[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 57 (Thursday, April 29, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4721-S4722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMENDING TOM LUNDREGAN
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 347 submitted by Senators Frist
and Daschle.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 347) to commend the Senate Enrolling
Clerk Thomas J. Lundregan on Thirty-Six Years of Service to
the United States Government.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. FRIST. ``Reserved, low key, self-deprecating, totally
professional, and devoted to the Senate,'' that is how assistant
enrolling clerk Joe Monahan describes his colleague Tom Lundregan, who
retires tomorrow from his post as the Senate's enrolling clerk.
For 15 years in the Office of the Secretary, Tom has had the crucial
task of ensuring that the written copy of the legislation we pass in
this body is thoroughly accurate before it is sent on to the House and
to the President. As Tom explains, ``We cannot make mistakes. The final
paper that is sent to the White House is being signed by the President
and is going to become the law of the land.'' He says the
responsibility can be ``a little scary.''
Despite the stress, Tom has maintained an impeccable record and
earned the admiration of all of his colleagues. Not once on his watch
has a piece of legislation been sent back from the House or from the
President because of an error.
Through work weeks that have stretched up to 90 hours, sometimes even
50 hours straight, Tom has shown total focus, dedication and commitment
to the integrity of this institution.
Says his colleague Joe, ``There are darn few people who can do
that.'' He is right. The Senate has been incredibly fortunate to have
such a meticulous and hard working member of the team.
Tom says his most vivid memory of working in the Senate is 9/11, and
realizing that a plane was heading this way. September 11 reinforced
his idea of the importance of every Senate job, from clerks to staff to
elected officials. ``This is the finest institution in the world that
represents democracy to everyone in the world. To have an opportunity
to work in this building has been a tremendous honor.''
Tom and his wife plan to spend their retirement years where it is
warm all year round. They hope to travel throughout the States,
starting this spring with Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and the Grand Canyon.
Tom also anticipates after 15 years of grueling and unpredictable hours
finally being able to spend quantity time with his four grandsons.
I thank Tom for his extraordinary service to the Senate and to the
American people. I wish him safe travels and all the best in his well-
earned retirement.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I come to the floor for a couple of
minutes because I want to thank a man who is a fixture in this
institution.
Tom Lundregan is the Senate's enrolling clerk and as fine a public
servant as you will find anywhere. Today marks his last day in the
Senate, and I know that I speak for all of us when I say we are going
to miss him.
Tom began his Government service 36 years ago as a printing
apprentice with the Government Printing Office.
[[Page S4722]]
Over the next 21 years, he was detailed a number of times to both the
House and the Senate.
Fifteen years ago, the Senate was fortunate enough to convince Tom to
join us full-time, as member of the Office of the Senate Enrolling
Clerk. Since 1995, he has headed that office and served this
institution with great distinction.
``Enrolling clerk'' is one of those curious Senate titles that even
devoted C-SPAN watchers might have a hard time defining.
It is the enrolling clerk's responsibility to proofread and prepare
for printing every page of legislation the Senate passes, and then
transmit those pages to the House of Representatives, the National
Archives, the Secretary of State, the United States Claims Court, and
the White House.
It is also the enrolling clerk who transmits Senate messages to the
House, and arranges for the delivery of all Senate-enrolled bills and
resolutions to the White House.
The job demands diligence, intelligence, enormous attention to detail
and often incredibly long hours.
When legislation needs to be moved quickly to the House, or prepared
for preconferencing, the enrolling clerk and his staff work until the
job is done.
I know that, many times, Tom has had only enough time to go home and
take a shower before coming right back to face another workday. He and
his staff have also worked through weekends, recesses, and holidays,
and they have done so without a word of complaint.
As enrolling clerk, Tom worked closely with the Secretary of the
Senate and the Senate Legislative Counsel's Office to establish
policies regarding the proper form and language of legislation.
He also worked with the Legislative Counsel's Office to develop
software that will soon allow the enrolling clerks and legislative
counsel offices to share data electronically. These projects--and
others--will ensure that Tom's influence will continue to be felt in
the Senate for years to come.
As some know, Tom was actually scheduled to retire 16 months ago but
he stayed on to help train his successor and ensure a smooth
transition. That's how committed he is to this Senate.
More than once in these last 16 months, Tom has reminded his
successor, ``We need to be 100 percent right, not just 99.9 percent.''
In 36 years of service to the people of the United States, Tom
Lundregan has held himself to that same high standard. With Tom, there
is no such thing as ``good enough for government work.''
We could not have a Government ``of the people, by the people and for
the people'' without the extraordinary devotion and skill of people
such as Tom. He is a public servant in the best sense of that term and
an important and valued member of our Senate family.
Today, on the occasion of Tom's well-deserved retirement, I joint the
rest of the Senate family in thanking Tom. I also want to thank Tom's
wife Yanjie Xu for sharing her husband with the Senate at least 16
months longer than she had planned.
We wish them well as they finally begin those travels they have
looked forward to for so long, and we want them to know that they take
with them the thanks, admiration, and best wishes of the entire Senate.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I would also like to spread across the
Record of the Senate our congratulations and appreciation for the work
that Tom has contributed to this institution. Especially late in the
session, when we are at home, he and the other enrolling clerk are
working long, long hours after we have left, long after we have left,
very tedious, very difficult, but a very important job to make sure the
work we do here winds up in the final record--in the law books, in
effect--the way it is supposed to be. It is an art that has been
developed over these many years, and we are very appreciative of all
that Tom Lundregan has done for not only the Senate but the country.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be
laid upon the table en bloc, and that any statements relating to the
resolution be printed in the Record at the appropriate place.
The resolution (S. Res. 347) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 347
Whereas in 1967, Thomas J. Lundregan became an employee of
the Government Printing Office, and since then has devoted
his career to the service of the United States Government;
Whereas in 1989, Thomas J. Lundregan joined the Office of
the Enrolling Clerk in the Office of the Secretary of the
Senate;
Whereas in 1995, Thomas J. Lundregan became the Enrolling
Clerk of the Senate and has always performed the duties of
that office with great dedication, perseverance, and humor;
Whereas Thomas J. Lundregan has performed a critical role
in ensuring the technical accuracy and legal sufficiency of
legislation passed by the Senate;
Whereas Thomas J. Lundregan has been in the forefront of
the modernization of the operations of the Senate Enrolling
Clerk;
Whereas Thomas J. Lundregan has faithfully discharged the
difficult duties and responsibilities of Enrolling Clerk of
the United States Senate with great pride, energy,
efficiency, dedication, integrity, and professionalism;
Whereas Thomas J. Lundregan has earned the respect,
affection, and esteem of his colleagues and the United States
Senate;
Whereas Thomas J. Lundregan has for 36 years ably and
faithfully upheld the high standards and traditions of
service to the United States Government; and
Whereas Thomas J. Lundregan will retire from the United
States Senate on April 30, 2004, with 36 years of Service to
the United States Government and 15 years Service to the
United States Senate: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the United States Senate commends Thomas J.
Lundregan for his exemplary service to the United States
Senate and the Nation, and wishes to express its deep
appreciation and gratitude for his long, faithful, and
outstanding service, and extends its very best wishes upon
his retirement.
Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy
of this resolution to Thomas J. Lundregan.
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