[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 129 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S4505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO TOM McNAMARA
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, each of us serving in the Senate hopes to
leave behind some sort of legacy. My own begins with the interns that
have passed through my office. Over my four decades in Congress, I have
had more than 3,000 interns work for me at one point or another,
although my staff are convinced that the true number is even higher.
These young people have covered me with glory, and it has been a great
privilege to help them get their foot in the door of politics. Today, I
would like to recognize one of my former interns, who has made a name
for himself in his own right: mayor of Rockford, Tom McNamara.
Tom worked in my office in Washington, DC, in 2005, around the time
he completed his undergraduate degree at John Carroll University. He
arrived with a strong commitment to public service--a commitment
instilled by his parents and honed during his time at school. At John
Carroll, Tom volunteered at a correctional facility, where he assisted
parolees and probationers who struggled with alcohol and substance use
disorder. In between answering phone calls and giving tours of the
Capitol, Tom's interest in the criminal justice system only deepened.
He contemplated how he could improve the way we treat the incarcerated
and how he could make his vision a reality.
After completing his internship, Tom took on a full-time role in my
office as a staff assistant. But, in a great loss for my operations, he
soon decided that he wanted to continue his education at John Carroll
and returned to his alma matter to obtain a master's degree in
nonprofit administration. While studying, he simultaneously worked at a
nonprofit to help incarcerated individuals reunite with their families
and reintegrate into society. But Tom couldn't stay away from Rockford
for long. After completing his master's, he moved back to the Forest
City to be closer to his family. Upon his return, he immediately
plunged himself into a wide array of community service initiatives and
began to assist candidates in various political races.
As Tom settled down in Rockford, he increasingly reflected on those
who lacked the same opportunity. He could count on his fingers the
number of his high school classmates who still lived in Rockford and
was worried that this trend would continue unless someone fought to
change it. Fortunately, Tom is not the kind of person to sit on the
sidelines. In 2013, he ran to be alderman for Rockford's 3rd Ward,
where he ran against a three-term Republican incumbent. Tom won and
quickly got to work investing in Rockford. As alderman, Tom led
initiatives to revitalize Rockford's housing market and spark new
commercial developments across the city. When the city faced a budget
crisis in 2017, Tom helped to craft a compromise resolution that spared
the city from tax hikes while investing in public safety initiatives.
With his success as a first-term alderman, it is no wonder that he won
Rockford's 2017 mayoral race with 68 percent of the vote.
If you want to know how Tom has performed as mayor, just look at the
numbers. In 2021, there were 2,301 instances of violent crime in
Rockford. Last year, there were 1,359--a 41-percent decrease over the
course of 5 years. In 2017, Rockford's property tax rate was 3.31
percent. Today, it is less than 2 percent. Property values have
increased 56 percent since 2017, the number of vacant buildings has
decreased by 17 percent, and the city is adding thousands of jobs as
major corporations move in. It is remarkable to witness the
transformation Rockford has undergone under Tom's leadership.
Dilapidated factories are being turned into new homes and businesses,
and people are flocking to what the Wall Street Journal has described
as America's ``top housing market.'' The problem of vacant homes has
been reversed, and now Rockford is racing to construct enough houses
for all those who hope to move to the area.
While these changes are the fruits of the labor of thousands of
people committed to Rockford's future, it is important to note the
central role Tom has played in the city's redevelopment. Tom brought
together police and community groups for more effective violence
prevention programs. He worked with businesses and the city council to
incentivize new developments across the city and balance Rockford's
budget. As mayor, he brought an infectious sense of hope and optimism
that now permeates throughout the city. I have worked with Tom
throughout the years on a variety of Federal initiatives in Rockford,
where I have had the opportunity to see his love for his city and
community firsthand.
Of course, if you knew Tom's family, none of this would be
surprising. Public service runs in the McNamara blood. Tom's
grandfather served on the city council and school board in Whiting, IN.
And John, Tom's father, was a U.S. Army veteran, having earned a Bronze
Star in Vietnam, and was mayor of Rockford during many of the Forest
City's darkest years. Like Tom, John guided Rockford through an
incredibly difficult time and helped the city recover from a
devastating manufacturing recession. Also, like his son, John did it
all with unyielding optimism. John was a dear friend of mine, and I
know that he would be so proud to see all that Tom has accomplished.
While Tom is stepping down from his position as mayor, his time in
public service is far from over. Later this year, he will become CEO of
the Illinois Municipal League, an organization representing Illinois'
1,300 municipalities. I look forward to seeing how he will support the
State of Illinois in this new role.
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to welcome Tom to the world
of politics more than two decades ago. It has been a great honor to see
him develop as both a leader and public servant. I hope the whole
Senate will join me in congratulating Tom, his wife Sarah, and their
children Olympia and Malachy as they begin the next chapter of their
lives.
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