[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H5551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. PRESTON PHILLIPS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. Jayapal) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Preston 
Phillips.
  Dr. Phillips was a gracious and loving husband, father, and brother 
who dedicated his life to his family, his community, and to saving 
lives.
  Earlier this month, Dr. Phillips was murdered during a tragic mass 
shooting at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by a shooter who purchased 
an AR-15 2 hours before the shooting and a handgun less than 2 days 
before the shooting.
  Nothing we say can bring back a devoted father who did so much to 
save the lives of others as a doctor. Nothing will ease the pain of his 
wife and his three children who have to bury him far too soon. My heart 
goes out to all the families of the four people killed and the 
community in Tulsa that still grieves.
  This tragedy has also struck close to home for me. Dr. Phillips was 
the father of Elise Phillips, a valued member of my staff here in D.C., 
a member of our House of Representatives family who has spent the last 
year tirelessly serving the people of Washington's Seventh 
Congressional District as my legislative counsel. I, and our whole 
office, grieve with Elise and her family.
  This past weekend, I was honored to attend Dr. Phillips' funeral 
service in Tulsa at the invitation of the family. It was immediately 
clear to me what an exceptional community Dr. Phillips and his strong 
and courageous wife, Melody, have built around themselves over their 
life together. Everyone I met described Dr. Phillips as a man of 
extraordinary warmth, brilliance, and compassion.
  Dr. Phillips came from humble beginnings, and his life is a testament 
to what can be achieved with determination. He got his first job at the 
age of 8 shining shoes and gathering shopping carts. He used this money 
to pay for veterinary bills for his family's dog, Blackie.
  In high school, he discovered his love for medicine and focused on 
his studies with great dedication. Dr. Phillips was then granted 
admission to Emory University where he graduated with bachelor's 
degrees in religion and chemistry and a master's degree in organic 
chemistry.
  He continued his education at Harvard Medical School and then 
completed his residency at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. 
Phillips began his formal medical career in my home district of Seattle 
in 1997, and he practiced there for 8 years before moving to Tulsa, 
Oklahoma.

  As the Representative for Seattle's Seventh Congressional District, I 
want to convey how proud we are of Dr. Phillips and his significant 
contributions to our community.
  During his career, Dr. Phillips emphasized giving back to community. 
At Yale, he founded the Yale Minority Medical Association, which 
focused on recruitment, mentorship, and retention of minority students 
in the medical field.
  His generosity was boundless, and he touched countless lives here and 
abroad. A prime example were his annual trips to Togo in Africa to 
perform pro bono surgeries for underserved communities and where a 
clinic operating room still bears his name.
  For many of his patients, Dr. Phillips was not just a medical 
professional. He was family. Throughout his decades of orthopedic 
practice, his patients became informal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and 
lifelong friends for him and his three children, whose childhoods were 
defined by these relationships. I am so honored to have met so many of 
these people at the funeral service.
  Even more so, his son and two daughters were defined by living in a 
household where love, warmth, and patience were the norm from Dr. 
Phillips and his wife, Melody.
  I, and all those I represent, have benefited from their love and 
warmth both during his time practicing medicine in Seattle and through 
his brilliant daughter, Elise.
  I am incredibly grateful to have Elise as part of my D.C. staff, and 
I see in her the same virtues that made her father such a respected and 
loved man in his community.
  Those at Dr. Phillips' service asked me to ensure that Congress 
passes sensible gun reforms to honor Dr. Phillips and to do all we can 
to ensure that tragedies like this never happen again.
  Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting our 
Kids Act, a lifesaving package of gun safety legislation to raise the 
age of purchase for assault rifles to 21, control the sale of ghost 
guns, limit the number of rounds in a magazine, and require the safe 
storage of firearms.
  Legislation won't bring Dr. Phillips back or the thousands of gun 
violence victims back, but I hope that it brings a degree of comfort to 
Dr. Phillips' family and to all the families of the ones we lost that 
we, in Congress, will not stop until we bring an end to the gun 
violence crisis that has plagued our country for far too long.
  Rest in power. Rest in peace, Dr. Preston J. Phillips.

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