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Floor Speech

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Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, a little over 10 years ago, BJ Westlund made his way from Bend, OR, here to our Nation's Capital to serve his fellow Oregonians as a correspondence assistant in my office.

Over the last decade, BJ moved up the ranks to legislative correspondent and legislative aide and then had the opportunity to move back to Oregon, move back to Bend, as my field representative.

He has done an incredible job in that capacity, but he is now, after a number of years in that key role, ready to start a new chapter in his career.

I know that I speak for everyone on my team, whether in Washington, DC, or in Oregon, when I say that we are thrilled to see BJ continue to grow and thrive in his career, but we are also very saddened to see him go.

Ask anyone on the team, past or present, about BJ, and there are a couple of things that might jump to mind: his signature sense of style for one. He loves to wear a good vest. Whether here in DC or in Oregon, it is hard for anyone to picture BJ without a good vest. And wherever BJ is, you can bet there is a tasty cold mix of iced tea and lemonade not far away.

And BJ has taken on the role of overseeing the Team Merkley candy desk while he was here in Washington, DC, making sure it was always stashed with really good candy.

Before we changed offices in Hart, the legislative team was split between two floors. BJ was upstairs working on environmental and energy issues and referred to that area as ``Eastern Oregon.'' But without fail, you could find a steady stream of folks going up the staircase to stop by BJ's desk and grab a piece of candy and chat. It was our version of the office water cooler and a way for BJ to help build a sense of community between all the team members.

That is the fourth thing that comes to mind when people think about BJ, is his sense of community, his welcoming presence, his ability to connect. It is what made him such an effective legislative staffer, working with groups on their priorities, advocating for critical appropriations funding. And for the last 4 years, it is what made him such an incredible representative for our office throughout Central Oregon.

When asked to share her thoughts about BJ, one of our former team members who worked very closely with him over many years had this to say:

BJ is the calm in the storm. He is a steady, intelligent, caring, supportive teammate who cares beyond measure for his constituents. He has worked tirelessly to solve problems and bring Oregon tax dollars home to Central Oregon.

She continued:

Moving to his home office during COVID while continuing to be responsive to both teammates and constituents was a smooth transition because BJ handles challenges with aplomb.

And she closed by saying:

He is a treasure and just a wonderful human being.

And I couldn't say it any better.

BJ is the calm in the storm. BJ is a wonderful human being. BJ does work tirelessly to solve problems.

That is why, when the Bootleg fire struck Oregon last year, the third largest fire in our State's history, it was BJ who took charge of reaching out to and connecting with the communities impacted by the devastation. And it is a good thing he was, because community members, Tribal leaders, landowners, business owners, local electeds, agency leaders, relief agencies, and conservationists all looked to BJ to be there for them.

They knew that he would reach out. They knew he would listen to what they needed. They knew that he would do whatever it took to be there to respond to those challenges.

BJ has been the central driver on many major projects. One was getting funding for irrigation piping projects to help Oregon farmers get more water, while simultaneously putting more water back in our rivers, a positive environmental effect.

A second was helping an Oregonian Tribe find justice by finally repealing the fraudulent 1865 treaty that robbed them of their hunting and fishing rights.

A third was almost doubling the size of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument for future generations of Oregonians to enjoy, a monument that comes at the intersection of three critical mountain ranges and has flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world.

BJ is the kind of person who takes extra pride in drafting a customized letter to a student or making a one-off phone call to a constituent looking for help or advice because taking that small extra step can restore their faith and their trust in government.

But anyone who knows BJ wouldn't be surprised by any of this because they know how intensely he believes in public service. It is how he was raised. It is what he saw and learned growing up from his father, who was a good friend of mine, Ben Westlund, whom I had the privilege of serving with in the Oregon statehouse before he went on to serve as an Oregon senator and Oregon treasurer.

We lost Ben about 12 years ago, before BJ came to work on my team, but I know how proud he would be if here with us today to see all the great things that his son has done and will continue to do in service to the people of Oregon.

So, BJ, thank you for all you have done throughout your time on Team Merkley to help build a better world. The team and I wish you well as you begin the next chapter of your life, and we can't wait to see all of the great things that you will continue to do and to achieve in the years to come.

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