[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         THANK YOU, PAT SALBERG

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bid a fond farewell to a 
long-time member of my district staff, Pat Salberg. Pat recently 
retired after 23 years of dedicated service to the people of Illinois' 
13th Congressional District.
  Having served as a caseworker on the staff of my predecessor, 
Representative Harris Fawell, Pat was kind enough to agree to stay with 
my office--only temporarily, she said--to aid the transition. That was 
10 years ago.
  It seems her retirement plans just kept getting pushed back by an 
untiring love of helping others. From seniors with Social Security 
questions to a homeless mom looking for shelter for her child, Pat 
never hesitated to go above and beyond to find a solution for those in 
need.
  Were you to ask her colleagues about it, they would tell you that her 
love for others is rivaled only by her love of animals, both cuddly and 
otherwise. In fact, members of my staff in the district are to this day 
forbidden from stepping on spiders or other insects that might be 
roaming around the office. Pat insisted that they be scooped up to 
safety and set free outside.
  One time she even tried to save a live lobster that someone had 
unwittingly given her as a gift. Pat didn't rest until it had been set 
free in a co-worker's pond.
  Needless to say, it is little surprise to any of us who know Pat that 
Pat plans to spend some of her newly acquired free time volunteering at 
the Brookfield Zoo. I expect she will also spend more time gardening 
and playing bridge with friends.
  Madam Speaker, Pat is a wonderful colleague and will always remain a 
part of our team in the 13th Congressional District. As she turns to 
new, more leisurely pursuits in life, I would like to wish her good 
health and great happiness. I know her two daughters, Wendy and Debbie, 
as well as her grandchildren, Megan, Scott, and Collin, will be glad to 
have Pat around even more. And I thank them for letting us borrow her 
for as long as they did.
  Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Pat Salberg for all she 
has done for the community and for me. We will miss her dearly.

                          ____________________