[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 151 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING DEB BOWMAN

 Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of 
Deb Bowman.
  There is a difference between public servants and bureaucrats, and we 
have known or dealt with both. Our office spends an incredible amount 
of time and energy helping constituents bust through the Federal 
bureaucracy, and unfortunately, we often bump heads with federal 
bureaucrats. It is time-consuming and aggravating for constituents. 
After experiences like these, we unfortunately have a tendency to 
stereotype all government employees in that manner.
  Thankfully, that is not always the case. There are examples of 
legitimate public servants, often behind the scenes, who truly seek to 
make the lives of our citizens better. One of those special individuals 
is Deb Bowman.
  Deb Bowman was the truest, most sincere--and brutally honest--public 
servant I have had the honor of knowing.
  For those of us who knew Deb, especially her family--her husband 
Randy, her children Brooke and Jessamine, and her grandkids--our hearts 
ache. At just 65 years old, Deb passed away on September 17, 2019, 
after a fairly recent lung cancer diagnosis. Years earlier, Deb became 
a kidney transplant recipient, and I believe that experience and the 
other hardships in her life shaped her view of public service.
  Deb was a loyal friend who worked with me while I served as Governor. 
She was a tremendous asset on my 2002 transition team, as a senior 
adviser and cabinet secretary. Prior to that, Deb was an adviser to 
Governors Mickelson and Janklow and she went on to serve Governor 
Daugaard before her retirement in 2014.
  It is not hard to understand how four Governors saw the same value 
and passion in Deb. It is a testament to the legacy she has left.
  Deb was a fierce conversationalist. Her ability to identify with 
those less fortunate was her signature quality. She was able to put a 
``face'' on the policy decisions that were made and reminded Governors, 
legislators, and State employees that the monetary and policy decisions 
we make impact real people and families. She was a tough and relentless 
advocate for those less fortunate. And she inspired understanding about 
the role society and State government played when it came to children, 
the poor, and the elderly.
  Often, Deb would be outright arguing a position with me, and she 
would say, ``Oh now come on Governor, that's `bullcrap', have you 
considered . . . .'' Needless to say, Deb won those debates multiple 
times, and our State is better off for it.
  She understood that her value was not mimicking the opinions being 
expressed around the table. She brought compassion to her advocacy, and 
I believe it made me a better Governor. Her service was not without 
sacrifice. On top of time away from her family and the strain upon her 
health, her empathy was so deep and pure that she carried the weight of 
the vulnerable through long hours and personal anguish. Yet despite 
many times being dismissed as the lone, unpopular voice, she would take 
a drive around the capitol, think over her argument, and show up with a 
new line of reasoning. She was persistent.
  When I think of the rare public servant like Deb, I am reminded of 
Matthew 23:11: ``The greatest among you must be a servant.'' Deb was a 
phenomenal public servant, for all the right reasons.
  Deb could have been the CEO of any organization and made a bunch more 
money. She was intelligent, a hard worker, a professional, a leader. 
She chose public service, and in doing so, she was a friend, to me and 
to many.
  Thank you, Deb, for showing all of us what a true public servant 
looks like.

                          ____________________