[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5548-S5549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THANKING THE LANGUAGE SERVICES SECTION OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH 
        SERVICE FOR ITS SUPPORT TO THE SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE

   Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I rise today to thank the 
language services section of the Congressional Research Service for its 
support to the Senate Banking Committee in our inquiry into the 
disposition of heirless assets in Swiss banks, before, during, and 
after World War II. During the course of our inquiry thousands of pages 
of documentation have been examined as we have tried to establish the 
ultimate disposition of assets which were deposited in Swiss banks by 
Holocaust victims prior to World War II.
  Hundreds of pages of these historical documents were written in 
various languages which dealt with extremely technical matters. It was 
imperative that the Banking Committee obtain accurate translations for 
these documents. The language services section never let us down.
  I would especially like to recognize David Skelly who provided 
translation support in the German and French languages. Mr. Skelly 
worked with my

[[Page S5549]]

staff on a daily basis and his efforts were truly noteworthy.
  On many occasions we contacted Mr. Skelly and solicited his 
translation assistance on an immediate basis. Mr. Skelly never 
complained. He never said, ``I can't do this. You're asking too much.'' 
He said simply, ``How soon do you need it?'' and ``OK. I'll get right 
on it.''
  On one particular instance Mrs. Deanna Hammond, Mr. Skelly's 
supervisor and another true professional in that office, contacted Mr. 
Skelly at home on his own time and read him a very technical document 
in German which he translated. Mrs. Hammond typed up the English 
translation and we had it in our hands 2 hours after sending in our 
request.
  Mr. President, this is the type of dedicated service which Government 
employees all too often perform, and no one hears anything about it. 
You certainly won't hear it from anyone in the language service 
section. This is all in a day's work for them. This is a group of 
people who take their commitment to the Congress and the American 
people very seriously. And they deliver.
  I consider the language services section to be an indispensable 
office within the Congressional Research Service which provides a truly 
unique service to the Congress. I congratulate all of the workers there 
on their fine work and extend to them my thanks.

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