[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 134 (Thursday, September 18, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S5847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO JEANNE TESSIERI AND DEBBIE HALVERSON

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to recognize two long-serving members 
of the Senate Sergeant at Arms Office, Jeanne Tessieri and Debbie 
Halverson, who are retiring in October of this year.
  Since 1980, Jeanne has served as the Sergeant at Arms' State Office 
Liaison. She runs a small--but highly effective--office that impacts 
every Senator in this body. As Senators, we are privileged to represent 
the constituents of our home States, and it is imperative that the 
individuals we represent have a place to bring their thoughts and 
concerns. Under the law, each Senator is authorized to maintain office 
space in our respective States, but it is subject to strict 
regulations. Jeanne, in her role as the State Office Liaison, became a 
vital resource for all Senators. She worked to ensure that every 
State--big or small--had constituent service space that not only 
fulfilled the needs of the public, but also adhered to regulation.
  Jeanne has guided us in selecting and arranging for the lease 
agreements for each one of our State offices, and there are currently 
more than 450 such offices throughout the 50 States. She literally 
wrote the book detailing the ins and outs of obtaining and maintaining 
a State office that meets the strict requirements for office spaces and 
expenses for furnishings.
  We are grateful for Jeanne's steady, confident assistance through the 
years. Should a problem arise, Jeanne has always been the first person 
to call and offer assistance to our State offices. She knows how to 
marshal resources to help the offices address any issue that comes up.
  Debbie Halverson has been Jeanne's very capable assistant for the 
past 31 years. Many of us that know her also knew her father, Senate 
Chaplain Richard Halverson. Her departure in October will mark the end 
of a wonderful era of service to the Senate for the Halverson family. I 
commend Debbie's years of dedication to her work and this body.
  I appreciate the combined 65 years of faithful service Jeanne and 
Debbie provided the United States Senate. I wish them the best in their 
future endeavors and congratulate them both on their well-deserved 
retirements.

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