Recognizing the Service of Congressman Will Hurd and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard

Floor Speech

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Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible service of two very special Members of this Chamber who are retiring after this term, Will Hurd of Texas and Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.

Will Hurd is a native son of San Antonio, Texas, and a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was a student body president and graduated with a degree in computer science and international relations.

After graduation, Will spent 9 years working and serving our country for the CIA. While primarily based here in Washington, D.C., Will was also stationed overseas in Afghanistan and Pakistan and India. And while in Pakistan, Will worked undercover and became fluent in the native language.

In the CIA, Will worked to keep our national security safe, thwarting terrorism across the globe, and putting nuclear weapons proliferators out of business. Part of his responsibilities in Washington was to brief Members of Congress here on the Hill on intelligence and national security issues, which undoubtedly sparked his interest in politics.

During his time in Congress, Will has been a leading Member on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, immigration, and tech issues. He worked incredibly hard to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is able to work efficiently and effectively, modernize our immigration system, and speak on the need to stay ahead of our adversaries in cybersecurity and technology.

Also a colleague of ours, Tulsi Gabbard was born in American Samoa and was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. A graduate of Hawai'i Pacific University, Tulsi was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives at age 21, the youngest legislator ever elected in the State.

A year into her service, she enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard and volunteered to deploy with her fellow soldiers in 2004. She went on two tours of duty in the Middle East, first in Iraq and later in Kuwait, and is currently serving as a major in the Army Reserves.

In between her tours of duty, Tulsi served as a legislative aide to the late Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii. During her time with the Senator, she worked on issues related to energy, Homeland Security, the environment, and veterans. During this time, Tulsi graduated from Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy, where she was the first woman to finish as a distinguished honor graduate.

During Tulsi's time in Congress, she has been a fierce advocate for veterans, servicemembers, and their families. She has worked to make their lives easier and to ensure that Congress never forgets the women and men who sacrificed for our freedoms.

Mr. Speaker, Will and Tulsi have been two amazing Members of this institution. I served with Will on the Homeland Security Committee, and I served with Tulsi on the Foreign Affairs Committee. This Chamber and our Nation are better off because they chose to serve in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, both Will and Tulsi caucus with different parties in this Chamber, but they share an awful lot in common:

They are both people of class;

They are both people of honor and dignity;

They both put their life on the line in service of our Nation;

They both are independent thinkers;

They are both people of incredible courage;

They are both people of intellectual honesty;

They are both leaders whom I respect and look up to, both before I was in Congress and certainly now.

They are two people who served this institution well, who made our Nation proud, and I have no doubt that their time serving our Nation is not at an end.

Mr. Speaker, I thank them both for their service, for their courage, for their sacrifice, for being intellectual leaders, thought leaders, being honest, staying true to their convictions, and putting their country ahead of their party every single day of their lives. I appreciate their service, Mr. Speaker.

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