[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E73]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF DR. JILL JENSEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MIKIE SHERRILL

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 28, 2021

  Ms. SHERRILL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deep 
gratitude to a departing member of my staff, Jill Jensen. Dr. Jill, as 
she is known in our office, came to Capitol Hill as a Brookings 
Legislative fellow from the Department of Defense. We were all excited 
to have someone with her deep expertise and experience as a part of our 
team, and we were looking forward to her contributions to my work on 
the Armed Services Committee.
  As with so many things this year, the pandemic upended our plans. In 
late February and early March, as COVID-19 picked up speed and 
congressional offices started to respond, Dr. Jill quickly became an 
indispensable member of our team. Not only is she an expert in defense 
policy, but Dr. Jill has a doctorate in public health. She quickly 
stepped up to the plate to lead our office's response to the pandemic, 
coordinating weekly calls with local health care providers and public 
health experts, spearheading the Regional Recovery Task Force, and 
providing invaluable insight and advice to me and the other members of 
my team.
  While leading our response efforts during the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. 
Jill still managed to be a critical member of our defense team. Her 
ideas and hard work led to several provisions' successful inclusion in 
the National Defense Authorization Act, and now, even as her fellowship 
in our office winds up, she is still coming up with creative ideas for 
new and important legislation.
  Beyond her expertise, excitement to learn about the Hill, and 
creativity, Dr. Jill is simply a joy to work with. She is always 
positive, attacking new challenges with a smile on her face. She is 
always willing to put her shoulder to any task, whether it is drafting 
new legislation that will impact the lives of thousands of service 
members or organizing our office suite after a move. Her optimism and 
insight kept many of us on track in those first days of the pandemic, 
and her excitement about arcane congressional processes was always a 
breath of fresh air.
  Our office's loss is the Defense Department's gain, and as she ends 
her fellowship and returns to the Department, I wish her the very best 
of luck. I am confident we will be saying ``I knew her when . . .'' 
very soon.

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