{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2024-12-24-pt1-PgE1330", "2024-12-24", 118, 2, null, null, "TRIBUTE TO KAREN CHAPMAN ON HER RETIREMENT", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E1330", "E1330", "[{\"name\": \"Anna G. Eshoo\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "170 Cong. Rec. E1330", "Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 192 (Tuesday, December 24, 2024)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 24, 2024)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E1330]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n               TRIBUTE TO KAREN CHAPMAN ON HER RETIREMENT\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 24, 2024\n\n  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Karen Chapman,\nmy District Chief of Staff and leader of my exceptional District office\nteam upon her retirement from the federal government.\n  Karen grew up in San Mateo County and attended local schools. A\ngraduate of Castilleja in Palo Alto, she went on to receive her BA in\nhistory with a focus on comparative political systems from the\nUniversity of Colorado in Boulder. For her senior thesis she conducted\nresearch at the University of Kent in Canterbury in conjunction with\nCornell University, with the focus of her studies centered on political\npropaganda. While working on various political campaigns, including my\nfirst congressional campaign and later, former Governor Jerry Brown's\ncampaign for State Party Chair, Karen also participated in the\nPractical Politics Master's Program at San Francisco State University.\n  During my service on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Karen\nserved as my Executive Assistant and Legislative Aide. At the each\nSupervisor had only two staff members, demanding that Karen had to do\nessentially everything. She also managed my schedule, planned events,\nstaffed commission meetings and conducted casework and field work.\n  When I was elected to Congress in l992, Karen joined me in\nWashington, D.C. as a senior staffer and helped set up the best office\non the Hill. She returned to Palo Alto two years later to be my\nDistrict Director.\n  Karen brought her superb leadership and diplomatic skills to the\nDistrict Office operations and established the best Congressional\nconstituent services operation in the Nation, an organization known for\ngetting things done right, solving difficult problems and treating each\nconstituent with dignity, respect and kindness. My District operation\nincludes Co-Deputy Chiefs of Staff Anne Ream and Patty Kim, Senior\nField Representatives Nicholas Hargis and Justin Jeong; and\nCommunications Director Katrina Rill, all of whom are seasoned, engaged\nand highly professional.\n  There are many examples of Karen's drive and dedication throughout\nthe years. When the CZU fire devastated parts of my District in Santa\nCruz County, Karen led her colleagues in the field, working alongside\nFEMA and our other partners in government. They worked nights and\nweekends along with tremendous help from Brian Perkins of Congresswoman\nSpeier's office, staying in the field during the pandemic until all\nconstituents had opened cases with FEMA and received local, state and\nfederal help. Karen builds bridges between people, organizations and\nagencies, bringing everyone together to find solutions that are\npractical and that reflect my values.\n  My Congressional District includes four federal facilities which\nrequire consistent support. Karen carried out this support in this\nongoing work including advocating for USGS and NASA Ames when each was\nthreatened with significant cuts by various Administrations. Karen\nstaffed me, together with her D.C. counterparts on the fight to\npreserve the iconic Hangar One and retain the 129th Rescue Wings both\nlocated at Moffett Federal Airfield.\n  Karen has been highly involved in several key projects, including the\nsoon to open National Monument, Cotoni-Coast Dairies near Davenport in\nSanta Cruz County. She also worked with her D.C. counterparts to staff\nme for decades of work in the District to electrify Caltrain. This game\nchanging project was completed this year for the Bay Area and will\nreduce carbon dioxide emissions by 176,000 metric tons annually.\n  In true Silicon Valley spirit, our District Office operation has\nalways had an innovative approach toward representing over 740,000\npeople. We were the first District Office to conduct casework using\ndigital signatures as a result of my legislation establishing their\nlegality. This legislation allowed us to conduct casework via the\nInternet, reducing processing times and promoting greater efficiency,\nand saving significant tax dollars. We were the first Congressional\nOffice in the Nation to become a `Green Congressional Office' having\nworked with property owner Premier Properties. The Eshoo office\ninvested in renewal energy resources, with 100 percent of the energy\nused by the Eshoo office derived from renewable resources and the\noffice exceeding established green standards. Our office was the first\nwhere the Member of Congress established a Congressional Student\nAdvisory Board (SAB) for high school students, giving voice to students\nabout the legislative process. Karen and my team made sure the SAB was\nrobust and every year graduated more than 100 students, while providing\nresources and information to ensure their success. Each year SAB became\nmore professional and the staff time devoted to it was a significant\nand worthwhile investment.\n  During the entirety of the pandemic, Karen's innovative work\ncontinued as she remained in the office full time, and staffed me while\nI ran the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health from\nmy home in San Mateo County. Karen adapted quickly in order for us to\nremain resilient and nimble, and through her innovation she increased\nresponsiveness and productivity for committee work, casework and\nfieldwork during the pandemic and beyond in ways that kept my staff\nsafe and healthy while keeping up with the unique challenges of a\npandemic and multiple wildfires.\n  Karen Chapman is a public servant's servant. She's humble, loyal,\ngenerous, disciplined, resourceful, and steadfast. Often sought after\nfor her discretion and wise counsel, Karen has also advised campaigns\nand supported local candidates. She cares deeply about making a\ndifference in people's lives and improving their circumstances. She\nstaffed me on some of my most challenging cases including seeing\nsuccess for Carl Clark who had been denied by the Navy for his heroism\ndue to racism during World War II, protecting Dr. Christine Ford's\nidentity before she decided to tell her story in public, and making\nsure my late friend Hank Sciaroni's package was complete to receive the\nBronze Star and Purple Heart for his courageous heroism when his plane\nwas shot down behind enemy lines during World War II.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor and thank\nKaren Chapman for her extraordinary dedication and exemplary service on\nbehalf of the people I've represented for over three decades. I'm\nunendingly grateful to her for her sterling leadership, her 32 years of\ndevoted service, and for the gift of her friendship.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2024-12-24-pt1-PgE1330"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9409069791436195, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}