[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 64 (Thursday, April 30, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2543-S2544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WELCOMING THE GUEST CHAPLAIN

  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to welcome to this body a 
friend and a fellow North Carolinian, Peter Milner. Chaplain Milner 
serves the North Carolina General Assembly as the State's senate 
chaplain.
  A fellow Demon Deacon and an alumna of Wake Forest, he received his 
undergraduate degree in sociology and religion. While at Wake Forest, 
Chaplain Milner was instrumental in the creation of the Wake Forest 
Volunteer Service Corps, which engages hundreds of students, faculty, 
and staff to participate in community-based organizations.
  After completing his undergraduate work at Wake Forest, he went on to 
earn his master's in secondary social studies education to become a 
high school teacher. Called to the ministry after his first year of 
teaching, he attended Duke Divinity School, where he thrived in his 
role as resident coordinator of Emmaus House in Raleigh, which provides 
safe, affordable housing for working homeless men recovering from 
substance dependency. Chaplain Milner's devotion to and passion for 
helping the homeless is unwavering and very clear. I saw it for myself 
when I first met Peter a few years ago at a homeless center in Raleigh, 
NC.
  Besides his tireless work on behalf of the homeless, Chaplain Milner 
has been instrumental in improving the lives of students, medical 
patients, and--a cause very important to North Carolinians, including 
me--our Nation's veterans. Because of his work as an outreach 
specialist for veterans at StepUp Ministry, Chaplain Milner established 
an important link between veterans in need and the business community. 
His hard work continues to help struggling veterans achieve stable 
lives through employment counseling and life skills training.
  The North Carolina General Assembly is blessed to have a man who has 
devoted his life to causes much larger than himself. But of all that he 
has accomplished in life so far, he says his greatest accomplishment is 
being a husband to his bride of 13 years, Anna, and a father to their 
two beautiful children, Silas and Josie, who are all with us today.
  Chaplain Milner, I thank you for leading our Chamber in prayer today, 
and I welcome you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I thank Chaplain Milner for being here.
  I want to talk about a friend. He is somebody who blessed our 
legislature during the time I was speaker of the house.
  I will not repeat all of the things Peter has done for the community. 
I want to speak specifically about what he has done for the State 
chamber and the general assembly, the part where I was speaker. He was 
a calm presence in an otherwise chaotic environment called the 
legislative body--not unlike the one we have here. He is always 
somebody you can look to for guidance, support, and for inspiration, 
and for that, I thank him.
  I will also say--you notice he is a little bit tall. He played 
basketball at Wake.
  We have this rivalry with South Carolina. We play basketball every 
year. We get together and we either travel down to South Carolina or 
the legislature comes here. I played on that basketball team for 4 
years. In each of those 4 years, we were hopeful that Peter would play 
with us, but for some reason he didn't. Now, the only thing that I see 
differently--he is playing this year, since my departure.
  I hope your decision to play isn't because of my exit, Peter.
  I thank you for being here and for your contribution to the 
community. I welcome your family, who I believe is in the Chamber 
today. I hope you enjoy today.

[[Page S2544]]

  On behalf of all Members who benefit from your guidance and your 
spiritual presence and guidance in the State of North Carolina and the 
general assembly, thank you, and welcome.

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