[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 109 (Thursday, September 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S9106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORIAM: MARY BOURDETTE

 Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, on Tuesday, September 5, our 
Nation lost a great American and our Nation's children lost a great 
friend and advocate in Mary Bourdette.
  Mary Bourdette was a woman who dedicated her working life to 
improving the lives of children and families. As a public interest 
advocate and public servant, she played critical roles in the enactment 
of the Act for Better Child Care, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the 
Adoption and Safe Families Act, the expansions of the earned-income tax 
credit, and the child care and development block grant. She worked to 
improve the Head Start Program by increasing funds dedicated to 
strengthening its quality and maintaining its comprehensive approach to 
helping our poorest children and families. Most recently, I had the 
pleasure of partnering with Mary in her capacity as director of 
government relations for Parents Action for Children to highlight the 
dangers to children of exposure to violent and explicit video games.
  Those of us fortunate enough to have worked closely with Mary 
Bourdette and to have enjoyed her friendship will dearly miss her keen 
understanding of policy, her gentle manner and humor. Mary seemed to 
wake up every day believing that it held an opportunity to make the 
world better for children.
  For her passion, commitment, and service, our country owes Mary 
Bourdette a great debt of gratitude. We have lost a caring, creative, 
and effective ally in our work to protect children and empower their 
families.

                          ____________________