[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 10, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4859-S4860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Tribute to Thomas Stephenson

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, today I would like to recognize a very 
special Michigander. It is my pleasure to welcome Tom Stephenson of 
Greenville, MI, and his family to Washington, DC, and to have them in 
the Senate Gallery right now. Tom is joined by his parents Hollie and 
Mark, as well as his younger sister Sarah.
  Today Tom is fulfilling his wish to be a U.S. Senator for a day with 
the assistance of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It is truly an honor to 
partner with Make-A-Wish to grant Tom's wish.
  This wonderful organization creates life-changing wishes for children 
with critical illnesses, giving them and their families meaningful 
experiences while bringing communities together.
  Tom discovered his passion for government and politics at 8 years old 
when he joined his grandmother on a trip to Washington, DC. During that 
trip, Tom met with legislators to advocate for heart defect research. 
Today he is getting a firsthand look at a day in the life of a U.S. 
Senator.
  From my weekly constituent coffee to meetings with my fellow 
Senators, briefings, interviews, and even a conference call with the 
Michigan media, U.S. Senator-for-a-Day Stephenson is getting the full 
experience.
  I am always inspired when I meet young people interested in public 
service, and I am impressed that Tom chose serving as a U.S. Senator 
for a day as his wish.
  One issue that Tom is particularly concerned about is college 
affordability and how his generation will prepare for the future. This 
is a concern I share with Tom and that I know many of my fellow 
Michiganders share with us. Here in the Senate, I am working to ensure 
everyone has access to the skills and education that are vital to 
joining the modern workforce and competing in today's global economy.
  I introduced legislation that will reduce the pricetag for higher 
education by allowing students to complete college-level courses while 
they are still in high school. I will continue to work with my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find commonsense solutions 
that will help make higher education more affordable.
  I would like to thank my colleague from West Virginia, Senator 
Capito, for taking time out of her day to meet with me and Tom this 
morning. We wanted to show him that there is real bipartisanship in the 
Senate. We discussed how we worked together to enact legislation that 
will help recent graduates who have defaulted on their loans repair 
their credit and get back on track.
  All of us in the Senate should draw inspiration from Tom. At a time 
when our country is increasingly polarized and politics can feel toxic, 
we need smart, hard-working young people to recommit to public service 
and to making our country a better place.
  At 18, Tom is still 12 years away from being eligible to serve as a 
U.S. Senator, but his passion for our government gives me faith in the 
future and that our future is bright.
  I would like to thank Tom for taking the trip to Washington and 
spending a long day with me, my colleagues, and my staff. I hope Tom 
leaves the Senate today with an even deeper interest in our government 
and a better idea about how we can work together to improve the lives 
of Michiganders and all Americans.
  Although Tom's term as ``Senator for a Day'' winds down tonight, I am 
committed to serving as his advocate and voice here. As he prepares to 
start his freshman year at Michigan State University, I am proud to 
welcome Tom both as a fellow Senator and as a fellow Spartan. I look 
forward to everything he will accomplish in the coming years and 
decades.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.

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