-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, on January 23, people from all over our country came to Washington, DC, to celebrate the 53rd annual March for Life. These peaceful movements are exercising their free speech, their free association, and their right to petition government for redress of grievances--all First Amendment constitutional rights. They exercise this through using the Constitution to express their views.

This year's theme of the March for Life was ``Life is a Gift,'' so they were inviting folks to embrace the joy of innocent human life in the womb. They marched in solidarity with mothers who deserve better than abortion; who deserve life, love, support, and encouragement. They marched, hoping for a day when all people see babies as the blessings these babies are, for a day when the word ``abortion'' is unthinkable.

So I say to this group of marchers: Thank you. You came to Washington on January 23 for the 53rd year in a row to call attention to the value of life. Thank you for your faithful example of what it means to be pro-life.

In Congress, we must do all we can to support mothers and their babies, and I hope I am doing that by being a proud sponsor of the bipartisan bill that I call the Healthy Moms and Babies legislation, which would better support pregnant moms to receive high-quality healthcare no matter the ZIP Code they live in. I am also a cosponsor of the Pregnant Students' Rights bill--a pro-mother, pro-family legislation ensuring pregnant mothers receive support while pursuing their dreams. I look forward to continuing this work. Tribute to James Rice

Mr. President, I come to the floor to say bon voyage to a very talented and trusted employee of mine who has worked hard for the people of the State of Iowa. When I say bon voyage, as I will say later, he probably has the prospects of being a college professor, a think tank researcher, or maybe even a diplomat.

So, today, I come to the floor to pay tribute to a trusted, loyal member of my staff whom I am honored to say has been a member of Team Grassley for 25 years, and I am glad to have him here on the floor with me right at this minute.

James Rice will leave his post as my legislative director at the end of this month. He has devoted the past quarter century in service to the people of Iowa here in the U.S. Senate. Now, he didn't start out to be the important staffer he is right now because he started as an intern in 1997. That summer, he even served in some positions that don't get a lot of attention because they are behind the scenes.

He served as boots on the ground during my sixth Foreign Ambassadors Tour. For over two decades, I organized every other summer an Ambassadors trade tour across Iowa. I invited members of the foreign diplomatic corps here in Washington, DC, along with their spouses serving here in the Nation's Capital, to join me for a weeklong road trip to showcase my home State's people, our products, and our places.

From securing overnight stays in the homes of Iowans to keeping the trade delegation on schedule visiting farms, factories, and always ending at the Iowa State Fair, this devoted team player, James, was among the many helping hands working behind the scenes to make the week run smoothly. That just might be why James first got bitten by the foreign policy bug that has fostered his interest and expertise in foreign affairs and international unity and diplomacy and why he has been a valuable adviser to me on foreign affairs.

James is a native of Davenport, IA, majoring in political science, history, and government. After graduating from Drake University in Des Moines, he joined my staff here in Washington, DC, 3 years after being an intern in the year 2000.

James has referred to the Grassley team as the embassy for Iowa. With tireless conviction, he managed his work with proficiency. James exemplifies the Biblical ``Parable of the Talents.'' He has been a good and faithful servant to the people of Iowa. I will miss his very scrupulous attention to detail and ability to finesse bicameral, bipartisan victories for Iowa. I could always count on his counsel and valued his wisdom.

James has an uncommon mastery of parliamentary procedure here in the U.S. Senate, an encyclopedic knowledge of Iowa, and, of course, he shares my love for history.

As legislative director, James cultivated exceptional depth of knowledge in his policy portfolio, including education, foreign policy, and the rules of the U.S. Senate.

When I hire people to join my staff, I tell them I expect them to do their job the Grassley way, and that means adopting my approach to representative government, which is to treat people with respect, do your homework, and go the extra mile for the people of Iowa. James worked tirelessly to provide outstanding constituent service.

One of my priorities as the senior Senator for Iowa is to respond to every phone call, letter, and email I get from Iowans. James was instrumental in his leadership to revolutionize my constituent correspondence operation. Some may say that he was a tyrant over what we call in the office ``old mail.'' To that, I would say he was doing just as I asked: ensuring Iowans receive a thoughtful and timely response to their questions and concerns.

During my 45 years of holding county meetings in each one of the 99 counties--during those meetings, I want to make sure things are going right in my office. I say ``Write me a nasty letter'' if they haven't heard back from me regarding their email or their postal mail or if they left their name and address in a telephone call. They get a written response. So, thanks in large part to this man's meticulous efforts, that doesn't happen very often, that I am told somebody did not get a response to their letter.

As legislative director, he mentored scores of legislative correspondents over the years, many of whom climbed the staff ladder to become legislative assistants or pursue careers off of Capitol Hill. He also cultivated longstanding relations with Iowans, particularly educators from across the State as well as Ambassadors from across the world.

A rock-ribbed conservative, James practices what he preaches. He is a warrior for freedom and liberty. Each year, he has hosted a tea in our office in October to celebrate Margaret Thatcher's birthday because he so admired her as a leader and Prime Minister of Great Britain.

In another quirk, James also spearheaded an annual observance of St. John's Day--a summer solstice celebration in Estonia. That is when the Estonian people celebrate Victory Day to mark the defeat of the German troops in their war for independence in 1919. This goes to show that James doesn't do anything halfheartedly. Although a dyed-in-the-wool Iowan, he is a dual citizen of Estonia. In fact, he loved the Baltic nation so much, he built a house there.

As I mentioned, James is leaving my staff and his Senate service at the end of this month. He will dive into academia and passion for foreign policy to obtain a doctor of philosophy in statecraft and strategy at the Institute of World Politics, where he also earned a master's degree.

I told him I liked his speeches so much that I hope he will continue to keep me in mind when he feels a speech coming on to bring much needed historical context to these modern-day problems that we face around here.

So, James, Barbara and I wish you all the best, a great future, and we thank you for your decades of service to the people of Iowa.

When you announced your departure to your fellow staff members, you said you will always be a part of the Grassley family, and I couldn't agree more. I like that you will do just that--be a member of the family.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source