Recognizing the Stennis Center for Public Service

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, the Stennis Center for Public Service is a legislative branch Agency with a congressional mandate to attract young people to careers in public service, provide training for leaders in, or likely to be in, public service, and offer training and development opportunities for senior congressional staff, Members of Congress, and other public service leaders.

A strong civil society is the foundation of a free society and essential for our republican form of government to work. That starts with public service minded individuals identifying problems and working together to solve them. This aspect of our society astounded Alexis de Tocqueville when he traveled our country in the early days of our Republic and compared what he saw to his native France.

But, as Ronald Reagan observed, ``Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.''

Part of perpetuating a free society is encouraging civic minded thinking and actions. So I am glad that the ``Public Service Review,'' produced by the Stennis Center for Public Service, features stories from young leaders who are making a difference in their communities. The publication, available on the Stennis Center's website at www.stennis.gov, recognizes and highlights examples of young people engaging in public service.

I am particularly proud that the entire summer 2024 edition highlights the Legislative Practice Center at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, IA. I encourage everyone to read this edition of ``Public Service Review'' and learn about how, for 25 years, the Drake Law School Legislative Practice Center has equipped students for public service careers by blending rigorous academic training with invaluable hands-on experiences. You will hear from staff and students in the Legislative Practice Center, learn about prominent alumni of the program now working in public service, and read about prominent Iowans working in public service, with stories written by the students.

The Drake Law students featured in this edition of Public Service Review include:

Carter Forrest

Witt Harberts

Haley Ledford

Laura Book

Natalie Sherman

Charlotte Miller

Zach Goodrich

Taylor McDonald

Zach Engstrom

Tom Ashworth

Bernardo Granwehr

Jacob Shrader

J.T. Harris

I congratulate them on this recognition and thank them for their dedication to public service.

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