John Cornyn: “finally, I would say last, but certainly not least, is my friend, my former chief of staff, and proud Representative of…”

“finally, I would say last, but certainly not least, is my friend, my former chief of staff, and proud Representative of Texas 22, Pete Olson. As the old saying goes, Pete wasn't born in Texas, but he got there as fast as he could. His family moved from Washington State to Texas when Pete was only 10 years old. He grew up in Seabrook. He went to Rice for his undergraduate degree and UT for law school and hardly left the Lone Star State until he enlisted in the Navy. As a Navy pilot, he flew missions all over the world, and he was eventually brought to the U.S. Senate as a naval liaison. I had the good fortune of meeting Pete because he worked for Phil Gramm, my predecessor, and he had a stellar reputation, likely due to his Navy days of making the ships run on time. Pete served as my first chief of staff for several years and made it back home to Texas before making his own run for congressional office. His district is literally one of the most ethnically diverse in the State and one of the most diverse in the country. Pete has consistently prioritized connecting with folks of different backgrounds and cultures to learn about the challenges they are facing and to figure out how to lead positive changes in Congress. Pete has been a reliable helping hand during some of our toughest times.…”