[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 161 (Tuesday, October 25, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PATRICIA MADSON, JOURNAL CLERK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN A. BOEHNER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 25, 2011

  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, the service of those who sit on the dais 
here in the well of the House typically attracts little public notice.
  But, as Members, we feel their presence each time we enter this 
Chamber and observe the work of these dedicated men and women. Day in 
and day out they serve us tirelessly, without regard to party but with 
full devotion to public service. Without their assistance, the House of 
Representatives simply could not conduct its essential legislative 
business on behalf of the American people. We do not thank them often 
enough for their professionalism, their patience, their good cheer, and 
the many personal sacrifices they make in service to the House.
  In that spirit then, I rise to thank and pay tribute to the House's 
Journal Clerk, Patricia Madson, who will retire this week. Trish has 
spent her entire professional life in service to the federal 
government, nearly all of it here on Capitol Hill. Her work here in the 
House alone spans four decades and includes service to seven Members as 
well as the Office of the Clerk.
  For the past 21 years, Trish has worked for the Office of the Clerk 
on the House Floor. In her current role as Journal Clerk, she directs 
three Assistant Journal Clerks who maintain the official record of 
House proceedings. Whenever the House is in session, no matter the 
time, no matter the day, no matter the circumstances, Trish and her 
colleagues are at their stations at the rostrum.
  In her tenure as a Journal Clerk, Trish has had a front-row seat to 
history, and her work in documenting that history from the House Floor 
has preserved for all time the essential record of this hallowed 
institution.
  Trish began her congressional career in 1969 as a staff assistant for 
Representative Paul Findley of Illinois, and over the next dozen years 
she advanced to more senior-level administrative positions for other 
Members. She worked in senior assistant roles at the Department of 
Agriculture and the Department of Transportation before returning to 
the Hill in 1985 to consult on legislation for Representative Pat 
Roberts of Kansas. In 1987, she was appointed Assistant Tally Clerk to 
Minority Leader Robert Michel.
  It is my privilege to commemorate Trish's long and distinguished 
service to the House. Trish, your dedication to your profession and 
your family are unmatched, and I wish you the very best in your 
retirement.

                          ____________________