[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7323-H7324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              END PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING ONCE AND FOR ALL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Nickel) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NICKEL. Mr. Speaker, as my term in Congress ends, I express my 
heartfelt gratitude to those who made it possible: the people of North 
Carolina. Representing North Carolina's 13th District has been the 
honor of a lifetime.
  I am proud of the impact our office has had over the past 2 years. We 
have helped more than 1,600 constituents resolve issues with Federal 
agencies, returning nearly $2.8 million to my constituents in the 
process. We have hosted and attended nearly 300 public events, 
including 16 townhalls, to connect with our neighbors and make their 
voices heard in Washington.
  We responded to over 70,000 pieces of correspondence, ensuring that 
every constituent knew that their voice mattered, and we brought back 
millions through the Federal budget to North Carolina's 13th District.
  Legislatively, we have worked to make life better for the people we 
served. I introduced 13 bills and cosponsored over 450 pieces of 
legislation, fighting for affordable healthcare, safer schools, better 
infrastructure, and an economy that works for everyone. I took to this 
floor 70 times to advocate for my district's priorities and to share 
their stories with the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not a normal farewell speech. I am not giving 
this speech by choice. As someone who first came to Congress 30 years 
ago as an intern for Senator Dianne Feinstein, I can guarantee one 
thing: Nobody has truly loved serving in Congress more than me.
  That is, in part, because we knew there was a good chance that my 
district would be erased by partisan gerrymandering and my time here 
would be short. I had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not here giving a farewell speech because I did a 
bad job or because my constituents voted for another candidate. I am 
here because of partisan gerrymandering by far-right extremists in the 
North Carolina General Assembly.
  The fair, Republican-leaning district that sent me to Congress was 
erased last year with the stroke of a pen. The people of North Carolina 
and across the country deserve better. They deserve fair maps, a fair 
system, and a democracy that they can trust. People should choose their 
politicians, not the other way around.

  I will continue to fight with every ounce of my energy for fair maps 
and an end to partisan gerrymandering.
  Mr. Speaker, as we leave this week, we will be the least-productive 
Congress in our Nation's history going back to 1860, and that is 
because of extreme partisan gerrymandering. It provides no incentive to 
work together.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to end partisan gerrymandering once and for 
all.
  I thank the people of North Carolina's 13th District for trusting me 
to be your voice in Congress. Serving has been the greatest honor of my 
life. I am not giving up or going out quietly, and I will always remain 
committed to working for a brighter future for North Carolina.
  To my family, my wife, Caroline; and my kids, Prescott and Adeline, 
your love and support mean everything to me. Public service is never a 
solo effort. It is a family commitment. It is a team effort. I love you 
all so much, and I am so grateful for you. I am very excited to return 
back to Cary for Christmas.
  I also thank my amazing staff. Their hard work and dedication ensured 
that we delivered for the people we served. I acknowledge their 
contributions by submitting their names to the Congressional Record. 
Thank you so much to the best team in the business.
  To my Democratic colleagues from North Carolina, it has been a true 
honor to serve with Alma Adams, Deborah Ross, and Kathy Manning. While 
not with us in this Congress, David Price and G.K. Butterfield are 
absolutely part of the team for North Carolina in the House. I 
especially thank Valerie Foushee, Don Davis, and Jeff Jackson for their 
partnership, friendship, and outstanding leadership for North Carolina.
  Going back to our time serving together in the North Carolina Senate, 
all four of us served in the senate together and came here in this 
freshman class. It has been a true honor to serve with all of them.
  I also mention the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry) on the 
Republican side. He led the Financial Services Committee. We worked 
hard together in a bipartisan way on FIT 21, the first-ever crypto bill 
to be voted on in the U.S. Congress.
  I am proud of the effort to bring 71 Democrats together. That is how 
legislation is supposed to work: working together in a bipartisan way. 
That, for me, was a bright spot for this Congress.
  I thank my colleagues, especially my fellow freshmen, for their 
friendship and collaboration. Working alongside them has been a true 
honor.
  We ended this term with an amazing dinner together last night. Their 
passion and determination remind me of why we do this work, and I am 
grateful for the lifelong friendships we have built.
  I know I am leaving the future of the U.S. Congress in very good 
hands. Public service is about making a difference. It is about putting 
others first

[[Page H7324]]

and leaving things better than you found them. As I leave this Chamber, 
I do so with a full heart and hope for the future.
  There is a lot of work that I still want to do, and I plan to 
continue in public service. North Carolina's working families deserve 
elected leaders who will serve their best interests, not the interests 
of special interests or the interests of Donald Trump. I am not giving 
up in that fight.
  Mr. Speaker, may God bless the United States of America.

            Staff Names To Be Added to Congressional Record

       Abigail Atkins, Shawntay Anthony, Miles Beasley, Owen 
     Berman Woodard, Scotty Bryan, Amanda Campos, Jennifer 
     Cardenas, Wade Chapman, Rachel Curtis, Brady Cusick, Harry 
     Davis Jr., Jennings Dean, Robert Erwin, Kate Ferland, 
     Elizabeth George, Jacob Glasser, Henry Goodwin, Caroline 
     Kenney, Cameron Kidder.
       Rachel Kline, Matt Landini, Richard Lin, Abner Martinez-
     Padilla, Abby May, Priya Moran, Margaret Murphy, Nalani 
     Noonan, Quinn O'Connor, Alyssa Olbrys, Jennifer Popa, Kevin 
     Porter, Laurin Potter, Freedom Fox Richardson, Siyona Shah, 
     John Sloop, Maddie Smith-Russell, Alicia Speedy, Fallon 
     Strickland, Nia White, George Willets, Mariam Wolk.

                          ____________________