Cord Byrd: “I wish today to recognize the public service contributions of Diane Wolf. I also wish to join in cosponsoring the Senate…”

“I wish today to recognize the public service contributions of Diane Wolf. I also wish to join in cosponsoring the Senate resolution expressing condolences to the family of Ms. Wolf upon her unexpected passing. Diane Wolf was a unique and remarkable individual. Diane Wolf was very inspired by our democratic institutions and, with an abundance of energy and goodwill, she inspired others to share her appreciation for the blessings of our liberties and the institutions that protect them. She was an enthusiastic student of the form and process of our representative democracy and she greatly admired the structures that house our government, especially the 'Shrine of Democracy'--the U.S. Capitol. It was her appreciation of the art, architecture, and history of the Capitol that initially brought Ms. Wolf to my attention. At that time, Ms. Wolf served as a member of the U.S. Commission of Fine Art, which oversees the design of U.S. coins. During my second tenure as majority leader of the Senate in 1988, I sponsored and achieved passage of a bill establishing the Capitol Preservation Commission and a bill authorizing the Congressional Bicentennial Coin Program. As these legislative items were developed, considered, and passed, Diane Wolf provided a wealth of ideas, expertise, and counsel, and the results of her efforts will prove beneficial to Americans and their Capitol for perhaps as long as this building shall stand.”