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Floor Speech

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Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I appreciate the great Senator from the State of Florida with a haircut that is almost as good as mine. Thank you, sir.

Every year, the pages come through in cycles. I shouldn't say ``every year.'' There are multiple classes of pages. They are usually all extraordinary. This is an extraordinary class of pages. I have some issues with them, which I will air later.

But one of the traditions that we have resurrected in this new Congress is the page poetry contest. And this time, we had just a very small--a paucity of pages participated. That is an alliteration: A paucity of pages participated. And we have a number of them.

Katie Britt, in her eminent brilliance, and I have picked our top ones. Katie has picked one that I will mention, but we want to give these four of the six--I feel bad for the two we have left out. We want to give them our highest honors. But, first, the runner-up in the third position is Kaija.

There you are. You are the No. 3. I would read your poem, but we don't have time. You are articulate. You are eloquent. I teared up when I read your poem. It was so powerful and prodigiously potent.

And then the No. 2--before I read the two winners, the one selected by me and then the one selected by Katie Britt, the No. 2 is Holden. Where is Holden? Holden is over here as well.

Holden, your poem, too, brought me to depths--depths and heights.

It was to the nadir and to the zenith. It was very poetic, sir. You have talent as well.

And then the two winners. Katie Britt has chosen Jake. Where is Jake?

Jake, why are you sitting down?

Why can't I--why are those pages sitting down?

Pages, stand up. Be accounted for yourselves.

Jake, you are now going to forever go into the Senate Record. Are you prepared for this, Jake? Your work shall live forever. Here it goes.

Five months I've walked these halls of history,

Where wisdom lingers, woven in the air.

To serve the nation, humble though it be,

I've witnessed duty's weight and leaders' care.

The echoes of debates in chambers vast,

Where laws are forged and futures shaped with might,

Have shown me how the present shapes the past,

And kindled faith in government's light.

I watched as leaders certified the will,

A testament to voices heard and strong.

Though times are tense, resolve can guide us still,

A steadfast march to right what once was wrong.

This service marks the start of dreams anew,

To shape the world with honor's hue.

I am going to pause. This might be the first time the Presiding Officer has ever cried.

Is the Presiding Officer OK?

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Mr. BOOKER. He is going to make it.

Congratulations. You are one of the two poet champions of the U.S. page class--the fall page class.

(Applause.)

Yes, yes. Don't get an ego. Don't let it go to your head. Don't be like a Senator.

OK. The other one, the final champion, is Ms. Pallan. Yes.

(Applause.)

Yes. Here is your poem.

We stand on blue, carpeted floors

From AM to PM we open Senate doors

Aching heels, and curved backs

We feel our composure start to crack

But in walks a Senator, and postures correct

Pages come together, all hands on deck

Excitement overtakes persistent exhaustion

As we wait to hear debates on legislation

People of power laugh and joke

As we watch and realize they're just common folk

Against the walls we silently hear

Colleagues and officials, but most of all--friends dear

Within this room, there stands a central divide

But there exists no aisle in our hearts or minds

That was fantastic.

(Applause.)

I am grateful for the poetic effort. I am grateful for our poetry champions, who will forever live in the annals of Senatorial history.

But there are a lot of people on this floor right now who have come to anticipate how I will proceed to demonstrate that these page writings are good. But now I will show them by reciting my own original poem.

Before I do, let me make at these pages an angry poke. Dear God, you all have been here for 5 months, and you couldn't tell me one good joke? Come on. Come on. Painful. You are the worst joke tellers. Heaven knows. But I am done. I have got my poem to read. So here goes.

Pages! With your suits so Navy, Understanding what you signed up for, some might think you were crazy. You clearly are the opposite of lazy. Up at 5 AM, your teenage brains must be hazy, taking a full load of classes, English, history, and calculus with parabolas so wavy. But that isn't the end of your days--see. You work full-time on the job, on the floor, serving Republican Senators like Mitch and Democrats like Mazie. You man phones and open doors. You tirelessly do the Senate's unglamorous chores, in this job away from your fam, who can only see you if they join the 17 other Americans who regularly watch C-SPAN. But yet you are vital to this place, I hope you all see. In our Federal democracy, some might call you the foot soldiers of the Senate's slowly making history. And in this place, of sometimes too many partisan wars, you are this powerful, gentle nudge to all of us old dinosaurs, that we are here for you, the future of our nation. You are a constant reminder of our sacred obligation. To put country first, you are subtly telling us in this sacred space: That we are not individual athletes but actually running a relay race. Soon the baton we will place, in your hands, the next generation, to lead with honor, determination, and I pray grace. So Pages! With your suits so blue, Serving the Senate tried and true, Doing everything we asked you to do. Walking around barely awake some days, but you still made it through. Here are 3 pieces of advice I have for you. First, leap into the unknown, even if it seems scary just give it a try. Like you found out jumping here, into your Senate experience that had to petrify--leap. I know that to some of your friends that it must have stupefied. Don't play it safe, hunkering down just to fortify. Jump at tough challenges because in life it is simple: If you don't risk great falls, you'll never see how high you can fly. Second, Make friends with people who think different and with whom you don't agree. This is the very idea of our democracy. You've witnessed it here on the Senate floor. The TV often tells us that we should hate those who are different, but clearly you now know more. We are so much more than a partisan, tribal war. Compromise is essential, our founders forswore. I task you to be unifiers, common ground builders, defining yourself by not who you are against but by who you are for. Take our national ideal of E Pluribus Unum and reclaim its splendor. Be an indivisible mentor--not just to preserve our democracy, but you are tasked with making it soar. And finally Pages! With your suits so . . . clean, my last piece of advice is to dream bolder dreams. I believe it, that for you there is no limitation. God, you are already living lives way behind your ancestor's greatest imagination. Past generations did great things. They took humanity to flight, took on the most awful wrongs and, incredibly, made them right. It's your turn--with grits, guts, and gumption--to dream America anew. Challenge my generation's limited assumptions. Dream America anew. Don't wait for permission. Dream America anew. This is your mission. Dream America anew--beyond what even your parents can now see. Dream an America anew and bring us to new heights of freedom, justice, and prosperity. Pages, dream America anew. Dream America anew. Dream America anew. This is my advice but also my prayer for you. Oh, and for all of history, I hereby put into the official Senate Record this truth, not a rumor: This Senate class, my friends, was incredible, kind, dedicated, but you lacked a sense of humor.

Mr. President, I see the extraordinary colleague here. We read her selected poem already. But I will tell you, there are 99 colleagues, but nobody is more the surrogate Senate page parent than Katie Britt, the Senator from Alabama.

I hope that you have learned from her the power of simple, everyday kindnesses.

Mr. President, I defer to my friend and colleague, the Senator from Alabama.

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Mr. BOOKER. Thank you to Katie Britt, the tough-as-nails Senator who will never quit, before I sit--I just can't stop myself. And thanks to Elizabeth, we should have all the poems put into the Senate Record.

So with that, I would like to ask unanimous consent that all six participants, including the two I didn't name--Gabriel, where is Gabriel? Solid, solid piece of work. I was splitting hairs, splitting hairs. The only thing that dissed you was:

The Capitol subway is my home.

It rides underneath the great dome.

I thought it was a lie that the subway is your home. I see you rarely on the subway. So your poetic genius was there; I dinged you because it was not truthful.

And then the other name I want to give is Xavier, where is Xavier? Where is Xavier? Xavier is not here; that is why Xavier did not get--I knew he would not be here. It is terrible. It is terrible.

That's what we pages are meant to observe.

And to learn from others the pride to serve.

I see no pride in his not being here right now. But I will say that they deserve to be in the Senate Record.

So, again, all six poems, all six participants will be there.

Katie, thank you for your kind words, and we turn the Senate back over to its usual programming. Although I do not think anything that will happen on this floor will be as fun as the fun that Katie and I just had. Thank you very much.

The hist'ry of our Senate floor, Their gaze a stern reminder. Above watch eyes of those who trust The neighbors, friends, and envoy To act in love and do what's just When voting for their convoy. Above watch eyes of all the world Breath baited, holding plans now. The lives and loves of boys and girls Rest safely in your hands now. And with those eyes now watching you This job's not a what, but now a who. by Holden Demain It's work and it's school; democracy alive It's ambition and passion and wakeups at five Doors and water orders--that's what we do Check your TV and find us, right on C-SPAN 2! Dirksen and roll call; caucus and quorum Look at the suits; think back when I wore 'em The Rotunda at midnight and English at sunrise There's always more; that's where the fun lies The challenges we face are both great and are numerous Yet we can beat them together: it's me, you, and us Being a Page is something worth praising

I'm sad that it's over; it's honestly crazy I've loved you so much, Class of Fall '24 It's been madness and memories and so, so much more by Gabriel Rhodes As I close my eyes, I feel the whoosh! I take a seat and feel it move We speed off with a big swoosh I am getting in the groove The seal is emblazoned on the wall The red carpet cushions our shoes Just make sure you do not fall! When we start moving it quells my blues The Capitol subway is my home A place to meet and greet It rides underneath the great dome This is the place to accomplish the great feat by Xavier Carrasco Cooper I am often asked what all do I do No answer has ever covered it through Don't want to be seen as mediocre Don't want to lie and look like a joker I used to think the government was few A small club of people always on view Leading our country by virtual decree Only the few fought for us to be free I have seen how terribly wrong I was I've met those who work outside of the buzz Without recognition, fame or applause Those who take pride in serving a great cause That's what we Pages are meant to observe And to learn from others the pride to serve

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