[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 49 (Monday, March 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              LAUREN MINTO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 23, 2009

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, the Energy and Water Appropriations 
Subcommittee will soon bid farewell to our Congressional Fellow, Lauren 
Minto, who has been with the Subcommittee for over a year. Before her 
detail with the Committee, Ms. Minto served the United States Army 
Corps of Engineers as Legal Clerk and Assistant District Counsel at the 
Corps' Louisville Office of Counsel for over six years. There, she 
supported the implementation and regulation of Corps projects funded 
through the appropriations process. Reviewing legislative language, 
responding to Congressional requests, and evaluating policy compliance, 
Ms. Minto developed a strong understanding of the relationship between 
Congressional legislation and on-site execution as well as a unique 
level of legal expertise required to facilitate the process.
  It is no surprise, therefore, that Ms. Minto quickly became an 
invaluable member of the Committee staff when she joined the team in 
February 2008. Her in-depth knowledge of the legal implications of bill 
language and policy compliance, as well as her technical experience 
with the Corps' civil works projects, made her an indispensible 
addition to the staff. A remarkably fast learner and tireless worker, 
Ms. Minto quickly mastered the responsibilities assigned to her. Her 
refined analytical skills and exceptional attention to detail have been 
critical to our success in reviewing requests, synthesizing disparate 
information, and, ultimately, producing the bills and reports for the 
fiscal year 2009 and American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
  Perhaps her most noteworthy contribution, however, has been to the 
development of the Energy and Water Subcommittee's Member Request 
Database. A relatively new system, the database is meant to facilitate 
the review and processing of requests made to the Subcommittee. Ms. 
Minto had the unfortunate experience of being one of the first to deal 
with the system. In her typically tireless way, she not only overcame 
any of the unforeseen obstacles, but took an active role in updating 
and reforming the database. Working closely with our IT department, Ms. 
Minto made targeted suggestions to perfect the system and, because of 
her work, our jobs, and those of future staff members will be easier. 
Indeed, Members' offices have expressed their appreciation for the 
standardized system of authorized projects that are now generated 
automatically. Ms. Minto's efforts have lead to more reliable, accurate 
requests and more transparency. This has enabled Members to focus more 
on the policy behind the earmarks and less on the technical aspects of 
entering requests.
  For these innovations, and for her overall diligence, ingenuity, and 
consistently positive attitude over the past year, all of us at the 
Energy and Water Subcommittee would like to thank her. She will be 
sorely missed. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors, and 
are confident that she will go on to do great things.

                          ____________________