[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 33 (Thursday, February 27, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S1227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BETSY SCHMID

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, 13 months ago, I inherited an awesome 
responsibility. In the blink of an eye, I had become Chairman of the 
Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a position long held by Senator 
Daniel Inouye.
  It was daunting to step into the shoes of a member of the ``greatest 
generation,'' a Medal of Honor recipient, and one of the most respected 
advocates for the men and women who serve our country in uniform. It 
was my good luck that the gavel I inherited came with Betsy Schmid, the 
staff director of the subcommittee.
  Betsy first came to the Senate in February 2002, on detail to the 
Defense Subcommittee as a Presidential management intern. While it was 
only a temporary assignment, I believe Betsy would be the first to tell 
you that she would have done anything to return.
  Return she did, joining the Defense Subcommittee as professional 
staff in March 2003. Over the next 8 years, Betsy served as a budget 
analyst focusing on some of the largest, most complex, and politically 
sensitive programs in the Department of Defense.
  After years as an outstanding budget analyst, Chairman Inouye 
appointed Betsy to serve as the staff director of the Subcommittee on 
Defense in February 2011. It is a daunting job. The subcommittee 
oversees more than half of the Nation's discretionary budget, plus tens 
of billions more for the costs of overseas conflicts.
  As staff director, Betsy has done an outstanding job of serving me 
this year, and Senator Inouye before me. But more importantly, her time 
here was in service to the Senate, the Nation, and our Armed Forces.
  During her service, she had been handed the unenviable task of 
reducing the defense budget by scores of billions of dollars.
  Many said that the cuts could not be made without sacrificing major 
critical military capabilities, but Betsy and her staff proved them 
wrong. Betsy made the numbers work, and there is no doubt in my mind 
that our Nation is more secure today because we got many of these 
budgetary decisions right.
  This is Betsy Schmid's last week with the Subcommittee on Defense. 
She has been given an offer that she simply could not refuse. I wish 
her well and know she will contribute in important ways, but we will 
miss her.
  During her service in the Senate, she has continued the tradition of 
bipartisanship and putting the men and women of the Armed Forces and 
Intelligence Community first. No one has worked harder to achieve these 
goals, working late nights, weekends, and more than a few holidays to 
serve her country to the utmost of her considerable abilities.
  So with this distinguished record of public service, I would like to 
provide my sincere thanks and congratulations to Elizabeth Lynne 
Schmid. I wish her the very best in her future endeavors.

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