[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 15, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF THE DEEDS AND SERVICES OF ALICE M. BENOIT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 15, 2013

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor, recognize, and invoke 
the memory of Alice M. Benoit, a nurse that traveled around the world, 
from Libya, to Mexico, and finally to D.C. where she settled as a nurse 
at the Rayburn House Office Building giving 25 years of excellent 
service.
  Alice M. Benoit was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and immigrated 
to the United States in 1945 in order to ``see the world''. Pursuant to 
that dream, she joined the Army Nurse Corps where she assisted in 
healing our soldiers in U.S. bases in Libya and in 1948 was granted 
U.S. citizenship. She also served as head nurse at the U.S. embassy in 
Mexico City and afterwards she worked in Texas, Alabama, and Florida.
  Later on she found herself on Capitol Hill looking for employment. 
She had an interview with the Attending Physician's office and landed a 
job at the Rayburn House Office Building in 1967. During her tenure on 
the Hill, she provided health services to Members of Congress, staff 
members, and the American people who came to visit the Capitol every 
day. Former Representative Tom Downey (D-NY) remembered that Alice not 
only provided medical services, but she also provided a ``soothing word 
to people when they needed it''. She was known to be ``terrifically 
confident and competent.''
  After serving 25 years on Capitol Hill, she received a Letter of 
Commendation for her extended service from Dr. Robert C. J. Krasner, 
the Former Attending Physician of the Capitol. Soon afterwards she 
retired in February 1992 with plans to travel with her husband, Eugene 
Benoit, and ``read a few good books''. In April 19, 2013 Alice passed 
away from pneumonia at an assisted-living facility in Melbourne, 
Florida.

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