[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO LAURIE SULLIVAN

  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I speak today in tribute to a friend, 
Laurie Sullivan, who passed away late last month.
  Laurie was a lawyer, a legislative advocate, and a business leader. I 
admired Laurie professionally and personally. But I was not alone, 
because everyone admired Laurie.
  Laurie was a cut above the rest. Washington is a place where people 
can lose their way. Not Laurie. She was grounded. And she was centered.
  Laurie stood out because she was in it for the right reasons. She 
built a well-respected consulting firm, because she cared about good 
policy. She cared about making Government work.
  People admired Laurie for her intelligence, her wit, and her 
graciousness. She was a breath of fresh air. A veteran of Capitol Hill, 
Laurie was confident enough to take her work seriously, but not so much 
that she couldn't laugh or share a joke.
  People were drawn to Laurie because she was the kind of person who 
gave energy. She didn't take it.
  Nothing made Laurie happier than being with her family. She talked 
about her nieces and nephews frequently. Her face lit up each time she 
mentioned their latest activities or accomplishments. She was proud of 
them. And she treasured the time that she spent with them. She 
described trips with her family as priceless memories.
  Laurie was also a very generous person. And her generosity was not 
limited to her family. She gave generously of her time and resources to 
her community and her friends.
  She worked with a local mentoring program focusing on teenagers who 
had experienced a death in the family. She hired a student from the 
University of Virginia at Wise. The student worked at her firm for the 
summer. Laurie gave him a laptop computer. She helped him pay his 
college bills.
  Laurie also gave advice. She counseled her nieces and nephews. She 
counseled the students whom she mentored. She recommended strategies 
for her clients. And she counseled women who were starting a business.
  She gave her views on healthcare and politics to me and other 
Senators who were lucky enough to be part of her circle of friends. Her 
advice was always solid.
  When her nieces and nephews followed her advice, they prospered. 
Laurie's business grew, because her clients learned that she was right. 
The students she mentored succeeded in college.
  Laurie was truly a wonderful person. She knew what was most important 
in this world. And she made the most of it while she was with us. We 
should all be so lucky as to live that way.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BAUCUS. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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