WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Andrew Quinn:
“I am very sorry to have to conclude my remarks today by bidding farewell to an integral member of my staff – my chief speechwriter and strategic communications director, Andy Quinn.
“Five and a half years ago, Andy arrived in my office with one of the sharpest minds and sharpest pens in town. It has been my great good fortune to have him on my team longer than anyone might reasonably hope to keep such talent tied down.
“Andy’s background made him a unique candidate for the job, to say the least.
“He was the exceedingly rare breed who had come out of four years at an elite New England liberal arts college with his conservative principles even stronger!
“He had experience on the campaign trail and in the cloisters of professional scholarship. But he hadn’t spent a day working on Capitol Hill.
“Well, I had a hunch that Andy’s evident hunger, enthusiasm, and sheer brainpower would help him adapt to life in the Senate in no time.
“And boy, was I right!
“It would be no exaggeration to say that he will depart more fluent in the workings of this institution than folks who have been around here twice as long.
“Andy has proven his impressive ability to wear multiple hats.
“He’s lent both a finely tuned instinct for political strategy and a bottomless appetite for nuanced policy.
“And in the process, he’s become a plumb-line for my entire team on both long-range, big-picture ideas and pressing, day-to-day decisions.
“This young man has an incredible ability to cut straight to the essence of the topic at hand and ask the sort of questions that help all of us approach big issues with clarity and confidence.
“When Andy’s at the table, we know we’ll get clear, honest, and unvarnished counsel.
“These strengths have been extraordinarily valuable over an eventful past five years.
“Three Supreme Court confirmations. Two Presidential impeachments. And a once-in-a-century pandemic.
“During the first weeks of 2021, in particular, some of the most important conversations I had were with Andy – as I planned my response to the rioters who tried and failed to interrupt the certification of an election, and as I prepared to cast my vote as an impeachment juror.
“Through it all, Andy’s zeal for worthy fights has helped me, his colleagues, and our entire Conference meet career-defining moments with strength and grace.
“He’s taken five and a half years of incredibly varied, sensitive, and high-profile responsibilities in stride. He’s demonstrated pitch-perfect instincts and wisdom beyond his years. And somehow, alongside Andy’s book-smarts, there’s room for a razor-sharp sense of humor and plenty of opinions on the prospects of his favorite Chicago Cubs.
“But just as noticeable as Andy’s intellect is his humility.
“He took every trip to the front office coffee pot as an opportunity to get to know his youngest colleagues and learn about their interests.
“For that matter, one of the only outward signs of the enormous workload Andy has shouldered has been the coffee cup he’s carried, which his colleagues say has grown larger over the years!
“Of course, that could just as likely be a symptom of the fact that Andy has become a proud father not once, not twice, but three times during his Senate tenure!
“For all of his work as a fellow steward of this institution and a passionate defender of right-of-center principles, we know that Andy’s truest devotions are to his beloved wife, Amy, to the deep faith they share, and to the wonderful family they are raising together.
“It’s no secret that the demands of the Senate schedule are borne not only by Senators and our staff, but in a unique way by their families.
“And as Andy prepares to write an exciting new chapter professionally, I understand that the oldest of his three sons – at the ripe age of four and a half – has expressed particular excitement at getting to see his dad a little bit more often.
“Mr. President, even the world’s greatest deliberative body can’t compete with that.
“So I’d like to leave Andy with my sincere thanks for pouring his immense talents into our shared mission these past five and a half years, and my congratulations on a job so very well done.”
