[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7318-S7319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO SARAH BENEDICT ANSTAETT

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate and honor the 
service of Sarah Benedict Anstaett, my State director. Soon, Sarah will 
retire from the U.S. Senate after a lengthy career serving the people 
of Wisconsin and our Nation.
  Sarah's steadfast dedication to constituent services has set a high 
standard for our office that will have a lasting impact. With over 25 
years of Federal experience, Sarah's mentorship and willingness to pass 
on her wealth of knowledge to junior staffers is not only a testament 
to her rare style of leadership, but to her belief in the importance of 
quality public service. Sarah holds a BA in psychology and a masters in 
social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, making her 
exceptionally well qualified to handle any constituent service concern.

[[Page S7319]]

Under Sarah's guidance, my office has assisted thousands of 
Wisconsinites and their families who were confronted with urgent and 
often very serious challenges.
  Sarah joined our Madison area House of Representatives staff as a 
caseworker. Constituents coming to our office with concerns were met 
with Sarah's capable and calm approach to problem solving. She was 
incredibly effective in addressing all manner of issues and quickly 
became an indispensable part of the team. She traveled throughout our 
district, meeting constituents where they were--especially our 
seniors--in places that allowed them to interact directly with the 
Federal Government. During this time, Sarah and her husband Dave 
welcomed two children, which spurred our office to embrace family-
forward work policies and practices.
  When I took my seat in the Senate, I was delighted that Sarah chose 
to continue with our team. In my Senate office, Sarah became our 
director of constituent services, working with a team to address 
Federal issues from constituents around the State. She developed 
effective processes and guides for our caseworkers, shared her wealth 
of experience and best practices, and was always ready to step in and 
help on the trickiest and stickiest of concerns.
  She also created one of our favorite reports: a weekly roundup of 
casework successes, concerns and trends. Each week, the report of Sarah 
and her team's exceptional work was filled with stories ranging from 
expeditious replacement of lost passports to saving small businesses 
that were facing existential challenges with Federal Agencies.
  In 2021, Sarah assumed the role of my State director, overseeing and 
guiding our outstanding team of outreach staff, caseworkers, and other 
support staff. Her leadership in this new role was pragmatic, focused, 
and inclusive. She kept our priorities at the forefront and guided 
staff to make the best decisions.
  In her new role, Sarah immediately hit the ground running and refined 
and established new processes for our outreach team, in-state 
scheduling and travel, and continued to support our casework team. My 
staff often reported to me that she managed to do the impossible: make 
their jobs less stressful. As State director, Sarah set high standards 
for our staff, inspiring and bringing out the best in each of them. She 
led by example and demonstrated the importance and value of having 
women in senior leadership roles.
  She traveled the State both with and without me, continually 
developing and cultivating important relationships with constituents 
and organizations throughout Wisconsin. She has been a constant 
presence at events around the State and always actively pursued 
opportunities to strengthen ties between our office and the communities 
we serve. My staff and I will miss the kindness, humility, good humor, 
and grace that she brings each day to our team.
  Outside of the office, Sarah's an avid traveler and explorer, with a 
wide group of friends and interests. I am sure that her retirement will 
bring her more opportunities to travel with her husband Dave and their 
children Henry and Ursula.
  Sarah, thank you for your service to the people of Wisconsin and to 
our Nation.

                          ____________________