Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a longtime staff member of my office, Joyce Fleming, and to offer her most heartfelt congratulations on her retirement. Joyce embodies what it means to be a public servant. As an outreach and constituent caseworker in my Beaverton office for the past 12 years, she treated all Oregonians with courtesy, respect, and empathy. Like most of our best congressional staff, Joyce understands that advocacy for our constituents often takes more time and effort than one letter or phone call. She patiently navigated Federal agencies, looked for creative solutions to complex problems, and she explored every avenue possible to find a positive outcome for the people we serve in northwest Oregon. In fact, during the last townhall meeting I hosted, it seemed that more constituents showed up to see Joyce and seek out her assistance than to talk with me. I am grateful for her work serving the First District of Oregon for the past 12 years, but Joyce's career in public service began well before my service in Congress and has spanned decades. She began her congressional career in the office of U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield before we had email and iPhones. Senator Hatfield was a former Governor who spent 30 years in the U.S. Senate where he ultimately chaired the powerful Appropriations Committee. He was a special kind of public servant, a statesman who worked across the aisle and focused on getting things done for Oregonians.…”