Thanking John McIntyre (Mac) Tolar for His Dedicated Service to Our Nation
Floor Speech
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Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and thank John McIntyre (Mac) Tolar for dedicating over three decades of service to our Nation's military, state, local, and federal governments, including the past thirteen years as an employee within the United States House of Representatives.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Mac enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as an infantry officer in 1987. Mac remained on active duty for eight years and continued his reserve duty through 2012. During his distinguished military career Mac was also a Reconnaissance Officer and deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and in support of the Global War on Terror.
Mac was decorated with four awards for exceptional individual service and received numerous awards from his unit. While on reserve duty, Mac earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 2001 and completed his military career as a Judge Advocate.
After earning his law degree, Mac embarked on a career in local government. From November 2001 to February 2003, Mac served as an Assistant Solicitor for the 15th Circuit in Conway, South Carolina, where he was responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor offenses and General Session transfer cases. Mac showed tremendous initiative in this role by developing and implementing a successful DUI curriculum for local law enforcement personnel. This training program was so successful that it was later expanded to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and the Commission on Prosecution Coordination.
Mac continued his career in South Carolina serving as the in-house Counsel for the Georgetown County government. In this role, Mac was responsible for drafting, reviewing, and approving legal documents, including deeds, contracts, leases, dedication instruments, financing documents, resolutions and ordinances. These wide-ranging responsibilities afforded Mac the opportunity to provide expert legal representation to several county offices, boards, commissions, and employees.
After a four-year tour in private practice, Mac joined the office of United States Representative Martha Roby as her Military Legislative Counsel. Mac's military and legal background perfectly positioned him for his role in the office. His primary responsibilities included serving as the Congresswoman's Veterans affairs, national security, and foreign policy advisor. Mac was instrumental in creating and managing Representative Roby's constituent Veterans' Advisory Committee, which allowed the Congresswoman to gain additional insights, perspectives, and ideas to drive her oversight and legislative agenda.
In July 2014, Mac landed his next role in Congress working for the Select Committee on Benghazi. He was initially hired to serve as the Select Committee's Senior Counsel and then moved into the important role of Security Manager. As an employee of the Select Committee, Mac analyzed thousands of pages of documents, communications, and other executive branch materials relating to the terrorist attacks in Benghazi.
Once his tenure with the Select Committee ended, Mac landed in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer in 2016 and immediately began serving as the Director of the Wounded Warrior Program, now known as the Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program.
Over the past nine years, Mac's leadership, stewardship, and dedication have driven several significant enhancements to this outstanding program. These efforts include modernizing several components of the program, updating the requirements for participation, broadening the scope to cover Gold Star Family Members and Active-Duty Military Spouses, expanding allocations assigned to Member, Committee, Leadership, and House Officer organizations, enhancing the orientation program and professional development offerings for the Aides, and launching the program's social media presence and dynamic website.
Mac's impact on the program is best seen in the lives and careers of the many Aides who came through during his tenure as Director. From December 2016 to August 2025, 339 Aides completed the two-year assignment. Of those, 37 percent of them continued their careers in Congress. Additionally, nearly 80 percent of the Aides built on their experience by finding new roles in government, transitioning successfully to the private sector, or enrolling in college to further their education. These achievements are a true reflection of Mac's leadership--underscoring not only the strength of the program, but also the lasting opportunities it provided to so many.
I would also like to recognize and thank Mac's family for their encouragement, love, and support, including his wife Helen Tolar--who was also a decorated House and Senate senior staff member--and their three children Walker, Mary Mac, and Oliver.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Mac Tolar for his outstanding contributions and overall impact on our Nation. Whether it was in the military, local or state government, or as an employee of the House of Representatives, Mac always made a difference in each job and an impact in every role.
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