[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 12 (Monday, January 23, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S385-S386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO TODD NOVASCONE

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I would like to take just a few moments of 
the Senate's time this evening. We all work in an environment in which 
we are surrounded by dedicated people. One of those in my world, Todd 
Novascone, who has been my chief of staff for 12 years, has had his 
last day of work in our office today. I wanted to take just a few 
moments to pay tribute to him and others like him.

[[Page S386]]

  I think we are here because we want to make a difference. I have no 
doubt that is the case for my 99 colleagues here on the Senate floor, 
but it is also true for all the folks who work here in the Senate 
Chamber, who work in our individual offices, and who work in the 
committees. The goal is to be in the Nation's Capital in the hope that 
we can make better things happen for America. I have had the privilege 
of being surrounded by many dedicated individuals--most of them 
Kansans--over the period of time that I have served in the Congress of 
the United States of America. I know that my ability to work on behalf 
of Kansans and on behalf of the citizens of our Nation is greatly 
altered and improved by the fact that people who care about America, 
who care about our home State, are there by my side. One of those most 
important to me has been my chief of staff.

  Todd was an elected official in his own right. He was elected to the 
Kansas House of Representatives and served there with distinction. 
Twelve years ago, back in the days when I was a Member of the U.S. 
House of Representatives, I asked him to uproot his family and move to 
Washington, DC, and assume the task of managing our office and helping 
accomplish the things that we all wanted to accomplish. He has done it 
with great style and with grace and with friendship. He has been the 
person who has motivated us to do better and has always done it in a 
way in which we felt good about what we were doing, in a management 
style that made us feel good about ourselves, bringing us together, not 
taking us apart, making certain we knew that the outcome was important, 
but how we got there--matters that are important to us as individuals, 
as human beings with integrity, doing things right, telling the truth--
those things were always honored and achieved because of his 
leadership.
  People are hard to replace, and Todd is especially difficult to 
replace. I spend almost every week in the Nation's Capital, away from 
my own family. Like many people here in the Senate, those who work in 
our offices become part of our family. That is certainly true with the 
people who work in my office today. I feel that, although when I came 
to Congress I was more their age, now there is a significantly wider 
gap in the age of our staff and me. But my wife and I believe that I am 
surrounded by people who are part of our family, and Todd is certainly 
that. In fact, his family grew while he was my chief of staff. His two 
children, Grace and Will, were born during the days of his time as an 
employee in our office. Again, as a reminder about how to put things in 
perspective, he was always taking care of his kids. He was always there 
for their school activities, part of the school board, involved in 
their athletic and musical activities. That is a good thing for a chief 
of staff to know because if it is important to him, he will make 
certain that his commitment is permitted, honored, and encouraged by 
those who work in the office.
  So tonight, I just want to say thank you to Todd Novascone from 
Hanover, KS, who decided to devote 12 years of his life here in the 
Nation's Capital, trying to make things better, trying to make our 
office work well, and trying to achieve the things all of us want to 
achieve for our Nation. So, Todd Novascone, thank you for a job well 
done, thank you for being my friend, and thank you for the way you have 
conducted yourself on my behalf.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

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