[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 157 (Sunday, November 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THANKING THE SENATE STAFF

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I will be very brief because I see other 
Senators waiting to take the floor. I will note a couple of things. The 
distinguished majority leader has mentioned that it is Sunday. The 
guest Chaplain today, Father Paul Lavin of St. Joseph's Church, is my 
pastor when I am away from my home in Vermont, which is not often on a 
Sunday.
  But this Sunday is extraordinary, that is, being in Washington and 
not in Vermont.
  Father Lavin also prayed for, in the mass this morning which my wife 
and I attended, the Congress and the Government, and so forth, as we 
all do.
  Sometimes we have to be careful we don't get too much of what we pray 
for, but I think it would probably be safe to say, as I look around at 
the staff and everybody else here, that they were probably praying that 
it would come to a conclusion.
  In that respect, I note, Mr. President, as I have in other years, 
that while I may joke about Senators being nothing but constitutional 
impediments to the staff, the fact is, the U.S. Senate, the greatest 
parliamentary body in the world, could not exist without the 
extraordinarily talented men and women who work on Capitol Hill for 
Members on both sides of the aisle, for committees, for the Senate 
itself, and those who take the notes of our proceedings, to those who 
keep the procedures of the Senate moving.
  I say a special compliment to the young men and women who come here 
and serve as pages, come from all over the country and serve here as 
pages. I have been fortunate to have had a series of some of the most 
exemplary young men and women from Vermont who have served here as 
pages. They go through a rigorous screening process. Only the best get 
picked. And they go back to be the best among our citizens in our own 
State.
  The people in this country ofttimes do not realize the extraordinary 
dedication of the men and women who work here who sometimes put in 
literally around-the-clock hours and days, who literally give of 
themselves more than any private industry could ever expect of anyone. 
And that is what makes the Senate work.
  My friend from Mississippi and I were discussing earlier putting 
together this last-minute legislation. Well, we can make some policy 
decisions, but it is these people who have to then pull it together. 
For Foreign operations, Tim Rieser, from my staff, carries out my 
duties as ranking member on that. There are dozens of others on both 
sides that have to do this--Robin Cleveland for Senator McConnell, who 
is the chairman of that subcommittee.
  And it is the same with all the subcommittees, trying to pull these 
pieces together and actually have the paper. We stand up and say 
``aye'' or ``nay,'' but they have to have the papers on the floor in 
perfect condition for us to vote on them.
  Then, whether it is the people in the Cloakroom, the people back at 
our offices, or anybody else, they also give up their family time to be 
here for the good of the country.

                          ____________________