[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 209 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H7145-H7146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FAREWELL TO CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Riggleman) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. RIGGLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, after 2 years of service, 
to address this Congress for perhaps the last time. I rise today 
humbled by the opportunities granted to me by this great country and 
the citizens of the Fifth District. That I could go from living on food 
stamps decades ago to serving in this hallowed body is a testament to 
the American Dream and the opportunity provided by this land of 
liberty.
  I would be remiss if I did not begin this address by thanking my 
beautiful wife, Christine, and my three daughters, Abby, Lauren, and 
Lily, for their support throughout this journey. I married Christine 
fresh out of high school at the age of 19, and she has been my rock 
ever since. And to have my two new granddaughters in Washington, D.C., 
with me today is an overwhelming blessing.
  I never intended to enter politics or subject my family to the 
challenges and strains that accompany public life, but they have taken 
on every challenge and continue to inspire me every day.
  I have spent most of my life in service to this country as an 
enlisted and commissioned airman in the United States Air Force and 
working for and with intelligence community and Department of Defense 
organizations. I served in the Balkans during Operation Allied Force, 
spent time in the Middle East, and deployed immediately after 9/11 as 
part of a team that mission planned the first bombing runs into 
Afghanistan.
  I was taken away from my family in service to the country I love. And 
while my family is with me now, I know that they made countless 
sacrifices to help me get to this point.
  Though my time in this Chamber will be shorter than I may have hoped, 
I am proud of what we have accomplished. Just 2 weeks ago, this House 
passed H.R. 2466, the State Opioid Grant Authorization Act of 2020. A 
bill that might seem like a footnote in the Congressional Record to 
some can save countless lives. One of my priorities during my time in 
Congress has been addressing the very real crisis of opioid addiction, 
which has devastating consequences for families across this great 
Nation.
  I was sitting at my desk in Congress about 1 year ago when I got the 
call that my cousin, Trey, had overdosed not far from where I was 
sitting.
  I talked about this with my friend and colleague, Congressman   David 
Trone, the Democratic party lead on the State Opioid Response Grant 
Authorization bill and the leader of the Freshman Working Group on 
Addiction. He had lost a nephew, Ian, to the scourge of addiction. We 
knew that something had to be done, and we came together in a 
bipartisan way to accomplish something great.
  A special thanks to Representatives Sherrill and Armstrong for their 
incredible support on this legislation.
  Trey and Ian, we worked to honor your memories and to help those who 
might not be able to help themselves.
  During my time in Congress, I have worked to expand access to 
broadband internet in rural areas, especially in those remote areas of 
the Fifth District. Our rural communities need broadband access to keep 
up with the demands of the modern economy. Closing the digital divide 
is critical in enhancing economic opportunity, job creation, access to 
healthcare, and education in rural America.
  My district carries history matched by few in this Nation. The first 
representative from my district was James Madison. I have used his 
legacy to guide me in my fight to protect constitutional principles, 
and I believe that his example is one that can guide all 
representatives in this body.
  James Madison said this: ``A well instructed people alone can be a 
permanently free people.''
  I internalized that statement into a baseline for carrying out the 
duties as a representative of the people, duly elected by the citizens 
of Virginia's Fifth District. My background as a veteran and Air Force 
intelligence officer employed at times by the National Security Agency 
and working with other government agencies taught me the value of 
honor, service, and integrity in all I do. It also taught me the 
invaluable lesson of considering the source when evaluating information 
from my colleagues and constituents and when fighting radicalization 
and disinformation campaigns.
  James Madison also stated that ``knowledge will forever govern 
ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm 
themselves with the power knowledge gives.''
  A well instructed people and a knowledgeable people--pillars of a 
working republic. Those pillars are now being assaulted by 
disinformation and outlandish theories surrounding this Presidential 
election.

[[Page H7146]]

  As we transition to a new administration, I implore all to consider 
the sources of information you receive, to fact-check diligently and to 
recognize that many bad actors who spread spurious and fantastical 
conspiracy theories under banners like QAnon, Kraken, Stop the Steal, 
Scamdemic, and many other emotive terms and coded language are not 
disseminating information rooted in knowledge, but with questionable 
motives. They are rooted in misunderstanding or fraud or, in some 
cases, ignorance.

                              {time}  1400

  To all those on the end of the disinformation firehose, please know 
that I am you and you are me.
  Unbiased, fact-based information sustains our republic. My objective 
in serving my district was never to judge others, because all of us are 
only human. None of us has a special dispensation to rule over another.
  We are common in our belief that the Constitution stops the 
tyrannical encroachment of a man, woman, or group claiming to have some 
extraordinary knowledge that allows them insights that we as 
individuals cannot attain.
  Disinformation hinders our free exchange of ideas and creates super-
spreader digital viruses that create a fever of nonsense.
  Disinformation operations can attack specific pillars of democracy at 
strategic moments: from belief in democratic elections, to trust in 
public health and public institutions. In technical terms, 
sophisticated influence operations using combinations of bot-like-
networks and synchronous mass posting behavior, termed ``coordinated 
inauthentic behavior,'' is a tactic, a tactic which disinformation 
peddlers such as QAnon community members use with great success to 
hijack the national conversation.
  My 2 decades of intelligence, warfighting, and counterintelligence 
experience coupled with serving in the 116th Congress is why I will not 
allow conspiracy peddlers to hijack our ability to conduct reasonable 
policy discussions for the betterment of all Americans.
  Just like creating a vaccine to eradicate COVID-19, we must work 
together to inoculate against the social contagion of disinformation, 
conspiracies, anti-Semitism, dehumanization, racism, deep state cabal 
nonsense, cults, and those grifters posing as servants of the people.
  Big data, machine learning, and facts-based analysis are the 
ingredients for our digital vaccine. If we build that vaccine, we can 
encourage facts over fantasy, people over politics, love over hate, and 
unity over division.
  I am now serving on the board of a nonpartisan organization that will 
utilize advanced analysis, data methodologies, and network modeling to 
track disinformation over social media.
  If you are in the grifting and propaganda business, know that I am 
not going anywhere.
  As I go back to my incredible life on 50 acres in the Blue Ridge 
Mountains, I can reflect on how I conducted myself in Congress.
  My dear friend, Congressman Kevin Brady from Texas, told me he 
appreciated that I ``called balls and strikes'' even when it was not 
advantageous to me. To be clear, Kevin Brady is an example of that 
service and what calling balls and strikes looks like. So let me call 
three pitches right now.
  First, I will always fight disinformation wherever I see it, hear it, 
or watch it. For those who spread disinformation, know that I will not 
stop in tracking those who push falsehoods onto decent Americans. 
Radicalization through disinformation has no place in the United 
States, and in this fight, I will not relent.
  Second, working together for the betterment of the American people in 
a bipartisan way is not a bug, it is a feature.
  Third, people are more important than party. Pandering is a political 
sickness.
  As I reflect on the accomplishments we have made for the Fifth 
District, I am moved to recognize some of the many people who have made 
these accomplishments possible.
  Esther Page and Denise Van Valkenburg are dedicated public servants 
who served the Fifth District from before my time in office. Regardless 
of the party affiliation of the Representative, they served the people 
of the Fifth District of Virginia exceptionally, and they should be 
lauded for their efforts.
  To Jim Pomeroy, Steve Harvey, and Josiah Leonard, your service has 
not gone unnoticed.
  It was never my plan to be a politician, so I should thank my staff 
for helping me to learn this process and do my best to serve the Fifth 
District.
  Dave Natonski, who served as my chief of staff through good times and 
bad, was an invaluable asset and friend.
  My current chief of staff, Haley Brady, is as competent as she is 
great.
  A big thank you to my legislative team, without whom the legislative 
accomplishments could not have happened: Borden Hoskins, a financial 
services savant with as devastating a wit as a pen; Eli Woerpel, my 
right hand on everything broadband and agricultural; Jason Eagleburger, 
my friend and confidante, who spearheaded the China Task Force and 
helped with complex policy issues; Nicole Nentwich, who was my go-to 
for healthcare policy; and Lexi Klein, who my Fifth District 
constituents love and appreciate.
  To my communications team, thank you for your sound advice and 
constant guidance.
  Joe Chelak has been with me since I started my run for Congress, and 
his strategic leadership has been invaluable to my success.
  Kate Currie has made the most of her time in my office and exhibited 
incredible talent.
  And to Ben Mullany, without whom I would not have gotten this far, 
thank you.
  Jimmy Keady, thank you for talking me into this craziness, and your 
leadership and guiding me through this beautiful and treacherous 
passage.
  Chris Woodfin, thank you. Your counsel has been invaluable.
  To the Cloakroom, thank you for putting up with me these last 2 
years.
  And to my congressional colleagues, where there are far too many to 
name and thank, know that I am not far away. I am always available for 
a snort of bourbon, a tipple of irreverence, and a nod to Bigfoot.
  In January of next year, the Fifth District of Virginia will be 
represented by a new Member, who I hope will heed these lessons: that 
service to your district should be your priority; courage in the face 
of disagreement should be lauded, not ignored; and to always remember 
the strength of holding to your principles will last far longer than 
any allegiance to a position or a party.

  There is an incredible dart game scene in the show ``Ted Lasso'' 
where Ted is vastly underestimated in a darts competition and ends up 
besting an arrogant opponent, a former owner of the soccer team that 
Ted coaches. Please watch that scene. In that scene, Ted quotes Walt 
Whitman: ``Be curious, not judgmental.''
  Let's not throw hyperbolic darts at each other. Let's rely on facts 
and compassion. Let's listen together and move this country forward 
together.
  May God bless the Commonwealth of Virginia, may God bless this 
Congress, and may God bless the United States of America.
  And for the last time, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.

                          ____________________