Congratulating Gail Langworthy on Her Retirement

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank and congratulate Gail Langworthy, an incredibly kind and dedicated employee of mine who has served my constituents for 8 years back in the district.

Gail is moving on to an exciting new phase of her life, and she is leaving our office to enjoy her retirement.

When Gail isn't working hard for the people of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District, she is an active volunteer for the Breedtown Cemetery Association in Venango County. She enjoys dancing, visiting her three grandchildren in Florida, and exploring local trails while riding bikes with her husband, Jeff.

Gail has also been described as an avid thrift shop and yard sale junkie. Gail will be missed by our entire team, but I am happy for her as she begins this new adventure.

Thank you, Gail, for your hard work, dedication, and service, and enjoy your retirement. Recognizing Dave Bailey on His Retirement

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Dave Bailey, who has worked for 31 years for the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer by supporting Member offices with all sorts of technology needs.

Dave has been a frequent visitor to our office to help me and my staff with our computers any time that we had an issue. He also played a critical role in ensuring our office was ready to telework as we transitioned our lives online at the start of this pandemic.

Simply put, we would not be able to do our jobs without people like Dave Bailey.

I am disappointed that I will not be able to share my well wishes with Dave in person, but I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him for his three decades of service and for all the help that he has provided me in my office.

Dave, be well, and enjoy your much-deserved retirement. COVID Vaccine

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this week, we reached a truly incredible milestone in the fight against coronavirus.

On Monday, the first COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer was administered, and today, the FDA is meeting to approve the Moderna vaccine.

The timeline of vaccine development was made possible by Operation Warp Speed, and it is truly a modern medical miracle. In the 1930s, at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Jonas Salk began work on a polio vaccine. It wasn't until 1953, 23 years later, that the vaccine was successfully tested.

Operation Warp Speed has helped shrink the vaccine timeline and knock down barriers in delays. To develop a safe, effective vaccine in under a year is a testament to the incredible scientific progress we have seen over the years and the refusal of scientists to surrender to this terrible virus.

The marshaling of the public sector and the private sector together by President Trump has really resulted in this vaccine that we have all been desperately waiting on. The vaccine is a critical step in saving lives, saving jobs, and saving our economy.

I thank President Trump for his leadership in Operation Warp Speed, and I thank all the incredible scientists, doctors, medical professionals, and the others who have helped make history.

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