[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 195 (Thursday, December 15, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1304-E1305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING BRITT VAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 15, 2022

  Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of 
Britt Van, a brilliant staffer and someone I am proud to have worked 
alongside for years.
  Britt departs the New Dem Coalition as Policy Director this month 
after 5 years and 7 months with the organization. I feel especially 
fortunate she was on the team during the time I served as Chair of the 
Coalition.
  During my tenure as Chair, Britt was a driving force in making the 
New Dems the strong coalition of policy leaders in Congress that we are 
known as today. She knows every New Dem policy area like the back of 
her hand and has skillfully guided Members on issues from housing to 
trade. She also restructured and revived the Coalition's policy task 
forces, which continue to do important work in finding the best 
solutions to pressing problems.
  But I am most grateful and proud of Britt's work on behalf of the 
Coalition on 2 brilliant ideas: automatic stabilizers and the RECOMPETE 
program.
  With automatic stabilizers, Britt took a very complicated, ``wonky'' 
idea and made it real and actionable for policymakers across the 
ideological spectrum. She advanced this idea forward in the months 
following the COVID-19 outbreak when we discussed how and when to 
enhance federal benefits during economic downturns, like we saw during 
the pandemic. While we weren't successful, I am confident policymakers 
will eventually see the value of automatic stabilizers for federal 
benefits. When that day comes, we can thank Britt for taking this idea 
from concept to reality.
  With the RECOMPETE program, Britt helped me bring to life something 
very near and dear to my heart. When I was growing up in Port Angeles, 
I saw my community suffer from an economic downturn that fundamentally 
changed the fabric of my life. The timber industry took it on the chin, 
and many families were never able to recover. Since then, I've spent 
most of my adult life trying to find a solution and make sure this 
doesn't continue happening, a solution to ensure we protect workers and 
communities and make sure no one gets left behind. Frankly, it's why I 
came to Congress. And that's why I asked Britt to help me create the 
RECOMPETE program, which provides communities with a flexible, long-
term grant to create jobs and lay the foundation for long-term economic 
growth.
  Britt and I worked on this legislation for many long months, and 
after many iterations, our RECOMPETE Act was finally passed by Congress 
and signed into law as a part of the historic CHIPS and Science Act.
  Britt's work with the RECOMPETE Act is just 1 example of how she 
embodies the model of what a public servant is and should be. She digs 
down deep into an issue, pours her life and soul into the work, and 
truly does it in service of a better tomorrow. She believes in the best 
of government to help people. She believes in the work we do and goes 
forward--undeterred and bravely--with that work. You really can't wish 
for much more in a staffer or a person--and I didn't ever.
  Britt has been a wonderful presence at New Dems and on the Hill for 
the past 5 plus

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years. We'll miss her dearly at the New Democrat Coalition, and I wish 
her only the best.

                          ____________________