[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8250]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO COMMANDER JO-ANN BURDIAN

  (Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with much 
admiration and respect for Commander Jo-Ann Burdian of the United 
States Coast Guard.
  Commander Burdian's tenure in the House of Representatives as a 
congressional liaison for the United States Coast Guard is coming to an 
end. She is on her second tour of duty, 3 years each, for a total of 6 
years. During her tenure in the House of Representatives, we have seen 
unprecedented growth and change in the mission of the United States 
Coast Guard. It has become somewhat of a Swiss Army knife of an agency, 
of a command, covering everything from oil spills to homeland security, 
9/11, alien interdiction, drug interdiction, defense missions, maritime 
security, and many other important missions around the world.
  Commander Burdian has fostered incredible relationships with Members, 
staff, and oversight committees and done a fantastic job for both sides 
of the aisle, including assisting in the passage of two major Coast 
Guard authorization bills, three appropriations bills, full funding of 
the Offshore Patrol Cutter, the Fast Response Cutter, the National 
Security Cutter, and helping to secure $150 million in the FY17 budget 
to progress polar icebreaker capabilities for the United States.
  Commander Burdian's hard work and efforts for the House of 
Representatives were rewarded with her appointment to chief of response 
for Sector Puget Sound. I want to commend her and her family for 
incredible service to the United States.

                          ____________________