[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO ED PESCE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I too wish to say a few words about Ed 
Pesce, who today, after 25 years of Federal service, is retiring as the 
director of the Senate Periodical Press Gallery. Ed has been a fixture 
around here for years. You could usually find him right outside the 
Chamber, behind the saloon swinging doors of the Senate Periodical 
Press Gallery.
  When George Mitchell was the majority leader, that is where you found 
him. When Bob Dole had the job, that is where you found him. It has 
been true ever since. But you can sometimes find Ed in other places 
too. Some mornings you can spot Ed at the gym on a spin cycle. Later in 
the evening, you might see Ed queuing for the premiere of a Star Wars 
sequel, maybe even a prequel.
  At almost any other time, you likely would find Ed buried in a book. 
Fiction is one of his favorite genres; history is the other. He 
certainly witnessed plenty of it firsthand. He oversaw media planning 
and execution for six Presidential inaugurations, for half a dozen 
Republican Conventions, and for just as many Democratic ones, not to 
mention hundreds of congressional hearings and press conferences.
  Ed is a Baltimore native who came to the Senate Periodical Press 
Gallery shortly after graduating from Loyola. He diligently worked his 
way through the ranks, and after a decade spent learning the tricks of 
the trade, he assumed his current role back in 2000. The job has 
brought Ed in contact with thousands of Senate staffers and 
congressional reporters. It necessitated many long hours and plenty of 
late nights. It presented ample amounts of tense situations as well.
  But Ed never lost his good attitude or his boisterous laugh. Just ask 
his staff. ``Funloving,'' ``thoughtful,'' ``tough, but fair''--that is 
how people who work closest with Ed describe him.
  At 6 feet 2 inches, Ed Pesce is hard to miss, but I know he will be 
missed here in the Senate when he leaves. He took on a tough job with a 
great attitude. He gained a lot of fans. It is a legacy that anyone 
could be proud of. I think I can speak for my colleagues when I say 
that we thank Ed for his many years of service. We send him our best, 
and we look forward to seeing what he will be able to accomplish in the 
next chapter of his life.

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