[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6186]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING SERVICE OF CHARLES HOUY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize one of Congress' 
longest-serving and loyal staffers, Charlie Houy. After three decades 
of service under Senators Ted Stevens, John Stennis and Daniel Inouye, 
Charlie retired April 6, 2013. Today, on his one month retirement 
anniversary, we reflect on his quiet and steady leadership which was so 
important to the work of the Appropriations Committee and the Senate.
  Charlie began his career on the Appropriations Committee as a 
professional staff member for the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee 
in 1987. He was quickly promoted and assumed the role of democratic 
clerk starting in 1995. In that capacity, Charlie worked on nearly 
every issue in the defense area from purchasing weapons to personnel 
issues.
  Charlie's work on the Defense Subcommittee enabled our Nation's 
military to transform itself from a Cold War-era force to the agile and 
quick response force that exists today. Charlie played a major role in 
helping modernize our weapon systems, including helping secure funding 
for the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles--UAVs. Funding for UAVs 
helped to change the tide of the latest conflict in our favor and will 
continue to play a major role as we continue to prosecute and disrupt 
terrorist activities worldwide.
  The role of UAVs in today's warfare is especially evident in my home 
State of Nevada. Creech Air Force Base is home to the famed Predator 
and Reaper aerial vehicles. For decades, Creech Air Force Base was 
comprised of a few buildings and a single runway, but Charlie's hard 
work on the Appropriations Committee led to significant investment in 
infrastructure and increases in Nevada military personnel. These 
additional resources have transformed Indian Springs Auxiliary base to 
Creech Air Force Base, the premier UAV installation in the world, 
supporting air and ground combat, reconnaissance, and search and 
rescue.
  In 2009, Charlie assumed his current role as the staff director for 
the Senate Appropriations Committee. As our Nation was dealing with the 
effects of the great recession, Charlie helped develop policies to 
invest in American infrastructure and jumpstart the economy. His in-
depth knowledge about the intricacies of the legislative process, 
coupled with his sense of humor, allowed him to keep order among the 
various subcommittees and continue the bipartisan nature of the 
Committee.
  Charlie played a major role in nearly every appropriation issue 
during the last 5 years. From continuing resolutions to omnibus 
appropriations measures, Charlie helped navigate the Congressional 
landscape to ensure passage into law. In particular, Charlie worked 
with my staff to help avert a government shutdown and enact the Budget 
Control Act. I will always be grateful for Charlie's hard work on this 
piece of legislation.
  Although the Senate and Nevada will miss Charlie's deep institutional 
knowledge about the appropriations process and the Federal budget, I am 
confident that Charlie's work left a lasting mark on our Nation and on 
Congress. I am happy to thank Charlie for his three decades of service 
and wish him well in his retirement.

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