[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 21, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H253-H255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                             General Leave

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special 
Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to other Members, 
Mr. Speaker, I will begin with my own remarks regarding my longtime 
chief of staff, Tracie Pough.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a woman who, as much as anyone in my 
adult life, has been a true partner, mentor, counsel, confidant, and 
quite frankly, like the sister that I never had. I do have a great 
brother, though.
  I rise to honor my chief of staff, Tracie Pough, who is retiring 
after 20-plus years of service in the House, which has spanned my own 
20 years representing my community in our beloved home State of 
Florida.

  Rarely, Mr. Speaker, are any of us blessed with someone who can see 
our inner self with just a glance, someone who without one word knows 
exactly where you stand, someone who is truly your natural alter ego.
  Throughout all of my time in Congress, and even before that, in my 
time in the Florida Legislature, I leaned on no one more than my chief 
of staff, Tracie Pough.
  We often joke in my office about how the two of us share one brain. I 
can't tell you how many nights I leaned on her for advice, knowledge, 
and insights, not just on how to make life better for the people that I 
represent, but how to navigate through life.
  Anyone who knows her has benefited from her Tracie-isms, wisdom that 
comes with its own vocabulary. She is a staff leader who has mentored 
and trained dozens of staffers on our team, many of whom are watching 
C-SPAN. I know I am breaking rules referring to people in the gallery, 
but many are also joining us in the gallery tonight.
  She is a staff leader who is sought out by other staffers, as well as 
chiefs, for her guidance. She is widely respected on both sides of the 
aisle, and her political acumen is legendary. Tracie is and always has 
been a trusted voice, an empathic voice to all who seek her counsel.
  Her amazing political instincts, unmatched relationships, and her 
highly structured leadership of my office is something I have come to 
rely on for two decades.
  When former staffers reached back to me with their thoughts about her 
leadership, many shared how Tracie was an invaluable mentor to them 
over her 21 years in Congress.
  She has been both my top general and that ever-reliable shoulder to 
cry on. She has been there with me through it all. Tracie helped lift 
me to my highest of highs, and she was right there to pick me up in 
those low times.
  It is during these times that you find out who you can really count 
on, Mr. Speaker, who has the courage, the passion and temperament and 
loyalty to continue to help you take steps forward, never back.
  I have a couple of items that I want to recall, one of which was the 
story behind my passage of the first bill that I ever passed as a 
Member of Congress all the way back in 2005, which created Jewish 
American Heritage Month.
  It is a lengthy story, but suffice it to say, you want to find 
yourself--to the new Members who may be listening to these remarks--you 
want to find yourself a chief of staff, a team leader, who knows the 
intricacies of the legislative process, who actually picks up the daily 
calendar, who looks closely at it, and then figures out what plays need 
to be made to get your legislation to the floor.
  I can comfortably say that we would not have just celebrated the 17th 
year of Jewish American Heritage Month this past year in May if not for 
Tracie Pough's acumen, her strategic incite, and her relationships. As 
a freshman, I can tell you, I would not have been able to carry that 
ball by myself.
  Tracie has also been an incredible generational bridge, which both of 
us have very much needed as the evolution of the age and generations of 
my staff have gotten younger than we are today.
  I was elected to Congress, Mr. Speaker, when I was 37 years old, and 
suffice it to say, that I had several staffers that were older than me 
back then. No longer. If anyone has dealt with the challenges--and I am 
now a parent of Gen Zers, three Gen Zers, whom I, like every parent, 
struggle to understand--but now I have an entire team, almost an entire 
team of staff who are either Millennials or Gen Zers, and Tracie and I 
have enjoyed helping raise them up.
  Under her leadership, we taught them how to actually pick up the 
telephone and call other people, rather than just shoot them a text or 
send them an email. When they are sitting there wondering why someone 
hasn't gotten back to them, or they are ready to throw their hands up, 
and say, you know, it is time to move on, Congresswoman, Tracie will 
say, why don't you have Debbie actually go talk to that Member on the 
other side of the aisle.
  Lo and behold, when I take the opportunity to do that, the logjam and 
the dam breaks. Human interaction is so incredibly important, and with 
the explosion of technology that the next generation of staffers and 
children and kids grow up with, she has been an incredible guide to 
ensuring that old school remains new school.
  As with all wonderful relationships, this one will now evolve. She is 
prepared to move on and start that inevitable new chapter. Her impact 
on me, our staff, and the people that I represent runs so deep.
  Through her tireless work, Tracie has made life better for millions 
of people across Florida, across my congressional district, and this 
entire Nation. She is someone who there aren't words to describe the 
depth of my feeling about her departure, but I will so miss working 
with directly and spending time with her each day. Although, I am 
confident that we will probably talk almost every day, at least for the 
foreseeable future and much to her dismay, probably.
  She is someone to whom I will forever remain attached to. Tracie 
Pough is family to me, and I cherish her friendship and the time we 
have spent together more than I can ever put into words. As I always 
say, when a trusted and valued team member goes on to the next stage of 
their career, they will always be on team DWS, but she will technically 
move to the concentric circles of our family. She will always remain in 
the center as a trusted adviser, dearest friend, and sister.
  On behalf of so many here today, and so many others, I thank her. I 
am honored to have her by my side and to celebrate her work, her 
character, and the indelible mark she has left on all of us.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Clyburn).

                              {time}  1930

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the 
time.

[[Page H254]]

  Mr. Speaker, I thank you so much for allowing me to join you in 
honoring our mutual friend and confidant, Tracie Pough.
  Robert Frost, the great writer, once wrote:

     Two roads diverged in a wood, and I----
     I took the one less traveled by,
     And that has made all the difference.

  I don't argue with Robert Frost, but I beg to differ a little bit 
with that notion because I am of the opinion, and from my own 
experiences, no matter what road one chooses to travel, it is the 
people with whom you intersect that make the difference.
  When I first met Tracie Pough, I don't remember where it was or 
exactly when it was, but it was more than 20 years. It was not long 
after I came to Congress. Of course, I am a bit older than both Debbie 
and Tracie.
  We for some reason just kind of hit it off. Our spirits kind of 
congealed. I don't know exactly how to explain it. We started doing 
political stuff together, traveling.
  She just reminded me of a trip we shared to Louisiana, a part of 
Louisiana I didn't know existed. I didn't know about all these places. 
It was this little place we went to work on behalf of a candidate, and 
we won. Of course, the candidate later switched parties. Then, I think 
we lost.
  The fact still remains I got to know her on that trip. I often wonder 
what it is about Tracie that makes my chief of staff sometimes have to 
consult with her before he answers my question.
  Be that as it may, I do believe it is because of her background. 
Early in our relationship, for some reason I went to Jacksonville, 
Florida. I met her parents, and we began to compare notes. Then it 
occurred to me. Jacksonville, Florida, is in Geechee country. I was 
married for 58 years to a Gullah woman.
  People tend to separate those two. There isn't a separation. If you 
are in North Carolina and South Carolina, it is Gullah. If you are in 
Georgia and Florida, it is Geechee. I think my getting to know the 
Gullah-Geechee culture is really the background as to why our spirits 
tend to agree.
  If I had met her before the first 2 or 3 years of my marriage, we 
might not have gotten along because I didn't particularly get along 
with the Gullah culture. I learned I had to make some adjustments. 
Those adjustments worked. It was the same thing with Tracie.
  I really feel a part of her, getting to know her family, getting to 
work with her, getting to really consult with her sometimes behind 
Debbie's back but oftentimes for the benefit of both of us.
  I really was a bit surprised when I was told several days ago, maybe 
several weeks that she was going to retire and leave the Hill. I can 
say this. Truly. I love this young lady. She has been a part, an 
extension really of my staff, a part of my life. I have enjoyed every 
minute of our relationship, and I feel that she is in many instances as 
close to me as those three daughters that I have.
  Tracie, you are going to be missed on this Hill. I want you to know 
that you won't be far from us because I know how to use this device in 
my pocket, and I expect you to answer my calls when I call you. I want 
you to enjoy whatever it is you are doing after you leave this Hill.
  I also want you to know that if you ever think that I can be of any 
assistance in helping you do what you do better, just call. I know how 
to answer this device, as well. I also know I owe it not just to you 
but to your lovely family to respond in a positive way.
  I often rely upon great writers to make the point. I am now thinking 
of the great writer, Shakespeare, when he wrote his I think it was his 
Sonnet 116. Shakespeare wrote:

     Let me not to the marriage of true minds
     Admit impediments; love is not love
     Which alters when it alteration finds,
     Or bends with the remover to remove.
     O no, it is an ever-fixed mark
     That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
     It is the star to every wand'ring bark
     Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
     Love's not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
     Within his bending sickle's compass come.
     Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
     But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
     If this be error and upon me proved,
     I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

  That is the love that I have for you. I thank you so much for being a 
part of my life. I join Debbie in wishing you great success, and let me 
know when I need to answer this device.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Mr. Whip, for helping me 
honor my friend, my sister, Tracie Pough.
  Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentlewoman from the great State of 
Florida (Ms. Castor), my colleague and friend.
  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and 
colleague from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to express my gratitude and good wishes 
to Tracie Pough for her years of service to this body, to the 
Congresswoman, to the State of Florida.
  I also share that on behalf of the two chiefs of staff that I have 
had during my terms here, Clay Phillips and Lara Hopkins, they always 
consulted Tracie. They sought her counsel on how to run a congressional 
office, and how to do it in a proactive and positive way.
  There are often twists and turns here on Capitol Hill, especially 
here in the people's House. Tracie has always had that steady hand. She 
has an open door. She is a good listener. She is the chief of staff to 
chiefs of staff. She is known as the consummate professional. She 
doesn't lose her temper. To the contrary, she is even-keeled and 
thoughtful in everything she does.
  Let me say that sometimes that is not easy when you work for a Member 
of Congress who is a go-getter and is trying to accomplish a hundred 
things at a hundred miles per hour every single day.

  I think it is that yin and the yang where Tracie has been able to 
provide that steady hand and leadership to Congresswoman Wasserman 
Schultz that has really demonstrated her unbelievable capacity for 
being able to get things accomplished.
  The record out of her office is incredible. It is not just because of 
Debbie's senior seat on the Appropriations Committee. It is because of 
her knowledge of our beautiful State of Florida. I don't think we would 
have such massive investment in saving the Florida Everglades without 
Tracie standing firm and getting to know the Army Corps of Engineers 
probably on a first-name basis.
  I think some of her expertise comes from her service back in the 
Florida Legislature. We will claim you from the Tampa Bay area, a 
little Tampa credit, because she reminded me that she worked for Jim 
Hargrett who is a statehouse member from Tampa, who went on to be a 
State Senator; the great Jim Davis who was my predecessor here in 
Congress but also served in the statehouse; and also Arthenia Joyner.
  On behalf my neighbors across the Tampa Bay area, I want the world to 
know that Tracie Pough has made an incredible difference. She has made 
the lives of the people of the State of Florida and the United States 
better. It takes a lot to serve a Member over the course of 21 years in 
the United States House of Representatives.
  Every day there is a new challenge, and Tracie has handled these 
challenges with intelligence. Because of her even-keeled nature, her 
sense of fairness, her love for this country and the State of Florida, 
her love for the Congresswoman and all of the interns and staffers that 
came through her office over the years, Tracie Pough will leave an 
incredible legacy of service. For that, I am extremely grateful.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Castor. That 
was a very special and important tribute. I appreciate it so much.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the Congresswoman from the 
great State of Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel).
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I met Tracie almost 27 
years ago. I am looking at her and thinking it was when I was a Member 
of the Florida Legislature. She was a very young, clear-eyed, energetic 
person with the belief that she could make a difference in the lives of 
people.
  Mr. Speaker, do you know what? It is the same thing today. She is 
smart. She is energetic. I am even going to call her young at heart but 
still with that belief, and she has made that difference. She has had 
an extraordinary career in public service.
  I feel so blessed that our lives have become interwoven, going back 
to the

[[Page H255]]

Florida Legislature and then again now as a Member of Congress, with 
her work for the Democratic Party and for the DNC. We know she worked 
for an extraordinarily talented Member, but not to be trite, there is 
something about the wind beneath the wings. That is Tracie.

                              {time}  1945

  Tracie still has that great smile.
  I will thank her, as Representative Castor did, for her work with our 
staff and all the work she has done for our State, especially for the 
children and families of America.
  I am going to say thank you to Tracie. Her work has inspired us. She 
leaves a really great legacy.
  Mr. Speaker, for anyone who is listening to this, what they need to 
know is that they don't have to run for political office to really make 
a difference in the lives of people. Tracie has proven it.
  I am going to read the words of a poet that I think describes Tracie.
  Ever heard of Maya Angelou? I will just read a passage.

  Now you understand
  Just why my head's not bowed.
  I don't shout or jump about
  Or have to talk real loud.
  When you see me passing,
  It ought to make you proud.
  I say,
  It's in the click of my heels,
  The bend of my hair,
  The palm of my hand,
  The need of my care.
  'Cause I'm a woman
  Phenomenally.
  Phenomenal woman.

  That is you. That is you. I am wishing you the best in your next 
chapter. I hope it is exciting and fulfilling. Come back anytime to see 
us. Love you.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Frankel, my 
friend, for her remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto).
  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Tracie Pough: This Is Your Life, the Congressional Version.
  In this House of Representatives, every knight needs a good squire, 
and Tracie has been a super squire. Team WS is one of the most prolific 
offices in this Chamber, and Debbie's legacy is her legacy. We all know 
it.
  Disaster relief, protecting reproductive rights, advocating for 
immigrant rights, a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, navigating the 
COVID crisis--but for me, the biggest legacy is all the funding brought 
back for the Everglades.
  None of this was a guarantee. It took 20 years of work. When we 
started, water was drying up in the Everglades, and the water supply in 
south Florida was a real challenge. Roads cut right through it.
  There was a lot of hope with CERP in 2000, a little before they got 
here, but without all the work, CERP would have been just words on a 
paper. Instead, they wrote a reg.
  To the gentlewoman, how long did it take before you became a 
cardinal, literally working the budget that makes that happen? What was 
it, 6 years?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Two.
  Mr. SOTO. Two years.
  Mr. Speaker, Tracie is a super squire for all that, and Debbie's 
legacy is Tracie's legacy, in particular with the northern Everglades, 
which we are starting to work on. I know Tracie worked a lot with our 
team, helping us navigate the Army Corps of Engineers. That is like the 
seventh level of black belt Kung Fu legislating around here. I thank 
her for helping us with that.
  Secondly, as it was alluded to a little bit, Tracie is a chief of 
chiefs. Not only has she advised a lot of other chiefs, new ones coming 
in for the entire Florida Democratic delegation over the years, but she 
was my chief's boss back in the day. That was on the DCCC side, and 
that is a whole other thing, but my chief still to this day considers 
Tracie a mentor, so I thank her for helping because that knowledge can 
be lost. Imagine being a chief with no mentor coming into this place. 
Tracie served Florida well through that.
  Tracie has also been a committee assignment guru, with Debbie always 
seemingly one way or another getting onto steering and policy, now one 
of the chairs two terms in a row. It was with Tracie's help and DWS' 
help getting on the Energy and Commerce Committee, getting on the 
Agriculture Committee, getting on the Natural Resources Committee as of 
just a few hours ago. Her legacy is still being written right now.
  I thank Tracie for all of her help personally because it makes me 
more effective to be on the committees I need to be on. I thank her for 
all the advice to my team to help her boss navigate that.
  Central Florida also lays claim to Tracie, too. I heard the Tampa Bay 
story, but she went to Rollins College, so we claim Tracie also as a 
favorite daughter of central Florida.
  Lastly, since there have been a lot of things about age and all this 
and that, Tracie has a whole third act left. I am looking forward to 
seeing what she ends up doing. I know it is going to be something 
special. Because of her work ethic and passion, I know it is going to 
be another big thing--hopefully, a little easier for a while, maybe a 
sabbatical for a few weeks. Maybe not. Probably not, but I am hoping.
  Either way, I wish Tracie well in this third act. I know it is going 
to be amazing.
  Thank you so much for all you have done for my team. On behalf of our 
constituents, we appreciate you.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Soto and all of my 
colleagues for helping me honor this remarkable woman.
  Mr. Speaker, I will close with this. I think every Member can 
appreciate that their chief of staff, really their entire congressional 
staff, but their chief of staff is often a person we spend more time 
with than we spend with any member of our family, including our spouses 
and significant others. It is someone who needs to put up with us and 
tolerate the highs and lows.
  Tracie has done all that and more. She has taken calls at all hours 
of the night. Then, in the morning, she has always made herself 
available.

  The sacrifices that all of our staff members make to be able to help 
us be successful and make sure that our constituents are able to have 
their representation maximized is truly remarkable.
  Tracie and I have been through marriage, children, raising those 
children, helping one another raise our children; appointments to 
committees for me, like the Appropriations Committee in my second term, 
becoming a cardinal on my first day; being diagnosed, beating, and 
surviving breast cancer; and chairing the Democratic National 
Committee, and surviving the aftermath of that experience, including 
threats, bomb threats, international hacks.
  We had the absolutely incredible opportunity to be able to do all of 
that together and to be able to make sure that we do the best job every 
day when we walk across the threshold of our office doors to give voice 
to the people of now Florida's 25th Congressional District, but prior 
to that the 23rd, and prior to that the 20th.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be able to honor this remarkable woman 
on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, the beacon 
of democracy, our temple of democracy that is a light unto the world 
and whose light is going to be a little bit dimmer with her departure 
on Friday.
  I know that we will continue to work together and lean on one another 
for all the rest of our days.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hurd of Colorado). The Chair reminds 
Members that the rules do not allow references to persons in the 
gallery.

                          ____________________