[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 93 (Wednesday, June 26, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF SALLY MURPHY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 2013

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues 
Representatives Calvert, Capps, Costa, Hunter, Matsui, McNerney, Royce, 
Thompson and Walden to honor Sara Hope Murphy or ``Sally'' to her 
friends, who recently retired from Wine Institute, where she was the 
chief public policy advocate for the California wine industry.
  Sally is one of the bravest people we know. Her retirement was the 
result of a diagnosis for ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. It all started 
because she was having troubling speaking. Unfortunately now, the 
disease has left her unable to speak at all. But in true Sally fashion, 
she has not allowed that to silence her. Many of you received her 
letter announcing her leaving, which was characteristic of Sally. It 
was right up front and center, and very frank.
  Sally has a long association with the United States Congress. She 
first came to Capitol Hill to work for Congressman Lou Frey of Florida. 
She then spent 10 years on the staff of Thad Cochran in both the House 
and the Senate. She worked for Congressman Henson Moore and then left 
the Hill to work for Pacific Telesis Group and Sprint.
  However, the crowning glory of her career was going to work for Wine 
Institute. Her Members, the winery owners, are so pleasant and she was 
impressed with how they--many of whose families had been in the 
business for four or five generations--so love what they plant, 
nurture, and produce.
  The people she worked with at Wine Institute are some her closest 
friends: Bobby Koch, its president, Vikki Watkins, Susan Gregory, and 
Sheila Credle of the Washington office. She loves her former colleagues 
in the home office in San Francisco and those in Sacramento and in the 
states as well; all of them made every day a joy for Sally to go to 
work.
  Currently there is no cure for ALS, but Sally decided early on not to 
be defeated. Despite the daily struggles, she has refused to give up in 
her fight. She finds strength in her husband Billy, who has been a 
stalwart help to her.
  To us, Sally was the perfect embodiment of the wines she represented. 
Her presence brings life to any gathering of friends and fills every 
conversation with laughter.
  Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor to rise and celebrate the 
accomplishments of Sally Murphy and to offer her our prayers and 
support.

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