[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 114 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        HONORING THE SERVICE AND DEDICATION OF RUSSELL T. VOUGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JEB HENSARLING

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 2010

  Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Russell T. Vought's 
service to the United States Congress, our nation and the cause of 
individual liberty.
  Russ began his service to the Congress immediately following his 
graduation from Wheaton College (Illinois) in 1998. After working 
briefly for retiring Senator Dan Coats, Russ joined the staff of Texas' 
senior senator and my political mentor, Senator Phil Gramm. During the 
four years Russ served on Senator Gramm's policy staff, he became a 
student of legislative procedure and mastered federal budget policy.
  Russ joined my staff as Policy Director shortly after I was sworn-
into office in 2003. He served as my top advisor on budget issues and 
worked tirelessly to help me develop the Family Budget Protection Act, 
which was heralded by pro-taxpayer organizations as the ``Gold 
Standard'' of budget enforcement legislation. For several years, Russ 
provided invaluable counsel to me on tax, entitlement and spending 
policy and worked with me to author three federal fiscal year budgets.
  When I was elected Chairman of the Republican Study Committee for the 
110th Congress, I asked Russ to become the committee's Executive 
Director. Russ worked with me and the 100-plus members of the committee 
with integrity and an unwavering devotion to the conservative 
principles that we share.
  At the beginning of the 111th Congress, my friend Chairman Mike Pence 
asked Russ to serve the House Republican Conference as his Policy 
Director. In addition to managing the Conference's policy staff, which 
is the main hub of information and analysis for all Republican House 
Members and their staff, he serves as its principal advisor on a broad 
range of issues, specializing in budget, appropriations, Social 
Security, legislative procedure, and entitlements.
  As Russ' work with me and my colleagues comes to a close, I reflect 
most fondly upon the unpopular and lonely legislative battles that we 
faced together. As a wise person once said, ``True friendship isn't 
about being there when it's convenient; it's about being there when 
it's not.''
  I take heart knowing that Russ's service to the cause of liberty will 
continue in whichever path he chooses for his life. He personifies the 
conservative movement and his devotion to the constitutional, limited 
government principles is second-to-none.
  Madam Speaker, I wish my conservative brother and, most importantly, 
my friend Russ Vought, best wishes for the future.

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