[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S64]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO THOMAS BURR

  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, today I wish to honor and congratulate 
Mr. Thomas Burr, the Salt Lake Tribune's Washington correspondent and 
newly inaugurated president of the National Press Club. Tommy has 
worked for the Salt Lake Tribune for 14 years, including 10 years as a 
correspondent here in Washington. Utah is privileged to have such a 
reputable journalist covering our Nation's capital.
  In addition to his role as the Tribune's Washington correspondent, 
Tommy has also served as the president of the Regional Reporters 
Association and chairman of the Congressional Standing Committee of 
Correspondents. Moreover, he is one of the youngest members ever to 
join the Gridiron Club & Foundation.
  Tommy is a native of Salina, UT, and the son of Ann Burr and the late 
James Burr. A graduate of Snow College and Southern Utah University, 
Tommy covered the Presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney and Jon 
Huntsman and was named the top regional reporter in Washington for a 
record three times by the National Press Club. He is the second Utahn 
to hold the title of press club president.
  Founded in 1908, the National Press Club bills itself as the 
``World's Leading Professional Organization for Journalists.'' Since 
its inception, the organization has hosted monarchs, heads of state, 
U.S. Presidents, and prominent thought leaders such as Martin Luther 
King and the Dalai Lama. As president, Tommy will focus on building the 
press club's long-standing efforts to expand press freedoms worldwide. 
He also intends to boost membership and speak out for journalists who 
face government restraints.
  I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the achievements 
of Tommy Burr and thank him for his contributions to the great State of 
Utah. On a personal note, I am grateful for my friendship with Tommy 
and look forward to many more stories to come. I wish him the very best 
in his new role as president of the National Press Club.

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