Political Quotes

“I rise today to recognize Kate Kaufer, who is retiring after serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee for 20 years and who has left her fingerprints on so much of the crucial legislation to keep our country safe and improve the lives of our servicemembers and their families. Kate Kaufer first started on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in December 2004 when Senator Stevens was chair and served under Chairs Inouye, Cochran, Durbin, Shelby, and Tester. Colleagues from each era can attest she has always been an invaluable member of the team--so valuable in fact, that, in March 2022, she was asked to take over as clerk of the subcommittee. Through times of immense global change, instability, and uncertainty, when the investments we make in our military have had huge implications--not just for families today and not just for our own country, but for the world--Kate Kaufer has worked tirelessly to help the Senate solve problems, address threats, and ensure Congress makes critical strategic investments in our servicemembers and our national security. It is impossible to sum up two decades of Kate's leadership and smart analysis on the subcommittee. When Kate started in the Senate, individual appropriations bill were routinely debated and passed on the Senate floor.…”