[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 31, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1396-S1397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RETIREMENT OF ED GREELEGS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I come to the Senate today to say 
something I hoped I would never have to say. I am here to say thank you 
and farewell to my chief of staff for the past 17 years, Ed Greelegs, 
as he retires from the Senate.
  This is the first time he has ever been on the floor of the Senate 
while it was in session. Ed is the kind of person who does his work 
without a lot of fanfare, without a lot of need for attention, but he 
does it so very well.
  Some people are drawn to Congress because of what they think are the 
perks and power that come with the job. That is not what Ed Greelegs 
has given so much of his life to. For Ed, being a good public servant 
has always been privilege enough. The desire to help others, to try to 
translate our Nation's most cherished values into law and policies that 
meet the challenge of our times--that is what brought Ed Greelegs to 
the U.S. Congress and why he stayed all these years.
  I will say without fear of contradiction that Ed is one of the most 
well liked, even beloved figures on Capitol Hill. All you have to do is 
walk down a hallway in the Capitol with Ed Greelegs and you will know 
what I mean. He knows everybody and everybody knows him. His easygoing 
nature and real caring for people means that he has made thousands of 
friends on Capitol Hill. From those who do the important work of 
maintaining and cleaning our offices to those at the highest levels, Ed 
knows them all.
  We have a saying in our office, incidentally: Talk to Ed, he probably 
knows somebody. Whenever a new issue comes up, if you want to know who 
you can turn to and trust, Ed invariably knows whom to call. The 
relations he has made and nurtured on and off the Hill have been a 
great help to me for 17 years. I can't tell you the countless people 
who have never met Ed but who have benefitted nonetheless from the 
alliances he has forged, the common ground he helped plow, and the laws 
he helped pass.
  One of Ed's great talents is recognizing and nurturing talent among 
others. If I had a young person who came to me anytime in the last 17 
years who said, It has always been my dream to work on Capitol Hill, I 
would say, I want you to meet Ed Greelegs. He would patiently take the 
time to read the resume, talk to them, relate his life experience on 
Capitol Hill, and point them in a direction so they had a chance to 
realize their dream, as he had. They come back to me, years later, 
after success on the Hill or at some other branch of Government, and 
ask, How is Ed? That is the most common question I run into.
  Ed grew up in nearby Wheaton, MD, and graduated from the University 
of Maryland. He came to Capitol Hill as an intern in 1970. In the 20 
years between that first internship and becoming my chief of staff, Ed 
worked for Congressman Marty Russo of Illinois, Congressman Bob Eckhart 
of Texas on the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on 
Investigations and Oversight, then for Congressman Sam Gejdenson of 
Connecticut, and finally back to Congressman Russo's office for most of 
the 1980s. He worked briefly for the Consumer Federation of America and 
for Fannie Mae. But when he left the Hill to go into the private 
sector, his heart was still here. He even told me stories of jobs in 
the private sector where he never unpacked the boxes. He just never 
felt comfortable. It was not where he wanted to be. He might have been 
making more money, but he wasn't happy. He found his way back to 
Capitol Hill.
  It was the leadership he showed in the office of Marty Russo that 
really brought Ed to my attention. In 1990, I persuaded him to come 
work for me as my chief of staff in the House of Representatives. Six 
years later, I decided to run for the Senate seat that belonged to my 
longtime friend and mentor, Paul Simon. Ed Greelegs was at my side in 
that effort.
  I wondered how he would adjust, making that transition from the House 
to the Senate, but it was seamless. He knew just as many people on this 
side of the Hill as he continues to know on the House side.
  For the 10 years I have served in the Senate, Ed Greelegs has been an 
unfailing source of wisdom and thoughtful advice. His quiet, wry sense 
of humor has helped to lighten the mood when things become too intense, 
and his decency, modesty, and great egalitarian spirit have helped 
remind everybody on our side of what is most important and why we are 
here.
  There are a few things Ed loves more than the Senate. Among them are 
his wife Susan and his stepchildren Andrew and Amanda; another, his 
books. Ed has so many books you wouldn't believe it. He has a room, I 
understand, completely filled in his home. The fact that Susan stays 
with him despite this obsession on books tells you what a strong 
marriage they have. When I

[[Page S1397]]

would look in his office and see all of the books stacked up, I would 
think, there is a guarantee he will never leave me because he just 
can't bring himself to pack up all those books. But now he is going to 
have to, I think.
  Another one of Ed's loves is music. One of his favorite musicians is 
singer-songwriter John Hiatt. Ed even persuaded Susan to include a John 
Hiatt song at their wedding, entitled ``Have a Little Faith in Me.''
  Over 17 years, I have come to have more than a little faith in Ed 
Greelegs--not just his knowledge but his character and his decency. 
What I know about him is that you never have to worry about his 
motives. You never have to wonder if his advice is crafted to serve 
himself or a friend more than it serves the common good. His goal has 
always been the same: He wants the best for the people of Illinois and 
the best for America. When things go well, as they often do when Ed is 
involved, he doesn't really care who gets the credit.
  They say that behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-
law. I can tell you that behind every good Senator is a talented chief 
of staff. For the last 17 years, it has been my good fortune to have my 
friend Ed Greelegs in that critical position in my office. I am 
grateful to him for all he has done for me, for Illinois, and for our 
Nation. I wish him the very best as he begins the next chapter of his 
career. I am sure it will be a successful chapter.
  As you wander around Washington, you come to understand that there 
are some people whom everybody likes. Ed Greelegs is one of those 
people.
  My favorite story, which I want to add at this point, involves the 
first trip to Afghanistan after the Taliban were deposed. I joined with 
Senator Daschle and a number of other Senators. We went in on the first 
daylight landing at Bagram Air Force Base in Kabul in Afghanistan. It 
was very tense. There were armored personnel carriers in every 
direction and troops with weapons to defend us as we came off the C-
130. As I came down the ramp and got into an armored personnel carrier, 
there was a man in civilian clothes standing there.
  He asked: Are you Senator Dick Durbin?
  I said: Yes.
  He said: I am a friend of Ed Greelegs'.
  I couldn't believe it. Here I am in the middle of a war zone, and I 
ran into a friend of Ed Greelegs'.
  Whether it is war or peace, whether it is on the Hill or off, time 
and again, everybody knows that Ed Greelegs is genuine. He is the real 
thing. I have been honored to have him at my side for 17 years. I wish 
him the very best in his future pursuits.
  Thanks, Ed.

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