[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 20131-20132]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO PRISCILLA HOBSON HANLEY

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I wish to commemorate the contributions 
of Priscilla Hobson Hanley, who is retiring after more than 30 years of 
distinguished public service as staff in the U.S. Congress.
  Since the very beginning of my service in the Senate nearly 19 years 
ago, Priscilla has been one of my most valued advisers. She has always 
provided me with expertise on health care issues and Social Security, 
and most recently, she has served as staff director for the Senate 
Aging Committee. She exemplifies the ideal public servant; integrity, 
thoroughness, a spirit of inquiry, and hard work characterize her 
service. Above all, Priscilla has always demonstrated her belief that 
it is an honor to serve the people of Maine and our Nation.

[[Page 20132]]

  I first met Priscilla in 1984 when we both worked for Maine Senator 
Bill Cohen. After brief stints working in the House for two Congressmen 
from her native California, Priscilla was hired by Senator Cohen that 
year and developed an in-depth knowledge of health care issues. She 
became deputy staff director of the Aging Committee when Senator Cohen 
served as chairman.
  When I assumed Senator Cohen's seat in 1997, Priscilla was one of the 
very first people I hired; thus I had a terrific expert in two subject 
areas of great concern to my Maine constituents: health care and senior 
issues. As health policy adviser and legislative assistant, Priscilla 
brought her intelligence and experience to bear on the complex and 
myriad issues of health care, biomedical research, access to care in 
rural areas, women's health, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. 
Through her leadership role on the Aging Committee staff, she advanced 
our priorities of improving retirement security, increasing funding for 
research on diseases like Alzheimer's and diabetes, and protecting 
against scams targeting seniors.
  Three examples illustrate Priscilla's commitment to service. In 1997, 
my very first year in the Senate, we were considering a massive tax 
bill. At the last minute, a one-sentence provision appeared out of 
nowhere that was, beneath the innocuous wording, a $50-billion tax 
giveaway to Big Tobacco. Priscilla spotted that one sentence in the 
327-page bill, and we were able to put an end to the subsidy.
  Priscilla also helped me start the Diabetes Caucus in the Senate in 
1998. As a result of her dedication, funding for diabetes research has 
tripled since that year.
  In 2003, our Nation was still reeling from the attacks of 9/11, and 
Congress was working on a tax-cut bill to invigorate the struggling 
economy. A key to the success of that bill and to the economic rebound 
that followed was the temporary increase in the Federal Medical 
Assistance Percentage, or FMAP, to help States provide health care to 
low-income families. Priscilla led the way in developing that key 
provision.
  From dramatic increases in funding for diabetes and Alzheimer's 
research to improvements in rural health care and advancements in 
mental health parity, Priscilla has played a leadership role. Her work, 
due to her unassuming nature, may often be unheralded, but her legacy 
is inspiring to all of us who serve.
  When not working for the American people, Priscilla's great passion 
is a love of musical theater. In fact, a rare interruption in her more 
than three decades of service on the Hill came when she took a brief 
respite from Congress to help run an opera company in Virginia.
  Priscilla has a particular fondness for the comic operas of Gilbert 
and Sullivan, and like Major General Stanley of The Pirates of 
Penzance, she has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things ``vegetable, 
animal, and mineral.'' She truly is the very model of a modern Senate 
staffer, a model all should emulate.
  A life so devoted to public service brings to mind the parable of the 
talents. The master, leaving on a journey, entrusts a servant with a 
portion of his treasure. Upon his return, the master is delighted to 
find that his wealth was been wisely invested and multiplied.
  Priscilla Hobson Hanley was entrusted the great treasure of 
intelligence, energy, and passion. She invested that treasure wisely 
and through hard work and determination multiplied its benefits to all. 
To her, I quote Scripture and say, ``Well done, good and faithful 
servant.''

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