[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 182 (Friday, November 3, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H5382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING ELIZABETH AUSTIN-MACKENZIE

  (Mr. TAKANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the service of one of 
the most effective staffers this Chamber has ever known, Elizabeth 
Austin-Mackenzie. As staff director of the Health Subcommittee, she 
shepherded many of the most significant achievements of the House 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs over the last 6 years.
  Quiet and unassuming, Elizabeth has one of the sharpest minds I have 
worked with. She has spent the majority of her professional life 
advocating for this Nation's veterans with an unflappable determination 
to doing right by them.
  She has always advised me with a clear-eyed perspective and guided 
her staff with an endless capacity for kindness and a good laugh.
  In 2020, when many offices struggled to find ways to work effectively 
from home, Elizabeth ensured the Health Subcommittee didn't miss a 
beat.
  It is safe to say that no congressional staffer did more for veterans 
in 2020 than Elizabeth Mackenzie. The landmark legislation, the SAVE 
LIVES Act, which vaccinated tens of thousands of veterans, their 
spouses, and their caregivers, was made possible by her determination.

  We are saddened to lose this brilliant, seemingly tireless advocate 
to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, but I know she will 
continue to do great things for veterans and this country.

                          ____________________