[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2863-2864]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING SEAN PATRICK McGEE

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I come to the floor with the hardest 
speech I have ever made, to pay tribute to Sean Patrick McGee, a member 
of my staff who passed away suddenly over the weekend at the very young 
age of 26.
  There really are no words to describe the tragedy of losing somebody 
so young, especially someone like Sean, who was so smart and so filled 
with promise. His death is painful for all of us who knew him, but the 
way he lived his life is really a source of hope and inspiration for 
us.
  Every single day, Sean worked hard to help others. Before coming to 
my office, he was a congressional liaison at

[[Page 2864]]

the American Legion Auxiliary, where he was an advocate for veterans, 
servicemembers, and their families. He joined my team in April of 2009, 
and quickly impressed everyone with his work ethic and his dedication. 
It didn't take long before he was promoted and took on additional 
responsibilities, working on some of the most difficult and complex 
issues that in which we have been involved.
  He was really the heart of my staff working on finance issues. He 
spent a lot of time with retirees who lost their pensions when our auto 
companies went through bankruptcy, and he talked with them all the time 
to keep them updated on what we were doing to help. He took the lead on 
housing issues, working with families whose dreams were shattered when 
their homes were lost to foreclosure. He spent his final days working 
on an amendment that I cosponsored to help retired pilots who lost 
their pensions when the airline they worked for went bankrupt. He was 
so proud that we were able to include that amendment in the Federal 
Aviation Administration bill.
  During our work last year on the Small Business Jobs Act, Sean's help 
was absolutely invaluable. He put together information for small 
business owners letting them know how to take advantage of the new law. 
He grew up in Farmington Hills, MI, and he was a very important part of 
our team working on issues related to the automobile industry, so 
critical for Michigan's future and for our economy.
  He took great pride in his work for our great State. Through hard 
work and service, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout--the highest rank 
in scouting. When he applied for a job in our office he wrote, ``At a 
young age, I was volunteering to do community . . . service in Metro 
Detroit to better the community and that work shaped my desire to serve 
Michigan.'' And he served Michigan well.
  In college, he secured a coveted internship in the office of the 
Governor, working in constituent services. After graduation, he worked 
on a congressional campaign and for Senator Levin's campaign, always 
willing to lend a hand and make a difference.
  What really stands out about Sean is how good he was with people. On 
Capitol Hill, patience is sometimes a rare commodity, but Sean had more 
than enough to go around. When everyone was running a mile a minute, 
Sean was a beacon of calm. When his coworkers were stressed to the 
point of breaking, Sean could diffuse it with a wonderful one-liner 
that brought everything back into context.
  He was also an amazing friend and had a quiet, charming sense of 
humor. His favorite day of the week was when the cafeteria served 
chicken wings. He would get a group together and go down to lunch on 
``wing day''--he looked forward to that day all week long.
  Sean McGee was a young man who brightened so many of our days, and he 
will be terribly missed.
  I offer my sincerest condolences to his parents Tom and Sharon, to 
his brother Tom, and to his girlfriend of many years, Katie Kulpa, whom 
Sean loved so much. Sean was a gift to all of us, and we will always be 
thankful for the precious time we had with him.
  Next Tuesday would have been Sean's 27th birthday. It is hard to 
believe we won't be able to celebrate with him. But we can honor him by 
living our lives as he did.
  William Penn, one of the founders of our great Nation, said, ``I 
expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any 
kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, 
let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this 
way again.''
  That is how Sean lived his life, and that was the gift that he gave 
to all of us who knew him.

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