[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 50 (Tuesday, April 13, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3631-S3632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THANKING KIM KOIVISTO FOR A JOB WELL DONE

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, Today marks the final day of work in the 
Senate for Kim Koivisto, the associate director to the Democratic 
Steering and Coordination Committee. I didn't want the day to pass 
without taking a moment to thank Kim for a job well done.
  The Democratic Steering and Coordination Committee is the liaison 
office between Senate Democrats and a good portion of the rest of the 
country, including representatives of state, county and local 
governments and people from every imaginable interest group. The 
committee is an important part of our caucus's efforts to talk with and 
listen to Americans from varying perspectives.
  Kim has worked as associate director of the committee for the past 
two years. During that time, she has consistently demonstrated the 
highest level of commitment, professionalism and creativity. She has 
worked most intensively on women's, Hispanic and labor issues.
  One highlight of Kim's tenure is the creation of a new outreach 
program to strengthen relations between our caucus and national 
Hispanic organizations, Latino elected officials and the Congressional 
Hispanic Caucus. She also used her fluency in Spanish to translated 
materials into Spanish, and to organize Spanish-language press 
conferences for Senate and House Democrats.

[[Page S3632]]

  Kim has also worked closely with labor organizations and women's 
groups to advance causes that are important to American families--and 
to Kim personally. Issues she worked especially hard on include closing 
the pay gap between men and women, raising the minimum wage, and 
strengthening the federal commitment to breast cancer research. Kim was 
also active in the fight to retain the Federal Disadvantaged Business 
Enterprise Program last year as part of TEA-21, the new Federal highway 
bill.
  Kim's immediate plans include traveling through Indonesia. She will 
attend the Graduate School for Counseling at the University of Maryland 
in the fall.
  On behalf of all Senate Democrats, I'd like to thank Kim for her hard 
work, and wish her the best of luck in her travel and studies. She will 
be missed.

                          ____________________