today due to his extraordinary leadership and service.

I want to thank Craig for his friendship and loyalty to me over all these years. I wish him continued success in all that God has planned for his family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the entire 6th Congressional District of Indiana, to recognize Brian and Christine Brammer for their contribution to our state.

We first met over a decade ago, as the Brammers were our friends and neighbors who lived two houses down from our home in Shelbyville. Brian is a CPA and a partner at Brammer & Yeend Professional Corporation, which provides accounting services to small businesses and individuals. Like me, Brian overachieved in marriage. His wife, Christine, is very involved in the local community and worked with my wife Jennifer at the local nonprofit, Girls Inc. of Shelbyville. Brian also serves on the Board at Girls Inc. Brian and Christine are the proud parents of two great kids--Jack and Katie.

The Brammers were among my earliest supporters in my political journey in Congress. I want to thank them for their friendship and loyalty to me over all these years. The Messer family cherishes the time we get to spend with them and wish Brian, Christine, Jack and Katie all the best in whatever God has planned for their family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on behalf of the entire 6th Congressional District of Indiana, to recognize Craig Snow for his contribution to our state.

During my entire tenure in Congress, Craig has been a loyal friend and wise adviser. Craig is also a leader in Indiana's agriculture industry, serving as an executive at Silveus Insurance Group. Our state is better off today because of his extraordinary leadership and service.

On a personal note, Craig is a brother in Christ. I have appreciated his prayers and encouragement over the years. I want to thank him for his friendship and support of my work in Congress. I wish him continued success in all that God has planned for his family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the entire 6th Congressional District of Indiana, to recognize Devin and Shelby Anderson for their contribution to our state.

Devin serves as the President and CEO of E&A Industries and has helped the business grow from a regional company to an international conglomerate. He also has served in a number of political and governmental leadership positions in the Republican Party, including as Chief of Staff to Indiana Congressman David McIntosh and U.S. Senator Dan Coats. There is no doubt that our state is better off today due to his extraordinary leadership and service.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Devin and Shelby for more than two decades. I first met Devin when we were both working for Congressman David McIntosh in Washington. Devin and Shelby are a couple of my favorite people who I have met along this journey. They are serious people who don't take themselves too seriously. Despite their many successes, they both understand the importance of putting faith and family first.

I want to thank Devin and Shelby for their friendship and loyalty to me over all these years. I wish them continued success in all that God has planned for their family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on behalf of the entire 6th Congressional District of Indiana, to recognize Earl Goode for his contribution to our state.

Earl is an institution in Indiana and has devoted his career to helping improve the lives of our fellow Hoosiers. We worked together with Governor Daniels to enact school choice legislation that has given low-income families across the state better educational opportunities. After working for Governor Daniels, Earl served as the President of Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board of Managers and now serves as the Chief of Staff for Governor Holcomb. It has been an honor to work with Earl, and I know our state is better off today because of his extraordinary leadership and service.

On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of knowing Earl for nearly two decades. Simply put: Earl Goode is my friend and mentor. I want to thank him for his friendship, wise counsel and loyalty to me over all these years. I wish him continued success in all that God has planned for his family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on behalf of the entire 6th Congressional District of Indiana, to congratulate Congressman-elect Greg Pence on his election victory.

Greg will be an outstanding Congressman for Indiana's 6th District and will fight for working Hoosiers every day. Greg is a lifelong 6th District resident, an accomplished small businessman, a family man and a veteran U.S. Marine Corps officer.

Like me, Greg overachieved in marriage. He and his wife Denise are proud to call Columbus home. They have raised their family, built a business and continue to create jobs in the 6th District. I thank Greg and Denise for their continued service and look forward to all they will accomplish for the 6th District in Congress.

On a personal note, Greg Pence is my friend. I would like to thank Greg for many years of loyal friendship, candid advice and wise counsel. I could not be prouder to call him our next Congressman for Indiana's Sixth District. Without a doubt, Greg Pence is Ready to Serve, Again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a former member of my staff, Katie Trudeau, for her work in my office and her service to our state.

Katie worked in my Indiana office for nearly a year, serving as one of my most senior staffers. Katie has an incredible work ethic and was a tremendous asset to our organization. She brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to our team and was someone I could rely on for on the ground political advice.

On a personal note, I admire Katie's commitment to her faith and family. Katie works very hard and delivers great results. But, you always have the sense that Katie's priorities are in the right order. She is the kind of leader who prays for her friends and always seems to recall the right quote from scripture.

I want to thank Katie for her friendship and her hard work in our office. I wish her continued success in all that God has planned for her family. I have no doubt Katie's biggest impact on our nation are yet to come. I look forward to cheering Katie on in those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a former member of my staff, Jennifer Hallowell, for her work in my office and her service to our state.

I've known Jen for more than two decades and during that time, she has become a close friend and trusted adviser. Since our time together at the Indiana State Republican Party, Jen has proven herself to be one of our state's top political minds. There's no doubt that I wouldn't be where I am today with Jen's counsel and help every step of the way.

On a personal note, Jen is a talented leader and loyal friend. She has already impacted our state in extraordinary ways. But, I am certain that her biggest impact is yet to come.

I want to thank Jen for her friendship and dedication to our work. I wish her and her husband, Kyle, continued success in all that God has planned for their family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a longtime member of my staff, Josh Webb, for his work in my office and his service to our state.

Josh has been on our team from the very beginning and has worked in a variety of capacities in our office, both in our Indiana and Washington, D.C. offices. He started as a field representative over six years ago, has been promoted five times, and cunently serves as my District Director. In that role, he has organized hundreds of events, managed and developed our Indiana outreach strategy, handled our constituent casework services program, and has become one of my most trusted advisors.

On a personal note, Josh and I share a love of the life lessons of sports and a commitment to putting family first in our life. Josh has been my advisor, but more importantly, I consider Josh my friend. I appreciate his patience and consistent good humor as we traveled together throughout the 6th District.

I wish Josh continued success in all that God has planned for him and his family. I have no doubt Josh's biggest impact on our state and nation are yet to come. I look forward to cheering Josh on in those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a longtime member of my staff, Molly Gillaspie, for her work in my office and her service to our state.

Molly served as my Communications Director for more than a year in my Washington, D.C. office and continued working in Indiana as part of our team throughout the past year. Molly was responsible for all my official communications and media relations, which included writing press releases, speeches, opinion editorials and more. Molly is an outstanding member of our staff who always came to work with a smile on her face. I am truly grateful for everything she has done for our team.

On a personal note, I admire Molly's commitment to her family. Molly works very hard and delivers great results. But, you always have the sense that Molly's priorities are in the right order.

I want to thank Molly for her friendship and dedication to our work. I wish her and her husband, Adam, continued success in all that God has planned for their family. I have no doubt Molly's biggest impact on our state and nation are yet to come. I look forward to cheering Molly on in those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a former member of my staff, Jason Kneeland, for his work in my office and his service to our state.

Jason served as my Chief of Staff in Indiana for nearly two years. In that role, he managed our district offices, improved our constituent outreach programs, and oversaw our political operations. Jason is one of our state's top political minds and there is no doubt that I wouldn't be where I am today without his counsel.

On a personal note, Jason and I share a love of the life lessons of sports and a commitment to putting faith and family first. He is one of my favorite people to talk to. I want to thank Jason for his friendship and his hard work in our office. I wish him continued success in all God has planned for him and his family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a longtime member of my staff, John Huston, for his work in my office and his service to our state.

John has been on our team from the very beginning and has worked in a variety of capacities in our office, both in our Indiana and Washington, D.C. offices. He started as an unpaid intern over seven years ago, has been promoted five times, and currently serves as my Legislative Director. During his time in our office he developed and wrote numerous bills, helped guide several of my bills through enactment, and has become one of my most trusted advisors.

On a personal note, John and I share a love of the life lessons of sports and a commitment to putting faith and family first in our life. John has been my advisor, but more importantly, I consider John my friend. Over these years, it has been a joy to watch John grow as a leader, as a Christian and as a man. I am very proud of him.

I wish John continued success in all that God has planned for him and his family. I have no doubt John's biggest impact on our state and nation are yet to come. I look forward to cheering John on in those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a former member of my staff, Jason Grassie, for his work in my office and his service to our state.

Jason served as the Legislative Director in my Washington, D.C. office for nearly two years. During that time, he developed and wrote numerous pieces of legislation, helped guide several of my bills through enactment, and became one of my most trusted advisers. Jason was an effective leader for the rest of the legislative team and I'll always appreciate his dedication to the success of our office.

On a personal note, Jason and I share a love of the life lessons of sports and a commitment to putting faith and family first in our life. Jason has been my advisor, but more importantly, I consider Jason my friend.

I wish Jason continued success in all that God has planned for him and his family. I have no doubt Jason's biggest impact on our state and nation are yet to come. I look forward to cheering Jason on in those efforts.