[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 158 (Thursday, October 20, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S6866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JERRY HILDEBRAND

  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have a memorial 
to the extraordinary life and service of Jerry Hildebrand printed in 
the Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

Excerpts Taken From a Senate Finance Committee Hearing Titled Reducing 
    Overpayments and Increasing Quality in the Unemployment System 
                       Conducted on May 25, 2010

       Senator Baucus: Last week, the Obama Administration 
     announced a proposal to address these issues. The proposal 
     seeks to rein in overpayments by making the unemployment 
     insurance program more efficient. Today, we will walk through 
     that proposal.
       Under the administration's proposal, states could use a 
     portion of the money that they recover from overpayments to 
     strengthen their program integrity activities. States would 
     also be required to impose financial penalties on people who 
     defraud the program.
       Under the proposal, employers would be required to report 
     the start dates of new employees. That will help to identify 
     beneficiaries who have returned to work in a different state 
     but continue to receive unemployment benefits.
       The administration's proposal is just one solution. States 
     and private industry have also devised systems that reduce 
     overpayments. They also have ideas on how to streamline 
     unemployment insurance. I look forward to learning more about 
     these proposals today.
       Let's recognize the problem that we have in our Nation's 
     safety-net programs. Let's grab the chance to do our best to 
     correct the overpayments, and let's redouble our efforts to 
     make the government work more efficiently.
       I would like to turn to our witnesses. First, we will hear 
     from Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary of Employment and 
     Training at the Department of Labor. Ms. Oates, it is a 
     pleasure to welcome you back. I was saddened not to see Jerry 
     Hildebrand sitting behind you. His passing is a great loss. 
     He provided tremendous advice and information honestly and 
     accurately to all of us who asked; he was a tremendous public 
     servant. We wanted you to know personally, and his family to 
     know that we're thinking of him and very saddened that he is 
     no longer with us.
       Mrs. Oates: We cannot thank you enough for that. My career 
     spans from the 1970s. A loss of that magnitude is just hard 
     to get over. The whole career staff is remarkable but Jerry 
     was the high water mark. He is sorely missed every day, 
     particularly by me when we were prepping for this hearing.
       Senator Baucus: Well he was a tremendous man.
       Mrs. Oates: Thank you so much Senator. And we will make 
     sure his wife and daughter get your----.
       Senator Baucus: We just want you to know how much he meant 
     to all of us.
       Mrs. Oates: Thank you very much.
       Senator Baucus: You're very welcome.
                                  ____


                      Eulogy for Jerry Hildebrand

                     (Written by Suzanne Simonetta)

       I'm speaking this evening on behalf of those of us who had 
     the privilege of working with Jerry Hildebrand in the 
     Unemployment Insurance (UI) program to give you a sense of 
     what he meant to us.
       Jerry was a scholar. One of Jerry's most impressive 
     professional gifts was the depth and breadth of his 
     knowledge. I was constantly awed by him--particularly by how 
     much he remembered without even having to check his files. 
     More important than his knowledge, and love of learning in 
     general, was his ability to critically think about the 
     information he knew--What does this mean? Why is it 
     important? What are the implications? He always had the 
     answer. The English major in Jerry made him an excellent 
     writer as well--always pruning a document to reduce it to its 
     essential elements and clarifying its intent.
       Jerry was a passionate advocate for the Unemployment 
     Insurance program. He was a worthy heir to the Wisconsin 
     intellectual tradition that led to the creation of the UI 
     program in 1935. Jerry truly believed UI was the most 
     important program in the Employment and Training 
     Administration. He felt strongly about the insurance 
     principles upon which it is based--payments to individuals 
     who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Jerry 
     believed in the importance of upholding the original intent 
     of the UI program and protecting workers' rights. He 
     dedicated his entire career to achieving these goals.
       Jerry was a dedicated public servant. He was a consummate 
     professional. Everyone with whom he worked knew that they 
     could count on Jerry to give them his best effort. Jerry 
     cared very deeply about his work and held himself to the 
     highest standards. Though he might grumble and grouse to us 
     about the fire drill du jour, he always got the job done. 
     During the last two years in particular, with so much 
     attention being paid to unemployment and so much UI 
     legislation being enacted, so much had been demanded from 
     Jerry. And he always delivered. He was one of the hardest 
     working people I know.
       Jerry touched the lives of millions of Americans without 
     them ever knowing it. Jerry was a very modest, humble man. 
     Some of you may not be aware that during the last 10 years, 
     Jelly wrote many of the Federal laws relating to unemployment 
     insurance and much of the guidance for states that operate 
     these programs. When you think back on some of the major 
     events in our nation's recent history--the terrorist attacks 
     on September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, the current 
     recession--Jerry worked to support the people affected. 
     Whether it was the new benefits program for airline workers 
     after 9/11, modifications to the disaster unemployment 
     assistance program after Katrina, the seemingly countless 
     benefit extensions we currently have, or certifying billions 
     of dollars of payments to states that expand eligibility for 
     UI benefits, Jerry's contributions helped make it happen. His 
     efforts lessened the burden that so many individuals and 
     families face because of unemployment.
       Jerry was a truly decent human being. Though a reserved 
     man, Jerry's actions spoke volumes about his character. He 
     was honest, fair, reasonable, reliable and dedicated. Jerry 
     was well respected by all who knew him. I couldn't have asked 
     for a better boss.
       Jerry was taken from us too soon. We all feel his loss so 
     profoundly--both personally and professionally. The void left 
     behind is unbearable and the daunting task of carrying on 
     without him seems insurmountable. However, I am confident 
     that the wisdom Jerry shared and the lessons we learned from 
     him will enable us to achieve what now feels almost 
     impossible. Our greatest tribute to Jerry will be to continue 
     his legacy of excellence.

                          ____________________