[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.
____________________