[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JANICE MILLER

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize one of my longest-
serving and loyal staffers, Janice Miller. After more than a quarter of 
a century in my Las Vegas office, Janice retired on February 22, 2013. 
She has earned a happy and restful retirement from public service, but 
she will be deeply missed.
  Just six months after I had been elected to serve my first term in 
the U.S. Senate, Janice joined my staff. A self-described cat lover, 
Janice soon came to be known for her laughter and her sharp wit. Along 
with her no-nonsense attitude, she showed true compassion for the 
countless Medicare and Social Security recipients she assisted 
throughout her career.
  Janice is a true Nevadan. She attended the Western High School in Las 
Vegas, and then went to the University of Nevada, Reno. Although Las 
Vegas is her home, she continues to be an avid Wolf Pack supporter. In 
her youth, Janice had a tremendous activist spirit. That was tapped 
into by one of her mentors, my good friend and former chief of staff, 
Rey Martinez. Rey taught Janice at Western High School, and he also 
introduced her to politics, where she stayed until her recent 
retirement. Janice has always cared deeply about women's issues, 
ranging from women's health care to access to education and equality in 
the workplace.
  Janice Miller, during the time she worked on my campaigns, was an 
all-star. Janice also had tremendous compassion for senior citizens who 
were often struggling with Social Security issues. In the more than 25 
years that Janice was with me, she never lost her concern for the 
seniors who needed her help. She always went above and beyond, helping 
to develop invaluable resources for Nevada's seniors in need. She 
helped to write the first ``Retiree Guide'' for my office. Thousands of 
copies of this guide are still used as a catalog of information and 
resources for seniors in southern Nevada.
  Janice developed a deep understanding of the medical field through 
her work and her continued outreach to the community. Cindy Lubiarz, 
vice president of business development at Care Meridian, credits Janice 
with helping to facilitate the development of the CareMeridian 
Pediatric Facility, the only free-standing, post-acute inpatient 
pediatric facility in Nevada, which is set to open its doors later this 
year.
  While fighting to ensure that Nevadans in need got the benefits they 
deserved, Janice also battled breast cancer. As a survivor, she serves 
as a source of strength for so many women who are facing the same 
challenge. She took this role in her personal life as well as in her 
professional life. Her support has meant so much to Mary Liveratti, 
retired administrator for the Nevada Division of Aging and Disability 
Services, who is a breast cancer survivor herself. When Janice first 
learned of Mary's diagnosis, she pulled her aside at a meeting to tell 
Mary that she had also battled breast cancer and to offer Mary support 
and encouragement. When Mary talks about this incident, it brings her 
to tears because she knew she was not alone in her fight.
  Janice's kind spirit, in-depth knowledge of Medicare and Social 
Security, and commitment to public service will be truly missed. I 
thank her for her tireless service, and wish her well in her 
retirement.

                          ____________________