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Floor Speech

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Mr. TILLIS. Madam President, I will be brief. Back in the early eighties, disco was popular. I was young, and LaVerne Allen was just coming into the Senate, first as an intern and now as what everybody refers to as the ``enforcer'' on the floor.

I had to come over here. I am even doing this on a bipartisan basis. I came to the Democratic side of the aisle to trace LaVerne down to force her to get into the picture, probably the first time in her career.

But ladies and gentlemen, a lot of times we take for granted what happens in this Chamber. We don't think about all the hard work the staff does. They get here before us, they leave after us. We don't think about how difficult it is to come to a U.S. Senator and tell them to be quiet. I will tell you, she trains her proteges well because she just had Sherrod Brown be asked to be quiet by an intern over there, somebody who just started. I saw it happen. LaVerne was about to, but you trained somebody to take your place really well.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have to recognize this place only runs because we have a strong Sergeant at Arms staff and great staff in both cloakrooms and up on the dais.

I did not want this week to pass, when LaVerne is about to take retirement and hopefully spend a little time with her beloved son Marcus, who is in the Navy stationed in Japan right now. I feel like, if it weren't against the rules and it wouldn't make the Parliamentarian mad for me to ask unanimous consent to take a selfie on the floor--I am not going to do that, but I am going to thank LaVerne for 43 years of service to this great institution.

I know we are not supposed to applaud, but I will anyway.

Thank you, Madam President.

(Applause.)

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