[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S10670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MARY BOURDETTE

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to Mary 
Bourdette, who passed away earlier this month after a 15-month struggle 
with ALS. My condolences go to Mary's family and the many friends and 
colleagues with whom she shared her spirit and commitment to social 
justice and making our country stronger through our families.
  Mary is missed by me and so many others who had the honor to work 
with her as she championed the needs of those who have no voice in the 
political process. Our nation is truly better for Mary's 30 years of 
work on behalf of children and families.
  Mary, who keenly understood the legislative process, combined her 
passion for good policy with a political pragmatism that yielded real 
results. She never lost sight of the important issues and built 
effective coalitions to guide important legislation to passage. Most 
notably, her focus on the children never wavered.
  Her commitment, talent, and leadership improved the lives of 
countless Americans. I had the honor to have worked with her over the 
past 20 years on behalf of those among us with the greatest needs. Mary 
had an ability to get to the heart of the matter and move it forward. 
She was a driving force during the 3\1/2\ years we worked to win 
enactment of the child care and development block grant. She played a 
critical role in expanding the earned-income tax credit to help even 
more low-income families. She also helped to move forward important 
bills related to foster care and adoption. Her keen understanding of 
the technical Federal budget process benefited innumerable children and 
their families.
  I am especially grateful for Mary's tireless work related to Head 
Start. During reauthorization of this important legislation in 1993, 
she was instrumental in the creation of Early Head Start that provided 
more comprehensive assistance to parents and their infants and 
toddlers. When the law was again reauthorized in 1998, Mary was there 
to ensure that it was further strengthened.
  I applaud Mary's many accomplishments throughout her distinguished 
career. From the Legal Services Corporation to the Children's Defense 
Fund to the Child Welfare League of America to the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services, her dedication to helping the most 
vulnerable among us never wavered.
  Mary Bourdette made enormous contributions and left all of us with 
much to protect and to build on in the future. We and the Nation's 
families are so grateful to Mary for her dedication and work to better 
the lives of our Nation's children.

                          ____________________