[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 34 (Thursday, March 21, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S2254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       DEPARTURE OF WALLY BURNETT

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, as chairman of the Transportation 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I rise to express my regret that the 
subcommittee will soon be losing one of the most treasured members of 
its staff. Wally Burnett, our minority clerk, will be moving on to 
other opportunities at the end of this week. I know that I speak for 
all members of the subcommittee in wishing him well and thanking him 
for his fine service.
  Wally Burnett brought a wealth of experience to the subcommittee 
staff given his prior experience as Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
Budget and Programs at the Department of Transportation during the 
administration of President George H. Bush. More importantly, Wally 
brought to his position a strong sense of fairness, decency, and a 
desire to do the right thing. This trait could be seen across all of 
the Transportation bills that Chairman Stevens and Chairman Shelby 
ushered through the Senate.
  While Wally always demonstrated a strong sense of duty to the entire 
Nation, Wally never forgot that he is an Alaskan. And while Wally could 
not always be depended upon to wear a jacket to subcommittee and full 
committee meetings, he could be depended upon to provide his most 
expert views in an informed and balanced manner. I will always be 
grateful for the many courtesies that Wally demonstrated toward me, 
whether I was serving as a junior minority member of the subcommittee 
or as subcommittee chairman.
  As Wally leaves his position in the Senate, I wish him the best of 
luck in his new endeavor. I also express my hope that his tirelessly 
patient wife, Kristin, and his children, Tucker and Mattern, will 
finally see more of him.

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