Nita Lowey: “I want to thank my colleagues for supporting this stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown as we finish our…”

“I want to thank my colleagues for supporting this stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown as we finish our critical work to fund government and respond to the COVID pandemic. As my time in Congress nears a close, I must briefly, very briefly, reflect on my 32 years of service, which has been guided by a basic principle: When you see a problem, do something about it. In times of crisis like we face today, and after September 11 and Superstorm Sandy, delivering relief has been my sacred duty. I will be forever grateful to colleagues, advocates, and excellent staff who helped me secure critical Federal funds directly for my district, indelibly shape women's health policy, enact lifesaving food allergy labeling and the .08 BAC drunk driving standard, and too many other achievements to fully recount now. Limited debate time leaves me unable to acknowledge by name all of my exceptional staff, but I must thank my chief of staff for the last 16 years, Elizabeth Stanley, and my unequaled district director, Pat Keegan, who, for more than 26 years, has led my outstanding district staff in solving thousands of cases for constituents who needed help. Our successes are often overlooked amid partisan rancor and the notion that institutions of government are irrevocably broken. I do not believe they are.…”