[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H1081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING STATE REPRESENTATIVE SAM McKENZIE ON RECEIVING THE 2023 
                          CRYSTAL GAVEL AWARD

  (Mr. BURCHETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor State Representative Sam 
McKenzie who represents House District 15 in Tennessee and Knoxville.
  Representative McKenzie has been serving the people of east Tennessee 
for a long time. He was on the Knoxville Utility board of directors 
from 2003 to 2008, and he spent time working at Oak Ridge National 
Laboratory and sat on the Oak Ridge Federal Credit Union board of 
directors.
  He then served on the Knox County Commission while I was the mayor of 
Knox County, so we worked side by side on a lot of important issues.
  We met at FCA camp in high school. We played high school football for 
different schools. He played for Austin East, and I played for Bearden. 
We also share a love for the Pizza Palace on Magnolia Avenue.
  I know from time to time working alongside him that he is a straight 
shooter who asks solid, direct questions about what is happening in our 
government. It is clear he cares about our community and the work he is 
doing for east Tennessee.
  Representative McKenzie was recently awarded the 2023 Crystal Gavel 
Award of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators at its 47th 
convention in Nashville. He was given this award because of his 
leadership of the Tennessee Black Caucus, which has over 700 members.
  Sam and I are on opposite sides of the political aisle, and we might 
have different visions of how things should get done, but we both want 
what is best for our constituents and the areas we represent.
  Congratulations to Representative McKenzie on receiving the 2023 
Crystal Gavel Award.

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