[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21075]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DEBORAH J. SPERO

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                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 26, 2007

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
accomplishments of Ms. Deborah J. Spero of Reston, Virginia, for her 
service to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency as Deputy 
Commissioner. Ms. Spero has served this Nation with honor and 
distinction for 37 years, and I commend her for her dedication to 
public service and tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our Nation.
  After the attacks of September 11th, with the creation of the 
Department of Homeland Security, Ms. Spero was called upon to help 
shape the newly established U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, 
where border security, U.S. Customs Service, Immigration and 
Naturalization Service, and the Department of Agriculture, were 
integrated. Ms. Spero's knowledge and experience made her the logical 
fit to lead this most important transition, which she met with strength 
and resiliency.
  In 2004, Commissioner Robert C. Bonner appointed Ms. Spero as Deputy 
Commissioner, and, in 2006, she served ably as Acting Commissioner for 
six months. After the confirmation of Commissioner Ralph Basham, she 
resumed her duties as Deputy Commissioner and has continued to lead 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection through the many challenges it faces 
to secure our Nation's borders.
  Ms. Spero's commitment to this Nation is reflected in the many 
accolades she has amassed over her career. In 1999, she received the 
Distinguished Presidential Rank Award for her extraordinary 
accomplishments within the Customs Service and the federal government 
community. Additionally, in 2004, Ms. Spero received the Meritorious 
Executive Presidential Rank Award for her unparalleled accomplishment 
and service, and in 1996 she was the recipient of the Meritorious 
Executive Presidential Rank Award for her major accomplishments as an 
executive.
  Madam Speaker, I wish to commend Ms. Spero for her many years of 
service to our Nation and I am proud to have her live in Virginia's 8th 
Congressional District. This Nation will lose a proud servant when she 
leaves office on August 3, 2007. I wish all the best to her and her 
family in her retirement.

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