[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5486]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BENITA DURAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HILDA L. SOLIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 24, 2009

  Ms. SOLIS of California. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize 
Benita Duran, a dedicated, hard working woman whom I am very fortunate 
to have had on my staff for more than eight years.
  Benita joined my staff in November 2000 while I was serving as a 
member of the California State Senate. She stayed with me during my 
transition into service as a Member of Congress and has been my Deputy 
District Director since 2004.
  During her time in my office, Benita demonstrated that she is a hard 
working individual committed to advancing the public interest. She 
demonstrated her passion for issues affecting underserved communities 
and the lives of working families daily in her work. True to her roots, 
the residents of El Sereno were first and foremost in her heart and 
mind.
  Benita is strongly committed to our nation's servicemen and women, 
veterans and their families. She worked tirelessly to ensure that 
countless numbers of veterans received the medals and recognition they 
earned, and stood by the families of who lost their loved ones in 
service to our nation.
  Benita was equally committed to helping all residents resolve issues 
which required Federal assistance. She paid personal attention to each 
case, whether it was helping resolve an IRS issue to helping people 
achieve the American Dream of securing their citizenship.
  As my Deputy District Director, Benita managed my two district 
offices and staff in a mature, thoughtful, organized manner. Through 
her words and actions, Benita trained, mentored and inspired my staff 
to constantly challenge themselves to meet new goals while helping them 
along the way. I knew Benita could be counted on to deliver. I am 
grateful to have had her assist me in this capacity while my work kept 
me in Washington, DC.
  Benita's passion, dedication and commitment to public service will be 
sorely missed. I am confident she will continue to excel in all future 
endeavors.

                          ____________________