Dick Durbin: “I would like to take a moment to thank a woman whom most Americans do not know but whose name is well-known to every…”

“I would like to take a moment to thank a woman whom most Americans do not know but whose name is well-known to every employee of the United States Senate because--among other reasons--she signs our paychecks. Nancy Erickson will be leaving the Senate at the end of this session. For the last 7 years, Nancy has served as the Secretary of the United States Senate. All told, she has worked for the Senate for 26 years. For those who may not know, the Secretary of the Senate is this body's top appointed position. It is like being CEO of a large corporation. The Secretary oversees two dozen departments--from payroll and printing to the Congressional Record. Nancy Erickson is the 32nd person--and the sixth woman--to hold that position. Nancy is a consummate professional who has won the respect of Senators on both sides of the aisle. She is unfailingly cheerful and unflappable. Nancy Erickson loves the United States Senate even more than she loves the Green Bay Packers--and that is saying a lot. Nancy got the political bug early. As a fifth grader in Brandon, SD, she campaigned door-to-door for South Dakota Senator George McGovern in his 1972 Presidential campaign. She moved to Washington, DC, after college to work for the Government Accountability Office, which was then known as the General Accounting Office. After 2 years of desperate homesickness, she was ready to pack her bags and head back to South Dakota when she got a better offer.…”