[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 30 (Friday, March 15, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S1965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      THE RETIREMENT OF ALEX LEWIS

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, today the Senate loses one of its most 
valued employees to retirement. After 35 years of dedicated service, 
Alex Lewis of the Recording Studio is stepping down.
  Alex began work for the Architect of the Capitol in 1967 at the ripe 
old age of 20. He started work here as an electrician's helper. By the 
1970s he was running and maintaining the Senate and House audio 
systems, moving to the Senate full time in 1991.
  In 1994, he helped bring the Senate into the computer age, working 
tirelessly over many late nights and weekends and under a tight 
deadline to replace the old Senate sound system with the state-of-the-
art digital system we use today.
  That can-do attitude, his friendliness and cooperativeness was 
respected by everyone who worked with him. And, in the last 3 years as 
studio supervisor, Alex was respected for his caring, consideration, 
and fairness by everyone here in this body.
  Alex said that having the opportunity to be witness to more than 
three decades of historical events at the Capitol is something he will 
always treasure. Today, all of us in the Senate family want to express 
how much we treasure his service to this institution. We thank him and 
we wish him well.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Maine is recognized.
  (The remarks of Ms. Collins, Mr. Bond, and Mr. Smith of Oregon 
pertaining to the introduction of S. 2023 are printed in today's Record 
under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________