Political Quotes

“I rise this afternoon to say thank you and farewell to a member of the Commerce Committee staff who is leaving the Senate soon. Commander Andrew L. Pate--Andy, as we know him--is completing his 2-year assignment as senior policy adviser and Coast Guard congressional fellow on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. For those who are not aware, the Coast Guard's congressional fellows program is a highly competitive program that assigns Coast Guard officers to congressional offices and committees as detailees. This elite program brings the Coast Guard's ``cream of the crop'' to Washington. These officers uphold the Coast Guard's core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty. These special assignments serve to educate Coast Guard officers on the inner workings of Congress. The Coast Guard benefits from this program by bringing its unique perspective to the process of drafting and passing legislation, as well as gaining leaders within its own ranks who deeply understand the legislative process. And, of course, the Congress gains immensely from the obvious leadership and intelligence and work ethic of these great men and women. Andy Pate was an obvious choice for this fellowship--not once but twice. In July of 2008, not long after I arrived in the Senate, then- Lieutenant Pate joined my office to serve as my first Coast Guard fellow, where he set a high bar for those who would come after him.…”