[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 123 (Monday, July 29, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5533-S5534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Tribute to Matt VanKuiken

  Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to my 
chief of staff and dear longtime friend, Matt VanKuiken, who will be 
moving on to the next step in his career this week, after 16 years of 
outstanding service in my office.
  Those of you who know Matt understand how passionate he is about 
golfing. We have all experienced also his witty sense of humor. Matt is 
a literal political pundit.
  With that, Matt, I want you to know there are no ifs, ands, or putts 
about it. You have been a terrific chief of staff and the best, by par. 
I could always count on you to drive right in to solve problems, to 
scramble and find the best approach to any situation, and to stay the 
course until the job was done.
  Matt, from what I understand, my phone calls to you while you were 
golfing really helped you improve your game over the years. So I want 
you to know that I have a gift for you back in the office, some golf 
balls and tees with my campaign colors, so that you won't ever forget 
about my calls when I am not calling you every day.
  True story, Madam President: Matt first applied to work in my office 
when he was a student at Western Michigan University. We offered him an 
internship in my West Michigan office, and he turned us down. But, 
fortunately, we didn't hold that against him. Sixteen years ago, I made 
one of the best hiring decisions ever when I hired Matt as a 
legislative aide, handling energy and environmental issues, which I 
know, Madam Chair, you care so much about, as do I.
  He went on to serve in senior roles over the years, including as my 
legislative director and my chief of staff, including his role now as a 
key member of our top leadership chiefs. He has had an incredible 
Senate career.
  Since his early days in the office, Matt had a way of rising to the 
occasion. A perfect example of this happened one day, a late afternoon 
in 2013. For reasons unknown, Matt was left alone in the office when my 
private incoming line rang. Unsure of exactly how to answer or transfer 
the call on this line, he was going to let it ring. He soon realized 
that the line had no voicemail, and he decided he should attempt to 
answer it. It was a good thing he did because it was President Obama 
trying to reach me.
  In typical Matt fashion, he figured it out. He kept his composure. 
The call went off without a hitch, although he claims to this day that 
President Obama could hear his hand shaking through the phone.
  I can point to so many big accomplishments where Matt has played an 
absolutely instrumental leadership role. Over and over again, he 
doesn't give up, and he finds creative ways to get things done in the 
face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
  Getting funds to address the needs of families and fix the pipes in 
Flint was a herculean effort. Because the crisis wasn't a natural 
disaster, Flint didn't qualify for certain types of disaster funding. 
Under Matt's leadership, we found a way to get it done. Today, almost 
all of the lead service pipes in Flint have been replaced, and the 
children and families of Flint have access to safe water.

  In 2015, Matt was instrumental in getting funding to Detroit and 
other Michigan cities to tear down blighted homes and rebuild 
neighborhoods. My goal, which we thought was simple and found it 
wasn't, was to transfer available funds from one account in the 
Treasury to another account to address these critical housing issues.
  Over and over again, we were told getting support to transfer the 
funds was impossible. In fact, multiple times, Leader Reid told us it 
was over. We were playing Whac-A-Mole, as one obstacle after another 
popped up. But, in the end, with Matt's tenacity and hard work, we 
succeeded, and it was worth it.
  The mayor of Detroit recently told me that the actions we took 
created safe neighborhoods for families in Detroit a decade sooner--10 
years sooner--than they would have been able to do it had they not had 
those funds.
  So, thank you, Matt.
  I could go on and on. Matt helped me get an agreement with Canada to 
limit trash from coming into Michigan landfills from Toronto. He helped 
established the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, or GLRI--which, 
again, Madam Chair knows about--our premier funding source to protect 
our precious lakes. This program has been incredibly successful in 
Michigan and across our entire Great Lakes region. I couldn't have done 
all of this and so much more without Matt's leadership and his hard 
work.
  But Matt's legacy is more than our legislative successes. It is most 
reflected in my incredible staff and alumni from my office. He has been 
the

[[Page S5534]]

best--the best--chief who has built the best team in Congress. He has 
been a friend, a mentor, and a supportive colleague to so many. He has 
created the kind of culture that has made my office so effective at 
getting things done and a great place to work.
  At around 11:30 every day, Matt asks folks in the office: ``What are 
we doing for lunch today?'' And you will see him with at least two, 
sometimes more, colleagues heading down to grab food and then coming 
back to his office to eat together.
  During his time as chief, we have had one of the lowest staff 
turnovers of any office. And it is not just because they love Arby's or 
spicy chicken sandwiches, although he has gotten a lot of recruits to 
do that. When Matt makes decisions, he seeks a lot of input from our 
office, from our staff, which is so important.
  One staffer talked about how, during the pandemic, he would regularly 
check in with everyone on the team and seek feedback when deciding new 
protocols and office systems as the pandemic evolved. In chaos and 
uncertain times, Matt made sure everyone felt supported and competent 
that they had what they needed to succeed. And, of course, he has 
always done that for me.
  Matt has also effectively bridged the divide between DC and the 
Michigan staff. This means leading our all-staff retreats, making sure 
everyone knows each other, and setting the tone of constant 
collaboration in service to our State. The people of Michigan have 
benefited every single day from his leadership and service.
  Matt's relationships outside of our office have also been 
instrumental in so many successes. These relationships are what keeps 
our office informed and helps us serve the people of Michigan.
  When I finally decided not to run again, I knew it was the right 
decision for me and my family. I knew it was time to pass the torch. 
But I couldn't imagine not being with my Senate family every day and 
not working with Matt every day. It is the hardest decision I ever 
made--the right decision but the hardest.
  Matt will be starting an exciting new job soon. I know he will 
continue his commitment to excellence and service in this new role and 
beyond, and I am confident that he will continue his great success in 
everything he does.
  I will be forever grateful for Matt's contributions to my success, 
for his loyalty, and his friendship.
  I wish Matt continued success and happiness in the next chapter in 
his life, and I wish him joy and happiness with Heather and his 
wonderful daughter Sophie, who is with us today in the Gallery.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.