[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 100 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S4446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THANKING SENATE PAGES

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, first of all, I express my appreciation to 
you, presiding all these hours you have this afternoon, but I also wish 
to take just a minute and thank these pages. This is the first time 
since 1974 the Senate has been in session during a July 4 recess 
period--since 1974. These young pages had places to be with their 
families during the summer vacation period. They are juniors in high 
school. They have some plans, I am sure, that we interfered with. But 
regarding the work we have done this week, while there has not been a 
lot of time on the floor, there are a lot of things going on all over 
Washington. There have been meetings at the White House, there have 
been meetings with the Vice President, with the President, with the 
Speaker, and others, working on this very important issue.
  When these eight pages in later years reflect back on the fact that 
they were here the first time since 1974 when we were in session over a 
July 4 recess period, they should reflect that we were here for 
important reasons. If we do what is right, we will rein in this debt 
the country has and protect the most needy of our country.
  I apologize for keeping them here. They should not have had to be 
here this week, but they have stayed because they have an obligation as 
pages to be here and they accepted that. They have kept the Senate 
running smoothly. We need them. They are helpful to us. They didn't 
have to be asked; each one of these eight pages volunteered: Naomi 
Biden, Brynn DiNino, Claire Karsting, William Maas, Aliza Reisner, 
Morgan Wissel, Keira Harris, and Chaffee Duckers.
  I appreciate very much their service and wish them the best in their 
educational endeavors in the years to come.

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