[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7235-S7236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO SENATOR BROWN'S LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, today I ask my colleagues to join me in
honoring a driving force on my staff, our legislative team.
Without their expertise and dedication and talent, we would not have
been able to do the vital work we have done to fight for the dignity of
work.
From the Butch Lewis Act that saved the pensions of 100,000 Ohio
workers to the PACT Act that extended benefits for veterans exposed to
toxins while serving our country to the $35 cap on the price of
insulin, the lives of Ohioans--of Americans--are better because of this
team.
The work of our legislative team would not be possible without the
leadership and guidance of our deputy chief of staff and, before that,
our longtime legislative director Jeremy Hekhuis.
Jeremy joined Team Brown 2011 as our legislative director. And while
he attended the University of Michigan for law school--something he
never lets staff forget--Jeremy has been one of Ohio's best advocates.
He understands this State and the issues that matter most to its
people.
Over 14 years, Jeremy served as our legislative director, Banking
Committee deputy staff director and deputy chief and counsel, and he
pushed forward an agenda that put Ohio and the people who make this
country work first. Without Jeremy's masterful maneuvering and endless
knowledge, many of these wins wouldn't have happened. Anyone who has
worked with Jeremy knows he is more than just an effective staffer; he
is a force.
He always has another big idea, another path to try, another way to
deliver for Ohio. Jeremy never gives up; his persistence is legendary.
Of course, big ideas don't mean much if you don't know how to get
things done. Jeremy does; few understand how to make the Senate work
better than Jeremy.
He knows that the biggest wins can be the result of the longest
fights. He sees the value in the long game, and finding the right
moment to spring into action, there is no one better at making sure
everything is ready to go, and then seizing the right opportunity.
He has done it over and over again. It is how we expanded the Child
Tax Credit, saved the pensions of 100,000 Ohioans, and expanded
healthcare for veterans. It is how we got a new middle school in
Piketon and FEND Off Fentanyl passed into law. Jeremy's fingerprints
are on everything that has come out of this office and the Banking and
Housing Committee--every bill, every letter, every investment, every
win.
He worked alongside our legislative assistants and aides and pushed
his team to consider every angle and every possible scenario to ensure
they did their best work for Ohio. He is known for his late-night phone
calls from the aisles of the grocery store and early morning calls from
the trail as he bikes into the office.
When I became ranking member of the Banking and Housing Committee in
2015, Jeremy took on double duty in our office, stepping up to serve as
the deputy staff director on the Banking and Housing Committee, in
addition to his work as LD. In this role, Jeremy served as the thread
connecter, coordinating work between the two teams and helping merge
them into one larger operation.
His office door was always open to staff to ask questions or get his
eyes on a memo or letter or speech. He was a resource for every
department and a near expert on Ohio--and a whole lot of other
unexpected subjects.
And in an intense and high stakes work environment, it can be hard to
find people that always lead with kindness, but that is Jeremy. He
always finds the good in people. He always finds the common ground. And
he always finds a way to work with everyone. It is why he is so good at
this job; this institution is built on relationships.
While he is the best at what he does in the Senate, the job he is
most proud of is dad to Hannah, Isaiah, and Caleb and husband to
Christine. His love of public service is only rivaled by his love of
family and of music, craft beer, kimchi, and great food and good
company.
We couldn't have delivered for Ohio without Jeremy. Jeremy, thank you
for nearly a decade and a half of your big ideas and your exceptional
service.
Our legislative team--and our whole office--couldn't function without
our legislative director, Abby Duggan.
Abby joined our office in 2013 as a legislative correspondent. From
Abby's first days on Team Brown, her talent, thoroughness, and
attention to detail stood out.
It was no surprise that over the next 10 years, Abby worked her way
up in the office becoming a legislative aide, then a legislative
assistant, and eventually deputy legislative director before becoming
legislative director.
Abby has the rare combination of care and compassion for the people
we serve and for her colleagues, combined with a deep understanding of
the technical parts of legislating.
Her legislative work focused primarily on our health portfolio
working to expand access to healthcare for Ohioans and people across
the country and to bring down drug prices and healthcare costs.
Her vigilant defense of the Affordable Care Act ensured that Ohioans
had access to care they need. She worked alongside Governor Kasich's
team to expand Medicaid and was instrumental in strengthening and
extending the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.
She also worked hard to secure a commitment to consolidate and
upgrade Cincinnati's two aging National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health facilities. The construction phase of that project is
right around the corner.
As the addiction crisis strained communities across the country, Abby
worked to deliver real solutions for Ohioans, from working with Senator
Portman's team to pass the CRIB Act to increasing access to residential
treatment programs for Ohioans who rely on Medicaid.
Much of Abby's work centered on fighting for Ohio children and the
State's children's hospitals. She pushed for increased funding for
pediatric research and fellowship programs to train the next generation
of pediatricians. Legislation she helped write to prevent stillbirths
and sudden unexpected deaths in infants and children is now law.
And because of Abby, people of all ages in Ohio are living healthier
lives and have better, more affordable healthcare.
Many Ohioans probably recognize her from her work to support our
office's Congressionally Directed Spending projects. Over the course of
the past 3 years, the team has secured nearly $500 million in funding
to support more than 325 unique projects across Ohio.
Abby brings out the best in this team. She helped make this office
the place it was.
Abby, in some sense, grew up in this office. She got married. She
welcomed a son and dealt with all the challenges that come with being a
new parent while doing a tough job.
On Team Brown, Abby is a steady presence and is always focused on how
best to support the legislative team and mentor staff. Abby is a
natural manager.
She has a keen eye for talent. She recognizes her team's strengths,
meets staffers where they are, and creates opportunities to help
everyone grow in their roles.
Abby has recruited many fellows to our office over the years--
talented temporary additions to our staff who bring outside expertise,
but who have often never worked in Congress before. Many of these
former fellows were here this week, in the Gallery for my final floor
speech.
Under Abby's tutelage, often after only a few months working in the
Senate, these fellows were fully integrated into the office,
introducing bills and shepherding legislation. That is the Abby touch.
As a manager, Abby always has the right solution, knows the right
thing to say, and handles every situation with grace. She makes sure
that everyone feels heard, that problems are resolved, and that the
people we serve are at the center of every decision we make.
Abby, thank you for bringing your warmth and your passion and your
skill to this job serving Ohioans for more than a decade.
Abby and Jeremy led a team of talented policy staffers with diverse
interests and specialties all working to better the lives of the people
we serve.
[[Page S7236]]
Chad Bolt led our tax portfolio, and the Child Tax Credit and Earned
Income Tax Credit wouldn't have happened without Chad's work. He is
also the reason the Social Security Fairness Act passed the House this
year and will be voted on in the Senate later this week. Chad is the
guy you want on your team; he is collaborative, a resource for junior
staff and new team members, a creative thinker who gets it done, and an
incredible kickball player.
Wes King covers our agriculture, energy, and environment portfolios.
He writes more letters in a day than most Senate LAs do in a month, and
they are always exactly what we need to fight for constituents. He is
also the volunteer manager of his neighborhood community garden and
brings in excess goodies from his garden for the staff to enjoy.
Drew Martineau, our defense and veterans staffer, is everyone's go-to
guy. Every group who meets with the office raves about how excellent
Drew is. And it is not just because he is a good listener who
understands the policy; it is because he cares and follows through.
Drew is also a great leader and leads by example, having worked his way
up in the office from my driver in Ohio to a senior member of my
legislative team. You can tell he was captain of his college baseball
team, a tradition he has continued as captain of our office's softball
league, where he has been a fearless leader and makes everyone in the
office feel valued and included, especially our interns.
Brendan Flynn, our judiciary legislative assistant, is committed to
constituent services, and it shows in everything he does. He always
works to put Ohioans first, whether it is fighting the administration
to get resources to communities in need or organizing a judicial
commission process to ensure our Federal judges represent the best Ohio
has to offer. He is always there to chat with his colleagues,
especially if it is about theater, cooking techniques, or his hometown
Las Vegas.
Kimberly Lattimore now covers our health portfolio and always makes
constituents feel welcome and heard. Her passion for public health and
fighting for vulnerable communities shows in the work she does every
day. She recently became an aunt, and Kimberly has spent lots of time
getting to know the newest member of her extended family.
Lyndsey Barnes, our economic adviser, is a committed public servant.
I will always remember she said in her interview that the most
important role in a Senate office is its casework team. She understands
that this work is about helping people, about the dignity of their
work. Lyndsey is from Buffalo and has dedicated the past decade of her
life to improving the lives of folks living on and around Route 90,
whether they be in western New York or Ohio.
The work of our legislative assistants is supported every day by our
team of legislative correspondents and aides.
Amy Myers joined our team after years working for the residents of
New Jersey, but quickly grew to know Ohio. Amy knows just about
everyone on Capitol Hill and is always ready to help a colleague make a
connection or share a story from a friend.
Francis Goins is passionate about serving his home State and
advocating for policy to improve our Nation's healthcare system. He ran
track in college and will be joining our armed services early next
year, dedicating more of his career to serving our country in a
different way.
Andy Dickson loves Ohio and meeting with constituents. He finds joy
delivering for his home State every day. He always makes people feel
comfortable and loves to hear about where they are from and what they
love about Ohio. He also recently adopted a cat Denny.
Cierra Stewart has done an incredible job stepping in to fill in
whenever we need her, whether it is because a team member leaves and we
need coverage on the portfolio or we need someone to take the lead on
the College Presidents Conference. She did a great job working on our
Resolution to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis. She has also
dedicated her personal time to service organizations and others
dedicated to building up congressional staff, including the SBLC and
others. I am excited for her next adventure; Cierra plans to attend law
school starting next fall.
Diop Harris, while originally from the State to the north of Ohio,
served the people of Ohio for 3 years. He spent his time working on
issues both in our personal office and partnering with my staff on the
Banking and Housing Committee to make sure Ohioans who reached out to
us with questions received an update on issues they care about.
Lila Jarouche worked both as a staff assistant and supported the
legislative team. She excelled in every project she took on and is a
natural leader. Her work improved our reach to Ohioans by responding to
more than 100,000 pieces of mail in less than 2 months, and she stepped
up to help staff my work on the Congressional-Executive Commission on
China when I rejoined the CECC earlier this year.
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