[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 23, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING BARBARA A. O'MALLEY

  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, today I rise to pay tribute and honor the 
life of the late Mrs. Barbara O' Malley, a friend, and a dedicated 
public servant who proudly served Maryland and our Nation as a 
congressional staffer for Senator Barbara Mikulski for over three 
decades.
  Born in Fort Wayne, IN, Barbara's love of public service was nurtured 
early on by her father, Joseph Suelzer, a World War I veteran who 
served as the chair of the Democratic Party in Indiana's Allen County. 
She got an early start in politics as a congressional campaign staffer 
and then moved to Washington, DC, where she met her future husband, 
Thomas Martin O'Malley, at the Young Democrats' headquarters in our 
Nation's Capital. The O'Malleys made a home in Maryland, where Barbara 
spent 33 years as a stay-at-home mother before her inclination towards 
politics called her into service once more, this time with an 
opportunity to work for one of the only two female Senators in Congress 
at that time, Senator Barbara Mikulski.
  In Congress, Barbara found a second home. To all those fortunate 
enough to work in the Senate and especially to those who worked on the 
fifth floor of the Senate Hart Building, including myself, Barbara was 
simply known as ``Mrs. O.'' She worked as a receptionist for Senator 
Mikulski and was the friendly face who welcomed constituents, 
colleagues, friends, and even Senators to the office. With her warmth 
and kindness, she made you feel right at home. And with her deep 
knowledge of Maryland's democratic politics, you knew she meant 
business. She cherished working for Congress, and as a lover of 
history, she did not take for granted how special it was to walk the 
same Capitol halls as many of our former great American leaders.
  Even though Barbara was committed to serving the people of Maryland, 
she was also equally committed to her family--her husband, her six 
children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In their family, 
Barbara and her husband, Thomas, a World War II veteran, instilled a 
sense of duty and public service, so it came as no surprise that their 
son, Martin O'Malley, went on to become the mayor of Baltimore and 
Governor of their beloved State of Maryland.
  Dedication and commitment to public service defined Barbara's career 
in Congress, and we are so lucky she chose the Senate as one of the 
places to make her mark in this world.

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