[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 185 (Wednesday, December 10, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10876]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S10876]]
                        TRIBUTE TO ILYSE SCHUMAN

  Mr. ENZI. Madam President, it is one of the great traditions of the 
Senate, when we pass legislation that will change the direction of the 
Nation and our economy, that we pause for a moment after final passage 
to acknowledge the efforts of those members of our staffs who worked so 
hard behind the scenes to help us bring the matter to the floor for a 
vote.
  We all have great staffs, people who are committed to the future of 
our country and to making a difference that will last for generations 
to come. Although that is true, I have always said that my team ranks 
with the best. In fact, if there were an Olympic event for staffs, I 
have no doubt my team would win the gold medal.
  Because of the role they play in our work, they have a tendency to 
get noticed by the groups and organizations that are involved in the 
issues that come before the House and the Senate. The working 
relationship they develop with our staffs often leads to increased 
opportunities and sends some of our best workers off the Hill and into 
the private sector.
  When that happens, I like to believe we are not losing a staffer; we 
are just expanding our field of influence. Still, when you lose someone 
who has played such a key role in the day to day work of our offices 
and the Senate, it is a great loss to the team as a whole.
  I thought about that when I learned of Ilyse Schuman's plans to leave 
the committee and take a leadership position with the Medical Imaging 
and Technology Alliance. Although I was sorry to hear the news, I was 
pleased to know that she would be working for such a well respected and 
effective organization. It will be another great opportunity for her 
and I know she will make the most of it.
  I can say that with certainty because that is the kind of person 
Ilyse Schuman is--thoughtful, reflective and committed to the future of 
our country and our health care system. Her interest in the problems we 
face as a nation and her ability to work with staffs on both sides of 
the aisle to find solutions that work and make sense was one of the 
principal reasons why we hired her several years ago.
  I remember standing on the Senate floor earlier this year, when we 
passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. This 
groundbreaking legislation will unlock a door that will allow people to 
get the kind of genetic testing they need to give them an advance 
warning about something that might happen to their health down the road 
if they don't take the steps today to prevent or at least weaken its 
effects. The legislation we passed that day will ensure the results of 
our tests will be used for our benefit, and will not be allowed to be 
used against us in our employment or our insurance coverage.
  That bill had been a key part of the committee's legislative agenda 
for 6 years. That was just about the time when we hired Ilyse Schuman. 
In my remarks on the bill's final passage, I said that I had often 
heard it said that it usually takes 6 years to get an important idea 
through the Senate. I said I wasn't sure I believed it, until I 
realized that she had been working on the bill for 6 years and that 
fact seemed to prove the idea has some merit.
  I should have known that if it were possible to get the job done, 
Ilyse would have been a part of it because she has a history of 
excellence and making the impossible possible. She graduated cum laude 
from Tufts University and then earned her J.D. from the Georgetown 
University Law Center--with honors. More recently, she was named a John 
Stennis Congressional Staff Fellow for the 109th Congress.
  She had been working as the senior counsel at a firm in Chicago when 
someone we interviewed suggested we talk to her about a position on the 
committee. She hadn't given much thought to government service, but the 
time must have been right because we were very pleased when she decided 
to pack her bags and come to Washington to begin this chapter in her 
life.
  Now, as it comes to a close, Ilyse has a lot to look back on with a 
great deal of pride and personal satisfaction. Among the legislation 
she helped to shepherd through the legislative process, in addition to 
the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, was the Food and Drug 
Amendments Act, Health Information Technology legislation, FDA Drug 
Safety Reform, the Pension Protection Act, Head Start, Patient Safety, 
the Workforce Investment Act, and many more. In addition, she has 
played a vital leadership role on the Committee and served as more than 
its staff director, she has been more of a coach who helped the whole 
team to work together and function as a more efficient unit. She is 
going to be very difficult to replace. In fact, she is one of those 
people who can't be replaced. We will find someone with special talents 
and abilities to take over the responsibilities of our new staff 
leader, but she will be missed and remembered with great appreciation 
for her outstanding efforts and her winning personality and attitude.
  Ilyse was once asked about her position on the committee and how much 
it meant to her to have a chance to do something that would last, 
something that would make life better for us all. She said it meant a 
lot to her to be a part of the work on ``the issues that are most 
personal to everyone's lives.'' She saw it as ``an opportunity to have 
a huge impact on the quality of life across the country.''
  Ilyse knew that to have the impact she hoped to achieve, she would 
need to forge good working relationships with staffs on both sides of 
the aisle. Fortunately, it was one of her strong suits. Ilyse knows how 
to disagree without being disagreeable. That was important because, at 
the end of the day, when she went home after a long day's work, she 
left with the respect of her colleagues in every office she worked 
with, a respect that was mutual and will prove to be lasting.
  Now Ilyse is leaving to take on another exciting adventure in her 
life. Diana and I will miss seeing her every day because she has become 
part of our extended family. We wish her the best of luck in this and 
in all of her future endeavors. In the months to come, I know we can 
continue to look to her for her leadership, direction and guidance on 
our efforts to make our Nation's health care system better, more 
effective, more efficient and more responsive for all Americans. It is 
a heartfelt goal Ilyse is determined to achieve and I know she will 
continue to be a part of that effort in the years to come. Knowing 
Ilyse and the operation of the Senate, I would say that we will be 
seeing the results of her efforts in just about 6 years.
  I won't say goodbye, Ilyse. I know I will be hearing more from you 
and about you in the months and years to come. So I will just say keep 
in touch and we'll all look forward to seeing you around this special 
campus on the Hill, I hope, for a long, long time.

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