[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 12200-12202] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]LOSS OF A TRUE HEROINE, MRS. SUSAN WADHAMS ______ HON. BOB SCHAFFER of colorado in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 27, 2001 Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, Tuesday, Colorado lost one of its true heroines, Mrs. Susan Wadhams, of Littleton. Many of us on Capitol Hill also mourn the loss of Susan. She was my Chief of Staff and played an integral part in making many of our most celebrated legislative victories possible. For most, Susan will be remembered for her boundless passion for America. She was an authentic patriot through and through. She enjoyed her work in the Congress and counted the opportunity a rare privilege. She utilized her station to advance the cause of freedom, liberty and human life every day she was here. How tragic and ironic it is that her life with us has ended too soon. But Susan firmly persuaded all those around her to eventually share in her unwavering faith in God, and to take comfort in the promise of Heaven. From that standpoint, Mr. Speaker, we know that Susan's life has not ended. It is only different. She has surely joined the Community of Saints, and this I say with confidence, predicated upon what I learned about Susan as our friendship deepened. First and foremost, Susan was a pious Christian whose devotion to the Lord was established in the ancient traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. She was a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. She lived her life within this context. Her professional accomplishments were all achieved through a consistent ethic wherein the magnanimous goal of [[Page 12201]] improving the American environment for family, faith, and children became the exclusive measure of merit. For me personally, I am deeply inspired by Susan's valor. She left Washington two years ago, returning to Colorado in order to spend more time with her husband, her family, and the community she loved. Leaving the arena of public leadership, however, was not an option for Susan. You see, Mr. Speaker, Susan understood America from the perspective of our Nation's Founders. She went to her grave convinced that God has richly blessed the United States of America and that His design for our country was of glorious expectation and hope. She believes that each American shares a burden of honor and loyalty to the Almighty and that the essence of American citizenship entails a spiritual duty to lead through love. Susan's love for her family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances was omnipresent though sometimes subtle or complex; yet when fully appreciated was embraced and profound, certainly invigorating, but more often, infectious. That was especially the case in our office. Susan was a splendid woman--elegant in every way. Trivial pursuits were of no interest to her. She would not be distracted. She was focused and disciplined. She lived life the way she engaged politics-- no nonsense, nothing to excess, just win. Mr. Speaker, there are dozens of elected officials whose election victories were engineered by Susan Wadhams. I'm only one among them all. Of course, that means there have been nearly as many whose public goals were thwarted by Susan's political prowess. It's simple, Mr. Speaker, if Susan Wadhams was on your side, your chances of winning were quite good. If she was against you, you best think of another line of work. Her opponents respected her, too. Susan's passion for America was her advantage, and her faith was her power. This was a woman who knew herself and knew the times she was in; whose confidence exuded leadership and whose leadership caused action. Susan's battle with cancer was no less heroic. If she was ever in fear, it was well concealed. She was a model of courage, even before her affliction. Though too short, her life was complete and her legacy is unmistakable. I thank God for my acquaintance with Susan. Our friendship is one I genuinely regard as a gift of Providence. I miss Susan Wadhams, and I will never forget her. Mr. Speaker, others have shared with me their sentiments on the passing of Susan. I am deeply grateful for the outpouring of condolence by so many, and I pledge to pass along these comments to her survivors. Their appreciation, I assure the House, will be great, too. Mr. Speaker, at this point, I hereby submit for the Record the comments I've so far received, along with two press accounts of Susan's life. For Susan, being tough as nails was second nature when dealing with politics, earning her a reputation I truly admired. However, what impressed me most about Susan was her willingness to aid women in entering the political arena. Not only was she a mentor for me, but for many other women who have crossed the Schaffer office threshold. Susan loved life, the west, her family and friends. She once told me she loved daisies. Since then, I have not looked at a daisy, nor will I ever without remembering her. I have lost a friend.--Brandi Graham ____ Susan Wadhams hired me for my first job on Capitol Hill. In my interview she said, `Not many young women have the courage to move 2,000 miles away from their friends and family to pursue their ambitions. I think it's great that you are working to follow your dreams and I would like to be a part of helping young women like you in politics.' She opened a door for me and I will never forget that. I would not be where I am today without her. Susan left an indelible mark on all who knew her, she will be greatly missed.--Melissa Carlson, former staff member for Congressman Bob Schaffer and current Deputy Press Secretary for Governor George E. Pataki, (R-NY). ____ The best memory Susan ever shared with me was from her childhood in Colorado. She had a pet lamb which stayed in a pen just outside her bedroom window. When Susan went to bed at night, she would open the window and pull the lamb inside. When the lamb became too big to pull through the window, it would cry outside, unable to understand that it could no longer come in. I love this story. I'm going to miss Susan.-- Kriste Kafer, the Heritage Foundation. ____ I'd like to add that Susan was very, very happy to be back here in Colorado with her family during this last year. We'll miss her dearly.--Kent Holsinger ____ I think these sums up Susan pretty well: Strong: Susan was perhaps one of the strongest individuals I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Undeterred: She accomplished much through shear will and force of personality. Smart: She possessed a lightning quick wit and a firm grasp of the issues. Activist: Her activist nature was contagious. Nationalist: A true patriot if there ever was one.--Rob Nanfelt ____ When Susan first interviewed me for a Legislative position with Bob, something just clicked. We spent most of it talking about our lives and how much we missed Colorado. She had accomplished so much in her life. As a young staffer striving to make it in the competitive Capitol Hill environment, I was impressed by her. I wanted to learn from her success. Once I started working with Bob, I saw her as a mentor. We talked freely about God, family and the importance of focusing on the right priorities in life. She discussed her previous bout with cancer and how important it was to have access to quality health care. I am sorry she didn't make it through this time. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family. We will miss her.--Stacy Brooks ____ Right up to the very end, May 15 to be exact, Susan was still thinking of others-- her son's birthday was coming up and she needed a flag flown over the Capitol, and she needed it by June 17 to present to him for his birthday. To me it really showed the love she had for her family, as well as other people.--Gwen Schwartz ____ I think that she was a deep down good woman who love politics and loved to be involved. She will definitely be missed in CO and here in DC.--Eric Price ____ Susan was a terrific Chief in that she possessed the management skills necessary for the position but legislatively, she was as green as the rest of us. Bob's first staff, his freshman staff, had two people with prior legislative experience and the rest of his were fresh from Colorado. We knew tons about the way Colorado's government worked, but were unfamiliar with the whole process of introducing legislation, Whip meetings, who to call if we needed a picture hung--all the little things that make an office hum. The flow of information was always two ways and we never felt as if Susan was above us, rather she was with us, learning together. Under her guidance, our service to Coloradans was crafted to be responsive and diligent. Always steady in her convictions, Susan approached the challenges of managing the boss, and his staff, with a common sense approach. Never acting on her own self interests, she skillfully advocated the staff and their needs but maintained here authority with a ``buck stops here'' mentality. She was the best Chief a staffer could ask for. Having worked for her, I am a better person.--Marcus Dunn ____ I admired her very much--she was a great mentor to me!-- Marge Klein ____ [From the Rocky Mountain News, June 26, 2001] GOP Activist Susan Wadhams Dies at Age 55 Campaigner known for astute judgment and love of politics (By Lynn Bartels and Michele Ames) Susan Wadhams, who campaigned on the ground for Republican candidates while her state patrolman father flew three Colorado governors around the state, was known as a strong- willed woman who stood by her convictions. Wadhams, the former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer and the spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, died of cancer Monday. She was 55. ``She is going to leave a terrible hole in the political fabric of Colorado,'' said Walt Klein, a former campaign manger who hired Wadhams. Several friends say they knew of only one other person whose interest in politics rivaled hers: her husband, Dick Wadhams, spokesman for Gov. Bill Owens. ``They were perfect for each other,'' said Roy Palmer, Owens' chief of staff. ``We've lost a great woman.'' Funeral services are pending. Susan Marie McBreen was born May 4, 1946, in Birmingham, Ala., to Lucille and Donald McBreen, while her father was a military pilot. After his stint in the service, Donald McBreen returned to Colorado and Elbert County and joined the Colorado State Patrol. Donald McBreen flew three governors: John Love, John Vanderhoof and Dick Lamm. Susan McBreen got her political start helping former U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong in his first congressional run in 1972. ``She was a very astute judge of people and of issues,'' Armstrong said. Susan and Dick Wadhams met in 1980 while working on former Colorado Republican [[Page 12202]] Party chairman Bo Callaway's U.S. Senate race. Klein begged Susan to leave her bank job and work for him. ``As it turned out it's one of those things you do that makes you look really smart afterward,'' said Klein, who runs a Denver marketing and advertising firm. Susan McBreen married Dick Wadhams April 17, 1982, in Denver. She worked as government affairs director at StorageTek in Broomfield from 1987 to 1996 before going to Washington to manage Rep. Bob Schaffer's five congressional offices. She came home to Colorado in 1999. The next year, Greg Walcher, director of the Department of Natural Resources, hired her as communications director. She is survived by her husband; her father; her brother; Craig, an officer with the Aurora Fire Department; two children; Khristie Barker, 33, and Gregory Farrell, 31; and two grandsons. ____ [From the Denver Post, June 26, 2001] State Figure Susan Wadhams Dies DNR spokeswoman loses cancer fight (By Fred Brown and Theo Stein) Susan Wadhams, chief spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, died Monday evening after a long struggle with cancer. She was 55. Wadhams, the wife of Gov. Bill Owens' press secretary Dick Wadhams, had worked for the state since January 1999. ``Susan was a close personal friend,'' Owens said. ``Colorado has lost a very special person.'' As the main public information officer for the Department of Natural Resources, Wadhams had to stay current on some of the state's stickiest land management debates. In the past year, she wrote press releases abut the state's support for the Animas-La Plata dam project, a challenge to federal population data on black-tailed prairie dogs and a controversial predator control study. Susan Wadhams also served as head of the interdepartmental information team, which is responsible for coordinating information on oil and gas exploration, the state land board, forestry and parks. She also was a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Jefferson County district. ``She was a good person, a hard worker, and she had a pretty good understanding of how wildlife worked in the metro area,'' said Dale Lashnitz, the chief of public affairs at the Division of Wildlife, an agency within Natural Resources Department. ``She had a good understanding of how natural resources worked overall.'' Before joining the department, Wadhams had worked for three years in Washington, D.C., as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo. From 1988 to 1997, she was director of government affairs for Storage Technology Corp. of Louisville and had served as the finance director for the Colorado Republican Party for three years before that. Born May 4, 1946, in Birmingham, Ala., Wadhams moved to Colorado with her family at a young age, as her father was ending his World War II military service. She married Dick Wadhams on April 17, 1982, in Denver. In addition to her husband, she is also survived by their two children, Khristie Barker of Omaha and Gregory Farrell of Parker; and two grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, Susan Wadhams was a worthy Christian, a good wife, devoted mother, and a proud grandmother. She was a great American. In conclusion, I beg the attention of the House, that we may lift Susan up in prayer, and petition the Almighty for the Heavenly repose of her soul. May her soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. ____________________