[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 119 (Thursday, July 10, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO PAULA BRADLEY
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate and wish a
very happy 90th birthday to Paula Bradley, who serves as a senior field
representative in my Providence office. Paula has served in the Federal
workforce for 30 distinguished years, first for former Congressman
Patrick Kennedy before joining my team in 2011.
Paula is a fixture in senior communities all across the State of
Rhode Island. She is a walking encyclopedia of the State and Federal
programs available to help our seniors. And she is a tireless advocate
when redtape gets in the way of a senior accessing their hard-earned
benefits. From restoring interrupted Medicare coverage, to reinstating
Social Security benefits, to facilitating a ride or a Meals on Wheels
delivery, Paula consistently gets results when called into action.
Paula is beloved by the seniors she assists and the senior center
staffs she interacts with on a daily basis. She is an excellent
listener, quick to remember faces and names, and is always checking
back in with her seniors to ensure their problems remain resolved. She
is loved and admired by my staff for the care with which she treats her
seniors and the hopeful spirit she embodies.
A proud Portsmouth resident, Paula has generously devoted herself to
volunteer service in her local community on Aquidneck Island. Though
Paula has never sought publicity for her hard work, she recently
received a 2024 Vision Award from the East Bay Community Action Program
for decades of service in their Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.
Kim Wetherald, East Bay Community Action Program's director of
volunteer services, said it best: ``Paula makes things happen for
people.''
I know how important Rhode Island's senior community is to Paula, but
nothing is more important to her than her beloved husband Dale; her
children Mary-Ellen, Bill, Peter, and Paul; her grandchildren Jennifer,
John, Stephanie, James, Andrew, Brad, and Veronica; and her many great-
grandchildren.
Thank you, Paula, for your dedication to the people of Rhode Island.
My team, Ocean State seniors, and our State as a whole are better off
because of your decades of exceptional service. I wish you all the best
as you celebrate with your cherished family and friends. Happy
birthday, my friend.
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