[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S8198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE DEPARTURE OF ROBERT D. FOREMAN

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to pay 
tribute to Robert D. Foreman who has served as a health advisor to me 
for the past 8 years. Rob came to my staff after distinguished service 
in the House of Representatives, in the Executive Branch, and in a 
national trade association.
  I suppose that Rob's experience staffing Medicaid and Medicare issues 
for me, and earlier for our colleagues on the House Interstate and 
Foreign Commerce Committee, now called the Energy and Commerce 
Committee, have prepared him well for his new assignment as President 
George W. Bush's Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs at the 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. I am confident that he will 
be a great asset to Secretary Thompson, Administrator Scully, and the 
President as they work to preserve and strengthen Medicare, and 
confront the many challenges facing the Center for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services, CMS.
  Rob is able to grasp complex issues and use his keen sense of humor 
to bring together parties with differing views on pending legislation. 
With his research and command of the legislative process, he has helped 
us make significant contributions during the past eight years on many 
key pieces of legislation including the defeat of the Health Security 
Act and enactment of the Children's Health Insurance Program, the 
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the 
Balanced Budget Act amendments and subsequent revisions, and the 
Skilled Nursing Facility legislation.
  I also have been able to count on Rob to be a powerful advocate for 
the disabled, and the less fortunate, and to be my liaison with my 
Disability Advisory Committee in Utah. He also has been a tireless 
advocate for Native Americans and has enhanced my work on the Committee 
on Indian Affairs.
  For those who have been blessed to work with Rob, they understand 
that beneath the soft-spoken, dedicated work of this kind man is the 
caring heart of a true gentleman. He is a man you can genuinely trust, 
a man of his word, a man of integrity. He seeks not just to do his job, 
but to do it well. He came to his office each morning not to work, but 
to serve. His gentle nature is equaled only by his loyalty and work 
ethic.
  I am grateful to Rob for his efforts, for his personal sacrifices, 
and for the many nights and weekends he spent ensuring that work on 
these vital issues was complete. I want to publicly thank him for all 
of his many contributions. I wish him the best as he confronts this new 
challenge.

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