Tammy Baldwin

Madam President, Greeting · 20 wordsI rise today to recognize the work of David Stacy, former government affairs director at the Human Rights Campaign, HRC.¹Greeting Claims · 23 wordsFor more than 30 years, Mr. Stacy has been a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ community in Wisconsin and across the United States. Positioning · 26 wordsHis vital work has helped to ensure that LGBTQ people across the country and the world are treated as full and equal citizens and human beings.Positioning Claims · 206 wordsMr. Stacy earned his bachelor of arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1990 and served two terms as president of the United Council of University of Wisconsin Students, the statewide student association for the UW system.²³ He later received his master of arts in history, U.S. foreign relations, and civil rights history from New York University in 1991.⁴ In 1994, Mr. Stacy was instrumental in helping me to found Fair Wisconsin.⁵ Fair Wisconsin is a statewide advocacy organization with the mission of protecting and advancing the civil rights of LGBTQ individuals through legislative advocacy and electoral involvement. He worked on the 1996 Clinton-Gore campaign and various other State and local races throughout Wisconsin, ⁶as well as on nearly all of my own campaigns for public office during this time. He began his work in the legislative branch as an intern and then a legislative staffer for representatives in the Wisconsin State Assembly. In 1999, he joined my staff in Washington, DC, ⁷as a legislative assistant after I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. For the 6 years he spent on my staff, he worked on a variety of issues including telecommunications, defense, LGBTQ issues, foreign policy, education, veterans, intellectual property, ⁸and homeland security. Thanks · 18 wordsI valued David’s thoughtful counsel and his dedication to his work and passion for the issues he covered.Thanks Claims · 133 wordsIn November of 2005, Mr. Stacy joined HRC as their senior public policy advocate during a time in which our Nation was hotly debating a proposed amendment to our Constitution that would have defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman.⁹¹⁰ Through more than 20 years of hard, dedicated work, Mr. Stacy has steadily built support and coalitions to advance the cause of equality. Discriminatory bans such as ``Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’’ have been repealed, ensuring that gay, lesbian, ¹¹and bisexual Americans who want to serve their country can do so openly and proudly. Later, when Federal marriage equality was established by the courts, he worked alongside me and my staff to pass and codify into law the Respect for Marriage Act, ensuring a critical backstop against an activist court.¹² Positioning · 57 wordsHe built a model for how sustained work and partnership can bring about meaningful change to the lives of our fellow citizens. He was and is a vital partner in the continued fight for a more, not less, equal country. I am proud to call him a friend and a trusted partner in the fight for equality.Positioning Thanks · 10 wordsI wish him all the best in this next chapter.Thanks