[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6130]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      TRIBUTE TO BETSY J. KEELING

 Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I am pleased to ask my colleagues 
to join me in recognizing Ms. Betsy J. Keeling as she retires after 
nearly 32 years of Federal service, which included working for 6 years 
in the U.S. Senate. Her dedicated public service and tireless 
commitment to keeping appropriate congressional committees fully and 
currently informed of the activities of her agency should be recognized 
and appreciated by all in this Chamber.
  A native of Nashville, TN, Ms. Keeling graduated from the University 
of Tennessee in 1977. She then joined the staff of our esteemed former 
majority leader, Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee, in June of 1977, 
where she served as an office manager, formulating the Senator's office 
budget and supervising 30 full-time employees with a variety of 
responsibilities.
  In August of 1983 she joined the office of Commissioner Frederick 
Bernthal of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC. As his 
administrative assistant, she handled all day-to-day operations of the 
office and managed work flow within the Commissioner's office.
  At the end of Commissioner Bernthal's term in June of 1988, Ms. 
Keeling joined the staff of NRC's Office of Congressional Affairs. She 
served as a congressional affairs officer for almost 12 years and was 
then promoted to senior congressional affairs officer in 2000. She 
served in that capacity until September of 2005. As a senior 
congressional affairs officer, she assisted in formulating 
congressional relations policy and programs, performed liaison duties, 
analyzed legislation and coordinated congressional briefings and 
hearings.
  Ms. Keeling was recognized for her outstanding service by the NRC 
with a Meritorious Service Award, the agency's second-highest award 
given to its employees, in 2003. She received this award ``in 
recognition of her exceptional versatility, dedicated service, and 
adroit handling of Congressional affairs.'' Ms. Keeling was also the 
recipient of numerous performance and special achievement awards 
throughout her career at the NRC.
  In September 2005, Ms. Keeling was appointed associate director for 
congressional affairs in NRC's Office of Congressional Affairs. She has 
been in this position since that time and it is from this position that 
Ms. Keeling retired from Federal service on February 27, 2009. She will 
be returning to her beloved State of Tennessee to be with her family 
and friends in Nashville.
  Mr. President, I am pleased to ask my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating Ms. Keeling on her retirement and thanking her for her 
service to the U.S. Senate and her country through her work at the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

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