[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1407-1408]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JAMES D. WISE

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor a great man, a 
colleague, and my friend: Jamie Wise.

[[Page 1408]]

  It was nearly 10 years ago that Jamie joined Team Montana. The 
passionate Representative Rosa DeLauro had toughened him up and groomed 
him for success in the world's most deliberative body. As a newly 
elected Senator ranked 100 in seniority, one of the first decisions I 
made was to hire Jamie.
  Some may say it is tough to break into Team Montana. We are few but 
proud, an independent but tight-knit family, a little unpolished, but 
persistent and most often underestimated. Jamie fit right in.
  With his sharp wit and dry sense of humor, he quickly became a 
Montanan. Hailing from his adoptive hometown of Great Falls, it was a 
natural fit for him to tackle my veterans, defense, and homeland 
security portfolios. And tackle it he did.
  He wrote my first bill that was signed into law to more fairly 
reimburse veterans who are traveling to and from their doctors' 
appointments. It may seem like a simple thing, but it has been life 
changing for veterans all across this Nation who cannot afford a tank 
of gas but are facing debilitating medical conditions and need to see 
their doctor. This bill would set the stage for Jamie's long and 
incredible career in my office.
  Jamie's dedication to Montana has taken him down into the silo of an 
intercontinental ballistic missile, from the embassy in Yemen, to the 
Port of Wild Horse on the border of Canada. Needless to say, his 
legislative chops are unmatched on the Hill. His ability to look 1 inch 
ahead while also calculating the roadblocks 100 miles away is a skill 
that can't be taught. It is instinctual.
  Jamie worked hard, long hours and rose through the ranks from 
legislative assistant to legislative director and ultimately chief of 
staff. It was common to find Jamie sitting in his office into the wee 
hours of the night plowing through appropriations bills, making sure 
Montana got its fair shake. Those long hours produced real results for 
families and small businesses across the State. You can see Jamie's 
fingerprints on hundreds of letters, thousands of press releases, and 
the careers of dozens of young, aspiring staffers.
  James D. Wise has left his mark on this world, and I can't wait to 
see what he takes on next.
  So today, I wish to thank Jamie on behalf of this Nation, 1 million 
Montanans, and one grateful Senator.

                          ____________________