[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 27406]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          RETIREMENT OF LONG-TIME SENATE EMPLOYEE, KATHY KEUP

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, on Friday, October 29--tomorrow--the Senate 
will say a fond farewell to one of its longest serving employees, 
someone who has been with me almost 19 years, Kathy Keup.
  Kathy Keup began her Senate service almost 34 years ago. She is one 
of the longest serving employees in the Senate. She began her service 
November 1, 1965. On that date, Kathy Keup joined the staff of her home 
State Senator, Ed Muskie of Maine. After nearly 6 years of service with 
Senator Muskie, Kathy Keup served on the staffs of Senator Warren 
Magnuson of Washington and Senator John Culver of Iowa. She also served 
for several years in the 1970s on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign 
Committee.
  Some of our colleagues who have been here a few years will recall, 
back in those days, it was not uncommon for Senate staff, both 
Republican and Democratic, to serve for temporary stints on their 
caucus' campaign committees. As a historical note, the campaign offices 
were actually located in this building. That practice is long since 
over, but 25, 30 years ago, that was not an uncommon practice.
  As I mentioned at the outset, for the past 18 years and 9 months, it 
has been my very good fortune to have Kathy Keup as a member of my 
staff. In fact, she joined my office just a few days after I was sworn 
in as a new Member of this very body. I can say without any hesitation 
that each and every day of her time in my office has been marked by a 
consistent, thorough, and outstanding commitment on her part to serving 
not only me and the people I represent in Connecticut, but the public 
at large across this country.
  As a fellow New Englander, perhaps the highest compliment we can 
bestow on any individual is to say they are a true Yankee, and Kathy is 
a true Yankee, in all the wonderful meanings of that word. She 
epitomizes the very best values of our region of the country. She is 
very diligent and hard-working, and respectful of others, no matter 
their station in life. She is modest and discreet, a person of few 
words. Indeed, in an era and in a city where the dubious quality of 
self-promotion is rarely in short supply, Kathy Keup serves as a living 
reminder of the timeless virtue of letting one's work speak for itself.
  She also possesses the virtues of loyalty and dedication. The 
Senators and others for whom she has worked over the years could always 
take comfort in knowing she would be at her desk each morning at 7 
o'clock, as she has been with me for almost 19 years, come rain, shine, 
snow, or whatever the weather.
  She earned the trust of those around her, not by what she said but by 
what she did, reliably and superbly, day in and day out, for these past 
34 years.
  Each of us who is privileged to serve as a Member of the Senate knows 
well the importance of having loyal and talented men and women who work 
with us in this wonderful institution. These public servants may not 
have their names on election certificates or in the newspapers, but 
they are vitally important to the ability of the Senate to function on 
behalf of the American people. In a very real sense, they make the 
wheels of this democracy turn every single day. And in so doing, they 
make real the timeless promise of our representative government.
  Kathy Keup has dedicated her working life--her entire working life--
to the Senate. By her efforts over more than a third of a century, she 
has made an invaluable contribution to this institution and to the 
country as a whole. She epitomizes what a Senate staff person should 
be. She has rendered truly exemplary service to this individual 
Senator, to our former colleagues whom I mentioned already, to the 
Senate, and to our Nation.
  Come next Monday morning, I will call the office, I suppose out of 
habit, at around 7 or 7:15. And that voice will not be there, as it has 
been for almost 19 years. Kathy will return to a place she calls home--
her beloved Maine. I know I speak for all who have worked with her over 
these past 34 years, in saying thank you for all she has done to make 
this a better place. And on their behalf, let me say that I wish her in 
her retirement a life full of new challenges, good health, and many 
other rewards she so richly deserves for her long and distinguished 
career in public service.
  We thank you, Kathy, for a job well done.




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