[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[EXT]
[Page 15939]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRATULATIONS TO LARRY HIMMELSBACH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 14, 2007

  Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Larry 
Himmelsbach on the occasion of his retirement as Deputy Director of the 
Office of Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations. Larry is a 
tireless ``public servant who has dedicated his professional life to 
preserving the security of our nation's government and the American 
public.
  After graduating from Holy Cross in 1974 with a degree in Political 
Science, Larry began his career at the FBI, located in what is now the 
Ford House Office Building. He served there for 1 year in the 
fingerprint division before joining the newly created Atomic Energy 
Commission in 1975, where he served as a security specialist and held a 
myriad of positions in the Division of Security. The dedication he 
exhibited early in his professional life to maintaining our national 
security would be a common thread throughout his career.
  In 1985, Larry joined the U.S. Department of Energy, where he held 
several senior positions in emergency operations and threat assessment. 
In 2002, he accepted the position of Deputy Director of the Office of 
Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations within the House. In 
his role with OEPPO, which was created as a result of the attack on 9/
11 and the anthrax incident in October 2001, Larry has been an integral 
part of carrying out the agency's mission of creating a comprehensive 
emergency management plan for the House.
  Madam Speaker, whether protecting the public from the threat of 
nuclear terrorism, or ensuring the continuity of our constitutional 
form of government, Mr. Himmelsbach has always answered the call to 
serve.
  On behalf of myself, my colleagues in this chamber, and the American 
public, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Larry Himmelsbach 
for his 33 years of public service, and for ensuring the safety and 
security of our great Nation.