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Floor Speech

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Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, I chuckled when Ken mentioned pet peeves and names. We need to add quinoa and potatoes to that list. He definitely didn't like those. For the record, my nickname was Barracuda, so figure that one out.

God works in mysterious ways. In the face of disaster, I found a friend in Doug. Doug and I didn't agree on a lot of things, but we always showed up for each other. We cosponsored bills, worked on disaster funding and rural health, and traded a lot of jabs and took funny pictures of each other in our Agriculture Committee hearings. I gave him Spam musubis, and he brought me my favorite lemon almonds from Oroville.

I will never forget November 8, 2023. Doug stood here on this floor, and he marked 5 years since the Camp fire. I was marking 3 months since the Lahaina fire in Maui. He came up to me and gave me a hug after, and he said: We are going to get through this together.

I believed him. I still do. He gave me hope.

Doug and I are two very different people. It would have been the most unlikely of friendships, except that he was one of the kindest, most gentle, and genuine people I have ever met.

I don't know about you, Mr. Speaker, but the House floor feels a little less warm and a bit empty without Doug, but maybe I just miss my friend.

To his wife, Jill, and the LaMalfa ``family''; ``family,'' our prayers, our aloha, and our love are with you.

May you rest in aloha, my friend, until we meet again.

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