[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 192 (Thursday, December 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E3023-E3024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              GRATITUDE FOR THE SERVICE OF KAREN WILKINSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 16, 2009

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, the Judiciary Committee's Crime, 
Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman Robert C. 
``Bobby'' Scott and I would like to take this opportunity to thank 
Karen Wilkinson for her work with the Committee for the past 2 years.
  Karen came to us as a detailee from the Administrative Office of the 
United States Courts. At the end of December, Karen will return to 
Phoenix, Arizona to continue her work as an Assistant Federal Public 
Defender representing indigent clients in federal criminal cases, where 
she worked for eight years before coming to the Committee. Prior to 
that, she clerked for the U.S. District Court for Arizona and then 
joined the law firm of Brown & Bain. Karen graduated magna cum laude 
from Arizona State University Law School, received a Masters in 
Business Administration from NOVA University and her Bachelor of 
Science degree from the University of Michigan.
  Karen's accomplishments during her tenure with the Committee include 
a number of bills that are very important to improving our country's 
criminal justice system. During the 111th Congress, she was responsible 
for guiding several legislative measures to approval on the floor of 
the House of Representatives, including: H.R. 448, the Elder Abuse 
Victims Act of 2009; H.R. 632, the National Silver Alert Act 2009; H.R. 
748, CAMPUS Safety Act of 2009; H.R. 908, the Missing Alzheimer's 
Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization Act of 2009; H.R. 1333, 
which amends chapter 40 of title 18 of the United States Code to exempt 
the transportation, shipment, receipt, or importation of explosive 
materials for delivery to a federally recognized Indian tribes; H.R. 
1727, the Managing Arson Through Criminal History, MATCH, Act; H.R. 
1933, a Child is Missing Alert and Recovery Center Act; S. 1289, the 
Foreign Evidence Request Efficiency Act of 2009, and H.R. 2661, the 
Court Security Enhancement Act of 2009.
  In addition, she is shepherding several very important bills pending 
before the Judiciary Committee, such as: H.R. 503, the Prevention of 
Equine Cruelty Act of 2009; H.R. 3327, the Ramos-Compean Justice Act of 
2009; H.R. 2289, the Juvenile Justice Accountability and Improvement 
Act of 2009; H.R. 2095, the Restitution for the Exonerated Act; H.R. 
1149, the Child Protection Reauthorization Act of 2009 and H.R. 1422, 
the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Reauthorization Act of 2009. 
Karen is also developing the Literacy Education and Rehabilitation Act, 
LERA, and the Department of Justice Reauthorization Act, legislation 
that would require a criminal defense representative to be appointed to 
the United States Sentencing Commission, as well as bills that would 
correct the firearm recidivist sentencing guidelines and the 
computation of good time credit in federal prison system.
  We would like to thank the Administrative Office of Courts and the 
Federal Public Defender's Office of Phoenix for their generosity in 
allowing such a dedicated, responsible, and committed person to become 
such an integral part of our team. We are deeply grateful to Karen for 
her service, professionalism, and friendship during the past 2 years. 
She possesses that rare balance of humility, warmth, wit, and passion 
without a trace of ego, and she will be sorely missed. We wish her the 
best of luck and give her our thanks.

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