[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4726-S4727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          TRIBUTE TO MAL LEARY

 Mr. KING. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a Maine legend 
who will soon be leaving his post after nearly a half century of 
diligent, inquisitive journalism that has kept our State's citizens 
better informed. At the beginning of July, Mal Leary will sign off for 
the final time from Maine Public Broadcasting, concluding a 45-year 
career during which he became one of the most trusted voices in Maine 
media.
  When listeners heard Mal's distinctive Maine rasp come across the 
airwaves, they knew they were getting the straight news from a model 
journalist. His integrity and intelligence came through in every story, 
diving into the policy details in a measured, well-reasoned way that 
did not betray a bias toward any ideology, political party, or elected 
officials. Most importantly, every time you finished listening to a Mal 
story, you knew more about your community and your State than you did 
just a few moments before.
  Mal wasn't only held in high esteem by listeners. I can tell you from 
personal experience that when Mal is in a room, elected officials 
notice his presence. He loomed large among the Maine press corps, and 
his ability to unravel and explain a complicated policy question was 
only matched by his political instincts. While others, including 
legislators, were focused on the questions of the day, Mal would look 
two or three steps down the road to anticipate the pitfalls facing any 
given proposal. I learned quickly that I always needed to have my facts 
straight before I talked to Mal Leary.
  His innate understanding of both policy and policymakers made Mal's 
interviews one-of-a-kind. I would often start a conversation with him, 
expecting to discuss the issues of the day, only to be questioned on an 
issue that wouldn't come up for another few months or review a 
legislative hearing from 3 weeks prior. Refusing to be a prisoner of 
the moment, he always looked at the big picture, and, critically, he 
made sure that the elected officials he covered did the same.
  Maine will be poorer without Mal Leary roaming the State capitol, but 
he is leaving the Maine press corps in good hands that he had a part in 
training. A fountain of institutional knowledge, Mal was always 
generous with his time and his experience, filling in young reporters 
on the historical context behind long-gestating problems or making sure 
folks were up to speed on legislative procedures. This next generation 
of reporters have each grown by absorbing Mal's wisdom, working to 
compete with him, or a combination of the two, so although he may be 
leaving for greener pastures, his lessons and influence will remain.
  I find a bit of irony in these remarks because even as I attempt to 
honor Mal, I sense that he will have some discomfort taking the 
compliment. The definition of a model reporter, Mal wasn't focused on 
befriending his subjects or accumulating personal accolades; he was 
always dead set on getting to the truth and bringing that

[[Page S4727]]

truth back to the people of Maine. That is why he is so beloved by 
all--OK, by most--even when he was asking hard questions; at the end of 
the day, Mal always told the story straight. He was always fair.
  I have long believed that journalists are people we, the public, hire 
to tell us about priorities that we don't have time to attend to 
ourselves; instead, we rely on friends to give us the scoop. That is 
exactly who Mal was for thousands across Maine--a friend, who filled 
them in on the latest goings-on in Augusta, Washington, and everywhere 
in between. As our friend rides off into the beautiful sunsets of 
Maine, I want to express to him my best wishes and Maine's enormous 
gratitude for his work to make our State better.

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