[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 166 (Thursday, September 24, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E883-E884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO BARBARA BAILEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 24, 2020

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Barbara Bailey, Kentucky's longest-serving television news anchor and a 
member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, as she retires from 
WKYT-TV after more than four decades of dedication to broadcast 
journalism.
  As a native of Harlan, Kentucky, Barbara has been an inspiration to 
women and men from the mountains of southern and eastern Kentucky for 
many years. She has always worn her Appalachian heritage with great 
pride, first as a reporter for the Harlan Daily Enterprise, and 
continuing to display her passion for people in the mountains 
throughout her broadcast career at WKYT. Barbara gave a voice to 
individuals who may have never been heard otherwise, and shared stories 
that we, as Kentuckians, needed to be informed about. Thanks to her 
insight on issues in Kentucky's Appalachian region, WKYT has been a 
news source for families and individuals beyond the Lexington metro 
area, extending into the living rooms of families across southern and 
eastern Kentucky. It is Barbara's southeastern Kentucky charm that won 
over the hearts of countless viewers, and likewise, her mountain moxie 
that influenced her journalistic integrity and earned the respect and 
trust of the people of this Commonwealth.
  Given a platform that few others are ever granted, Barbara has always 
been a generous steward of her talents and her personal time, 
volunteering for charity fundraisers throughout the state and serving 
on the board of various civic groups and organizations. Most recently, 
we joined together for the benefit of the Cawood Ledford Boys and Girls 
Club in Harlan County to expand their reach to more students and expand 
their facilities.
  I was elected to my first term in office the same year that Barbara 
anchored her first

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newscast in 1980. Our paths have crossed many times over the years, 
sharing information about the challenges and triumphs in Kentucky's 
Appalachian region. Though small in stature, it is clear that Barbara 
carries tremendous love and compassion for the people of Kentucky, with 
a special place in her heart for southern and eastern Kentuckians.
  As she begins a new chapter of life, I wish Barbara many wonderful 
years of retirement with her family and grandchildren. The people of 
southern and eastern Kentucky are proud to call Barbara Bailey one of 
our most distinguished daughters of the mountains.

                          ____________________