[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16333-16334]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO STAFF MEMBERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Carney) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the members of my staff 
who have served me and the people of Delaware over the past 6 years. 
Many of them have gathered in the gallery above us, and I welcome them 
to hear these remarks.
  I tell them all the time that we have the best jobs in the world, and 
they have done incredible work on behalf of the people of our State and 
our country. During my 6 years as Delaware's lone Member of Congress, I 
have been enormously privileged to work with such a great team. We have 
become like family. Whether they are cheering me on at the 
Congressional Baseball Game or they are working a weekend Coffee with 
Your Congressman, I know they have always got my back, and I could not 
have done my job for the people of my State without them.
  I would like to thank each of them individually for their 
contributions to our team and to our State.
  My chief of staff, Sheila Grant, has guided and counseled me all the 
6 years of my time here. Her honesty and candor have consistently 
steered me in the right direction, and I have appreciated greatly her 
sense of humor.

                              {time}  1500

  My State director, Molly Magarik, has not only an incredible ability 
to understand complex problems but, more importantly, she comes up with 
solutions to fix them. She is a huge asset to me and to the people of 
Delaware.
  My deputy State director, Albert Shields, has stood by me since the 
beginning, going back to my days as Lieutenant Governor. His knowledge 
of Delaware and his work ethic are unmatched.
  I am grateful for the work of our team in Delaware. Kristy Huxhold 
has kept the trains running on time and the office humming for both 
former Congressman Mike Castle and for me. Nicole Pender keeps our 
office plugged in to local issues and shepherds local nonprofits and 
governments through the maze of Federal grant applications. Joe Bryant 
helps our constituents navigate the challenging landscape of Federal 
benefits, all while serving as a member of the Delaware National Guard. 
Sarah Venables is the queen of constituent service, who is loved by 
all, and is a tenacious and effective champion for our veterans. Annie 
Gallagher, a long-time friend who formerly worked for Senator Roth, we 
had to bring her out of retirement twice to help us with Medicare and 
Social Security, which she gets better than anyone I know. Drew Slater 
has done a tremendous job as my eyes and ears in Kent and Sussex 
Counties and may love the State Fair even more than I do. Larry Morris, 
my long-time friend whose dedication to the city of Wilmington and its 
youth is unmatched. And Read Scott, who helps me stay in touch with my 
constituents and directs people through the confusing worlds of the IRS 
and health care.
  Each one of these individuals has put in countless hours on behalf of 
Delaware. I have been lucky to have them on my team.
  In my Washington office, Elizabeth Connolly has worked for me since 
before she even graduated from Smith College. I am extremely grateful 
for her loyalty and her dedication to our work on financial services 
and other issues. Francesca Amodeo overcame her roots as a non-
Delawarean--and that is hard to do in my office--to become one of our 
State's biggest cheerleaders and to help me become an effective 
communicator. Connor Hamburg, a true Blue Hen, has an unbridled passion 
for southern Delaware and agricultural policy that can't help but make 
you smile. Gita Miller and Betsey Coulbourn have helped me share my 
view with Delawareans and respond to one of the largest constituencies 
in the

[[Page 16334]]

whole House of Representatives. Lastly, our staff assistant, Elena 
Kochnowicz, and her recent predecessor, Brannock Furey, have done 
everything under the sun. From Capitol tours to greeting visitors with 
a smiling face, both Elena and Brannock have been crucial to our 
operation.
  In addition to our current staff, I would also like to thank the many 
dedicated folks who have worked for me in previous years. Doug Gramiak 
first served as chief of staff during my time as Lieutenant Governor 
and later as my State director. He has been a valued friend and 
confidant ever since. Doug got our office up and running 6 years ago 
and played a critical role during my first years in Congress.
  I would also like to recognize my first chief of staff here in 
Washington, Elizabeth Hart. Elizabeth worked for me for 5 years and 
built a solid foundation from the start. She showed me the ropes here 
in D.C., and her knowledge and experience was invaluable to me and to 
our office.
  Lastly, I would like to thank all our former staff in Delaware and 
here in the District: Cerron Cade, Bob Stickels, Gail Seitz, Sam Hodas, 
Justin German, Craig Radcliffe, Natasha Babiarz, Mary Williams, Katie 
Paisley, James Allen, Jenny Kane, Matt Pincus, and Steve Carfagno. I 
will always remember our time together and will never forget their hard 
work on behalf of the people of Delaware and myself.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been an honor to have served alongside this team, 
from making sure constituents receive the Federal benefits they 
deserve, to crafting legislative policy that addresses the needs of our 
State. Each of these individuals has worked tirelessly on behalf of 
Delawareans, and I want to publicly thank them today for their 
dedication to the people of our great State.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________