[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 30, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LT. COL. B.G. WRIGHT
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I congratulate B.G. Wright, who has served
on my staff as a Fellow from the Army National Guard, for this
promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. B.G. has been a very active member of
my staff for the last year, handling a variety of issues in the broad
areas of national defense and foreign policy in the context of my work
on the Armed Services Committee and as the Ranking Democrat on the
Appropriations Committee.
He has been a full participant in the complex and demanding life of
the Senate, and has assumed growing responsibilities within the
legislative process. In this context, he has been responsible for
developing and drafting policy memoranda, legislative amendments,
talking points, and floor statements. He has developed rapidly an
unusual acuity for the chemistry and movement of issues in the often
confusing milieu of the Senate legislative process, and the floor
consideration of national defense legislation.
In the context of our Committee work he has drafted authorization and
appropriations language and recommendations in a wide variety of areas,
including: the budget of the Department of Defense and the State
Department, U.S. policy toward Bosnia, and the annual budget for world-
wide military construction projects. In all, his work has been
outstanding, timely, with a sure foundation of good judgment, a fine
knowledge of the English language, a pleasing writing style and an
ability to make a good argument. His work, in fact, has been
outstanding even in the comparison to the general group of Fellows that
serve in the Senate on an annual basis, and I have been very pleased to
request that the Army National Guard leave him with us for another
legislative session.
In the same time, B.G. Wright has attended to his other duties in the
Army National Guard, and also to his very unusual duty of serving as a
White House social aide. In the process of this latter position, he was
requested by name to assist President Clinton in hosting 150 Heads of
State for the United Nation's Fiftieth Anniversary in New York.
The Army National Guard has had the good sense to permit B.G. to
remain on my staff for an additional year, and I have no doubt that he
will continue to grow and contribute to the life of the Senate in the
coming year. I look forward to his work, his exceptionally pleasing
personality, and his good character. I again congratulate him on a well
deserved promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and wish him all the best in
his Army career.
____________________