[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 181 (Thursday, November 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING EMILY FAY REESE

  Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I rise to honor a dear friend. Her 
name was Emily Fay Reese, who passed away on November 3 at the young 
age of 44 after 8 years of battling colon cancer.
  Emily was a source of strength and a beacon of light in the Reno 
community. She radiated love and kindness to every person she met, and 
her loss will be felt by every single person whose life she touched.
  She loved and adored her three children, Madeline, KJ, and Thomas, 
who are living legacies and testaments to the amazing person that Emily 
was.
  ``Live life, love life, and impact others,'' these are the words 
Emily lived by and wanted to share with the rest of the world. During 
her life, she embodied this simple message--giving life and love, doing 
all she could to make a difference in the lives of others. She did this 
first as a public school teacher, and after her cancer diagnosis she 
became a person on a mission to educate us all about the importance of 
accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for everyone.
  Before her passing, Emily wished for her friends and family to honor 
her by voting. She recognized how consequential elections were to 
building a better future for her children and her country. Emily was 
proud that she was able to vote early and cast her ballot to make sure 
her voice was heard in Nevada. Even in the final days of her life, she 
continued to fight for all of us.
  Her advocacy was one way for her to impact others, and she fought to 
protect the healthcare of Nevadans by using her diagnosis to openly 
talk about what it was like to live with a terminal diagnosis and the 
difference that the Affordable Care Act had made in extending and 
improving the quality of her life. She reminded us that the ACA meant 
that she could spend her time with her children instead of worrying 
about bills and bankruptcy.
  The last time I saw Emily was here, on Capitol Hill, just a few 
months ago. She was advocating on behalf of our fellow Nevadans who 
rely on Medicaid to get the care they need. She was here to oppose 
massive funding cuts to the program that she said was saving her life. 
She was here to speak out against a lawsuit that would take away 
protections from Americans with preexisting conditions and to fight for 
people like her who didn't have a voice. She was a ``Battle Born'' 
woman, and with grace, dignity, and courage, she bore her fight against 
cancer and for healthcare for every American.
  Emily was a fighter; she was a mother; and she was a friend. I will 
be forever grateful for the time she spent in giving voice to the 
voiceless and for her commitment to bettering the lives of those who, 
like her, need their healthcare protected.
  Today and every day, I honor Emily's memory and continue to fight to 
protect healthcare for every Nevadan so that those who are struggling 
with illness can focus on their fights to get better, can spend time 
with their families, and live out their lives with dignity.
  Emily's legacy lives on through every life she has touched, including 
mine. Emily's legacy will continue to live on through each of us and 
through her beautiful family. I know she will continue to bless us with 
her profound light, which will guide us and give us strength through 
the good times and the bad. Knowing Emily was a blessing, and I thank 
her for her friendship.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________