[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 146 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO GADEN JAMES

  Mr. McCONNELL. Now, Mr. President, if you make it past Grace, you may 
find yourself striking up a conversation with the other half of my all-
star front office, Gaden James.
  It usually begins with a detailed account of the incredible history 
of the room--the very first home of the Library of Congress--but where 
the conversation goes next is anybody's guess. Gaden is as comfortable 
discussing the finer points of sport fishing as he is the nuances of 
Richard Nixon's foreign policy. No matter the topic, you are sure to 
come away with some new walking-around knowledge. Perhaps that is par 
for the course with an alumnus of one of our most erudite former 
colleagues, Rob Portman.
  Gaden has struck a sort of balance few young Capitol Hill staffers 
manage to achieve. He is both 100 percent present for the tasks at hand 
and 100 percent committed to honing the skills he hopes to use in his 
future. In other words, he is not above keeping track of my favorite 
coffee mug, but he never misses an opportunity to attend a briefing on 
an interesting topic either. And when the Senate works odd hours, so 
does my front office team. I am grateful that Gaden has been so willing 
to burn the midnight oil.
  So, Gaden, thanks a lot.

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