[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14451]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       RETIREMENT OF JESS ARAGON

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I rise today to call to your attention the 
retirement of one of our country's finest public servants. Jess Aragon, 
the Budget Officer of the Department of Labor's Employment and Training 
Administration, is leaving after 33 years of Federal service. In his 
capacity as Budget Officer, he controlled the formulation, 
justification, and execution of some $10 billion of our taxpayers' 
funds in a manner that set him apart for his professionalism and 
courtesy. He has personally assisted the Appropriations Committee time 
and time again, and has been especially helpful when the chips were 
down and information was desperately needed to make our bills and 
reports come together.
  A native of Albuquerque, NM, Jess' career began with a four-year 
stint in the Air Force. Following this, he entered public service with 
the New Mexico State Employment Security Agency, after which he joined 
the Department of Labor. He and his wife, Myra, are retiring to San 
Juan, PR, and I, and the other members and staff of the Appropriations 
Committee, wish them all the best, and offer a heartfelt thanks for a 
career devoted to serving the American people.

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