[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 80 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO EMILY CARWELL

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I thank our leader for all of his 
wonderful work, all the time.
  I rise today to pay tribute to a phenomenal member of my staff, a 
leader who has played a key role in so many things I have been able to 
accomplish here in the Senate.
  Emily Carwell is leaving the upper Chamber for a new leadership 
change across the Rotunda--dare I say, the lower Chamber--after more 
than 8 years in my office. And, honestly, it feels like Emily has been 
with me forever. To speak in Senate terms, Emily has been my 
legislative director for 2,383 votes.
  It is actually quite fitting that she is returning to the House, 
though, because it is where she started, sort of. When I first 
interviewed her, I loved her right away: her Midwestern sensibilities, 
her enthusiasm, her eagerness to work for the people of Michigan. 
Anyone who has met Emily knows exactly what I mean. As somewhat of an 
afterthought, I asked her: You were in the House, right? You have House 
experience, right?

  She said yes.
  It turns out that her House experience was an unpaid fellowship. 
But--do you know what?--it didn't even matter. She joined my office as 
a legislative assistant. She hit the ground running, and she simply has 
not stopped.
  She organized the first-ever bipartisan delegation to tour all of our 
Michigan military installations, which was very significant for us to 
do.
  And, as legislative director, Emily has played a key role in so many 
areas that I couldn't even list them all. But I have to say, at the top 
of the list is our work on mental health.
  Her passion and tenacity are a major reason why we were able to get 
certified community behavioral health clinics signed into law, the 
largest Medicaid expansion since the Affordable Care Act. And it was a 
wonderful bipartisan effort. And you can bet I will keep her number on 
speed dial as these clinics are expanded across the country.
  Emily has also served as policy director of our Democratic Policy and 
Communications Committee, a job she has excelled at. And, Mr. 
President, as vice chair of the DPCC, I know you know that well.
  She has led amazing efforts to modernize the committee, including 
launching the ``DPCC FloorWatch'' app to bring us into the 21st 
century, which features everything from floor alerts to amendments, to 
floor and committee hearing videos.
  If you had to describe Emily in one word--although there are so many 
words, but if you had to describe her in one word--``relentless'' would 
be a good choice. During vote-aramas, when everyone else was collapsed 
at their desks in the middle of the night, Emily was still typing away 
on amendments to make sure our caucus members had the information they 
needed. And she was tireless during the earliest days of the pandemic, 
when we had to figure out how to run a Senate office remotely while 
helping the people of Michigan in every way we could.
  She has been a wonderful partner on codels, and we have traveled the 
world together. I will never forget the time when we were in Jordan at 
a refugee camp, meeting with Syrian refugees. Emily speaks fluent 
Arabic. So she was able to connect with these people who had been 
through so much in such a special, incredible way. I was listening, but 
I wasn't able to speak to them in their language. And it was very 
powerful.
  On a lighter note, Emily, I know about the time when you neglected to 
tell me that you were accidentally given the hotel suite I was supposed 
to get, and I got a smaller room. I just want you to know now that I 
know that.
  Just as important as the work she has done is the positive energy she 
has brought to the office. Emily has a way of bringing people together, 
whether it is for an office happy hour around her desk, an impromptu 
lunch outing, or Costco pizzas in the conference room.
  Her family is very important to her, and I am so glad her sister is 
here with us today. And she treats her coworkers like she treats her 
own family. Just one example: hand-delivering a tin of two kinds of 
homemade cookies to the home of a coworker who was sick.
  Emily is an amazing team player, skills she likely learned on the 
basketball court. She played on her college team, and she has also 
played against U.S. Senators who are at least twice her size. And all I 
am going to say is you will have to ask Senator Tester how that game 
went.
  Emily, thank you so much for everything--for your hard work, your 
talent, your dedication, your service to the people of Michigan and our 
country. And, most importantly, I am so grateful for your friendship. 
You will always be a part of my family. I have no doubt that you will 
excel in your new position, and the House is so lucky to get you back--
this time, in a paid position.
  And I am also very happy that you will be only 7 minutes away. We 
actually timed it. So Godspeed and, again, all the best, always.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________