Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to honor my commerce committee staff director, Dave Schwietert, who is leaving the Hill after almost 16 years of service here in the Senate. Earlier in Dave's career, he worked for the late Senator Craig Thomas, and for the past 11 years, Dave has worked on my staff, serving his home State of South Dakota. He started with me as a staffer on the Environment and Public Works Committee when I first arrived in the Senate. After leaving the Environment and Public Works Committee, I was lucky enough to have Dave serve as my legislative director for 6 years. When I became ranking member of the commerce committee, Dave came over as minority staff director, a position in which he served 2 years before becoming majority staff director this year. Dave is the kind of staffer you always hope to get as a Member. He has a brilliant mind. His memory for the most arcane details of any policy is almost legendary. In fact, if you look up ``policy wonk'' in the dictionary, you probably would find a picture of Dave Schwietert-- and I say that with the greatest amount of affection. He has a deep dedication to his work. Over the years, I have relied on his intellect and dedication more times than I can count. Those aren't the only things that distinguish Dave as a staff director. One of the things I appreciate the most about Dave is his commitment to helping younger staff members develop their abilities.…”