Last Wednesday I wrote about an extremely beautiful display of bipartisanship in the House of Representatives where a Special Order, you can read about what that is here, was held for my Committee's Deputy Staff Director who had entered hospice after battling cancer for over a year. While we all knew that the cancer was advanced and that she was down to only a few weeks left to live I am not sure anyone on the staff expected the news that we go today. This past weekend Jenn passed away after fighting an incredible battle. 

Thankfully she was able to watch the Special Order before her passing according to her parents. In my two and half years in D.C. I have yet to meet a person who has touched me as much as Jenn. During the staff meeting this morning to inform us of her passing a few people shared stories about Jenn and one in particular stuck out.

Last year while undergoing surgeries and chemo and radiation Jenn was also serving as our top negotiator for the CHIPS and Science Act. We tried the best we could while she was fighting to lighten the load the best that we could but she always seemed to find a way to get back into our email chains. Well during a particularly rough stretch of negotiations, Jenn wasn't able to respond for a couple of days which ya know makes sense but a Committee staffer in the Senate.... well they must have missed the memo about Jenn having cancer and undergoing treatment as they sent an email to her complaining about how long it was taking her to respond. Jenn's response was honestly hilarious from our side but the Senate Staffer probably had a minor heart attack as after she answered all of the questions that had previously been sent signed the email with "Sorry I am fucking fighting cancer" Jenn. 

I cannot imagine how that staffer felt inside when they opened that email. Even more, is how it might sound like she was mad or pissed off, and honestly, she might have been she used her diagnosis and treatment to help break the ice and cool things off when people started getting a bit out of line. That isn't a normal trait that I often see and it speaks loudly to who she was as a person and how amazing she was as a public servant. Congress definitely lost a good egg here but I would argue that the loss is even bigger to the world as a whole. 

I have tried to embed the video of Jenn's Special Order but I can not tell if it will function or not. If you are interested to see it and the embedded video doesn't work here is the link. We will all miss you Jenn and do our best to continue the legacy that you have established.