[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 146 (Thursday, September 12, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5454-S5455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Tribute to Brendon Plack

  Madam President, before I close, I want to take a minute to recognize 
one of the people who has been instrumental in helping me serve South 
Dakotans throughout my time in the Senate.
  This week, my whip office chief of staff, Brendon Plack, is leaving 
my office after 14 years. He has been with me during my entire time 
here in the Senate, from the very first month on the job, and it is 
difficult to imagine the office without him.
  He started out at the bottom, as the guy who had to drive me to 
evening events so that I could squeeze in a little more work or a few 
more phone calls to South Dakota on the way. But he was always cheerful 
about it, and, even better, he drove well and never ran out of gas. It 
may not sound like a big deal, but having been subsequently stranded on 
the way to an event after running out of gas, I appreciate, as always, 
Brendon's preparedness.
  Brendon soon moved up to legislative correspondent, then to 
legislative assistant, and then up from there to policy director, 
legislative director, staff director, and chief of staff. He has been 
an indispensable part of my team.
  No job has ever been too big for Brendon, no task too hard. It 
doesn't matter how long the hours get. He is always willing to put in 
the work that needs to be done, and he stays cheerful through it all, 
lifting everyone else up with him.
  He is a natural leader who is not only exceptionally talented himself 
but is great at spotting talent in others. He helped me to put together 
an outstanding team for the whip office and has helped me to maintain 
an outstanding team in my personal office.
  In politics, as we all know, you meet people who are great at the 
nuts and bolts of policy and know every detail of an issue, and you 
meet people who aren't as focused on the details but have an ability to 
see the big picture and how what we are doing fits into our larger 
goals. You don't always meet people who can do both, but Brendon has 
always been able to get into the nuts and bolts of a policy and at the 
same time see the bigger picture.
  One of the things I have appreciated most about Brendon is the fact 
that no matter what we are doing, South Dakota is at the forefront of 
his mind. As a native of Madison, SD, and the son of a farmer, Brendon 
has a keen insight into South Dakotans' priorities. Whether it is tax 
reform or energy legislation or agriculture, Brendon is always thinking 
about how we can serve South Dakota on the national stage. He has 
played a key role in so many of the things I have been able to get done 
for South Dakota here in Washington.
  Now, I have described a pretty outstanding individual, but Brendon is 
not without his flaws. He is a longtime Vikings fan. Over the past 14 
years, I

[[Page S5455]]

have tried hard to convince him that he should be rooting for the Green 
Bay Packers, but so far I haven't gotten anywhere.
  Fortunately, our shared appreciation for the tuba has helped us to 
get over our major disagreements on football. Both Brendon and I are 
tuba players from way back, although I think he is a little more 
accomplished at the tuba than I am. I never made it beyond the high 
school marching band. Brendon went on to Augustana University in South 
Dakota on a music scholarship and played in the concert band. I just 
learned that he actually had lost his tuba scholarship--if you can 
believe this--to dedicate time to my first campaign.
  As I said earlier, it is hard to think of my office without Brendon. 
He will be deeply missed, but I look forward to watching him excel in 
all his future endeavors. I know that he may enjoy having a little bit 
more time to spend with his wife Lindsay and his little ones, Timmy and 
Katie Lou. As we all know, days on the Hill can be very long.
  If you ask Brendon how he got into politics, he will tell you about 
the meeting he attended in college where I was the guest speaker. That 
meeting, Brendon says, got him interested in politics for the first 
time. Shortly after, he applied to work on my first Senate campaign, 
and the rest, as they say, is history.
  To hear Brendon tell it, attending that meeting was a lucky day for 
him, but I know it was an even luckier day for me and for the people of 
South Dakota.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Scott of Florida). The clerk will call the 
roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Johnson). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.