[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 2, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Tribute to Anna Gokaldas

  Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and honor a longtime member 
of my staff, Anna Gokaldas.
  Anna has been with our office almost a decade--working on veterans 
affairs, foreign policy, and defense--making a difference for so many 
Ohioans and so many of our veterans.
  Anna's last day with our office is a couple of days from now. She 
moves on for a new opportunity at Millennium Challenge, where she will 
be working on something she cares so passionately about: to reduce 
poverty around the world.
  They are lucky to have her. Her dedication to public service and 
public good is unwavering.
  One of her greatest successes happened last summer when we passed the 
PACT Act, comprehensive expansion of benefits for veterans who faced 
toxic exposure in our country's history. Because of Anna and the 
veterans and advocates she worked with, the PACT Act is law today, 
named after an Ohioan, Heath Robinson. Thousands of veterans have 
access to the healthcare they deserve.
  Because of her work and because this place did it right, this bill 
passed in August. I remember the President signing it. By January, 
several hundred thousand veterans--tens of thousands in my State of 
Ohio--were already getting additional care from the VA because they had 
one of these 23 illnesses from exposure to these football-field-size 
burn pits in Iraq and in Afghanistan, especially.
  That exposure can cause any of these 23 illnesses. If you are 
diagnosed with one of those illnesses, you immediately get care from 
the Dayton VA or in Cleveland or in Cincinnati or in Chillicothe or at 
the Columbus or Mansfield CBOC.
  It is one example of why Anna is so effective. Veterans brought this 
issue to her and my staff. She took their concerns seriously. She 
approached every conversation with care. She went to work. We worked 
with Members of both parties to find a solution, especially Senator 
Tester and Senator Moran. Anna never gave up. We got it done.
  Among staff, Anna is known for problem-solving skills and her ability 
to connect with Ohio veterans.
  When the VA recommended closing the Chillicothe VA, Anna fought to 
ensure it stayed open so veterans in Southwest Ohio could continue to 
receive care. Anna helped plan roundtables and coordinated with the VA. 
She got me to spend a lot of time in Chillicothe, talking to Jessica 
Fee, the head of the union there and others. Together, we got it done.
  Every year, Anna guided our office through the NDAA process--the bill 
that funds national defense--with special attention to military bases 
in Mansfield, Youngstown, Toledo, and Springfield, and special 
attention to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.
  She has long fought for better mental health services and suicide 
prevention. She made veterans' issues--that is an area that is, very 
often, an overlooked priority for the Senate. And one of the reasons 
that I sit on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Ag Committee is 
because these two committees are the least partisan committees in the 
Senate. You can always reach across the aisle in those two committees--
with Senator Thune on agricultural issues, with Senator Tillis on 
veterans' issues, and others. We get things done, and you know how 
important that is.
  On the foreign policy side, Anna always stood up for human rights and 
democracy and justice around the world. She fought for global health, 
leading our office's efforts on tuberculosis, which still kills more 
than a million people a year around the world. We know how to deal with 
it. We made progress, just not enough.
  Anna's legacy in our office extends far past her countless 
legislative wins, making all of this work better.
  She has pushed every member of our staff to do their best work for 
the people with whom we serve. Her determination, dedication, and 
commitment to public service have made a difference for so many.
  On behalf of everyone in my office and the committee and all those 
who have had the honor of working alongside of Anna Gokaldas, we will 
miss you, and we thank you for your service.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.