Dick Durbin: “I want to acknowledge Wendy Wertheimer, an outstanding Federal employee who has spent decades working to advance the…”

“I want to acknowledge Wendy Wertheimer, an outstanding Federal employee who has spent decades working to advance the domestic and international HIV/AIDS research effort. Wendy is about to complete nearly 30 years of Federal service that began in the Senate and is now coming to an end at the National Institutes of Health. Like many bright young people in Washington, Wendy began her career right here in the U.S. Senate, working for Senator Jacob Javits. Later she joined the legislative staff of what was then called the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, led by Chairman Edward Kennedy and Ranking Member Jacob Javits. Wendy's first assignment was the Venereal Diseases Control Act, which many on staff saw as a form of hazing for a new, young staff member. But Wendy was personally connected to the issue. Her grandfather had been the chair of Dermatology and Syphilology at a hospital in Pittsburgh and had conducted early clinical studies of syphilis. She embraced the assignment, and the bill passed with bipartisan support. It was the first bill Wendy had ever worked on--she was off to a good start. In 1979, the American Social Health Association established the first advocacy group for venereal disease control and research, and Wendy was offered a job as its director of government affairs. After hearing the news, Wendy's mother was horrified and told her she will never get another date because everyone will assume that she has a venereal disease.…”