[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 81 (Friday, June 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1256-E1257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO DISTRICT STAFF MEMBER, KATHY OLSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2005

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a very able 
district staff member, Kathy Olson, who is leaving our employ at the 
end of the month.
  There is not one of us in this esteemed body who fails to appreciate 
what a key role our staff members play in helping us to serve our 
constituents. As you know, people often seek our assistance when all 
else has failed. By the time they reach their Member of Congress, they 
are frustrated, discouraged, and sometimes angry. It is always 
heartening when we can intervene to solve those serious and 
longstanding problems.
  Often, it takes a tremendous amount of knowledge and research to find 
the one key that will enable us to resolve an issue for a constituent. 
With her high level of knowledge and understanding, Kathy is an 
unqualified expert on Social Security and Medicare. Through her keen 
intellect and tireless work ethic, Kathy has garnered a sound grasp of 
the most complicated of issues. I not only value her for the unselfish 
assistance that she has provided my constituents, but I also rely 
heavily on her expertise and counsel in dealing with Social Security 
and Medicare issues.
  Kathy has taken constituent service to a high level of excellence. 
Although her professionalism and mastery of the issues are indeed 
outstanding, it is her inherent goodness and concern for others that 
has made her so effective. Kathy begins every case with a sympathetic 
ear and a sincere desire to help ease the pain for those who call my 
office.
  There are countless examples that demonstrate her effectiveness, but 
the one that resonates most with me was when an agency referred a 
homeless and destitute woman to me who had exhausted all alternatives. 
In her eighties, this constituent had no Social Security benefits 
because she had no record of her birth. She didn't know her real name. 
She didn't know who her mother and father were. She spent a life of 
being dependent on abusive people who manipulated her. She had lived a 
life of hopelessness, and her declining years promised only more 
despair.
  After months of frustrating research and chasing down tenuous leads, 
Kathy found the woman's identity and established a case that qualified 
her for benefits that would allow her to live the rest of her life in 
relative comfort and free of fear. Although the woman was deeply 
grateful for having a life of misery put behind her and a sense of hope 
restored, she was most appreciative of the photo of her mother that 
Kathy found during her exhaustive research. The woman had never seen a 
picture of her mother. Kathy not only assisted in giving her a life of 
dignity, she was able to give her a sense of self that most of us take 
for granted.
  Kathy's demonstrated ability to work well with others and to get 
things done led me to ask her to take on an extra load to manage my 
academy selection process. She already had a very full agenda, but she 
cheerfully took on the new task and made many valuable improvements in 
how I select nominees. My selection committee consists of retired 
military officers with the ranks of major, colonel, captain, and 
general; men who expect top performance. Each member of the selection 
committee has shared with me their admiration of Kathy's 
professionalism and enthusiasm in coordinating a very complicated 
process.
  After almost six years of serving constituents in the Second 
Congressional District of Oregon, both for my predecessor, Congressman 
Bob Smith, and for me, Kathy has chosen to leave the office to devote 
more time to her family. Her husband, Brian, and daughter, Alyssa, have 
been most understanding as Kathy's demanding job has taken so much of 
her time. They are rightfully proud of the great work that she has done 
and very pleased to have her able to spend more time with them in the 
near future.
  Mr. Speaker, I am indeed sad to see Kathy Olson leave our team. Her 
unselfish service has helped countless families in the Second

[[Page E1257]]

Congressional District over the years, and it is only fitting that she 
now devote full attention to her own.
  As you can tell, Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the great and 
unselfish work Kathy Olson has done on my behalf, but I am most proud 
to join many, many others in calling her a friend. I know that I 
reflect the feelings of all of her fellow staff members in wishing her 
continued success and happiness.

                          ____________________