[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING RETIRING STAFF MEMBERS WADE BALLOU AND RALPH SEEP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to honor two men who 
have given a combined 74 years of service to the House of 
Representatives, Wade Ballou and Ralph Seep. Both of these gentlemen 
are retiring and have made important contributions in the way that the 
House functions.
  In November, Wade Ballou retired after 41 years of service in the 
Office of Legislative Counsel, including the past years as head of OLC. 
Over his years, he provided clear, coherent, and high-quality legal 
analysis and built a reputation for being warm, engaging, and attentive 
to the needs of Members of Congress and staff.
  No matter how complicated or time-sensitive the project was, Wade was 
warm, engaging, and attentive to the needs of the Members of Congress 
and our staff. We are all grateful for his care and his work.
  Ralph Seep spent the past 33 years in the Office of the Law Revision 
Counsel, including the past 13 years as head of the office. After a 
long career of helping to oversee and maintain the publication of the 
United States Code, Wade retired on October 1.
  While the Members of Congress write the laws, Ralph was the one who 
ensured that they were literally published in black and white and 
placed into the United States Code.
  Ralph's leadership, high standards of excellence, calm demeanor, and 
generous spirit have made him a trusted leader and colleague and earned 
him the respect of his staff and colleagues.
  On behalf of the entire House of Representatives, I thank Wade and 
Ralph for their service to this Chamber, and we wish them both the best 
in their next stages of life.

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