[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8854]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO RALPH McGARY

 Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I would like to speak 
today about an individual in my home State--a gentleman from Carlsbad 
named Ralph McGary. Because as we work for solutions to our Nation's 
challenges, I hope that we will always remember one basic thing. There 
are human beings behind these debates. There are stories of struggle 
and hardship and of inspiration. What we do here in Washington, DC, has 
real impact on real lives. What happens here matters in profound ways 
to millions of Americans, matters to fellow citizens like Ralph McGary, 
who have sacrificed and worked hard, and who depend on a government 
that will be there for them in return.
  This is Ralph's story, as reported recently in Focus on Carlsbad 
magazine. Ralph worked in the oilfields. One day, in 2006, on his way 
home, he was almost killed in a traffic accident. In an instant, his 
life was changed forever. He spent 6 weeks in intensive care and then 
3\1/2\ months at a rehabilitation hospital. He survived but was left a 
quadriplegic. Ralph McGary had to face tremendous loss, and then he had 
to decide how to move forward with his life.
  It is impossible for any of us to fully realize what an ordeal that 
must have been for Ralph or what courage and determination it has 
required of him every single day just to keep going, just to find his 
way on a path that he never imagined he would be on. But move forward 
he did. Drawing upon his own valiant spirit and with the help of 
others, among his family and in his community. His is a classic 
American story of self-reliance and community support.
  He found valuable allies at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 
in Carlsbad. Despite his severe physical impairment, Ralph still wanted 
to work, still wanted to be as productive as his condition would allow. 
DVR is a State-Federal organization. Its mission is to work with folks 
like Ralph to find employment, to help them overcome their 
disabilities.
  DVR provided Ralph with a computer and a special voice recognition 
software. His counselor at DVR, Barry Jolly, explained:

       We worked with him to develop a plan. That included going 
     back to school and completing his degree. We don't just 
     identify employment. We identify a strategy to get from where 
     you are to where you need to be.

  Ralph is still on that journey getting from where he has been to 
where he needs to be. He requires 24-hour care. His family, like so 
many others, tried to provide that care at home for as long as they 
could. For now, Ralph resides at a local nursing care facility. Most of 
his disability income pays for his nursing home care. He keeps about 
$60 a month. But his dream of greater independence continues. He dreams 
of some day being able to adapt his home to accommodate his needs.
  In the meantime, he earned his associate's degree from the New Mexico 
State University-Carlsbad. Last year, he obtained a part-time job at 
the Jeff Diamond Law Firm. The firm had helped him obtain his Social 
Security disability benefits, and SSA allows him to earn a certain 
amount of money each month without reducing his disability income.
  In his work at the law firm, Ralph calls himself the ``reminder 
guy.'' He calls clients to remind them of their appointments or other 
matters relating to their disability claims. He knows their struggles. 
He understands what they are going through. His job not only provides 
some extra income, it boosts his morale and his connection to his 
community, and the McGary family is very much a part of the community. 
His wife, Susan, has taught at Carlsbad schools for over three decades.
  Jolly told Focus on Carlsbad that:

       Ralph is a determined man and a sharp individual. I used to 
     work in the oilfields too, so I think we speak the same 
     language. I think one of his strengths is his ability to get 
     along with other people and his understanding of how things 
     work.

  Those are admirable qualities--getting along with others. 
Understanding how things work. We need more of that here in Washington, 
DC. People like Ralph McGary should expect no less of us. Ralph faced 
his challenges. We should face ours.

                          ____________________