[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 4, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S1866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          HONORING CINDY DWYER

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I ask that the following statement 
from our former colleague, Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, be printed 
in the Record. Senator Kerrey is providing this statement concerning a 
former member of his Senate staff who is presently serving as my 
scheduler.
  There being no objection, the statement was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       We Americans have been taught to believe our share of 
     myths. Myths are not lies; they are, like George Washington's 
     decision to tell the truth about a fallen cherry tree, 
     stories with a purpose. The purpose, however, is not always 
     benign. Malignant myths have their roots in the soil of 
     despair. They are told by those who do not believe in the 
     possibility of human beings being motivated by the desire to 
     do good.
       Among the most destructive of cynical myths is that people 
     who work for politicians are old corrupt hacks who only care 
     about keeping their bosses in power. Cindy Dwyer is living 
     evidence that the cynics are wrong, and what is most 
     wonderful about Washington, DC, is that her story is not 
     unique.
       Cindy was 20 years old and a junior in college when she 
     volunteered for a Senate campaign in South Dakota. Her 
     candidate won and she went back to school. When she finished, 
     her candidate, now a Senator, called to offer her a job. 
     Cindy rolled the dice and said yes.
       In the Senator's office she met and became friends with a 
     legislative assistant by the name of Tom Daschle. She stayed 
     for a few years and then moved back to South Dakota to teach 
     kindergarten. Not long after settling back into private life 
     her legislative assistant friend called to say he was running 
     for Congress. He offered her a job in his campaign. Tom 
     Daschle won that race and Cindy raced back to DC where she 
     served as his scheduler. When Tom made a successful run for 
     Senate in 1986, she moved over to his Senate office to become 
     his press secretary.
       And that is where I come into her story. In late 1987 I 
     decided I would become a candidate for U.S. Senate. I had 
     learned enough to know that my most important hire would be 
     the person who did my scheduling and I learned that Cindy 
     just might be willing to join our campaign. Fortunately for 
     me and unfortunately for my opponent Cindy said yes. And, 
     when the campaign was over I asked her to move to Washington 
     one more time.
       For the 12 years I served Nebraskans in the Senate she 
     managed my most valuable commodity: my time. She helped me do 
     my job much better than I could have without her. She 
     extended my reach, increased the scope of my vision, and 
     broadened the number of volunteer partners at home. She never 
     failed to return a phone call. She could say no and make it 
     sound like yes. She wouldn't leave the office until my plane 
     was safely on the ground. If her salary were calculated by 
     the hour, she would have been among the lowest paid people in 
     the American workforce.
       But Cindy, like most of the other young people in 
     Washington, does not do what she does in order to reap 
     financial rewards. She does what she does because she loves 
     our country, wants to make it a better place, seeks to 
     increase citizen confidence that our Government is ``of, by 
     and for the people,'' and thinks her greatest accomplishments 
     were when she used the power of the office for the good of 
     just one person in trouble.
       It seems a perfect ending to a heroic story that Cindy went 
     to work for Senator Tim Johnson and helped him win one of the 
     most difficult campaigns in 2002. So it is that she will 
     spend her last day doing the same thing she did on her first: 
     working for the people of South Dakota. It is just as perfect 
     that in many ways Cindy's nearly 28 years of service in 
     Congress were spent doing many of the same things she did 
     when she taught preschool and kindergarten. Members of 
     Congress were behaving like children long before 
     psychiatrists recommended that we get in tough with our inner 
     child.
       Cindy Dwyer always stayed in touch with her inner teacher. 
     She mentored every young staffer who had the good fortune to 
     fall under her authority. She never hoarded her good advice 
     or good wishes. She took delight when others learned from her 
     and succeeded because of it. Most importantly Cindy gave 
     delight to anyone who spoke with her on the phone. For no 
     gift can match the jolt of good news from her joyful voice 
     shouting out: ``How are you doing?''
       The answer, is that thanks to Cindy we are doing just 
     fine.

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