[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 100 (Thursday, June 8, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Tribute to Andy Quinn

  Now, Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, I am very sorry 
to have to conclude my remarks today by bidding farewell to an integral 
member of my staff, my chief speechwriter and strategic communications 
director, Andy Quinn.
  Five and a half years ago, Andy arrived in my office with one of the 
sharpest minds and sharpest pens in town. It has been my great good 
fortune to have him on my team longer than anyone might reasonably hope 
to keep such a talent tied down.
  Andy's background made him a unique candidate for the job, to say the 
least. He was the exceedingly rare breed who had come out of 4 years at 
an elite New England liberal arts college with his conservative 
principles even stronger. He had experience on the campaign trail and 
in the cloisters of professional scholarship, but he hadn't spent a day 
working on Capitol Hill.
  I had a hunch that Andy's evident hunger, enthusiasm, and shear brain 
power would have him adapt to life in the Senate in no time. And, boy, 
was I right. It would be no exaggeration to say that he will depart 
more fluent in the workings of this institution than folks who have 
been around here twice as long.
  Andy has proven his impressive ability to wear multiple hats. He has 
lent both a finely tuned instinct for political strategy and a 
bottomless--bottomless--appetite for nuanced policy. And, in the 
process, he has become a plumb line for my entire team on both long-
range, big-picture ideas and pressing day-to-day decisions. This young 
man has an incredible ability to cut straight to the essence of the 
topic at hand and ask the sort of questions that help all of us 
approach big issues with clarity and with confidence.
  When Andy is at the table, we know we will get clear, honest, 
unvarnished counsel. These strengths have been extraordinarily valuable 
over an eventful past 5 years: three Supreme Court confirmations, two 
Presidential impeachments, and a once-in-a-century pandemic.
  During the first weeks of 2021, in particular, some of the most 
important conversations I had were with Andy, as I planned my response 
to the rioters who tried and failed to interrupt the certification of 
an election, and as I prepared to cast my vote as an impeachment juror. 
Through it all, Andy's zeal for worthy fights has helped me, his 
colleagues, and our entire conference meet career-defining moments with 
strength and grace.

  He has taken 5\1/2\ years of incredibly varied, sensitive, and high-
profile responsibilities in stride. He has demonstrated pitch-perfect 
instincts and wisdom beyond his years. And, somehow, alongside Andy's 
book smarts is room for a razor-sharp sense of humor and plenty of 
opinions on the prospects of his Chicago Cubs.
  But just as noticeable as Andy's intellect is his humility. He took 
every step to the front office coffee pot as an opportunity to get to 
know his youngest colleagues and learn about their interests. For that 
matter, one of the only outward signs of the enormous workload Andy has 
shouldered has been the coffee cup he has carried, which his colleagues 
say has grown larger over the years.
  Of course, that could just as likely be a symptom of the fact that 
Andy has become a proud father not once, not twice, but three times 
during his Senate tenure.
  For all of his work as a fellow steward of this institution and a 
passionate defender of right-of-center principles, we know that Andy's 
truest devotions are to his beloved wife Amy, to the deep faith they 
share, and to the wonderful family they are raising together.
  It is no secret that the demands of the Senate schedule are borne not 
only by Senators and our staff but, in a unique way, by their families 
as well. As Andy prepares to write an exciting new chapter 
professionally, I understand that the oldest of his three sons, at the 
ripe old age of 4\1/2\, has expressed particular excitement at getting 
to see his dad a little more often. Even the world's greatest 
deliberative body can't compete with all that.
  So I would like to leave Andy with my sincere thanks for pouring his 
immense talents into our shared mission for these past 5\1/2\ years and 
my congratulations on a job very well done.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Montana.