Cloture Motion

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Madam President, it is fitting that a daughter of Mississippi is presiding at this poignant moment for me and for my entire staff.

I come to the floor today with a forced smile and a bittersweet message, a bit of official news I have not been eager to report, and that news is that Michelle Barlow Richardson, who sits at my side at this very moment and who has stood by my side for a quarter century, my chief of staff, will soon depart Capitol Hill. This closes a 25-year chapter of service to my office, to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, to the State of Mississippi, and to the citizens of the United States.

Anyone who knows Michelle has found out very quickly that Michelle is a Mississippi State Bulldog. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 1997 and then moved up east to Washington, DC, to begin work at my office. And she got right to work, beginning where many staffers do, as a legislative correspondent and then as an executive assistant. She set my schedule. She began to guide proposals into law, which is what we do here. Michelle would go on to higher rungs up the ladder, but she never lost her appreciation for every role on the team. And many members of the team join us in this Chamber at this moment. To this day, no task is too small for Michelle. She has not hesitated to climb into the trenches again and again.

Michelle is fiercely loyal. Her relationship to Mississippi State University is a prime example of this trait. When the MSU community sings their school's anthem at an event, they all sing, ``Loyal friends we'll always be.'' Quite fitting. We even lost Michelle to Starkville briefly in 1999. At that point--only a couple of years out of college-- she was given the very important job of fundraising for a project that ended up generating over $4 million to endow a scholarship. That fund is helping students in Mississippi to this very day.

But luckily, in 2001, we got her back. As I reflect on the 23 years that have passed since then, I am filled with gratitude for Michelle. And I am beaming with pride over all the good work she has accomplished.

In Washington, DC--as you so poignantly know, Madam President--change is constant: a different Congress every 2 years, new leadership opportunities, Senators come and go, changing committee assignments. During these transitions, Michelle has been a steadfast presence, guiding my staff and me through numerous changes over the years.

A big change came in 2007, not long after Michelle had been promoted to be my chief of staff. Our office picked up and moved to this end of the Capitol when I was selected to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Senator Trent Lott. The success of that transition is due, in no small part, to Michelle's deep institutional knowledge, broad networks, and natural leadership skills.

The next year, to the extent permitted by the law and the rules, she helped lead my first statewide election campaign. She expanded a campaign and fundraising organization that she had developed in the First Congressional District, and she applied it to all of our great State of Mississippi.

Of course, when you get elected, you have to govern. And over here on the Senate side, Michelle once again rose to the challenge of a larger role in governing. She scaled up the size of ``Team Wicker'' from 18 people to 45 teammates across 5 offices.

Over the years, she also established a network of Senate chiefs of staff. In fact, it is known throughout Capitol Hill that Michelle Barlow Richardson has become the ``dean'' of the Senate chiefs of staff. That is what we are losing tomorrow when she moves to another capacity. Michelle has built a community where collaboration, information, and mutual support can flow.

Then, in 2016, we had another transition. I was elected to chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and, as usual, Michelle was right there to help. Under her leadership, the office adjusted to new responsibilities and certainly new schedules.

A few years after that, I took up the gavel on the Senate Commerce Committee. Michelle helped build a team of policy experts who would craft smart legislation on the vast portfolio of the Commerce Committee--everything from the seabed to the stars.

President Ronald Reagan once said that ``personnel is policy.'' Well, Michelle and the personnel she has cultivated have gone on to produce substantive and savvy policy. She has been pivotal to work that has brought billions of dollars in new jobs and new investments to Mississippi. Through years of legislative efforts, Michelle has been making connections, educating stakeholders, and holding our strong legislative principles--and holding our feet to the fire. Through every negotiation and late night, she has been motivating our staff.

In scaling up the staff from the House team to the much larger Senate team, over the years, Michelle has led literally hundreds of able staff members.

Her leadership left an incredible legacy. Michelle was good at identifying talent. She has challenged staffers to accomplish goals they did not know they were capable of reaching. She has embraced the burden of making tough decisions. She has delivered tough but constructive feedback directly and concisely, without ever making it personal. And a massive cloud of witnesses can testify to her influence. Many former Wicker staffers are now serving in leadership roles around the country. I am the one privileged to give this floor speech, but I know many could give speeches--and perhaps will give speeches--of their own, telling the stories of Michelle's influence in their lives.

Those who know Michelle Barlow Richardson know her for her strong devotion and friendship. That is especially true for my wife Gayle and me. Michelle's title has been chief of staff, but she has been so much more. She has been by our side in public service and in private moments and moments of joy and moments of pain.

Words are inadequate, and these remarks, in particular, are inadequate. We will miss Michelle's enthusiasm for all things Mississippi. We will miss the presence she--and occasionally her children--have brought to the office. We will even miss the Mississippi State University maroon and cowbell. But loyal friends we will certainly always be. We will remain grateful for her friendship, and we wish her, this public servant and American patriot, the very best.

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