[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 99 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   RECOGNIZING SENATOR LUMMIS' SERVICE ACADEMY APPOINTMENT COMMITTEE

  Ms. LUMMIS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
group of dedicated Americans whose work is often unseen but whose 
impact will be felt by generations.
  As my time in this Chamber draws to a close, I find myself reflecting 
on the responsibilities I have been privileged to carry on behalf of 
the people of Wyoming. Among them, few have felt more consequential or 
more personal than nominating young men and women across Wyoming to our 
Nation's service academies. Institutions like West Point, the Naval 
Academy, the Air Force Academy, and the Merchant Marine Academy do not 
simply train officers; they forge the character of those who will one 
day defend the freedoms we hold so dear. To have a hand, however small, 
in sending Wyoming's sons and daughters through those gates has been 
one of the true honors of this office. For years, I have relied on the 
help of Dr. Joe McGinley, Dr. Joe Schaffer, Val Rodekohr, Senator Tara 
Nethercott, Representative Tom Lubnau, Rt. Col. Tucker Fagan, and Ziggy 
Polinauskas to help select and prepare young people from every corner 
of our State to serve in America's armed forces.
  The work of governing is often loud. Debates are televised, and our 
votes are recorded, but some of the most meaningful work done in 
service to this country happens quietly, in conference rooms and 
community centers by people like my nominations committee who will 
never see the spotlight. They may not earn widespread recognition, but 
history will feel the work they do in the careers of the leaders this 
committee has helped shape, in the units they will lead, and in the 
country they will serve.
  I will be forever grateful for my committee's counsel, their 
expertise, and their unwavering commitment to Wyoming and our Nation's 
future. They are truly a part of what makes Wyoming so special, and I 
could not be prouder to have worked alongside them.
  

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