[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO MADELEINE GOLDE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 5, 2005

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Madeleine Golde who has 
dedicated her career to strengthening our health care system for hard 
working Americans across this country.
  As the Deputy Director for Health Care Legislation and Senior 
Legislative Advocate for the Service Employees International Union 
(SEIU) national office in Washington, DC, Madeleine has been a key 
healthcare advocate on Capitol Hill regarding federal policy. After 
nearly 7 years of service, Madeleine is retiring from SEIU. SEIU 
represents 1.8 million working people in the areas of health care, 
public service, building service, industrial and allied trades.
  Madeleine has been instrumental in fashioning both the strategy and 
substantive health care policy to advance the goals of SEIU. She has 
made countless visits to Capitol Hill on the behalf of American workers 
to meet with congressional staff on important health care policy 
issues. She has also worked with numerous organizations that share 
SEIU's goal of improving our nation's health care system.
  Most important, Madeleine has been an important partner with the City 
of New York in advancing several important health care issues, 
including fiscal relief for Federal Medicaid matching rates, 
bioterrorism, Bioshield I and II, Ryan White Title I, Disproportionate 
Share Hospital (DSH) funding, smallpox vaccinations, indigent care 
costs for undocumented immigrants, Capital Asset Realignment for 
Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission, disaster response capabilities, 
immunizations for children, the adult vaccine program, and Medicare.
  Most recently, she worked with New York City to insure the passage of 
the Smith Bingaman amendment, which blocked Senate passage of $14 
billion in budget resolution cuts to Medicaid and called for Congress 
to have a bipartisan commission on Medicaid.
  Mr. Speaker, Madeleine Golde has been a leader in advocating for a 
health care system that ensures all Americans have quality and 
affordable health care coverage. As such, she is more than worthy of 
receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in 
honoring this truly remarkable person.

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