[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 143 (Sunday, August 8, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6031-S6032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         INVEST IN AMERICA ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now, on another related matter, as the 
Senate approaches final passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, 
I want to shine a spotlight on a part of the legislative process that 
doesn't see the light often enough: the Office of the Senate 
Legislative Counsel.
  There is an old political yarn that the legislative process is like 
watching sausage get made; you would rather not know.
  Well, the Office of Legislative Counsel occupies a particularly 
difficult part of the sausage-making: turning Senators' broad outlines 
for legislation into specific and precise legislative language. It is a 
very hard job. For over a century, this group of hidden experts have 
had a hand in crafting every major piece of legislation introduced in 
this Chamber.

[[Page S6032]]

  A century ago, many scoffed at the notion of having a team of 
professionals help the Senate write legislation. It was actually a New 
Yorker, I am proud to say, Elihu Root, who originally suggested in 1912 
that, maybe, this body could use a little help in constructing well-
written laws. It took a few years after he made his plea, but the 
complexity of tax legislation to raise revenue during World War I led 
to the creation of the original drafting service.
  During its first 4 years, the Legislative Drafting Service handled 
518 requests. By the 114th Congress, however, they were receiving more 
than 65,000. It is an amazing workload, unglamorous but vital and 
essential.
  Over the past few weeks, as we have worked on the bipartisan 
infrastructure bill, the members of the legislative counsel have 
sacrificed weekends, family gatherings, and many, many hours of sleep 
to allow the Senate to do its work. I have seen it. We have called them 
up at 11 p.m. and said: You are needed to get this ready by the 
morning. And they don't flinch. They just roll up their sleeves and 
work in their professional way.
  So we have always asked a lot of the legislative counsel, but they 
stepped up and did their job with excellence. There are a lot of 
members of the team who deserve recognition, beginning with the team's 
laudable and impressive leader on this bill, Deanna Edwards.
  I also want to thank Diane Nesmeyer and her team of assistants, who 
have all contributed very long hours, and let me mention them. They 
each deserve their own acknowledgement: Heather Burnham, Mark Mazzone, 
Christina Kennelly, Chris Patterson, Patrick Ryan, Karson Katz, Heather 
Lowell, Matt McGhie, John Goetcheus, Ruth Ernst, Mark McGunagle, 
Allison Otto, Vince Gaiani, Phil Lynch, John Henderson, James Ollen-
Smith, Kim Albrecht-Taylor, Christine Miranda, Rob Silver, Evan Frank, 
and Molly Dunlop.
  To every single person I mentioned, thank you, thank you, thank you 
for your incredible and indispensable work. Your skill and dedication 
makes it possible for this Chamber to serve the American public.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________