[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18] [Senate] [Page 26280] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov][[Page 26280]] TRIBUTE TO MS. JUDY ENGLAND-JOSEPH Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Ms. Judy England-Joseph who retired from the General Accounting Office, GAO, this past March. Her departure from federal service is a great loss to the federal government as well as to all offices in the Senate. Judy was a superlative federal employee with a record of honesty and integrity as well as a commitment to a job well done. Ms. England-Joseph had been with GAO since 1975 working on a number of important federal issues in the fields of personnel and compensation, human resources, and energy, to name a few. However, I think most of my colleagues would agree that Judy's most outstanding contributions came as the Director of Housing and Community Development Issues at GAO. As Director, she had the primary responsibility for overseeing for the Congress the audit and evaluation of all programs and activities at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Small Business Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including those concerning housing, community and economic development, and federal disaster responsibilities. As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies and the Committee on Small Business, I found Judy to be an invaluable resource for objective and timely information that was critical to fulfilling my responsibilities. Judy not only testified numerous times before my appropriations subcommittee and the Committee on Small Business, but also personally met with me and my staff to discuss pressing issues and provide us with the critical information needed to make policy decisions. Judy was more than a resource to my committees; I also viewed her as a teammate and partner who shared my goal of making government truly accountable and as efficient as possible. To say that we miss Judy would be an understatement. Judy epitomized public service. Her energy was boundless, her knowledge of policy issues was rarely matched, and her commitment to doing the right thing underlined her approach to her job and responsibilities. I am honored to have worked with Judy and commend her for the years of service she provided to the Congress and the American Taxpayer. ____________________