[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 17, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S6717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COMMENDING ERMA MARY PALIANI

 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, Washington is a city of big 
names and big personalities, many of whom are used to the recognition 
and praise that comes with a high-profile career in public service. 
But, as we all know, hundreds of thousands of unsung public servants 
work behind the scenes every day to secure the future of America and 
improve the lives of its citizens. Today, I want to pay tribute to one 
of those public servants, who is as deserving of the public's gratitude 
and recognition as any officeholder with a household name: Erma Mary 
Paliani.
  On July 3, Ms. Paliani, who currently works for Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, ICE, Office of Investigations, will retire after 
serving her country for over 67 years. Ms. Paliani, or ``Ms. Erma'' as 
she is affectionately referred to by her coworkers at ICE, is the 
longest serving employee in the Department of Homeland Security and the 
eighth longest serving employee in the Federal Government. Her 
dedication to public service is truly an inspiration and should serve 
as an example to us all.
  Born in Ambridge, PA, in 1917, Ms. Paliani entered public service as 
a student at Ambridge Senior High School, serving as a youth worker for 
the National Youth Administration of the War Department in 1936. In 
1940, she officially began her Federal career working for the War 
Department's Museum Project. In March 1947, Ms. Paliani joined the 
Immigration and Naturalization Service, INS, Philadelphia office. And 2 
years later, she was transferred to the INS headquarters in Washington 
DC, where she has spent the last 60 years working to make our Nation's 
immigration system work more efficiently.
  At the INS, Ms. Paliani quickly gained a reputation for her friendly 
demeanor, gentle smile, and steadfast commitment to government service. 
She is now retiring from her job as secretary to the deputy assistant 
director for the Critical Infrastructure and Fraud Division. Her long 
and productive tenure has been honored by many top government 
officials, including Attorney General Janet Reno, INS Commissioner 
Doris Meissner, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and 
President Bill Clinton, who, in a note written to Ms. Paliani on the 
occasion of her 80th birthday, wrote that her devotion to her work ``. 
. . serves as an example of caring and leadership to which we can all 
aspire.'' I couldn't agree more.
  I extend to Ms. Paliani my sincerest thanks for her years of service 
and her dedication to this country that we love, and I wish her all the 
best on a well deserved retirement. I know that her friends and 
coworkers at ICE will miss her greatly, but I am confident that she 
will continue to serve as a model of hard work and commitment for all 
public servants to emulate.
  Thank you, Ms. Erma Mary Paliani. The country is a better place 
because of you. We are all grateful for your selfless dedication to 
your government and your Nation.

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