[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN HONOR OF JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HARRY E. MITCHELL

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 12, 2009

  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
Honorable Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who recently received the 2008 
Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government from the Institute of 
Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois. She was 
selected as the recipient for her lifelong commitment to good 
government and her devotion to promoting respect for the highest 
standards of public service, a record that is a tremendous source of 
pride among her fellow Arizonans. This annual award recognizes elected 
or career government officials, or former government officials, whose 
ideas, writings, or public actions have made a lasting contribution to 
the practice and understanding of ethical behavior in government.
  Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Justice of the Supreme Court 
of the United States, serving from 1981 after her appointment by 
President Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006. Prior to her 
appointment to the Supreme Court, she was appointed and re-elected 
twice to the Arizona Senate, ascending to majority leader in 1973. She 
was later elected to the Maricopa County Supreme Court and appointed to 
the Arizona Court of Appeals. Currently, Justice O'Connor is the 
Chancellor of the College of William and Mary and serves on the board 
of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Since 
her retirement, she has frequently spoken on the need to insulate the 
Court from political pressures. To support an independent judiciary, 
she has tirelessly advocated for the selection of judges based on 
merit.
  I commend the Douglas Award national selection committee for 
recognizing such a deserving candidate. Justice O'Connor continues to 
be an excellent example of what others should strive for in public 
service. She has lead with courage while maintaining a very high 
standard of integrity in her public and private life.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Sandra Day O'Connor for 
bringing the very best to government and for her unfaltering service to 
her community, state, and country.

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