Leader McConnell Thanks Deputy Chief Of Staff Stef Muchow
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor thanking longtime aide, Stefanie Muchow:
“For many years running, a familiar morning ritual has played out just a few steps from my desk here in the Capitol.
“A lamp turns on, illuminating a shelf where an embroidered pillow reads, ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys’…
“Invariably, a cold Diet Coke is cracked open…
“Perhaps, a moment of reflection on Peggy Noonan’s timeless observation that ‘the constant possibility of quiet revenge keeps one peppy’…
“Then, my Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Stef Muchow, opens her office for business.
“Stef works at a busy crossroads. Just about everything time-sensitive, confidential, or otherwise important that’s headed my way stops at her desk, first. And that’s by design.
“There’s no one else who can spend and accumulate institutional capital in my name with Stef’s confidence…
“No one else who commands such comprehensive awareness of my interests and priorities…
“No one else who embraces other duties as assigned with her unwavering devotion.
“Now, this might sound like the sort of high praise any one of our colleagues would hope to give to a close advisor of two decades.
“I’m sure it’s what each of them would want to say about a bright, instinctive, effusively patriotic staffer who finished college a year and a half early and poured herself into public service at the highest level.
“I don’t doubt that each of our colleagues is fortunate to enjoy the fierce loyalty of their staff. But I’m quite certain I’m the only one in the Senate who’s been blessed by the fierce loyalty of Stef.
“There is no portfolio – or, more accurately, no collection of portfolios – anywhere in Washington quite like the one I’ve handed to Stef. And that makes sense, because there’s no one else who could handle it quite like her.
“Around my office, the bench in Stef’s office is where colleagues come for guidance and gut-checks. Across the entire Senate, any number of people can think of times when it was Stef’s wisdom, discretion, candor, loyalty, diplomacy, tact, or political savvy that made all the difference. Well, I can think of hundreds.
“No one else sees the whole board – from policy objectives to political considerations to protocol sensitivities to personal circumstances – like Stef does.
“That may have something to do with the fact that she’s seen my Senate office operations from just about every vantage point over the years.
“For Stef, there’s been no task too small. No job that wasn’t worth doing right. And as it turns out, this approach has been contagious. Stef’s role so often demands uncompromising efficiency and the utmost discretion, and yet she still seems to seize every opportunity to bring the McTeam closer together as a family.
“Of course, Stef’s other duties as assigned include convening much larger groups than the professionals I’m proud to call my staff. In every corner of the building, her name is synonymous with mastery of the ceremonial protocols that transform the Capitol into a national stage.
“This is the place where America inaugurates our presidents, bids farewell to our fallen heroes, and bestows our highest honors. And very little of it takes place without Stef’s knowledge, input, orchestration, or blessing.
“When you think about it, this diplomatic grace and eye for detail make sense coming from someone who probably hasn’t missed a British royal wedding or Olympic opening ceremony in her life. Don’t worry, Stef cheers for Team USA… loud and proud.
“But I’d be remiss in talking about grace without mentioning the ways she’s shown it in face of the most demanding challenges we’ve seen together.
“When the pandemic arrived, Stef’s ability to balance sensitive considerations and competing interests was invaluable – not just to me, but to the entire Senate.
“Her approach to big, thorny questions about protecting Senators and staff while upholding our duties helped us make the right calls… when there were any number of ways to make the wrong ones.
“In truly uncharted territory, Stef’s poise was decisive. As leaders across the institution faced a blank page and a daunting, once-in-a-century task, she took action – not because it would be easy, but because it had to be done.
“For years, this has been something of a theme: If it had to be done, it had to be Stef.
“If it had to be airtight and discreet, it had to be Stef.
“If it had to navigate political and personal sensitivities just right, it had to be Stef.
“In this job, it’s important to have a few people around you who really do know every aspect of your life… Who you can trust without question, who will guard your confidences, and who will give you honest feedback.
“I’m tremendously fortunate… And proud of the countless ways Stef rises to these responsibilities over and over again.
“But I’m hardly the only one who gets to take pride in what Stef has accomplished. I share that distinction with the family who make Stef who she is today. With her parents, Gary and Dianne, and her sisters, Abbey and Leslie…
“…And with the ones she rushes home to when the immense demands of the Senate grant a brief respite: her husband, Scott, and their beloved daughter, Lily.
“I’m not sure my words here can even begin to capture the significance of the first and last person I speak to every day. But there’s perhaps no better illustration of Stef’s love for our country and for the Senate than her sacrifice of time with the ones she loves the most.
“Stef, I’m so grateful to you. For everything you have done. Both for the Senate and for me.”
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