[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S128-S129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO SENATE PAGES

  Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I really appreciate you recognizing me for 
a moment. We are about to adjourn the Senate. Many Senators will travel 
back to their home States to do work, to meet with constituents, to go 
forward, but something is happening tomorrow that I wanted to 
recognize, which is the graduation of this class of Senate pages.
  Many people watch the functioning of the Senate, and what draws 
attention is not many of the people that do the work of this place. We 
have an incredible parliamentary staff. We have incredible people that 
serve the different caucuses. We have incredible people who provide 
security for this place who often don't get the attention they deserve.
  Senators come and go, but one thing that stays consistent is the 
incredible human beings, the patriots who make this place work.
  I am humbled every day to meet people who so love the institution of 
the Senate that they have chosen to serve it, and I am sure you can 
agree with me: They are not doing it for the pay, and they are not 
doing it for the glory. They do it for the love of country, and, 
especially, in particular, the love of this institution.
  There is another group, though, that does come and go that I think 
play a very special role here, and that is about twice a year--then 
there are some summer pages--we see the pages come in from all over the 
country to serve this institution in a way that has been done for 
generations.
  And what is remarkable about them, in their suits, is that they are 
not young adults, they are teenagers who have made an irrational 
choice, in my opinion. They have decided to leave their high schools, 
their comfort, their technological devices, their extracurricular 
activities, their sports teams, their homes, and come and live in 
Washington, DC, where the rigors of their lives are extraordinary.
  Literally, our Senate pages, during the two sessions that are during 
the year, they are doing a full class of academics. They actually are 
studying difficult topics that--I am not sure how Senators would do on 
calculus or chemistry, but they are taking a full load of classes, and 
then they are working the equivalent of a full-time job.
  And at times, they are up at 5 in the morning, and then they service 
this institution. And the jobs they do, I would say, are essential. In 
fact, if they were not here--the people that would have to do those 
jobs--the Senate would have to hire people to fill those roles.
  During my 10 years in the Senate, I have to say, I have met some 
remarkable young people. They call them Democratic and Republican 
pages, but there is no partisanship here. These are patriots first who 
probably ascribe to many different ideals and parties and dependents 
and what have you, but when they are here, they are participating in 
the Senate.
  I often say to Senate pages, it is an honor to have served in the 
U.S. Senate with you, and I mean that very meaningfully when I talk to 
them.
  Now, on a personal note, I have to say the Senate pages adore me. I 
tell horrible jokes. I make it a goal to try to embarrass them on the 
floor of the Senate as often as I can. I try to get them to encroach 
the rules--never break them, just encroach them. But during the course 
of my time here, I have watched some of these young people blow me away 
with their intellect and their acumen, with their dedication and their 
knowledge, but, most importantly, with their hearts.
  I look at this class of pages right now as they are about to graduate 
and go on to do incredible things in life. How do I know this? With 10 
years in this body, I bump into pages every once in a while. They try 
their best to pretend like they don't know me, but I call them out, and 
I see them doing great things.
  I now know Senate pages who have gone off to college, who have 
graduated from college, who have now gone into the work world and 
continue to distinguish themselves, not by having a common experience 
of serving in the Senate but having taken the inspiration of working in 
this body into their work as American citizens and living a life of 
committed patriotism.
  And so to this class, I just want to say to you as well: It has been 
an honor to serve this institution with you. You all are some of the 
best of our Nation. You have shown a grit and guts while you were here, 
handling your coursework and the demands. You have dealt with sometimes 
the indignities of being treated like you are wallpaper. But the truth 
of the matter is, you guys have risen in service through your course 
and your experience here.
  For that, on behalf of this entire body, I want to give you my 
thanks.

[[Page S129]]

And I want to encourage you to think of yourselves as always a part of 
this body. Lots of people have passed through here. We have had former 
pages become U.S. Senators. We have former pages that sit on that dais 
now. I hope you will always consider this not just your Capitol, but 
also your community. And I look forward to seeing you all about in the 
world, and I hope for old times' sake, you will at least let me tell 
you one bad ``dad'' joke.
  With that, I ask unanimous consent to submit a list of names of the 
pages to the record.
  And I would like the Congressional Record to say that the junior 
Senator from New Jersey told them that they are great people, but they 
need better senses of humor.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Lynn Egan, Kyle Feitler, Teddy Heffernan, Tess Belisle, 
     Garrett Bumps, Xavier Cardenas, Ian Chung, Alex Funk, Julia 
     Lanczycki, Michael Martinez, Kayla Meredith, Madi Paige, Diya 
     Sethi, Emmy Ward, Charlie Fruge, Riley McCain, Sophia Shenk, 
     Cooper Stillick, Eleanor Ague, Avery Buchanan, Deanara 
     Castro, Tucker Coombs, Mackenzie Horton, Abby Redfearn, John 
     Stimpson, Wyn Winter.

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