[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 28, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H5929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 WELCOMING THE HONORABLE CELESTE MALOY TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis) 
is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, as the dean of the Utah delegation, I have 
the distinct honor to rise today to introduce the newest Member of the 
House of Representatives, Celeste Maloy. Celeste was born in southern 
Utah, raised in rural Nevada, and then, as an adult, chose Utah as her 
home. Celeste earned an agricultural degree from Southern Utah 
University in Cedar City which she now calls home.
  She began her career in public service as a soil conservationist at 
the USDA in Beaver, Utah, also located within her district, where she 
worked for 10 years.
  She left Beaver to go to law school at BYU, where she got her law 
degree, in my hometown, and she was a law student there, in fact, while 
I was her mayor.
  Since beginning her late career, she has worked as a deputy county 
attorney, a public lands attorney for the Utah Association of Counties 
and, most recently, as the chief legal counsel to former Congressman 
Chris Stewart.
  In a special election, Celeste assembled a coalition of both rural 
and urban voters. She was unafraid to stand for conservative 
principles, calling for debate in each of her 13 counties. In her 
district, she is known to be a hard worker, levelheaded, and 
consistently conservative.
  We were all a little surprised that she won the election since the 
last thing she won was her 7th grade spelling bee, but the secret to 
her heart is simple: offer her a Dr. Pepper and her number one food 
staple, cottage cheese. Better yet, ask her about her 90-year-old 
grandmother, who is her biggest political fan and best critic, or her 
other grandmother who was her roommate when she was in high school and 
they worked at the same truck stop.
  She is the fourth of six kids--this is how we do families in Utah--
which means that most of her life she has been in a bunk bed.
  Finally, my colleagues will remember her predecessor, Chris Stewart. 
He was known for having several speed records around the world in his 
plane. Celeste does not have a flight speed record, but I hear, 
unbeknownst to the Utah Highway Patrol, she has several speed records 
on I-15 in her district.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield to my fellow Utahn, Celeste Maloy.

                              {time}  1915

  Ms. MALOY. Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute honor and privilege to be 
here right now. It is very humbling. Since this was a special election, 
they let me have a few friends and family come in the gallery. I want 
everyone on the floor to notice how many people are up here to support 
me.
  I have talked a lot on the campaign trail, and the media has talked a 
lot about how I went to college on a scholarship I won in an FFA soil 
judging contest. I was very involved in FFA in high school. In my 
freshman year, I memorized the FFA creed and then participated in a 
creed speaking contest where I totally lost.
  I repeated one of the paragraphs three times, but in the first 
paragraph, which I had down pat, there is a sentence that says, ``I 
believe . . . in the promise of better days through better ways, even 
as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of 
former years.''
  I think that perfectly describes how I feel right now about being a 
Member of the United States House of Representatives. I believe in the 
promise of better days through better ways. I am excited to be here 
now, when there are really important conversations happening and when 
an individual can have a huge impact.
  I also acknowledge the struggles of former years and that we live in 
an absolutely wonderful, great country because of the people who came 
before us and had important conversations and struggles and inched us 
ever closer to the ideal, the American Dream, the principles that are 
embodied in our Constitution and our Declaration of Independence.
  Let me humbly say how excited I am to be here and how much it means 
to me to be representing the people in Utah's Second Congressional 
District. I don't take that title lightly. I want to make sure my 
constituents know that I am here to truly represent them and that I am 
optimistic, that I am excited to serve, and that I understand what a 
great honor and rare privilege it is to be standing here on the House 
floor right now giving a speech, so thank you.

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