[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 15 (Friday, January 24, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S348-S349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Tribute to Tyler York

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, for the entire time that I have been a 
Member of the U.S. Senate, I have had the privilege of having on my 
team a Kansan who invests his time, his energy, his passion--he gives 
his heart for helping my constituents, for helping our constituents, 
for helping Kansans and Americans.
  Tyler York has worn many hats in my office. He was a district 
representative, a caseworker, a videographer, and a legislative 
adviser. Tyler and I first met when he was completing his degree at 
Kansas State University and I needed some help and he helped me in 2010 
on my Senate campaign. As a result of being a recent graduate of Kansas 
State University, Tyler was open to new opportunities and got the job 
driving me across Kansas. And during a 2-hour drive on I-70 from 
Manhattan to the airport, it became apparent to me that this young man 
was someone I wanted on my team and I benefited from his service every 
day.
  At least, in this instance, I was right about him.
  Tyler York joined my newly formed Senate team in Washington, DC, 
doing both constituent services and legislative work. A Kansan through 
and through, after a few years in Washington, DC, like many, Tyler 
decided to continue his work as a district representative to get back 
home to Kansas.
  Tyler quickly became integrated, became a part, became familiar with 
the communities in South Central Kansas. And whether he was meeting 
with local leaders, making community visits, or assisting Kansans with 
problems they were having with the Federal Government, you could always 
count on Tyler to be diligently working with a smile on his face to 
solve a problem, to help people, to get things done.
  Through his time assisting folks with Federal issues, doing what we 
all here call casework, Tyler became our go-to guy for issues related 
to many things, including the U.S. Post Office. As many of my 
colleagues know, we had lots of casework involving the challenges of 
the U.S. Post Office getting the mail delivered. Ready, willing, and 
able, he stepped up to every task. Tyler worked, especially in rural 
areas, to improve the consistency and the quality of the Postal 
Service. His work on this issue and others certainly did not go 
unnoticed.
  I would like to share some of the comments I received from community 
leaders once they learned that Tyler was moving on. Lona DuVall, 
president and CEO of Finney County Economic Development Corporation 
shared:

       We so appreciated Tyler York's role in expanding Senator 
     Moran's southwest Kansas presence. Senator Moran recognized 
     that our region was growing and we had needs that differed in 
     many ways from other areas of the State [of Kansas], and he 
     chose well in appointing Tyler, a native of our region, to 
     create southwest Kansas office.
       Tyler did a great job of providing connectivity between our 
     region and the Senator's office in Washington, DC, and we 
     will be forever grateful for Tyler's leadership in 
     representing [us for] our region's needs at the Federal 
     level. We wish Tyler only the best in his future endeavors.

  Steve Dyer, former president of the Garden City Chamber:

       Tyler's dedication to serving Kansans on behalf of Senator 
     Moran was always evident. He was responsive to our needs, 
     always prompt and available, and he worked his tail off to 
     ensure that our voices were heard, our questions were 
     answered, and our needs were met.

  And then Megan Barfield, president and CEO of the Great Bend Kansas 
Chamber of Commerce:

       I have had the privilege of knowing Tyler for 5-plus years 
     now during my time at the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce. 
     He's always presented himself as one of the most engaged and 
     truly genuine people I know. I had little experience in 
     legislative affairs coming into my role, and I could always 
     call on Tyler and trust him with whatever questions or 
     direction I needed. Great Bend and Barton County thank you 
     and we will miss you, Tyler.

  Much of Tyler's most important work happened during times of hardship 
and adversity. In March of 2017, a wildfire burned across western 
Kansas, stirred up by high winds and fueled by dry prairie grasses. The 
fire lasted nearly a week and burned more than 450,000 acres across 
Kansas. Farms, ranches, businesses, and homes were lost to the fires. 
And this fire occurred around Ashland, KS, in the county that is 
Tyler's hometown and home county and it was one of the main victims of 
that fire. So his hometown, his neighbors, the people he grew up with 
were in jeopardy.
  It was a devastating time for the community, but they had a great 
ally in Tyler. They knew him and they trusted him. In the weeks 
following the fire, Tyler worked nonstop connecting first responders, 
landowners, and local leaders with Federal emergency resources. He kept 
me informed and updated on the situation on the ground and helped 
create legislation that changed the way the Federal Government delivers 
aid to help pay for fencing and the loss of cattle. That legislation 
became law and made a significant difference then and continuing.
  He took great care of the people of Ashland, not just because it was 
his job, but because he truly, truly cared about them.
  Tyler's help also extended beyond the borders of Kansas to the 
country of Afghanistan. Following the U.S. military's abrupt withdrawal 
from Afghanistan in 2021, we began receiving calls--as I recall, we 
received more than a thousand inquiries from Kansans asking what I, 
what we could do to help people who were stranded in Afghanistan; 
people who helped our soldiers, our interpreters, people who had a 
religion different than what the Taliban's beliefs are. A thousand-plus 
Kansans said: We need your help to get somebody out of Afghanistan that 
we know.
  Tyler quickly became personally invested in these cases. This was a 
very difficult time for all of us and Tyler worked day and night making 
phone calls, contacting embassies. He was one of those individuals who 
took the people's problems, which in this case were life and death, to 
heart.
  It was a difficult time for Tyler and for our office, as he wanted to 
have success in getting every individual that he learned about out of 
Afghanistan. He helped rescue 23 people, including children, from 
Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021.
  One set of Kansans Tyler helped was the family of U.S. Army veteran 
Fatima Jaghoori. She had this to share about Tyler:

       Tyler truly embodies the American spirit, helping others 
     see the vision of American Dream by building ties with 
     community members, listening to Kansans and working 
     tirelessly for Americans. In one of the most uncertain times 
     in history, Tyler acted to ensure all Kansans were heard, 
     welcomed, and supported. Words cannot express my gratitude 
     for Tyler [and for Senator Moran]. Tyler is the compass, 
     pointing at the direction to be a great American and a 
     greater man. Tyler became friends of those people he helped 
     escape from Afghanistan. He became a part of their 
     families.

  I know that this job often took Tyler on the road, driving around 
Kansas and missing valuable time with his family--with Alyssa, his 
wife. I want to express my gratitude to Tyler's family for supporting 
him in his work and for

[[Page S349]]

being gracious when he had to miss dinner or an important event because 
he was pulled away for work.
  Tyler spent his entire career on Capitol Hill in my office, and for 
that, I would like to express my gratefulness to him. While I am 
saddened that his time working for me has concluded, I am thankful to 
have had the opportunity to work with him and beside him over the last 
14 years.
  He kept good stats on the work that he did. It is quite impressive: 
4,091 meetings; 2,053 individuals, families, and organizations he has 
assisted with casework; 761 reports or memos drafted; 105 counties 
visited--that is every county in Kansas; 11 years of working to pass 
legislation to reform the post office; 3 new USDA programs developed as 
a direct result of the 2017 fires in Clark County.
  In the next phase of his career, Tyler will still be helping Kansans 
as an executive officer with the Wichita Area Builders Association in 
supporting homebuilders, their customers, and the regional industry in 
South Central Kansas.
  Tyler, with your invaluable experience, joyful attitude, and your 
constant drive to improve not only yourself but those around you--and I 
include me as being improved by your presence in my personal and 
professional life--you are and will be dearly missed. I wish you all 
the best in your future endeavors, and I look forward to hearing of 
your continued service to our State and its people.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I want to extend my thanks to my colleague 
from Kansas for sharing that wonderful reflection on Tyler's 
exceptional work for the people of Kansas and for the people of the 
United States. We are blessed to have wonderful people to work with in 
this job.