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“REMEMBERING REAR ADMIRAL RICHARD T. BRENNAN, JR.” mentioning Jeanne Shaheen was published in the Senate section on pages S3417-S3418 on May 25.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REMEMBERING REAR ADMIRAL RICHARD T. BRENNAN, JR.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I rise today to honor RDML Richard T. Brennan, Jr., of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Commissioned Corps, one of our Nation's eight uniformed services. Admiral Brennan most recently served as the Director of the Office of Coast Survey, one of America's oldest bureaus, created by Thomas Jefferson in 1807 to produce nautical charts to help the Nation with safe shipping, national defense, and maritime boundaries. Unfortunately, Admiral Brennan passed away suddenly on May 13, 2021, due to complications from surgery. He was 52 years old.
Former leaders of the storied ``Survey of the Coast,'' going back to the first superintendent, Ferdinand R. Hassler, were either impeccable surveyors, expert scientists, ingenious engineers, master shiphandlers, intrepid explorers, or visionary risk-takers. With 27 years of diverse experience and a constant desire to learn more, Admiral Brennan embodied all of those qualities and more. He served on nearly every hydrographic ship in NOAA's fleet, surveying the East Coast, Caribbean territories, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Coast into remote areas of Alaska, even mapping far into the Arctic Ocean to support the U.S.'s Law of the Sea claim. Whether discovering a new, uncharted seamount deep in the Chukchi Sea or uncovering the sunken remains of a lost locomotive tender car off the tidal banks of the Piscataqua River, Admiral Brennan's endless enthusiasm for mapping our oceans and coasts was infectious to all who sailed with him.
During his various land assignments, Admiral Brennan provided valuable technical direction to the many physical scientists, hydrographers, cartographers, and officers who worked for him while leading change to pull charting services ever more into the digital age. He served as a reliable resource to various maritime stakeholders and other Federal Agencies, using his effective interpersonal skills to bring NOAA assets to bear in addressing their concerns. He notably earned the NOAA Corps Commendation Medal and the Department of Commerce Group Silver Medal for his service during Hurricane Irene by coordinating NOAA resources to quickly reopen the port of Norfolk, a waterway that is as vital for national security as it is for global commerce. I am proud to point out that along the way, he earned a master's degree in ocean engineering at the University of New Hampshire's esteemed Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping.
However, Admiral Brennan's stellar career is not what endeared himself to so many or what makes his passing so devastating. He was an exemplary civil servant and leader, and he is remembered as the person whom so many were grateful to work alongside during their own careers. People across the country remember Admiral Brennan for his empathy, wry humor, generosity, friendship, and humanity. Many sought his guidance on personal matters as much as they did on professional challenges, and he went out of his way for them, seeking out the struggling colleague to cheer them up with his warm wit or changing plans to chat over a commiserating meal. The task at hand was important to Admiral Brennan, but he never looked past the people around him, putting them first. My thoughts are with NOAA and the maritime community, knowing that his loss has created a hole in the hearts of all who were fortunate to know him.
More importantly, my deepest sympathies go out to his wife Tracey and his two sons, Ty and Sam, who lost a wonderful husband and loving father far too soon. By all accounts, Admiral Brennan's family were front and center in his life, and they never left his thoughts, especially when he was away in support of NOAA's mission.
On behalf of all the people of New Hampshire, I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in honoring Admiral Brennan for his leadership, integrity, and dedicated years of service to this grateful Nation. May he rest in peace.
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