[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 10, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10099-S10100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SERGEANT AT ARMS GREG CASEY

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, last Friday the Senate did adopt a 
resolution naming Greg Casey of Idaho to be the new Sergeant at Arms. 
It is a pleasure for me to be able to recognize Greg Casey. I think 
most Senators are familiar with him. He has been around Capitol Hill 
for a long time and has worked with Senator Craig and has been very 
close to Senator Kempthorne. He has been very helpful in setting up the 
administrative operation in my office as leader.
  With his background in Idaho, in business and government, I feel he 
will be an excellent Sergeant at Arms. He has a mighty responsibility 
of working with Senators on both sides of the aisle to make sure that 
we operate as efficiently and honestly as we possibly can. I am 
convinced that he will do an excellent job.
  I yield to Senator Craig for comments in regard to his former chief 
of staff.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Inhofe). The Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, let me thank the majority leader for 
yielding this morning and reflect on the wise and judicious decision of 
the majority leader to choose my chief of staff, Greg Casey, to become 
the new Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate.
  As the majority leader mentioned, Mr. President, Greg and I and 
Senator Kempthorne go back a good many

[[Page S10100]]

years in working in the political effort in Idaho and here in 
Washington. I had the privilege of hiring Greg to be a field director 
for me in my first congressional campaign. He came to Washington with 
me and served in a variety of capacities, ultimately becoming my chief 
of staff while I served in the House, left to go to Idaho to rebuild an 
organization called the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry into 
a major force as a spokesman for business and industry in the State of 
Idaho. When I was elected to the Senate in 1990, I asked Greg to return 
with me to put my Senate staff together and he has served as my chief 
of staff since that time.
  I am extremely excited for Greg and his family, and for Idaho, that 
the majority leader has chosen him to become the Sergeant of Arms here 
in the Senate, a very large responsibility. I am extremely proud that 
Greg now has the opportunity to serve in that capacity, not only for 
the Senate but for our country and for the State of Idaho.
  I, on behalf of Idaho, can speak with a great deal of pride in saying 
we know Idaho is extremely proud today to have Greg Casey as the new 
Sergeant at Arms here in the U.S. Senate. Greg, congratulations. We 
will look forward to working with you, and also we will seek your 
counsel from time to time as it comes to the administration of my 
office and my offices in the State of Idaho.
  Again, thank you, Mr. Majority Leader, for yielding. Let me now yield 
to my colleague, Senator Dirk Kempthorne, who also has had a close 
working relationship with Greg Casey over many years.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I join in commending the majority 
leader for his decision in naming Greg Casey as our new Sergeant at 
Arms. It is an outstanding decision, and again I think it reflects well 
on the majority leader and the sort of individuals that he is 
surrounding himself with to carry out these very, very, critical issues 
and functions relating to this institution.
  I have known Greg Casey for many, many years. We attended the 
University of Idaho together in the mid-1970's. In fact, it was at the 
University of Idaho that I had the honor to serve as student body 
president. I must acknowledge that Senator Craig also had the 
distinction of serving as student body president at the University of 
Idaho. It was in that capacity that I named Greg Casey to fill a 
vacancy that was on the student senate.
  One of the things that I have always admired about Greg Casey is his 
devotion to what has to be done, his devotion at that time to the 
university, to the State, and as I have seen him in this atmosphere, 
his absolute devotion to this country.
  We have named a patriot, now, to be the Sergeant at Arms of this 
institution. He is an individual who brings great enthusiasm to 
anything he does, a great energy level. He is an individual who brings 
innovation to everything he touches. I know whenever his tenure as 
Sergeant at Arms is complete he will be regarded as truly one of the 
best Sergeants at Arms that the U.S. Senate in its history ever had.
  He also has the ability to stick to it. I think this is probably 
something that the majority leader, Senator Lott, has recognized, and 
that is if you want a job done, have Greg Casey given the assignment 
because he will get it done, no matter what it takes, but he will do it 
with a style and with a dignity, and with a tenacity that you never 
have to doubt whether it will be done.
  I also want to acknowledge that we talk about having good people 
around you. Well, Greg Casey has good people around him. In the late 
1980's, he introduced me to a young lady that truly is a remarkable 
woman, Julia Laky, who then in 1990 became Mrs. Greg Casey. In the life 
that we have shared together, I had the honor as serving as best man at 
his wedding. Again, they are the sort of people that you are proud to 
say are our friends, we like them, the values that they have in their 
home are the values that America believes in. And I remember that, 
following the wedding, I guess it falls on the best man to make a 
toast. So I made the toast that their home would be blessed with more 
than just the two of them, and up there joining their family is Gregory 
Scott Casey, Jr. He is a fifth generation Idahoan. His dad is a fourth 
generation Idahoan.

  I would like to say this to little Greg: Your dad is a great man, and 
he is someone that we all look up to. I know that just as little 
Gregory Scott Casey is in wonderful hands with his dad, Greg, and his 
mom, Julia, this Senate is in good hands with this new Sergeant at 
Arms, Greg Casey. So I am proud to call him a friend. He is someone 
that is going to serve us well. Again, I commend the majority leader 
for his decision in making this happen.
  Mr. CRAIG addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho, Mr. Craig, is 
recognized.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, certainly Senator Kempthorne and I, by our 
comments, can display only great pride in the fact that the majority 
leader has chosen Greg Casey to be our new Sergeant at Arms. We reflect 
that pride for our State of Idaho.
  I say to Greg, his wife Julia, and Gregory, Jr., congratulations, we 
look forward to a good number of years working with you during your 
service in the U.S. Senate. I congratulate the majority leader for a 
wise choice.
  Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minority leader is recognized.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, let me join with my colleagues in our 
congratulations to Gregory Casey for his appointment and our best 
wishes to him and his family in these very important new circumstances 
he faces. There are a number of people that have already spoken to his 
intelligence, ability, and his contribution to the Senate. I have had 
the opportunity to work with him as a member of the Ethics Committee 
and have watched with great admiration as he has taken on each of his 
difficult tasks in working with the Senators from Idaho.
  So I know I speak for all of my colleagues on this side in wishing 
him our sincere congratulations. Isaac Bassett, who worked in this 
great Chamber for 64 years, up until 1894, left a diary of many 
thousands of pages. When he was appointed to his last position, he came 
to the floor and said there is no higher calling than that of public 
service in the U.S. Senate. I think Greg Casey appreciates that, 
understands that, and in the tradition of Isaac Bassett, and many of us 
who have had the great fortune to follow him, we look forward to 
working with him in a new role.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I just want to say how impressed I am 
with the excellent comments and statements that have been made by my 
colleagues about someone that Members of the Senate have known over a 
long period of time. I have had the privilege of knowing Mr. Casey. But 
having the name Casey, if you track back over a long period, there must 
have been a Democrat in there somewhere. [Laughter.]
  I know I can speak, as well, along with the minority leader and 
assure my colleagues that we will be fairly treated as well.
  Congratulations, Mr. Casey.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I believe we are ready now to go to the 
Defense of Marriage Act. Perhaps we will lay that bill down.

                          ____________________