[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 12 (Thursday, January 28, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN PRAISE OF ANNE GALLAGHER

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize another great 
Federal employee. In the past year we have witnessed the most 
significant economic downturn since the Great Depression. In the 1930s, 
millions of Americans lost everything and there was no social safety 
net to catch those in the greatest need. Today we are fortunate that 
the Federal Government coordinates vital programs, preventing millions 
of Americans from slipping into the kind of poverty experienced in 
those days.
  I think probably the most important agency involved in this effort is 
the Social Security Administration. Its mission is to provide a stable 
income for retired American workers and those who cannot work because 
of a disability.
  In the words of the great revolutionary patriot Thomas Paine, ``it is 
not charity but a right, not bounty but justice.''
  He wrote those words in 1797, when he published an early proposal for 
social security. It was only in the midst of the Great Depression that 
such a system was finally established by the Social Security Act of 
1935.
  Seventy-five years later, the SSA's important work continues. One of 
the great Social Security employees is Anne Gallagher, who has made a 
career of Federal Government work.
  Anne, who grew up in Wilmington, DE and still lives there, has worked 
for Social Security for 8 years. As a child, Anne attended the 
Wilmington Friends School, and she later received her undergraduate 
degree from Mary Baldwin College. After pursuing further study in New 
York, she worked for 2 years in the broadcasting industry.
  In 1976, Anne began a lifetime of public service, working for then-
Senator Bill Roth, who was then the senior Senator of Delaware, in his 
Wilmington office. Her role as senior caseworker for constituent 
services was to intercede on behalf of Delawareans with Federal 
agencies.
  If you were a veteran who needed help accessing VA resources or 
benefits, Anne was the staff member in Senator Roth's office who would 
contact the VA for you. If you were trying to adopt a child from 
overseas but had an issue with the State Department that needed 
clearing up, Anne would clear it up.
  It was during this time, when I was chief of staff to Delaware's 
junior Senator Joe Biden, that I first met Anne and witnessed firsthand 
her unmatched dedication and positive attitude. Joe Biden has wonderful 
caseworkers. They all thought very highly of Anne. And the two offices 
worked together seamlessly to serve the people of Delaware.
  Anne handled important casework for Senator Roth for 7 years before 
deciding to take time off to raise her two daughters, who, by the way, 
both share their mother's passion for serving the public. But the call 
to serve was strong, and after 3 years away from Senator Roth's office, 
Anne returned. She continued working as an advocate for Delawareans 
until Senator Roth left office in 2001. At the same time, she still 
served as the legislative assistant for veterans affairs from 1994 to 
1997.
  In 2001, Anne spent several months working as the director of a 
nonprofit helping American families adopt children from overseas.
  In 2002, she returned to government service when she became a 
Regional Public Affairs Specialist for the Social Security 
Administration. In this role, Anne serves as the Social Security 
congressional liaison for five States and the District of Columbia, 
which include 10 Senate offices and 43 House districts. The reports 
issued by her office help Members of Congress as well as other Federal, 
State, and local officials understand the status of Social Security 
distribution in their jurisdictions.
  Throughout her work in Social Security and Senator Roth's office, 
Anne has earned a reputation for thoroughness, dedication, and a kind 
heart. I never met anyone who has dealt with Anne who did not like her, 
was not impressed with her kindness, her intelligence, and her ability 
to get things done. Once, while working for Senator Roth, Anne received 
a call from an elderly woman who had been in touch with her regarding a 
casework issue. It was in the midst of a snowstorm, and the woman, who 
lived alone, could not get to the grocery store for herself. So 45 
minutes later Anne and her husband pulled up to the woman's house with 
a carful of groceries. Many of those she helped still keep in touch 
with her, even after 20 years.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring Anne Gallagher and 
thanking her for her service to the Nation and the State of Delaware. I 
also hope all Americans will recognize the important contribution made 
by all who work for the Social Security Administration and all those 
who work for the Federal Government.
  I yield the floor.

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