[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 23502-23503]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BILLY PIPER

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, over the course of the last two decades 
I have had the honor of watching a very smart, but very green young man 
from Louisville grow into one of the finest people you could ever work 
with or call a friend.
  There is almost no hat that Billy Piper has not worn in the 19 years 
he has worked in my office--from driver, to mailroom staffer, to 
legislative aide, to campaign worker, all the way up to chief of staff.
  He's done it all. And in the course of doing it all, he became 
indispensable to me. And that's why it is so hard to say goodbye. But 
Billy has simply given

[[Page 23503]]

too much of himself to leave without a proper send-off.
  One of Billy's defining traits is that he deflects praise. This 
morning I would like to deny him the chance.
  A native of Louisville, Billy attended the Kentucky Country Day 
school and then moved to Virginia to attend the University of Richmond. 
He spent a semester here in Washington studying public policy and 
politics and did an internship with Senator Lugar's office, which he 
liked so much he decided to look for a permanent job on the Hill. And I 
would like to thank Senator Lugar today for inspiring Billy to public 
service.
  Billy was so eager to take a job in my office, in fact, that he 
agreed to be a driver even after he learned I had a stick shift--which 
he didn't know how to drive. His knowledge of Washington, D.C., streets 
wasn't that much better. But he decided the best way to learn both was 
by driving around a U.S. Senator. Our first day on the road was a 
little rough. But ever since he mastered the clutch, Billy hasn't made 
a misstep since. When he wasn't driving, Billy sorted the mail that 
came into the office. And it didn't take long for me to see this young 
man had a lot of potential, so I gave him more and more responsibility.
  He became a legislative correspondent, handling military and foreign 
affairs. And in 1996 I asked him to be the finance director for my 
reelection campaign. Without hesitation, Billy left a secure position 
and his home for an extremely hard campaign job on the road. It wasn't 
an easy job. And in any campaign, there's no guarantee of victory. But 
Billy excelled at it, as usual, and at every task I've given him since.
  Ask other members of my staff to describe Billy and they will tell 
you he's not only a friend, but a teacher and a mentor.
  Lots of people come to Capitol Hill with good intentions and wanting 
to do the right thing--but not all of them learn how to get things 
done. In my office, the road to mastery of any job usually ran through 
Billy Piper. First of all, Billy puts everyone at ease, from the 
college student applying for an internship to heads of state. He treats 
everyone the same, regardless of their station. He also refuses to take 
praise, and even if he does, he's usually eager to deflect it onto the 
rest of the team. He's also got a wicked sense of humor. It's a regular 
part of the day to hear laughter pealing from Billy's office.
  Billy became the chief of staff in my personal office toward the end 
of 2002. And for the last 8 years, he has shown first-class leadership 
as the steady hand at the wheel. He has shown extraordinarily sound 
judgment. He's always been ready to do whatever he was asked, whatever 
it took. Most of all, Billy knew who we all worked for: 4 million 
Kentuckians. For 8 years, Billy has been my right-hand man.
  Two years ago, Billy was invaluable to me in my reelection campaign. 
Once again, he proved himself equal to any challenge. He was the one 
man who knew everything that was going on and what everyone else was 
doing. He was and is unflappable, steady, and always confident.
  He gave it everything he had--and always with a smile on his face. 
And it wasn't easy for him, I know. With a young family at home, he 
sacrificed much. He's very fortunate that Holly's an understanding 
wife.
  More than anyone else, Billy is responsible for fostering the feeling 
of family in my office. It's one of the things we'll miss most about 
him. He always made staff feel like they're more than just a group of 
people in an office. He's grown close to a lot of them over the years, 
and they all love him and admire him.
  But as tough as this change is for me, I know it's as tough for Billy 
too. Here's a guy who went to the same school from kindergarten through 
the 12th grade, lived in the same house his whole childhood, and has 
had the same work e-mail address since we started using e-mail around 
here. But he is making this change for the right reason. When he 
announced his decision, Billy said, ``I love this office, I love the 
Senate, and I love Kentucky . . . but I love my family more.'' And no 
one can begrudge him that.
  So while this is a loss for me, my staff, my colleagues in the 
Senate, and the many people he's helped in Kentucky over the years, it 
is a gain for Billy's wife Holly, and their two little boys Billy and 
Tucker. And I wish the Piper family great happiness. I can hardly 
believe the man I am saying goodbye to is the same young man who stood 
for a high-school photo with me back in 1986.
  Sadly, Billy's parents aren't here to share in Billy's sendoff from 
the Senate. But if you knew Bill and Ann Piper, you would not be 
surprised by the kind of person Billy is or the success he has become. 
And I know they would be bursting with pride if they were here today to 
see what their son's accomplished. It was the love of a strong family 
that started Billy off on the right track, and it is because of his 
love for his family today that we bid him farewell. You can't say Billy 
Piper's priorities aren't in the right place.
  Before I finish, I would just like to read from an e-mail Billy sent 
to the entire staff on his last day--an e-mail that sums up the kind of 
guy Billy is. Here's what he wrote: ``The great honor of my 
professional life has been being able to call myself a McTeamer for 
nearly 20 years. This is an experience I will treasure all the more 
because of the wonderful friends I have made along the way. I am better 
for having known and worked with each of you. Thank you for all you 
have done and continue to do. I am in your debt.''
  Billy, as usual, you are generous with praise for everyone but 
yourself. But we're the ones who are thankful. We are the ones who are 
better for having known you. And the honor was all ours. Most of all, 
though, the honor was mine to stand alongside you through the years, as 
your mentor and your friend. I watched as you inspired others. You've 
inspired me. Thank you for your service and your friendship.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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