[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S1533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING GREGORY McCARTHY'S SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, when I began serving on the Senate 
Appropriations Subcommittee on the District of Columbia in January of 
2001, my knowledge of the city's relationship with Congress was limited 
to someone who had lived here for only a few years. I quickly learned, 
however, not only the workings of the committee, but also the unique 
relationship between the District of Columbia and the Congress. One of 
the first people who helped me learn of this relationship and how to 
best serve the District was the energetic, dedicated chief advocate for 
DC Mayor Anthony Williams, Mr. Gregory McCarthy.
  Behind all of the big ideas, the hours of debate and the finely cut 
deals, there is the staff. The staff must work the long hours to merge 
the big ideas and the little details into policy and legislation that 
achieves the goals set forth by their boss. Gregory McCarthy was an 
exemplary staffer who did all of this and more. Gregory has worked 
tirelessly on behalf of the Nation's Capital to create policy that 
benefited the city, met the needs of the elected officials of the 
District of Columbia, and satisfied the oversight function of the 
Congress. While working in the Mayor's Office, he helped build the 
credibility of the city, from the Halls of Congress, to the many 
visitors to the capital city, to the bond rating agencies. And all the 
while, Gregory served as the best source for a history lesson on the 
District, the current status of a program, and the gauge of the Mayor 
on any issue that any member of the DC Appropriations Subcommittee 
could ask for.
  Gregory McCarthy exemplifies the public service that fuels a 
government which serves the people. It is this type of public service 
that benefits students in the District of Columbia especially. Through 
Gregory's hard work, he navigated the strong and varying positions of 
Members of Congress and local officials in order to create the first 
federally sponsored, private school voucher program. While I have been 
a tough critic of the program, I have always said that Gregory and the 
city represented the District's constituents well by seeking more 
school options, and through their tireless discussion and debate came a 
program that supports traditional public schools and public charter 
schools, as well as private school scholarships. Gregory's efforts to 
improve education for District residents have not been limited to 
elementary and secondary alternatives. Similarly, he has worked to 
authorize and fund college grants for more than 8,000 DC residents so 
that those who wish to pursue a degree of higher education may see 
their dreams become a reality.
  Gregory McCarthy shepherded these and numerous other programs through 
a frequently arduous District of Columbia appropriations process. The 
residents of the District have benefited greatly from his years of 
public service. When the year 2006 draws to an end, a new mayor will be 
elected and a new staff of dedicated public servants will work to 
improve this great city. As this new crew weaves their way through 
charted and uncharted territories, they will build on the positive 
relationships that Mayor Williams, Gregory McCarthy, and other members 
of the Mayor's staff have worked so hard to create. As Mr. McCarthy 
leaves the District of Columbia government for his next challenge, I 
offer him my congratulations and best wishes. From my own experience in 
working with him, I know that Gregory will succeed in whatever he 
pursues next.

                          ____________________