Thanking Derek Harley for His Service to the House

Floor Speech

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Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I kindly ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Derek N. Harley for his 25 years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Derek began his career on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant with Representative Walley Herger of California, later serving as his Legislative Director and then his Chief of Staff. Following Congressman Herger's retirement, Derek served as Chief of Staff to Representative Brad Wenstrup of Ohio. As Chief, Derek was known for prioritizing first-in-class constituent services, a focus he has maintained throughout his career in the House.

After a short time off the Hill, Derek returned to the House as the Republican Staff Director of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. In this position, he saw an opportunity to strengthen Congress's Article I obligations and create positive and lasting institutional change. The Select Committee had what Derek called ``squeaky wheel authority'' to call attention to longstanding problems and challenges for the House, and he used that authority to relentlessly pursue solutions. His insistence on working with House partners and colleagues across-the-aisle to forge change and strengthen this institution for the better will benefit generations of Members and staff to come. We can all learn a lot from his example.

At the start of the 118th Congress, the Committee on House Administration turned to Derek to Lead the newly constituted Subcommittee on Modernization. Quite frankly, there was no one better suited for this position than Derek. His institutional expertise, his proven leadership skills, and his unwavering dedication to the House and the people it serves made him the obvious--and only--choice to serve as the Subcommittee's inaugural Staff Director. Under the leadership of Subcommittee Chairwoman Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Derek worked to create new, and much-needed, collaborative workspaces for staff across the House Office Buildings, improve ADA access to the House and the Capitol, streamline the transfer of constituent casework to incoming members of Congress, provide House committees with access to industry-standard e-Discovery software, institute positive change at the Congressional Research Service, and provide more opportunities for Members to engage with their constituents. These are just a few examples of the many contributions Derek has made to this institution.

At the start of the 119th Congress, Derek joined Speaker Mike Johnson's team as Director of House Operations, where he's worked hand- in-glove with my team on House Administration to meet critical campus needs, formalize longstanding policies for House offices, and think strategically about the House's future physical space needs. Derek has always remained open to ideas and solutions and is committed to finding the best path forward for the institution in service to its Members, staff, and the taxpayer.

I am fortunate to have worked with Derek and know he will be missed by many House Members and staff. Derek has been a consummate steward of the institution and a willing partner to everyone who wants the House to work well for the American people. He has already had a lasting and positive impact on the institution and, through his example, has inspired others to continue this work.

On behalf of my colleagues and staff on the Committee on House Administration, I wish Derek Harley all the best as he begins his new role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Congressional Institute. I thank him for his service to the United States House of Representatives.

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