[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 223 (Monday, January 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1405-E1406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE SERVICE OF MATTHEW HARMON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 3, 2022

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
contributions of Lieutenant Commander Matthew Harmon, United States 
Navy, during his service as a legislative fellow in my Washington, 
D.C., office last year. Throughout 2021, Matt has played a critical 
role in supporting my work on the House Armed Services Committee and 
representing the proud Navy community in eastern Connecticut.
  As Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and 
Projection Forces, I have the high honor of overseeing much of our 
Nation's Navy, Marine Corps, and various Air Force programs. The Navy's 
legislative fellowship program is an invaluable effort that benefits 
members of the House and Senate as we craft annual improvements to our 
nation's military apparatus with the insight of junior officers who, 
like Matt, bring real-world experience from military duty. This year, 
as our subcommittee considered how best to fund critical shipbuilding 
programs, bolster shipbuilding supply chains, and prioritize Navy and 
Marine Corps readiness across the INDOPACOM through the Fiscal Year 
2022 National Defense Authorization Act, Matt provided critical insight 
and guidance into how our subcommittee could best provide the resources 
and platforms that our sailors and marines need to achieve mission 
success.
  Matt has also seized initiative in a variety of areas beyond naval 
affairs. He worked tirelessly to scrub the Navy's budget request and 
used his Navy experience to identify funding gaps in the shipbuilding 
and conversion and research, development, test, and evaluation 
accounts. After identifying areas in which we could improve the Navy's 
posture and readiness through Congressional authorization, he was able 
to recommend substantive changes that resulted in the Seapower 
subcommittee's inclusion of top Navy priorities in the FY22 NDAA. He 
has also served as the staff lead for the Friends of Australia Caucus, 
of which I serve as co-chair, ensuring that the ties between our 
countries remain as strong as ever--particularly as our two nations 
begin a new era of partnership under AUKUS. At a time when America's 
and our allies' national security priorities are refocusing rapidly 
towards the maritime domain in the Pacific, Matt's work to facilitate 
communications with the executive branch of government and our 
Australian counterparts to recognize new opportunities in light of the 
enhanced relationship afforded by AUKUS will have a direct impact on 
the security of our Nation.
  From his very first days with my office, Matt has been an adaptable 
and effective advocate for the needs of the second district of 
Connecticut. Starting his fellowship in a year marked by the COVID-19 
pandemic, he adjusted quickly to more than unusual circumstances, 
becoming my office's first legislative fellow to initially onboard 
under fully remote circumstances while also joining my office's team in 
the same week of the January 6th riot. He has since acted as an 
invaluable, resilient asset on behalf of my office.

[[Page E1406]]

  Matt's work ethic, diligence, intelligence, and first-hand experience 
as a Surface Warfare Officer made an immediate, memorable impact on my 
office. After travelling across the world with tenures on the USS Blue 
Ridge, USS McCampbell, USS Antietam and USS America, I am grateful for 
his family's tremendous sacrifice to our Nation and for landing in 
Washington for the current phase of their life. Though Matt's presence 
will be deeply missed by both my personal staff and Seapower staff, we 
have found solace in the fact that his expertise will remain within 
Congress as the Deputy Director of the Senate Navy Liaison Office.
  Madam Speaker, as has also been the case for each of his predecessors 
that my office has had the opportunity to host, I have benefitted 
greatly from Matt's training, experience, and background. This 
recurring process that the fellowship program fosters, strengthens 
civilian-military understanding for future leaders of the greatest 
military in the world, which I believe is so important to our 
democracy. Our Nation is best served at sea and here on shore by 
officers and leaders of the highest caliber. Matt embodies such 
qualities and has a promising career ahead in continued service to our 
nation. To that end, I wish LCDR Harmon the best of luck in his new 
role and would further like to extend my sincerest well-wishes to 
Matt's family, namely, his wife Miki, their children RJ and Mia, Moogi 
and Mocha on their life chapters to come.