[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 146 (Thursday, November 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1776-E1777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING MS. KAREN THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2012

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Karen 
Thomas, a member of the professional staff of the House Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, and to 
congratulate her on her retirement at the end of this year. Karen has 
made invaluable contributions to the function of the Subcommittee, and 
she will be greatly missed by the Members and her colleagues.
  During her nearly 40-year tenure in federal government, Karen has 
served in all three branches: In the Executive Branch for the U.S. 
Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, in 
the Judiciary for

[[Page E1777]]

the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and in the Legislative 
Branch as a detailee for the Appropriations Committee. Throughout her 
federal service, Karen has developed budgets, planned expenditures, 
facilitated transparency and fostered a team approach to solving some 
of the most difficult problems faced by agencies.
  As a member of the Appropriations Committee's professional staff, 
Karen is a source of reliable information and trustworthy counsel. She 
approaches her job seriously, and she takes to heart the consequences 
of the decisions made in Congress for the public servants at dozens of 
federal agencies as well as the Americans who depend upon their good 
work.
  Most of all, Karen's can-do attitude, her bright smile and warm 
welcomes, and her willingness to go the extra mile to get the answers 
not just right--but exactly right--have been instrumental to the proper 
functioning of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General 
Government Appropriations during my two years as Chair. She will be 
greatly missed, and her presence and many noteworthy contributions to 
the work product of the Subcommittee will not soon be forgotten.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in thanking her for her 
excellent work and in wishing her well in a satisfying, hard-earned 
retirement, one in which there are no budget cycles, appropriations 
deadlines, constantly-ringing phones or all-night weekend workdays. 
Thank you, Karen, and God bless.

                          ____________________