[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S6629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SERVICE MARKED BY INTEGRITY, COMPASSION AND DEDICATION

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, Ronald Reagan once said ``I know in my 
heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually 
triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life.'' How 
appropriate that these words reflect the heart and persona of someone 
who used to work for the Reagans in the White House and who, for the 
past 2 years, has worked faithfully and tirelessly as my executive 
assistant.
  Mary Klappa met the challenge of the job with excitement and 
expertise. She brought professionalism and trust to her position. We 
all depend on our executive assistant to make certain we get where we 
need to be on time and well prepared, a duty in which she excelled.
  Effectively managing a Senator's time is not easy. Frankly, I am glad 
I don't have to do it. It requires a careful sense of timing and 
intuition and exacting attention to detail. It also requires someone 
who, regardless of the demands on their time, is pleasant and helpful 
to all who call or walk in, regardless of their personality or 
requests. Mary has been all of these things and more. She carried her 
phone and Blackberry with her constantly, and I always knew I could 
call her whenever I needed something. She worked diligently to make 
sure I met with Idahoans who came to Washington, and she coordinated my 
State scheduling as well. She has taken exceptional care of my family 
and was utterly selfless in her commitment to ensure that I conduct my 
job in the most efficient and responsible manner possible. Her vast 
knowledge of protocol and her understanding of the nuances and 
complexities of Washington politics on and off the Hill have been of 
immeasurable benefit to me.
  I will miss her highly dependable and capable management and her 
kindness and honesty. Mary is a very special person, and I am most 
honored and grateful for her tremendous service. She made my job easier 
and, in the process, made me more effective.
  I end where I started, with another thought from her former boss, a 
great and wise man: ``Government is the people's business and every 
man, woman and child becomes a shareholder with the first penny of tax 
paid.'' Mary believes this in her soul. She has a heart of service for 
our country and lives it out in her work and her life. And Idaho and I 
have been better off for it.

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