[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 44 (Monday, March 10, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E197-E198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING TRACEE SUTTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GREG STANTON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 10, 2025

  Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my Chief of Staff, 
Tracee Sutton, as she retires after 28 years of service to our Nation. 
Tracee is a once-in-a-generation legislative talent who served her home 
state of North Dakota for more than twenty years before agreeing to 
lead my legislative team upon my election to Congress in 2018.
  Tracee Sutton was born in Stutsman County, North Dakota, to Gary and 
Linda Gross. Leaving North Dakota to attend university, Tracee received 
her Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy and Prelaw from Utah State 
University in 1995. She began her decades-long career as a public 
servant while still in college, interning for Congresswoman Karen 
Shepherd in Utah.
  After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., to intern for 
Congressman Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota. Working her way up from 
intern to Legislative Assistant under Congressman Pomeroy, Tracee 
managed a diverse legislative portfolio, encompassing water resources, 
economic development, housing and transportation. Tracee secured 
billions for infrastructure, water resource and flood control projects 
in North Dakota and passed legislation to streamline essential flood 
control projects with FEMA and the Army Corps.
  In 2002, Tracee joined the office of Senator Kent Conrad of North 
Dakota as a Legislative Assistant. Her many accomplishments in this 
role--from securing millions for North Dakota in annual appropriations 
requests to contributing to constituent facing communications--were 
rightly recognized as she was promoted to the Senator's Deputy 
Legislative Director in just two years. Notably, Tracee negotiated with 
Committee leadership and secured $70 million to address a serious road 
safety issue,

[[Page E198]]

and she helped extend the Conrad State 30 program, which directly 
addresses national physician shortages.
  When Senator Heidi Heitkamp was elected to represent North Dakota in 
2012, Tracee was recognized for her impressive legislative record and 
named Legislative Director. Managing a legislative team of more than 15 
staffers and interns, Tracee successfully set up a new Senate office--
from creating a legislative roadmap to managing routine operations. As 
Legislative Director, she crafted more than 50 bills, four of which 
passed as stand-alone bills and fourteen of which were incorporated 
into law in larger legislative packages. She also secured $2.1 billion 
for a flood control project in North Dakota's largest metro area.
  Tracee's compassionate leadership and her ability to create 
innovative policy solutions to topics far beyond the average staffer's 
grasp has set her apart. She supported numerous interns and junior 
staff as they launched their own careers, taking the time to mentor 
anyone who asked for her help and guidance. Her hard work was 
recognized, gratefully, by the community she served. While in the 
Senate, Tracee received the Commodore Award for her work to protect, 
develop and manage North Dakota's water resources, the Kevin E. Quinlan 
Award for Excellence in Traffic Safety for her leadership in creating 
safer roadways, John M. Agrey Award for her many contributions to the 
state of North Dakota, and was a finalist for the prestigious 
Congressional Management Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award.
  Hiring Tracee to lead my legislative efforts when I was elected to 
Congress in 2018 remains one of the smartest decisions I've ever made. 
Her dedication and drive set my legislative team up for success from 
the start, and her expertise in water, transportation and 
infrastructure has proved invaluable. Tracee spearheaded the creation 
of my Arizona Environmental Infrastructure Authority--the first Army 
Corps project of its kind in Arizona that now disperses funds to 
critical water infrastructure projects all around our state. She shaped 
legislation for the FAA Reauthorization that ensure all Americans can 
fly safely, particularly Americans with disabilities. When my former 
Chief of Staff left my office in the summer of 2024, I never doubted 
for a moment that I already had the perfect candidate to step up as 
Chief. Tracee has given as much of her time and talent to the people of 
Arizona as she gave to her North Dakota community, and we owe her a 
deep debt of gratitude.
  On the rare occasions Tracee isn't in her office giving Congress her 
all, she enjoys traveling with her husband, Kevin Sutton, and playing 
with her dog, Riley. It's my hope that her retirement will hold many 
more cherished moments with family and friends. I wish her all the 
best, and Godspeed.

                          ____________________