[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 10, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E12-E13]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING BILL HARPER'S SERVICE TO MINNESOTA'S 4TH CONGRESSIONAL 
                                DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 10, 2023

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Bill Harper, my 
long time Chief of Staff, as he retires after 22 years in my office on 
January 6, 2023.
  It has been a privilege to work the past 22 years with Bill. He 
exemplifies what it means to be a public servant. Bill has dedicated 
his life to making a positive impact for Minnesota families, 
communities, and businesses. For more than 2 decades he has been 
responsible for building and leading my congressional team. Bill's 
knowledge, vision, and leadership have helped shape everything my 
office has accomplished, particularly my work on the House 
Appropriations Committee.
  Prior to serving in Congress, Bill managed my first election to the 
House of Representatives in 2000, but his commitment to public service 
began much earlier. For 5 years he was an outstanding Peace Corps 
volunteer in Guatemala and Malawi where he worked with local villagers 
to improve their lives and livelihoods. His work as Chief of Staff to 
former Hennepin County Board Chair Mark Andrew, and as a personal 
assistant to former Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey, III, 
prepared him with the necessary skills to successfully manage a 
congressional office.
  A significant aspect of Bill's public service is his success in 
nurturing the next generations of leaders and public servants. He has 
assembled a staff that I am exceptionally proud of--a dedicated team of 
public servants who bring nearly 130 years of combined service in their 
work on behalf of Minnesotans. In addition, numerous former staff and 
interns have gone on to further service in the executive branch, state 
government, nonprofit organizations, and elected office.
  Bill has always put the people we serve first, making a remarkable 
difference in lives across the country and around the world. That is 
the essence of Bill's dedication to others. I know that Bill will 
continue to make important contributions to Minnesota and our nation 
well into the future.
  On New Year's Day, the Star Tribune published a profile on Bill 
Harper's distinguished service in my office. In the article, he noted, 
``as powerful as Washington and Congress may be, we are a direct 
extension of the people. And it needs to stay that way.'' His words 
ring true, and it is my pleasure to enter that article into the Record.
  As he prepares for the next chapter of his career, I wish him and his 
family--Roberta, Jonas, Lucia and Tiwonge--all the best. It has been an 
honor to have Bill serve as my Chief of Staff, and I'm grateful that 
he'll remain as a friend and political advisor.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to his remarkable 
career of service to our nation and our community.

                 [From the Star Tribune, Dec. 31, 2022]

  After More Than Two Decades, Chief of Staff Set To Leave Rep. Betty 
                           McCollum's Office

       Bill Harper has been a congressional chief of staff during 
     a crucial span in U.S. history.
       His long tenure working for Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty 
     McCollum began after the controversial 2000 presidential 
     election and continued on past the Sept. 11 attacks, the Iraq 
     War, the Great Recession, the outbreak of COVID-19 and the 
     U.S. Capitol insurrection.
       As he prepares to leave the job in January, Harper is aware 
     that he was part of a transformative historical period. But 
     he said in a recent interview about his more than two decades 
     on the job that it all comes back ``to serving the people and 
     trying to make our democracy, and trying to make Congress, 
     work for the people despite these enormous challenges that we 
     faced.''
       Harper noted that he was part of the Peace Corps and spent 
     time as an HIV/AIDS volunteer in Malawi before running 
     McCollum's 2000 congressional campaign.
       Said McCollum: ``If anybody would have told us when we 
     first met working on the campaign that 23 years later we 
     would still be working together, we both would have just 
     laughed out loud.''
       She said Harper is someone who does his homework, knows 
     what he's talking about and has a very reassuring presence.
       ``When he says he's going to do something, he's going to do 
     it, and he's a man of his word. And so that's how he's earned 
     so much respect over the years,'' McCollum said.
       During their time working together, McCollum has gone from 
     freshman lawmaker to dean of Minnesota's congressional 
     delegation. In November, she won a 12th term while Democrats 
     narrowly lost control of the U.S. House. McCollum has wielded 
     major influence in the past two years while leading the House 
     Appropriations subcommittee handling defense spending.
       ``When you're at this level, you take the partisanship out 
     of the equation and you focus on, `This is about America; 
     this is about our country,' '' Harper said.
       Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips called Harper ``one of 
     the most connected, principled, honorable and effective 
     Capitol Hill staffers that I know of.''
       Looking back, Harper said the accomplishment that makes him 
     proudest is his work with McCollum on President George W. 
     Bush's emergency plan for AIDS relief in 2003.
       ``We secured language for orphans and vulnerable 
     children,'' he said.
       McCollum's office said in a news release when Harper's exit 
     was announced that he will continue to work as a political 
     adviser for the longtime Democratic lawmaker. Harper said 
     he's interested in using his experience and skills to ``work 
     with nonprofits and

[[Page E13]]

     businesses to help them advance their missions, particularly 
     in the federal space.'' As he prepares to leave Congress 
     behind, Harper said that ``as powerful as Washington and 
     Congress may be, we are a direct extension of the people. And 
     it needs to stay that way.''

                          ____________________