[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15947]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                             GUEST CHAPLAIN

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I commend the Senate's guest Chaplain 
today, Minister Angela Williams, for her eloquent prayer opening 
today's session of the Senate. Angela became a licensed minister in 
January of this year, and she is currently an associate minister at 
Shiloh Baptist Church in the District of Columbia. I had the privilege 
of attending her first sermon there last November. She is also 
currently a graduate student at Virginia Union University in Richmond, 
where she is pursuing the degree of master of divinity.
  Angela's father, J.C. Williams, is also a minister. He served for 28 
years with great distinction as a Navy chaplain. He retired in 1998, 
and is now an associate minister in Martinez, GA. Rev. J.C. Williams 
served as guest Chaplain for the Senate last September.
  Our guest Chaplain today wears many hats. Angela Williams is also a 
talented lawyer, and is a graduate of the University of Texas Law 
School. As an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District 
of Florida, she was selected to serve on the National Church Arson Task 
Force, which was created by the Department of Justice to investigate, 
prosecute, and prevent the epidemic of church arsons that were 
afflicting many parts of the country. From 1996 to 1998, Angela 
Williams investigated and prosecuted approximately 25 percent of those 
Federal cases nationwide.
  Angela is also well known to many of us in the Senate and the House 
of Representatives. For the past 2 years, in addition to her ministry, 
she has served as a member of my Senate staff on the Judiciary 
Committee.
  All of us on both sides of the aisle and with the Clinton 
administration who have worked with Angela have great respect for her 
ability and dedication. Her principal responsibilities have been in the 
area of law enforcement issues, especially hate crimes, and she 
deserves great credit for her leadership on this important issue in our 
country today.
  Angela will be leaving my staff at the end of this week. All of us 
who know Angela wish her well. We have been very impressed with her 
calling to the ministry and her dedication to it. It has been a 
privilege to work with her as a member of our Senate family, and we are 
grateful for her inspiring prayer as guest Chaplain today.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Voinovich). The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from South 
Carolina.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. THURMOND. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mr. Thurmond pertaining to the submission of S. Res. 
342 are located in today's Record under ``Submissions of Concurrent and 
Senate Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.

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