[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H10105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING SERVICE OF AMY PORTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
outstanding service of Amy Porter, my chief of staff for 17 years, 
including the last 6 years on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Amy is a 
skillful manager and leader who has been central to everything I have 
accomplished in Congress.
  Amy has been a tremendous asset to my office in no small part because 
she has the heart for tackling some of the toughest issues and the 
drive to see them through. She ensured that issues like combating human 
trafficking and protecting children in adversity were front and center 
to our agenda.
  When I became chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, she encouraged 
us to use this platform to call attention to the plight of 
disadvantaged groups around the world, particularly women and girls. 
This included holding a series of hearings on ways the United States 
could support women's empowerment around the globe, from promoting 
girls' education to women's inclusion in peace processes.
  But, of course, Amy made sure we didn't stop there. She pressed us to 
develop solutions that would make a difference. As a result, the 
committee has passed many pieces of legislation--the READ Act; the 
Women, Peace, and Security Act; and the Women's Entrepreneurship and 
Economic Empowerment Act--that will give more women and girls a voice 
in decisions affecting their lives.
  Amy traveled during her personal time to Cambodia and to India to 
work in orphanages and shelters, helping young girls subjected to human 
trafficking. She was relentless in helping me press governments on 
human rights, from the discriminating treatment toward those some still 
call the untouchables, the Dalits of India, to the genocide of the 
Rohingya of Myanmar, to female victims of trafficking and abuse 
worldwide.
  From day one, Amy has understood how to reach out and connect with my 
constituents. When she announced over a decade ago that I should hold 
an annual event for women in my district to network and learn more 
about what I was doing in Washington, others were quickly dismissive. 
They questioned whether women who weren't already involved in politics 
would be interested in attending lectures on various policy issues or 
foreign affairs. However, 1,000 women in my district came to our 
seventh annual conference to hear former Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice discuss lessons from her career.
  That is the amazing thing about Amy. For her, it is never enough to 
point out a problem. She possesses an unshakeable drive to make this 
world a better place, and the vision and leadership to realize even the 
most lofty ambitions.
  It is thanks to her dedication that we were able to bring hundreds of 
adopted children home from Congo to their legal parents in the United 
States after their exit visas were suspended. Children stuck in filthy 
and underfunded orphanages were dying. Amy heard about it and traveled 
to Kinshasa on these children's behalf.
  When she landed, she ran into a protest against the government. She 
continued on, made her case, and was rebuffed. She vowed to return.
  She returned with a congressional delegation, which I led, and thanks 
to her effort, hundreds of American families now have new members whose 
lives are better beyond comprehension. These families thank Amy. My 
constituents thank Amy.
  Thank you, Amy Porter, for your 20 years of service to this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I know when her daughter, Sara Jo, is old enough, she 
will thank Amy for what she has done for the empowerment of women and 
for what Amy has done for Sara Jo.

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