[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 149 (Thursday, September 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4631-S4632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Tribute to Vanessa Valdivia

  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today because today is a 
bittersweet day for me. I rise to recognize and express my gratitude 
for the outstanding work of Vanessa Valdivia, who has served as my 
communications director since my first day here in the Senate. I speak 
for everybody in my office when I say we are going to miss her.
  But I am also proud. Next week, she will begin work at the White 
House as Special Assistant to the President and as Press Secretary to 
the First Lady. I have no doubt that she will do great things in her 
new role.
  Since our first days in the Russell basement, in an office I had when 
I was transitioning, Vanessa has brought her incredible experience, her 
unique personality, and her tremendous passion to the job in helping me 
communicate our work to the people of California. From my maiden speech 
here on the Senate floor, during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
to crisscrossing the State on an infrastructure listening tour as we 
were negotiating the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act here in 
Washington, to ensuring that Californians were consistently informed of 
the historic progress that we have made in this Congress, Vanessa has 
been a key leader in my office and an adviser to me.
  She is a California native and is the proud daughter of Mexican-
Nicaraguan immigrants. Now, some of you may remember some of my remarks 
during the confirmation hearings of now-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson 
when I said that, often, Americans of color needed to work twice as 
hard to garner half the respect. Well, it comes as no surprise that 
Vanessa has gained the utmost respect from her former bosses and 
colleagues on the various Presidential and Senate campaigns that she 
has been a part of and from the Senate offices that she has worked in, 
including those of Senators Booker, Heinrich, and Peters in addition to 
mine, and I have no doubt that she will bring the same work ethic and 
savvy to serving the First Lady and the Biden administration.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to deliver the next part of my 
remarks in Spanish.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. PADILLA. (English translation of statement made in Spanish is as 
follows:)

       Vanessa, I wish you all the luck in your next chapter. 
     Don't forget your friends here in the Senate. I have no doubt 
     that you will continue to do great things working for the 
     First Lady and the Biden administration. Thank you for your 
     work for all of California.

  Mr. President, let the record reflect that Vanessa Valdivia will be 
deeply missed and that the State of California and the U.S. Senate 
thank her for her service.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Texas.

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