[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E43]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING THE RETIREMENT OF MARZETTE ``MARZY'' BEDFORD-BILLINGHURST, 
              LONGTIME FEDERAL EMPLOYEE AND CIVIL SERVANT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 24, 2023

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a woman who has contributed 
so much to this Congress and this country: Marzette `Marzy' Bedford-
Billinghurst. After more than 3 decades in federal service, she 
recently began her well-earned retirement. As someone who has had the 
privilege of working closely with Marzy in the past, I can personally 
attest to her virtues as a sharp, dedicated, and generous federal civil 
servant and American. She deserves recognition for her many deeds in 
service to this Nation.
  Our work together began back in 1988 when Marzy joined my legislative 
staff. As my Senior Legislative Assistant, she quickly became an 
indispensable advisor on a broad range of issues. From formulating and 
drafting key legislation to taking meetings with constituents and 
stakeholders, Marzy approached every part of the job with admirable 
enthusiasm and poise. She brought that same work ethic to the House 
Committee on the District of Columbia in 1993. Although we were sad to 
see Marzy leave our team, we knew she would always go wherever she was 
able to make the biggest difference in the lives of her fellow 
Americans. Indeed, that's what took her to the Department of Labor in 
1995.
  As an important official in DOL's Women's Bureau, Marzy was at the 
forefront of the effort to create more equitable and inclusive 
workplaces for women across the Nation. She helped advance initiatives 
addressing everything from sexual harassment to gender, wage, and 
pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Marzy also understood that 
faithful service to the federal government requires one to hold it to 
the same principles of equality, justice, and freedom that underpin our 
entire democracy. That's why she pushed DOL to create designated rooms 
in its headquarters where mothers could breastfeed and pump in privacy. 
Marzy's unyielding devotion to her crucial work earned her dozens of 
awards and honors over the years--including Vice President Al Gore's 
Hammer Award and, most recently, DOL's Distinguished Career Service 
Award. Anyone boasting such an impressive list of accomplishments and 
accolades could rest easy knowing they did far more than their fair 
share to leave their country better than they found it. Marzy's 
commitment to service, however, extended beyond her career.
  Throughout her decades working for the federal government, Marzy 
continued to devote much of her spare time to bettering her community. 
Between 2005 and 2012, for instance, she served as a House Manager for 
the Sacred Heart House Temporary Homeless Shelter for Women and 
Children in Denver, supporting women and families in need face-to-face. 
She also has served on the Board of Directors of the Denver chapter of 
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). After 
Hurricane Katrina devastated numerous communities in 2005, Marzy 
stepped up and volunteered to help with relief efforts for 30 days as 
part of a DOL delegation to the Federal Emergency Management 
Administration. Marzy made all these contributions through her work and 
her volunteering while simultaneously raising 2 incredible sons, Kahler 
and Cameron, with her husband Mark. If that weren't enough, her 
neighbors also entrusted her to serve as the captain of their local 
Democratic precinct and as their delegate to the Democratic National 
Convention in 2008. They recognized what I and everyone else who has 
had the pleasure to know Marzy have seen: she is a person of 
integrity--someone who will always stand up for what is right.
  That will remain true even as Marzy begins her retirement from 
federal service. I have no doubt that she will continue to help those 
in need, strengthen her community, and speak up for the principles she 
devoted her career to promoting. I often say that dedication and 
reliability are the 2 most critical traits in our federal civil 
service. Marzy exemplifies both. She has inspired many to follow in her 
footsteps and serve our country. Although the many friends and 
colleagues Marzy has made over the years will surely miss her guidance 
and expertise, I know I speak for all of us in wishing her and her 
family well as she begins this exciting new chapter. She has my thanks 
as well as the gratitude of this House and the American people. May 
Marzy enjoy a happy and satisfying retirement. She has earned it.

                          ____________________