[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 21 (Thursday, February 11, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SNOWFALL IN WASHINGTON

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I first came here as a student in 1963. 
It is a great city. I went to college here, law school here. I lived a 
big part of my life, at least part time, in Washington, DC. I never 
could get over how people in this town reacted to snow. I am convinced 
that infants born in Washington, DC, are taken from the arms of their 
loving mothers right when they are born into a room where someone shows 
a film of a snowstorm with shrieking and screaming so that those 
children come to believe snow is a mortal enemy, like a nuclear attack, 
because I have seen, for over 40 years here, people in this town go 
into a full-scale panic at the thought of a snowfall. We joke about it. 
Those of us from parts of the country that get snow and know how to 
live with it cannot get over how crazy the reaction is many times. But 
in fairness, this has been a heck of a snowstorm. It is the largest on 
record in Washington, DC.
  I wish to say a word on behalf of the people of the District of 
Columbia and all of the surrounding suburbs but especially for those 
who work on Capitol Hill, the Capitol Police as well as those in the 
Architect's office, who have literally been working night and day to 
make sure visitors who still come to this Capitol in the middle of a 
blizzard--I saw them yesterday coming up to take pictures of our 
Capitol dome--can come here safely. They have done an exceptional job. 
Today is no exception. Many of the members of our staff in the Senate 
and the folks who work here came trudging through the snow, and it was 
not easy to get here. I wish to say a word of thanks to all of them for 
the special sacrifice they have made and to say to the folks in 
Washington, DC: This was a heck of a snowstorm. You had every right to 
be concerned. Some of the other ones, maybe not, but this one was the 
real deal.

  Madam President, how much time do I have remaining?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Three minutes.

                          ____________________