[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO LINDA LE

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
service Linda Le provided to the Senate Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship over the past 4 years. Linda is a dedicated individual 
whose penchant for critical insights and creative solutions will be 
sorely missed.
  Linda first joined the Senate Small Business Committee staff in 2004 
as a staff assistant. She had previously gained invaluable experience 
on financial matters during her career at Fidelity Investments. Through 
hard work and determination here in the Senate, Linda rose through the 
ranks, first as a research analyst and finally as a professional staff 
member. Over the years, I have come to rely on her knowledge and 
expertise in the areas of small business lending, banking, and women's 
business issues. She is a thoughtful member of the Committee's staff 
who could be relied upon for her ideas on how to strengthen legislation 
to benefit our Nation's small business owners. Just this year, Linda 
played a pivotal role in helping me develop legislation to alleviate 
the small business credit crunch and provide oversight over small 
business lenders. When Congress reconvenes next year, I will push to 
see that the Small Business Lending Oversight and Program Performance 
Improvement Act and the 10 Steps for a Main Street Economic Recovery 
Act are enacted into law.
  The consummate professional, Linda was always well prepared for 
committee hearings, markups and roundtables. She consistently provided 
me with detailed materials that clearly explained complex situations 
and offered proactive and comprehensive solutions to problems regarding 
small business lending, access to credit, and women's business 
concerns. Linda's ability to build and maintain relationships with 
constituents, issue experts, and staff from other Members' offices has 
served me and the committee well. In all her years on the Small 
Business Committee, Linda has been a passionate advocate for small 
businesses and their owners. Her eagerness to make a difference in 
people's lives is nothing short of commendable.
  After her tenure here in Washington, Linda is leaving the Senate to 
pursue a cause dear to her heart. Soon, she will be heading to Iraq to 
work as a business development specialist with one of the State 
Department's provincial reconstruction teams, or PRTs. PRTs are vital 
to our mission in Iraq, as they are made up of experts who advise the 
U.S. military and local Iraqi government on a wide array of issues, 
including economic and business development. Linda's work with the PRT 
will continue her pursuit of serving others, and will help win the 
hearts and minds of Iraqis in need of this vital aid.
  Linda Le is a person of remarkable strength and selflessness. And to 
make her story all the more compelling, her husband Hung, a 
communications officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, recently 
deployed to Afghanistan to serve our country in the war on terror. 
Clearly, the word ``service'' has a profound meaning in Linda's 
household. I speak for my entire staff when I say we will keep Linda 
and her husband in our thoughts and prayers during their time overseas, 
and we wish Linda safe travels and much success in her new and 
incredible endeavor.
  While I am sad to see Linda leave, I am excited for her bright 
future. She has used her talents to the fullest extent here in the 
Senate, and I am confident that she will continue to excel in 
everything she does. Thank you, Linda, for your dedicated service to 
your country, and best wishes as you begin an extraordinary new chapter 
in your life.

                          ____________________