[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10568]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO NATHAN REA FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO OREGON AND THE 
                                 NATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 2013

  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nathan Rea, a long-
time, dedicated member of my staff and very good friend who recently 
left Washington, D.C. to return to his family's farm in Umatilla 
County, Oregon. Nathan came to the nation's capital in 2005 intending 
to stay for a brief three month internship in my office before 
returning to his family's multi-generation farm. Three months turned 
into eight years, and along the detour Nathan fell in love with Emily 
Skoblar. Nathan and Emily married, and in February of last year they 
welcome their beautiful daughter Gwenyth ``Gwenny'' Isabelle into the 
world. During their time in Washington, Nathan and Emily both dedicated 
themselves to the needs of others, but they decided to heed the call to 
family farm life and turn the federal public service opportunity over 
to others.
  Nathan was born in Walla Walla, Washington, and was raised on the Rea 
family farm in Milton-Freewater, Oregon by his parents Dennis and Laura 
Rea. From a very young age, Nathan worked in the field with his 
grandfather H.T. Rea and father planting and harvesting wheat and green 
peas.
  Nathan graduated from DeSales Catholic High School in Walla Walla and 
earned his degree in agriculture businesses from Washington State 
University in 2004. His love of his alma mater was not only evident in 
the numerous WSU Cougar logos found around his desk, but also by his 
well-stated affection for the famous ``Cougar Gold'' cheddar cheese, a 
product produced and sold around the world by students at the WSU 
Creamery in Pullman. And even though the Cougs only beat my Oregon 
Ducks football team once during Nathan's eight years in my office, I 
will admit that Cougar Gold cheese is worthy of the praises Nathan and 
his fellow alumni so readily tout.
  While growing up on the farm, Nathan gained an appreciation for 
politics and public service and saw the impact that agriculture and 
trade policy had on his family and community. When he opened the Milton 
Freewater Valley Herald one morning and saw an opening for an 
internship in my Washington, D.C. office, he applied and was soon off 
to our nation's capital.
  The work ethic that Nathan learned on the farm was seen from day one 
when he started in my office. His first full day in D.C. was on a 
Saturday, but rather than tour the sights as he had planned, Nathan 
opted to pitch in with the team. He spent the better part of that day 
in ``The Cage'' helping fold thousands of outgoing constituent letters 
and get my mail out the door. It definitely wasn't the glamorous start 
that he may have expected!
  Nathan rose quickly through the ranks in our office. He was hired on 
full time as a staff assistant after a few short months as an intern 
and was later promoted to Legislative Correspondent, Legislative 
Assistant, and Legislative Director.
  He served the people of Oregon's Second District--and the country--
with his firm grasp of policy issues that mattered to people back 
home--from promoting Oregon's wonderful agriculture around the world to 
putting people back to work in the woods to expanding American energy.
  If something needed to be done in our office, Nathan would do it. No 
job was too big or too small--from negotiating landmark legislation to 
hiring and mentoring young staffers to greeting visiting Oregonians.
  One of Nathan's side hobbies is photography. Nathan was always 
looking for the perfect shot--for committee hearings, for World War II 
veterans on an Honor Flight, or for his family. In early 2009 during an 
Energy and Commerce hearing on the salmonella outbreak, I held up a 
canister of contaminated products and asked the manufacturer if he was 
willing to eat his own product. Nathan captured this exchange with an 
excellent photo that was ultimately used by national media outlets and 
was seen all over the country.
  Nathan leaves my office with a long list of accomplishments as well 
as friends who highly admire him. But most importantly, he leaves with 
his wonderful family. Nathan met Emily shortly after he was hired in my 
office, and they married in 2010. A native of Akron, Ohio, Emily is a 
child and adolescent psychologist. She has served the children and 
families of combat injured service members as part of Operation BRAVE 
Families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Like Nathan, 
Emily is a true and highly dedicated public servant.
  Nathan is no longer a formal member of my staff, but he'll always be 
a highly valued member of Team Walden. We miss Nathan's intellect, 
humor and care. I am certain that he will continue to exhibit in his 
local community the values he showed on my team--Eastern Oregon values 
like hard work, service, and loyalty.
  In a special address to Congress on January 9, 1956, President Dwight 
D. Eisenhower said ``The proper role of government, however, is that of 
a partner with the farmer--never his master. By every possible means we 
must develop and promote that partnership--to the end that agriculture 
may continue to be a sound, enduring foundation for our economy and 
that farm living may be a profitable and satisfying experience.'' As 
Nathan departed Washington, D.C. after many years of utilizing his 
expertise in agriculture to improve our nation's policies--efforts 
often met by others' misunderstanding of agriculture--he was very well 
suited to fully appreciate President Eisenhower's noble thoughts. 
Whether working in Congress or from the family farm, Nathan Rea will 
make his community a better place and represent his industry with 
honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite our colleagues to join me in 
thanking Nathan and his family for their service to the people of 
Oregon and the country, and wish them the very best of luck as they 
make their new life back home in Oregon.

                          ____________________