[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11310-S11311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BILL PICKLE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, Since 2003, Bill Pickle has served this 
body with enormous distinction. As the Senate's Sergeant at Arms, he 
has helped us and he has protected us. Now, as he departs, I wish to 
thank him, recognize him, and honor him.
  For over 3 years, he has excelled in one of the hardest jobs I know 
of, not just in the Senate, not just in our legislative branch, not 
just in our Federal Government but I honestly believe, in the entire 
Nation.
  When I came to the job as majority leader, I wanted to find the best 
professional possible in law enforcement, information technology, 
security, and continuity planning to lead the Sergeant at Arms 
operation. I found him in Bill Pickle, and it was one of the smartest 
decisions I made during my tenure as leader. Bill is the consummate 
professional. He is smart, with good instincts, and like my colleagues, 
I value his counsel and insight.
  Originally, his office existed to keep order in the Senate Chamber 
and compel the attendance of Members for votes. In this body's early 
days, the Sergeant at Arms would circulate through the drinking houses 
of what was then known as Washington City, rounding up recalcitrant 
Members and dragging them--sometimes by the coattails--back to the 
Senate Chamber.
  Perhaps today's members do a slightly better job showing up for 
votes. To my knowledge, Bill Pickle has never had to bodily drag any of 
my colleagues in for a vote, but that has not made his job easier.
  Today's Sergeant at Arms is part security specialist, part corporate 
executive, and part management information systems administrator, and 
that is just part of it. Every day, the Sergeant at Arms' office must 
deal with the demands of 100 opinionated, demanding men and women, 
thousands of American citizens, officials from every part of our own 
Government, and people from around the world.
  The duties that fall under his office range from running our 
recording studio to serving on the board that oversees the U.S. Capitol 
Police, but one thing unites them all their ability to connect this 
body to the people of this Nation.
  Through his leadership, his courage, and his vision, against immense 
challenges, Bill Pickle has kept this building and this body open and 
accessible to the people we serve.
  During the whole of Bill Pickle's time in office, our Nation has been 
at war against Islamic fascists, enemies who wish to strike at the 
principles of openness and democratic governance that this body 
represents. And he has kept us safe. Not a single serious assault has 
occurred on this body during his time in office. The Capitol is safer 
than it has ever been. For that alone, we all owe him a debt of 
gratitude.
  Every time his office has faced a challenge. Bill Pickle has risen to 
the occasion. Time after time, he has tackled difficult tasks with 
aplomb. He preside over a necessary expansion of the Capitol Police, 
appointed the Senate's first chief information officer, helped

[[Page S11311]]

oversee expansion of our computer networks needed to deal with the 
ever-growing stream of e-mail sent to our offices, and, of course, the 
demands to keep the Senate accessible amidst ever-changing security 
requirements. In short, he has realized the goals he set out for 
himself on his first day of work: Providing State-of-the art technology 
and world class security.
  He has won the respect and admiration of people throughout the 
Senate, members of both parties.
  Bill has taken continuity planning and security to a new level for us 
in the Senate, and I know his successor, our former police chief, Terry 
Gainer, will follow Bill's lead on these critical issues.
  As a person with a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, 
I trust that Mr. Pickle will not mind if I paraphrase the great 
American police chief, August Vollmer. In his service to the Senate, I 
believe, Bill Pickle has shown ``the wisdom of Solomon, the courage of 
David, the leadership of Moses, the strategic thinking of Alexander the 
Great, and the diplomacy of Lincoln.''
  Bill Pickle: I thank you, the Senate thanks you, and the Nation 
thanks you.

                          ____________________