[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1646-1647]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ELLEN MALDONADO

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, it is a somewhat poorly kept secret that 
many of the successes of government are attributable to those who work 
outside of the limelight. While Senators, Cabinet Secretaries, and even 
the generals in our military are the public face of the policies of the 
United States, behind every leader is a cadre of dedicated and 
knowledgeable civil servants.
  Today I wish to call out one name in particular. Ellen Maldonado, a 
professional staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, will 
soon be retiring after 30 years of government service. Ellen joined the 
Defense Subcommittee in 2006, brought onboard by my friend and former 
colleague, Senator Ted Stevens. The subcommittee, and in fact the 
Senate as a whole, was fortunate to find someone with such a wealth of 
talent and experience in the complex field of budgeting for our Armed 
Forces.
  Ellen has worked at every level of the budgeting workforce for our 
military establishment. She began her career as a program analyst at 
the Naval Ship Research and Development Center in Carderock, MD, and 
rapidly progressed through the ranks in critical budgeting positions 
both inside and outside the beltway. Some of her most rewarding 
positions outside of Washington have included service at the Defense 
Language Institute in Monterey, CA, Air Force Special Operations 
Command at Hurlburt Field, and even the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru.
  Inside the Pentagon, Ellen worked on an impressive array of budgeting 
issues. From revising the Army's reprogramming process to programming 
for military health care, from reviewing defense research and 
development programs to developing emergency spending requests for the 
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, she has earned the respect of all of 
those around her. She has won a reputation of being an expert on the 
most arcane points of the Financial Management Regulations, as well as 
understanding the details of highly complex weapons systems. Ellen has 
been recognized for her outstanding achievements by being awarded both 
the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Service and the 
Exceptional Civilian Service Award.
  Ellen's career at the Pentagon culminated in her 2005 appointment as 
the Director for Investment for the Comptroller of the Department of 
Defense. In this position, she was responsible for overseeing the 
budget for every stage of developing, testing, and procuring equipment 
for all of the military services. This position brought her into 
regular contact with the highest levels of the Department of Defense, 
as well as Congress and the Office of Management and Budget.
  It is extremely fortunate for the Committee on Appropriations that we 
managed to lure her away from this important position in 2006. While 
serving on the Defense Subcommittee, Ellen has excelled in reviewing 
the budget proposals on critical Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, 
and intelligence programs. She has tackled some of the greatest 
national security challenges facing our country today, including an in-
depth investigation into our government's cyber security efforts and 
exhaustive reviews of the Nation's most expensive military program in 
history, the Joint Strike Fighter. Her impressive track record made her 
a natural pick to join President Obama's transition team at the 
Department of Defense in 2008 and 2009.
  While I could continue to list her professional successes, one cannot 
comment on her career without saying a few words on her outstanding 
character. Ellen combines a sunny disposition with a deep-rooted sense 
of fairness. She is a true master of her field, and always eager to 
share her knowledge and experience with her colleagues. While 
consistently a good steward of the taxpayer's money, her patriotism has 
insured that the welfare of the men and women serving in uniform has 
always been foremost in her mind. And finally, everyone who knows Ellen 
also knows of her remarkable and touching relationship with her 
husband, Rob. They are truly a magical couple, and I understand that 
they have plans to travel the world later this year.
  Ellen Maldonado has had an outstanding career in three decades of 
service in the Department of Defense and the Senate. On behalf of the 
whole Committee on Appropriations, I wish to thank Ellen for her 
tireless and outstanding work on behalf of the members of the Armed 
Forces, her colleagues, and the people of the United States. I wish 
Ellen and Rob all the very best in their future plans.

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