[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5670-S5671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO PAT TOWELL, Ph.D.

  Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise to honor William Patrick ``Pat''

[[Page S5671]]

Towell, Ph.D., for his more than 17 years of service to Congress and 
the American people as a specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget 
at the Congressional Research Service, CRS. Dr. Towell is widely 
recognized as a foremost defense policy expert. Senators, Members of 
Congress, and staff have all relied on his knowledge, expertise, and 
guidance at pivotal points in the development of the annual defense 
authorization and appropriations bills. Having served with CRS since 
2006, Dr. Towell will retire at the end of this year.
  Throughout his tenure at CRS, Dr. Towell has advised congressional 
leaders, Department of Defense civilian and military officials, and 
foreign dignitaries on a range of defense policy and budgetary matters. 
A political scientist by training, he has exhibited a profound respect 
for the institution of Congress and an encyclopedic knowledge of the 
events and political personalities that have shaped defense issues. In 
addition to coordinating and authoring reports on annual defense 
authorization and appropriations legislation, Dr. Towell has written 
insightfully about key strategic guidance documents such as the 
Quadrennial Defense Review and the National Defense Strategy. He has 
also provided analyses of the debates over how to best organize the 
Federal Government to address national security challenges, and he has 
closely monitored funding for post-9/11 military operations in 
Afghanistan and Iraq.
  Dr. Towell's vast knowledge of the history of congressional 
operations has been an important source of institutional memory, 
particularly for newer Members and staff seeking to understand the 
lessons that can be drawn from past debates. A gifted public speaker 
known for his humor, quick wit, and enthusiasm in discussing defense 
matters, Dr. Towell has often presented at CRS's new Member seminar, an 
orientation for new Members of Congress, in Williamsburg, VA. He has 
served as a CRS speaker or panelist for visiting delegations from the 
U.S. war colleges, the NATO Defense College, and foreign Parliaments 
sponsored by the House Democracy Partnership. Dr. Towell also has 
participated in a staff exchange with the European Parliamentary 
Research Service--EPRS--in Brussels. For many years, he helped to 
organize and present at CRS's annual defense budget seminar for 
congressional staff. Drawing on a deep professional network built over 
decades of experience in both journalism and policy, Dr. Towell has 
mentored colleagues in part by organizing internal discussions with 
various defense scholars and practitioners, from leading think tank 
experts to senior Defense Department civilian leaders.
  Before joining CRS, Dr. Towell was a lecturer in political science at 
California State College, Bakersfield from 1972 to 1975, a defense 
reporter at Congressional Quarterly from 1975 to 2003, and a fellow at 
the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments from 2003 to 2006. 
He received a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Georgetown 
University in Washington, DC; a master's degree in political science 
from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL; and a Ph.D. in political 
science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL.
  On behalf of the U.S. Senate and the American people, I express deep 
gratitude for the contributions of Dr. Towell during his nearly two 
decades at CRS. Along with his family, friends, and colleagues, I thank 
him and wish him and his wife K.T. all the best in retirement.

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