[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 181 (Thursday, November 15, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9532-H9533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF DAMON P. NELSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Conaway) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise also this morning to honor the life 
and legacy of my friend, Damon Nelson.
  A lot of wonderful, lofty things have been said about him this 
morning in this Chamber. Every single one of those was true. I 
certainly identify with each and every one of those remarks. I will not 
repeat those but will walk a different path.
  I did not realize the extent to which Damon impacted staffing across 
the Hill. Once he passed, I began to get information about folks whose 
lives had been touched and whose careers here in Washington had been 
started as a result of being hired and mentored by Damon over the 
years. There are people on my personal staff whom I did not realize had 
a direct connection to Damon because he had started their careers here 
in Congress and on the Hill through his mentorship and help.
  I got to know Damon extremely well as a result of working on the 
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and his role as staff 
director, particularly when I took over running the Russia 
investigation. Damon was my direct contact with the staff. He did a 
masterful job at trying to expeditiously conduct that investigation, 
making sure that we dotted the i's and crossed the t's, making some 
really difficult decisions as we walked that path.
  In addition to that, Damon handled the rest of the business of the 
Intelligence Committee, that important business that continues to go on 
in addition to the Russian investigation, doing a masterful job of 
shepherding all of that responsibility. He did it with class. He did it 
with a calmness and a self-assuredness that made it work.
  Damon's humor and, yes, sarcasm, which has been mentioned often 
today, was a signature of his, but he used it well and in an 
appropriate manner. It was never in a hurtful or harmful manner, but to 
keep up the atmosphere.
  Mr. Speaker, Damon's memory will live on in all our lives. Those of 
us who knew him will not forget him. He was that kind of an individual.
  Obviously, my heart and prayers go out to his wife, Dana, and his 
family. He adored, loved, and worshipped his wife. She is in a hurting 
place today, as is his family.
  All of us who knew him as a friend will miss him. Mr. Speaker, I miss 
my friend.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart).
  Mr. STEWART. Mr. Speaker, I also rise to honor my good friend, Damon. 
He was a dear friend, trusted colleague, loving husband, and a warrior 
who loved and served his country. We will miss him.
  Very briefly, I would like to make the observation that the staffs 
that we work with here on the Hill are some of the finest men and women 
in the country, and the staff that we work with on the Intelligence 
Committee is the finest of them all. Damon was their leader. He was 
looked to for his leadership, for his compassion, for his humanity, and 
for his example of what it meant to be a warrior.
  I also have to mention his family, as we honor them as well. Some of 
you know that I wear my father's Air Force wings. My brothers have 
served in the Air Force. I served in the Air Force. So did Damon's 
family.
  Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting his father and mother, both 
retired Air Force who have served valiantly and served proudly, also 
his brother. I have to mention his wife, an Air Force colonel, who is a 
leader, a rock.
  Having met her, I can tell you that I would follow her into battle. 
She is a great example of the finest young men and women that our 
Nation has to offer. This family has proven that they love their 
country by serving their country. We honor them in this small way today 
in the words that we say.
  Damon, God bless you. To Damon's family, God bless you. Thank you for

[[Page H9533]]

generations of service to your country and for being an example to all 
of us.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, we had an opportunity yesterday to share 
with Dana, his wife, his mom and step-dad and hear the staff talk about 
Damon. It was clear that Damon had created a family, that they loved 
him, that they respected him as a professional, and that his leadership 
was evident across this entire exchange. It was heartwarming to hear 
those stories about Damon and the way he led the staff of the 
committee.
  We will miss him. I ask our Nation to continue to pray for his wife 
and family as they walk this dark path, knowing that he made this world 
a better place to live and that he helped mightily across a long period 
of time to help protect us from some really bad folks.
  We love you, Damon Nelson, and we will miss you.

                          ____________________