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[Pages S122-S123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO BRIDGETT FREY
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise to recognize an outstanding
member of my staff who is moving on to pursue other opportunities, my
long-time communications director, Bridgett Frey.
Bridgett joined my office at the start of 2009, when President Barack
Obama was first inaugurated and I was serving in the House of
Representatives. Things were so busy then that her interview took place
in a hallway in the Capitol. She may have recognized that as a sign of
things to come, but I am grateful she took the job anyway.
Through the decade that has followed, Bridgett has been a dedicated
staffer and trusted adviser. Regardless of the issue of the day--from
local issues like Federal grant funding and helping struggling auto
dealers, to national issues like healthcare reform and economic policy,
to international issues like Russian election interference and North
Korean sanctions--she helped ensure that my office communicates clearly
and effectively about our work in Congress. She has worked tirelessly
to inform the public about the policy changes we have achieved and
those we still hope to accomplish.
Whenever I took on a new challenge, Bridgett was there to help. She
led communications in my personal office, as well as working with
Speaker
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Pelosi's team to help freshman communications directors learn the ropes
of Capitol Hill when I was assistant to the Speaker. She then took on a
new challenge and dual role when I became ranking member of the House
Budget Committee. From budget battles to the not-so-Super Committee,
she was always up to the task. She took a leave of absence to help in
my 2016 campaign for the Senate and then moved across the Capitol to
run the communications operation in my Senate office. She has
approached all of it with intelligence, sharp instincts, sound
judgment, and a sense of humor.
Bridgett has built a reputation for being hard-charging and
forthright, and reporters respect her responsiveness and honesty. She
has coordinated closely with all aspects of my team, helping to drive
both policy work and State outreach efforts, as well as with countless
offices in both the House and the Senate. She has always provided me
with honest and thoughtful advice and counsel. She has an uncanny
instinct for getting to the heart of any issue.
As Bridgett seeks new challenges outside our office, I know she will
continue to grow in her professional career. It stems from a love of
politics that she got from her father and an ethos of hard work from
her mother. I deeply appreciate her many years of dedicated service to
the people of Maryland and the Congress. Our entire team will miss her,
but we all extend our warmest wishes as she takes on new adventures.
____________________