[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17902-17903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MARY A. BAIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 12, 2006

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mary A. Bain, 
who recently passed away. Longtime Chief of Staff to Congressman Sidney 
Yates, Mary was beloved by many of us on Capitol Hill, including me.
  It is hard to believe that Mary began her political career in 
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Administration--as the Illinois director of 
the

[[Page 17903]]

National Youth Administration. She was a dedicated public servant for 
many years to come, particularly devoted to our dear colleague and my 
colleague on the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Yates, whom she 
served in many capacities for almost 50 years. I am sure if Congressman 
Yates was here with us, he would say it was almost as if they served as 
co-Members.
  As I said when she received the Heritage Defender Award, ``Not only 
did Mary Bain save national treasures, she is a national treasure.'' 
She applied her considerable political savvy to preserving America's 
cultural heritage, and she was always a stalwart for the National 
Endowment for the Arts, the National Gallery, the Smithsonian 
Institution, among many others.
  Mary Bain helped to break the marble ceiling for all women--she was 
one of the first women to serve as a Congressional Chief of Staff. She 
talked about how much she looked forward to seeing a woman become our 
nation's first Speaker. I am hopeful that next January we can make that 
dream a reality--and I know that when we do, Mary will be smiling down 
on us.
  When Mary retired in 1998, she was the last of the New Dealers in 
government, having remained committed to the principles of Roosevelt 
her entire life. And though she can never be replaced on Capitol Hill, 
we continue her work to expand opportunity and prosperity to all 
Americans.
  As we pay tribute to Mary, we remember the many people who loved 
her--particularly her husband Herbert, who preceded her in death, and 
her daughter Mary Ellen and two grandsons. I hope they can draw comfort 
from the fact that so many are praying for them and grieving Mary's 
loss with them.

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