[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RETIREMENT OF MARGARET SPRING

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a member 
of my staff who retired from service to the Senate after dedicating 8 
years to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Margaret 
Spring, Democratic general counsel for the Commerce Committee, left the 
Senate for love. In doing so, she will be leaving behind a record of 
accomplishment that will be difficult for anyone to match. During her 
8-year tenure on the committee, more than 10 major ocean and coastal 
initiatives, which she was heavily involved in drafting, have been 
enacted into law, including the National Sea Grant College Program 
Reauthorization, the Oceans and Human Health Act, Coast Guard 
Reauthorization Acts, the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments 
Act, the Tsunami Preparedness Act, and the Marine Debris Research, 
Prevention, and Reduction Act. Probably most notable are the first and 
last pieces of legislation Margaret worked on. The first was the Oceans 
Act of 2000, and the final bill was the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act.
  What is clear from the passage of all these bills is both Margaret's 
ability to successfully negotiate and work in a bipartisan fashion, 
regardless of whether she was in the minority or the majority, and her 
unwavering commitment to making the world we live in a better place for 
today and for the future. Her trustworthiness and constant striving for 
perfection provided a process where every staffer who worked with her 
believed the final product was a true reflection of negotiations and 
discussions, and the outside parties that had an interest in the 
legislation, whether environmental or industry groups, while not 
necessarily agreeing completely with the ultimate outcome, felt like 
their voices were heard. The best example of her abilities is the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act, which passed by unanimous consent with support 
from the fishing industry and environmental groups, a rarity in this 
day.
  A hallmark of Margaret's legacy will be a cleaner and healthier 
environment for generations to come. The Oceans Act, which passed in 
2000, created the Ocean Commission, consisting of this country's 
leading ocean experts. Without the legislation enacted though her 
efforts, Congress and the administration would be without a landmark 
blueprint. Margaret's work, in combination with efforts of other 
dedicated members and staff, has given us guideposts for what we must 
do to sustain the ocean environment for future generations.
  While Margaret has left the Senate, she has not left her call to 
public service, to preserving the coastal environment, or to improving 
the planet for the next generation. While she and her new husband have 
decided to move to the West coast, she also decided to continue her 
passionate interest in the marine environment with a nonprofit 
organization whose mission is to preserve environmental diversity 
through the protection of lands and waters. The Commerce Committee, the 
Senate, and this country have benefited from Margaret's dedication 
during the past 8 years, and while she will be missed, the country will 
continue to benefit from her commitment, dedication, and tireless 
efforts to improve the world we live in.
  On the eve of Margaret Spring's wedding to Mark Bunter, we wish her 
well as she embarks on a new chapter of her life.

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