[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1323-E1324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CELEBRATING CLAY PHILLIPS' LIFETIME OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 21, 2022

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my 
longtime Chief of Staff Clay Phillips who is retiring at the end of 
this Congress. I thank him for his tremendous career of public service, 
including 16 years of service in the chief of staff role. There are few 
people in the Tampa area who have not worked with Clay. And I'm 
grateful for all the work that he has done to ensure that veterans 
receive the benefits that they have earned, to ensure that our 
neighbors were able to stay in their homes during the foreclosure 
crisis, and all of his work on affordable health care and for social 
justice. He has always stood up for the voiceless, and as President 
Kennedy encouraged: ``Let public service be a proud and lively 
career.'' Clay's career was both proud and lively.
  A proud son of Florida, Clay attended Rollins College on a baseball 
scholarship before heading to University of Florida's College of Law 
where he earned his law degree.
  From working on his first presidential campaign in 1975 to serving 
former Congressman Jim Davis in Tallahassee and Tampa, Clay has 
dedicated his life to paving a more prosperous country and community. 
He has played a key role in many of my greatest accomplishments while 
serving as Tampa Bay's voice in the Congress. It was a proud day for 
all Floridians and Americans when we unveiled the Dr. Mary McLeod 
Bethune statue in the United States Capitol earlier this year--since 
the idea came about, Clay worked diligently with local and federal 
partners to ensure that one day all visitors to our nation's capital 
would learn about the historic excellence of Dr. Bethune. Clay's 
tireless efforts have supported the community he loves when it was most 
in need, including setting up foreclosure workshops that counseled 
local families on their financial problems during the recession and 
securing grants that have allowed Tampa to grow into the vibrant city 
it is today. Clay has been a constant presence in both Tampa and 
Washington, and he's known by all those he works with as a 
compassionate, quick-thinking team player. In lockstep with the 
priorities of our community, Clay has helped maintain the strong fabric 
of our community by supporting the working and middle-class workers who 
built Tampa into the bustling city it is today. A fierce friend and 
advocate for our brothers and sisters in labor, Clay worked on issues 
to boost pay and provide workplace protections for working Floridians.
  I am grateful for Clay's career of service and the time that he's 
spent on my staff. He is a faithful friend and an unmatched public 
servant who will no doubt continue to serve as he begins the next 
chapter of his life. I would like to particularly thank his wife, 
Andrea, and daughter, Latham, for their patience and support of Clay 
and his work throughout the years.
  Always ready with a JFK quote, timely pun or relevant Civil War 
fact--Clay created an environment for our staff to grow and serve. 
Known fondly for his ``Clayisms'', one our team knows well is that Mark 
Twain once said, ``I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I 
wrote you a long one.'' There is certainly no way to encapsulate the 
storied service of Clay Phillips in a concise blurb, so I am grateful 
that his legacy will continue through the policies that he helped craft 
and the lives that he touched.
  Madam Speaker, it is an honor to share with my colleagues a small 
slice of the incredible career of Clay Phillips. Our community and our 
country are forever better for his work.

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