Recognizing My Legislative Assistant, Jessica Larsen, for Her Excellent Work on Behalf of Minnesota's Third Congressional District

Floor Speech

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Mr. PHILLIPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my Legislative Assistant, Jessica Larsen, for her work on behalf of every constituent in Minnesota's Third Congressional District. Jessica has departed my office for a new opportunity serving as Legislative Aide in the Office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and I could not be more proud or grateful for her service.

From her birthplace in Bellshill, Scotland to the basketball court at Minnetonka High School and on to the halls of the United States Congress, Jess has proven herself a force to be reckoned with. In the spirit of a Minnetonka Skipper, Jess set sail across the pond to attend Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. After graduating with First Class Honours, she returned stateside to serve her home district with compassion and dedication.

Jess joined the office as a Staff and Executive Assistant, imparting her infectious joy on every colleague and constituent that walked through the front door. Her intelligence, kindness, and Radical Hospitality touched everyone she met and inspired the staffers who would follow in her footsteps. It wasn't before long that Jess grew into a widely respected and highly competent Legislative Assistant whose passion for helping others made her a role model for the entire team. Constituents came into their conversations with Jess eager to meet a DC staffer with deep ties to the district. They consistently left blown away by her empathy and policy acumen for the most pressing issues facing our country and Minnesota's Third Congressional District.

Jess worked tirelessly to make U.S. Department of Agriculture programs more equitable for Black and Brown farmers, provide adult sized changing tables in airports to ease travel for people with disabilities, and preserve Minnesota's Boundary Waters as an oasis uninhibited by harmful mining practices. She is a fierce advocate who has an unparalleled ability to treat the issue at hand with the utmost importance. The office will not be the same without her insight, diligence, warm smile, and occasional sarcasm. We look forward to working for Jess some day in the not-too-distant future.

The people of Minnesota's Third Congressional District were lucky to have her expertise and leadership, and she will be dearly missed. However, I'm extraordinarily happy that this expertise will continue to serve the nation and the people of Massachusetts. I wish Jessica all the best in her future endeavors and thank her for two years of faithful service to this nation--and many more to come.

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