[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 156 (Thursday, December 2, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2038-E2039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING MARIA SHRIVER

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 2, 2010

  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Maria Shriver, 
First Lady of the State of California and my first cousin for her work 
with her Women's Conference and Alzheimer's advocacy. Her work for 
those suffering from this disease is truly remarkable.
  Cousin Maria is a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend, who 
proudly serves as the First Lady of California. An award-winning 
journalist and best-selling author, Maria has transformed the office of 
First Lady by approaching it not simply as a role, but as a job with 
real purpose and a platform to make a difference. Maria became 
California's First Lady when her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, became 
the 38th Governor of California on November 17, 2003.
  From day one, Maria made the position her own by combining her 
journalist's eye for the needs of real people, with a deeply ingrained 
passion for service and activism, and a creative entrepreneurial spirit 
and vision that embraces bold ideas. She has used her voice to advocate 
on behalf of women, the working poor, the intellectually disabled and 
families struggling with Alzheimer's.
  Maria has created groundbreaking programs and initiatives that 
educate, enlist, empower, connect, and honor people who are what she 
calls ``Architects of Change'' in their own lives and in the lives of 
others. Under a banner called WE, the WE programs have been successful 
in motivating people to get involved and unite across gender, economic, 
and party lines.
  Under Maria's leadership, The California Governor and First Lady's 
Conference on Women--an element of the WE Empower program--has grown 
into the Nation's premier forum for women, with more than 14,000 
attendees every year since 2004. The conference encourages women to 
become ``Architects of Change'' in their own lives, in their 
communities, and in the country--and teaches them how. Hundreds of 
world opinion leaders and newsmakers have spoken at the conference, 
including Oprah Winfrey, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Secretaries of 
State Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright, Barbara Walters, 
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bono, 
and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
  Beyond her role as First Lady, Maria has announced a project called 
``A Woman's Nation.'' This multi-faceted project, in partnership with 
the Center for American Progress and the University of Southern 
California's Annenberg Center of Communication Leadership and Policy, 
will take a new, empirical look at the status of American women, who, 
for the first time,

[[Page E2039]]

will make up half of the nation's workforce. The preliminary survey 
will be released in the fall, followed by a book.
  Maria is also a vocal advocate for families that--like her own--are 
struggling with Alzheimer's disease. She was Executive Producer of The 
Alzheimer's Project, a groundbreaking four-part documentary series that 
premiered on HBO and won two Emmy Awards. One of the films, ``Grandpa, 
Do you Know Who I Am?'' is based on Maria's best-selling children's 
book dealing with Alzheimer's.
  Maria also executive-produced the critically acclaimed ``American 
Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver.'' The documentary aired on PBS 
and chronicled the life, accomplishments, and vision of her father, 
Sargent Shriver. Maria serves on the advisory board of the Sargent 
Shriver Peace Institute, which raises public awareness of her father's 
legacy as a peace builder and offers educational and training programs 
grounded in the principles of public service that motivate the many 
programs he created, including the Peace Corps, Job Corps, Head Start, 
and Legal Services for the Poor. In addition, she serves on the 
advisory board of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, a 
new institute that will serve as a national resource for the most 
current research and scientific information for the treatment of 
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases.
  With a career in journalism spanning more than 2 decades, Maria has 
been a network news correspondent and anchor for CBS and NBC, winning 
Peabody and Emmy Awards. She is the author of six New York Times best-
selling books. Maria is also a small business owner. In February of 
2008, she launched an ice cream company called Lovin' Scoopful in 
supermarkets around the country. A portion of the proceeds from Lovin' 
Scoopful benefits the Special Olympics and other charities.
  Maria is a graduate of Georgetown University, with a degree in 
American Studies. She and Governor Schwarzenegger have four children--
Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. Maria says, ``When all 
is said and done, my main goal in life is to raise children who feel 
they are deeply loved . . . children who are kind, compassionate and 
aware of the world around them. If I can do that, I will consider 
myself a success.''
  I wish Maria the best as she continues her important work on behalf 
of those with Alzheimer's. She will continue to carry my own 
admiration, and that of all who have had the privilege to work with 
her.

                          ____________________