March 12, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 44 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
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TRIBUTE TO DANNY WEISS; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 44
(House of Representatives - March 12, 2019)
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[Pages H2674-H2675] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO DANNY WEISS (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a dedicated and deeply respected member of my staff, my departing chief of staff, Danny Weiss. For nearly three decades, Danny has brought wise counsel and energetic leadership to the House of Representatives. He has committed nearly his entire career to this institution, inspired by his great respect for its history and empowered by his bold vision for its future. Danny, the Congress and the country are stronger for the innovation, ingenuity, and insight that you have brought to this body. Danny served in the office of my dear friend, Congressman George Miller--Mr. Chairman--for more than 25 years, including decades as his chief of staff. In every position he has held in the Congress, Danny has been vital in advancing a serious, substantive, and successful agenda to improve the lives of hardworking families across America. He has worked to expand opportunity, fighting for affordable quality healthcare, childcare, and education, and for healthier communities to his work on the: House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families; House Natural Resources Committee, and House Education and Labor Committee. Danny has worked to expand justice by defending the rights and well- being of children, a mission he continued at the helm of Common Sense Media; and he has worked to expand progress to safeguard clean air, clean water, and preserve the beauty of God's creation. And we are grateful for his leadership to elevate and amplify the issue of the climate crisis. We are grateful that Danny agreed to return to the Congress at a pivotal moment for America. His efforts were vital to our Caucus' strength and unity, as Democrats developed our For the People agenda and won a historic midterm victory. My office is grateful for his masterful work orchestrating the transition in the Speaker's office. Danny's service has entailed sacrifice, not only from him, but from his entire family. We are grateful for the patience, love, and support from his wife, Anne, and his daughters, Catherine and Maria. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in thanking my distinguished chief of staff, Danny Weiss. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, you know Danny came to Congress a year after I did. He must have been underage at the time, as you can see the difference in our appearance, but he was working on what was then the House Interior Committee, Natural Resources. He is a veteran, as am I, of many years of working with George Miller in the perpetual water wars in California. I am going to say Danny didn't get that one fixed. But then when we took back over after the election in 2006, and we did some of the best things we have ever done for college affordability and Pell grants in the Education and Labor Committee, Danny was right there working on that. We made loans forgivable through a public service. We limited the length of time you would have to pay them if you were in a low-income job. We greatly increased Pell grants, and we paid for all that by stopping subsidized private bank loans with guarantees that they will never lose any money. Unfortunately, we have lost a little ground since then, but I think this Congress might recapture those things and will look back to the work he did then to make higher education more affordable. Madam Speaker, we had a couple of Members say: Oh, he was so good to me when I didn't know anything and I came in. He was a mentor not only to staff, but to Members, and a good friend to me over many years. I hope Danny enjoys his next iteration, whatever it is. Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Bustos), the former co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Mrs. BUSTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Danny Weiss for his service to Speaker Pelosi, to our House Democratic Caucus, and to our country. Danny is one of the many staff members who has worked tirelessly for the people's House. He has never viewed his service on Capitol Hill as a temporary stint. This was his life's work and a true call to public service. Most recently, as the Speaker said, I worked with Danny during my tenure as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee during the last session of Congress. As then-Leader Pelosi's chief of staff, Danny helped our Caucus develop our For the People agenda to clean up corruption in Washington, lower healthcare costs, and rebuild our country through investments in our infrastructure. Developing this agenda was no easy task, and as anybody like Danny knows, it is just as hard to keep Members of Congress on message--I thought that was funny--but Danny tried his hardest. With Danny's efforts and with his persistence, we were successful and gained a historic majority and a record number of women in the 116th session of Congress. To say that Danny was instrumental in our efforts would be an understatement. His career will also be defined by his undying belief that this body and each and every one of us can make a difference in the lives of the people whom we serve. Danny knows that even amid the chaos and the sensational headlines, we all have the power to be a force of good in this world. I would like to join my colleagues in thanking Danny Weiss for not just his years of service, but for always keeping his eye on the prize and on the purpose and for his dedication to this institution. Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) to close for us, the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee. Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for providing me the opportunity to say some kind words about Danny Weiss. I want to recognize Danny as a true model of a public servant. From Riverdale, New York, he wasted no time coming to Washington and leaving an impressive mark right here. For almost 28 years, he has provided invaluable service to the House of Representatives. As we have heard, we know firsthand that Danny has been very effective in the House of Representatives because of his mastery of complicated issues that we face as Members of Congress. As chief of staff--first to Leader Pelosi and now to Speaker Pelosi--Danny has given wise counsel to me and my staff and, as we have heard, to many other Members on issues that arise from time to time that need special attention that Danny always provided. I would be remiss if I didn't note Danny's exemplary service to the Education and Labor Committee, under George Miller. Sitting here a few minutes ago, Danny asked me not to embarrass him--nice try. We talked to George, and George informed me that early on he was on the fence about hiring Danny, but over an Italian dinner with Danny's mother, Cora Weiss, George was informed rather emphatically that her son, Danny, would be a great hire and one of the best decisions that he ever made. George believes that mother knows best, and the rest is history. Thanks to Danny's mom, we have all been blessed with his decades of public service to the House of Representatives. [[Page H2675]] Congratulations, Danny, on your years of service, and good luck in your future endeavors. Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank our colleagues, Chairman DeFazio, Chairman Scott, and Chairwoman Bustos for their kind words. Again, I want to express thanks and gratitude for the patience, love, and support of Danny's wife, Anne, and their daughters, Catherine and Maria. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues once again to please join me in thanking my distinguished chief of staff, Danny Weiss. ____________________
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