[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 29, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E93]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF MARY LU PLUNKETT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2008

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mary Lu 
Plunkett who this week is being honored by the Queens County Democratic 
party for her 50 years of outstanding and tireless work for the party 
and its candidates.
  Mary Lu Plunkett was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 26, 1928, 
but she moved to the great borough of Queens in 1949 after she married 
Queens-born John Plunkett. The two settled in Jackson Heights, the 
neighborhood where they met when they attended a dance. The couple 
raised two children, Steven and Jamie, and are the proud grandparents 
of Matthew, Christopher and Caroline.
  Mary Lu's foray into Queens politics began with the friendship she 
shared with her mother-in-law Harriet Plunkett. The two joined the 
Amerind Democratic Club where they made great strides to improve the 
community in which they resided. Mary Lu later put to work the 
political savvy she acquired by volunteering countless hours for the 
Queens Democratic Organization. Then in 1956, she began working as a 
full time secretary at Democratic Headquarters.
  Mary Lu's exceptional office and organizational skills have kept 
Queens Democratic Headquarters running smoothly for half a century. She 
has earned the respect and admiration from everybody with whom she has 
worked. These include almost all the Queens Democratic elected 
officials, candidates running for office, and party officials in recent 
memory.
  Mary Lu has served under numerous county chairmen including Moses 
Weinstein, Jim Roe, Tom Manton, and the present leader, our colleague 
Joseph Crowley. She also, over the many years of her outstanding 
service, ran numerous fundraisers attended by such political legends as 
President John Kennedy, President Jimmy Carter, Senator Ted Kennedy, 
Governor Hugh Carey, Governor Mario Cuomo, Mayor Ed Koch, President 
Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
  While serving as one of the pillars of the Queens Democratic office, 
Mary Lu has witnessed the many changes that have taken place along the 
political landscape in Queens. These include everything from changes in 
elective office to shifts in the borough's population and demographics. 
However, throughout these turnovers and transformations, Mary Lu has 
always urged local citizens to be informed about their government and 
encouraged countless Queens residents to become involved in the 
political process.
  About 25 years ago Mary Lu also began an annual fundraiser for the 
children of St. Gertrude's Parish in Far Rockaway, the community where 
the Plunketts presently reside. From its inception, the fundraiser was 
embraced by the borough and remains a worthy and wildly popular event.
  In addition, Mary Lu continues to organize the affairs for the 
Women's Democratic Organization of Queens County, a group that still 
attracts a large audience.
  In 1976, Mary Lu's daughter Jamie joined the staff of the Queens 
County Democratic Headquarters. Together, this mother and daughter team 
continue to administer and manage the office.
  I know that all those involved in Democratic politics in Queens will 
be forever grateful for all of Mary Lu Plunkett's extraordinary 
contributions to the Queens Democratic Organization. She has made the 
Queens Democratic Headquarters a stronger workplace, which in turn has 
made Queens a better place to live and work.
  Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join me now in congratulating Mary Lu Plunkett for 
50 years of outstanding service to the Queens Democratic Organization. 
I am confident that she will continue to achieve success for many more 
years to come.

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