[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 18 (Thursday, January 25, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Tribute to Jonathan Miller

  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I rise to honor a member of my staff, 
Jonathan Miller, who has dedicated his life to serving his country and 
his State.
  Not only does Jonathan serve the people of Ohio each day on our 
staff, helping Ohio servicemembers and veterans, but he also wears the 
uniform himself, first as a member of the National Guard and now as a 
member of the Army Reserve. Earlier this month was his last day in the 
office for a year as his unit is deploying to fight for our country.
  Jonathan grew up in Macedonia, OH, and graduated from Nordonia High 
School and Ohio University. In 2011, while working toward his master's 
degree, he enlisted in the National Guard. Jon told me he enlisted, in 
part, because he was ``inspired by the debate and repeal of Don't Ask, 
Don't Tell and the stories of veterans in my family,'' like so many who 
join the armed services because of patriotism, family values, and 
family precedent.
  He said: ``The Army seemed like the place for me to help my community 
and my country and to experience new people, places, and ideas.''
  Jonathan went through officer candidate school in 2013 and now serves 
with the 300th Chemical Company, Army Reserve, out of Morgantown, WV. 
He has worked in our office since 2015 and has impressed all of us with 
his dedication to both of his jobs. In the Senate, he handles veterans 
and military issues along with energy and environmental policy. He has 
read, literally, thousands of letters from Ohio servicemembers and 
veterans over the years and has always worked to make sure their views 
and concerns have been heard and that our office has helped them 
whenever we have been able to. He has often called the families 
directly to follow up and listen to their stories.
  In 2016, during a meeting with the Gold Star Wives of America, Jon 
learned that education benefits for some spouses who had lost their 
loved ones in the earliest days following 9/11 would expire before they 
could make full use of this benefit their families had earned. He 
immediately brought this issue to my attention, and we worked to 
introduce the Military Spouses Achieving College Education for 
Survivors Act. We passed this bipartisan legislation as part of a 
larger veterans package that will directly affect veterans and their 
families in my State, in Nebraska, and other States across the country.
  Jonathan has played a critical role in ensuring that our military 
installations in my State have the support they need to perform 
critical national security missions--from the 180th in Toledo and the 
910 in Youngstown, to Camp Ravenna, to the base in my hometown of 
Mansfield, to Springfield, and of course to Wright-Patterson Air Force 
Base. He often attends visiting Ohio Honor Flight ceremonies, 
representing our office and supporting Ohio veterans who visit the 
memorials that have been built in their honor.
  His love for the outdoors and for Ohio has also shone through in his 
work on issues like protecting the Great Lakes, including the Great 
Lakes Restoration Initiative and in preserving the Cuyahoga Valley 
National Park, which is near his childhood home.
  I would add that Ohio is one of the lucky States east of the 
Mississippi in that it is one of the few States that has a national 
park, and it is not far from the population centers of Cleveland and 
Akron. Even though the Trump administration tried to zero out--the way 
we talk about it--or dramatically cut funding for the Great Lakes 
Restoration Initiative, I and Senator Portman, a Republican, worked 
together to restore that funding.
  We know keeping Lake Erie clean is an ongoing challenge. Right off 
the city of Toledo, Lake Erie is only 30 feet deep, contrasted with 
Lake Superior, which is 600 feet deep, on the average. That means, 
whether it is Ashtabula and Cleveland in Lake County to the east or it 
is Toledo to the west, Lake Erie is much more vulnerable to pollutants 
than are the other Great Lakes. This is why the work Jonathan does is 
so important in keeping that Great Lake clean.
  At the end of the week, while others might look forward to a relaxing 
weekend with family and friends, so often, Jonathan heads out for drill 
with his unit. He used to drive from Washington to Illinois and, later, 
to West Virginia for the weekend as part of his service. Now his unit 
is deploying. While we will miss his expertise, his enthusiasm, and his 
unique perspective in this office this year, we are also so grateful 
for his service to Ohio and to our country.
  One final note, before his deployment, last month, Jon got engaged to 
his partner Kevin. Jon and Kevin will join so many of Ohio's military 
families who understand the unique challenges of having a family member 
serving far from home.
  One of the things that is so important that we as Members of the 
Senate must do is recognize the service of our men and women in 
uniform. We should also recognize the importance of the service and 
sacrifice of those family members who are left behind and who often 
live in the margins financially.
  On behalf of my whole office, we congratulate Jon and Kevin on their 
engagement. We wish Jon well on his tour overseas, and we thank him for 
his sacrifice and his service.