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IN HONOR OF DR. JILL JENSEN
______
HON. MIKIE SHERRILL
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Ms. SHERRILL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deep gratitude to a departing member of my staff, Jill Jensen. Dr. Jill, as she is known in our office, came to Capitol Hill as a Brookings Legislative fellow from the Department of Defense. We were all excited to have someone with her deep expertise and experience as a part of our team, and we were looking forward to her contributions to my work on the Armed Services Committee.
As with so many things this year, the pandemic upended our plans. In late February and early March, as COVID-19 picked up speed and congressional offices started to respond, Dr. Jill quickly became an indispensable member of our team. Not only is she an expert in defense policy, but Dr. Jill has a doctorate in public health. She quickly stepped up to the plate to lead our office's response to the pandemic, coordinating weekly calls with local health care providers and public health experts, spearheading the Regional Recovery Task Force, and providing invaluable insight and advice to me and the other members of my team.
While leading our response efforts during the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jill still managed to be a critical member of our defense team. Her ideas and hard work led to several provisions' successful inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act, and now, even as her fellowship in our office winds up, she is still coming up with creative ideas for new and important legislation.
Beyond her expertise, excitement to learn about the Hill, and creativity, Dr. Jill is simply a joy to work with. She is always positive, attacking new challenges with a smile on her face. She is always willing to put her shoulder to any task, whether it is drafting new legislation that will impact the lives of thousands of service members or organizing our office suite after a move. Her optimism and insight kept many of us on track in those first days of the pandemic, and her excitement about arcane congressional processes was always a breath of fresh air.
Our office's loss is the Defense Department's gain, and as she ends her fellowship and returns to the Department, I wish her the very best of luck. I am confident we will be saying ``I knew her when . . .'' very soon.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 17
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