[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8195-S8196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          ALFONSO E. LENHARDT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the day before yesterday I met for the first 
time Alfonso Lenhardt. I met him in the majority leader's office. We 
were standing there alone after some niceties. I asked him: What is the 
pin on your lapel? He said: It is a Purple Heart. It is a medal for 
being injured in combat. He didn't say that, but that is what the 
Purple Heart stands for.
  I mention that because I have a lot of affection for the Senate. I 
have a lot of affection for this Capitol complex. One of the main 
reasons I have so much affection is that I worked nights as a Capitol 
Hill policeman while going through law school. I can remember walking 
through Statuary Hall, never having had any understanding of who those 
great men were in the true sense of the word. I had the opportunity of 
meeting Everett Dirksen. I remember walking on the floor. I was the 
policeman assigned to the Ohio Clock, as it is called. I was there when 
this man with long, white hair and a wonderful voice, Senator Everett 
Dirksen, came by. He was asked to comment on the first hydrogen 
explosion of a nuclear device by the Soviet Union. I stood there and 
listened to him.
  I have fond memories of not only my congressional experience but also 
as a young man working as a Capitol policeman. My boss was the Sergeant 
at Arms. The Sergeant at Arms of the House and the Senate are very 
important positions.
  I mention meeting with General Lenhardt because I think we should 
understand what a great choice this man is to be the Sergeant at Arms 
of the U.S. Senate. He is a professional in the true sense of the word. 
Prior to some preliminary issues, Senator Daschle never knew the man. 
His very fine chief of staff, Pete Rouse, and our very excellent 
Secretary of the Senate, Jeri Thomson, went through the process and 
came to Senator Daschle with a number of people. This is the person 
that Senator Daschle chose. What a great choice. He is a professional.
  One of the jobs he had in the U.S. Army was to be the commanding 
general of the organization that takes care of national security and 
law enforcement programs.
  In 1997, after more than 31 years of domestic and international 
experiences in national security and law enforcement, he retired from 
the U.S. Army. His responsibilities in the military were significant. 
He is a two-star general. I am told that he could have had a third 
star, but he decided to retire prior to doing that.
  His last position with the Army was as commanding general of the U.S. 
Army Recruiting Command. There were over 1,800 separate locations of 
which he was the leader. He managed an Army installation consisting of 
130,000 acres of training areas, administrative and logistical 
facilities, and support operations for over 23,000 civilian employees, 
military retirees, soldiers, and family members.
  He also served as the senior military police officer for all police 
operations and security matters throughout the Army's worldwide sphere 
of influence.
  So to have him at the Senate, having the responsibility, among other 
things, for the security of this Capitol complex, says it all. He 
certainly has had

[[Page S8196]]

the experience. This man not only has had an outstanding military 
career, but he has a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice 
from the University of Nebraska, a master of arts degree in public 
administration from Central Michigan University, and a master of 
science degree in the administration of justice from Wichita State 
University. He also completed executive programs at Harvard 
University's Kennedy School of Government and the University of 
Michigan Executive Business School.
  He has been active in public service. This is a man who is 
outstanding. Those who watch the Senate proceedings on C-SPAN or who 
visit the Capitol, to see this historic site, may not realize all the 
work that goes into running the U.S. Capitol. The responsibilities are 
enormous. Unless something goes wrong, we take them for granted.
  Senator Daschle has done some very fine things during his 7 years as 
Democratic leader, and he has done some great things during his short 
time as majority leader, but I think there is nothing that I have been 
more impressed with than his selection of General Alfonso Lenhardt as 
the Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate. I hope everyone in the Senate 
will have the opportunity to meet this man and to recognize what a fine 
person Senator Daschle has selected.
  He is going to be our protocol officer and our chief law enforcement 
officer. He will also be the administrative manager for most of the 
Senate's wide-ranging support services. We could not have a better 
person.

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