[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10920]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    APPRECIATION FOR LARRY Q. NOWELS

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
extend the appreciation of the Senate to a dedicated public servant at 
the Congressional Research Service, CRS, of the Library of Congress. 
Larry Q. Nowels is retiring from CRS after more than 30 years of 
service to the Congress. This length of public service is not only a 
credit to Mr. Nowels but also a demonstration of the dedication that 
the staff of the Congressional Research Service brings in its support 
of our work in Congress.
  Mr. Nowels first joined CRS in 1973 as an information resources 
assistant, while simultaneously pursuing an advanced degree in 
international relations at American University. His primary 
responsibility at CRS was to help in the management of the Foreign 
Affairs Division library, a task for which he was well prepared, having 
worked throughout his high school years as a library page in Claremont, 
CA. In a very short time he was promoted to division librarian, then to 
technical information specialist, to foreign affairs analyst, and 
finally to foreign affairs specialist. He served as section head of the 
International Organizations, Development, and Security Section of the 
Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division from 1985 to 1997, and 
for a period in 1992, served as acting assistant chief of the division.
  Mr. Nowels' first research assignment at CRS was to assist senior 
staff in monitoring reporting requirements in the foreign affairs 
field, a joint committee project begun in 1975 for the Senate Committee 
on Foreign Relations and House Committee on International Relations. 
For the next 30 years, Mr. Nowels would assist Congress in tracking, 
moderating, and understanding the use of reporting requirements in 
fulfilling its oversight responsibility. In that first year, Mr. Nowels 
was also involved in the preparation of three other contributions by 
CRS to the congressional committees dedicated to foreign relations: the 
Committee on Foreign Relations' biennial Legislative History; the 
Committee on International Relations' annual Congress and Foreign 
Policy; and the annual Legislation on Foreign Relations, a joint 
committee project begun by the 88th Congress and continued to this day 
as a joint effort of the Congressional Research Service, Committee on 
Foreign Relations, and Committee on International Relations. Mr. Nowels 
remained intimately involved with each of these projects for many years 
and also provided mentorship to a notable succession of CRS staff.
  During his career, Mr. Nowels wrote nearly 500 memoranda and reports 
for Members of Congress and congressional committees, organized 
numerous seminars, provided many briefings to Members and congressional 
staff, accompanied congressional delegations abroad, and testified 
before congressional committees, primarily on issues related to foreign 
assistance. Over the years, he introduced congressional staff persons, 
both new to Washington and those most senior, to the appropriations 
process through courses in the Graduate Legislative Institute and 
briefed newly elected Members of Congress at biennial Williamsburg 
seminars. He provided groundbreaking analysis to the Congress on U.S. 
aid to communist nations, implications of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings 
deficit reduction on foreign policy, debt forgiveness including heavily 
indebted poorest country--HIPC--Initiatives, post-Cold War aid, Israeli 
loan guarantees, numerous congressional-executive efforts at foreign 
aid reform, international family planning programs, third-country 
foreign aid programs, establishment of the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation, and multiyear foreign policy budget trends.
  Mr. Nowels attended the National War College at the National Defense 
University in 1986-1987, where he won an award for his writing. On 
several occasions he was detailed to committees to serve alongside 
committee staff. In recent years, he traveled extensively on behalf of 
the Department of State's Speakers Program to speak to foreign 
officials, academics, and journalists on the U.S. Congress and U.S. 
foreign policy.
  Mr. Nowels' exemplary contribution and service has been recognized by 
the Congressional Research Service with numerous special service 
awards, performance awards, and outstanding performance evaluations. 
His sustained excellence was acknowledged and honored by the Library of 
Congress with a Meritorious Service Award in 1992.
  Larry Nowels is a fine example of those many dedicated staff of the 
Congressional Research Service who help inform Congress as it 
deliberates important public policy issues. His gracious demeanor and 
considerable expertise on U.S. foreign aid and U.S. foreign policy made 
him an invaluable asset to Congress for many years. On behalf of my 
colleagues, I extend our deep appreciation to Larry for his service and 
wish him the very best in future endeavors.

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