Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, before I yield to other Members, Mr. Speaker, I will begin with my own remarks regarding my longtime chief of staff, Tracie Pough. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a woman who, as much as anyone in my adult life, has been a true partner, mentor, counsel, confidant, and quite frankly, like the sister that I never had. I do have a great brother, though. I rise to honor my chief of staff, Tracie Pough, who is retiring after 20-plus years of service in the House, which has spanned my own 20 years representing my community in our beloved home State of Florida. Rarely, Mr. Speaker, are any of us blessed with someone who can see our inner self with just a glance, someone who without one word knows exactly where you stand, someone who is truly your natural alter ego. Throughout all of my time in Congress, and even before that, in my time in the Florida Legislature, I leaned on no one more than my chief of staff, Tracie Pough. We often joke in my office about how the two of us share one brain. I can't tell you how many nights I leaned on her for advice, knowledge, and insights, not just on how to make life better for the people that I represent, but how to navigate through life. Anyone who knows her has benefited from her Tracie-isms, wisdom that comes with its own vocabulary. She is a staff leader who has mentored and trained dozens of staffers on our team, many of whom are watching C-SPAN.…”