Haley Stevens: “While we are waiting momentarily, I want to take this opportunity to recognize the staff of the Labor, Health and Human…”

“While we are waiting momentarily, I want to take this opportunity to recognize the staff of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee for all their efforts, hard work, and dedication on this very difficult bill. First let me thank Senator Harkin's staff: Ellen Murray, Erik Fatemi, and Adrienne Hallet. They have worked shoulder to shoulder in a bipartisan fashion with our staff to put together this fine bill. It is a testament to their hard work, skill, dedication, and partnership. I also commend and thank our subcommittee staff: Jim Sourwine, Mark Laisch, Sudip Parikh, Candice Rogers, and Carol Geagley. The staff deserves our gratitude for working diligently for many months, late nights, and weekends to put together this very important bill. I know every year both of these staffs reach across the aisle to work together to forge compromises on many contentious issues. I think we should all thank them and salute them. Lastly, I will take a moment to give special praise to our subcommittee staff director Bettilou Taylor. Senator Specter and I often refer to Bettilou as 'Senator Taylor.' She has one of the toughest jobs in the Senate. This is the largest bill this year. It probably is the largest domestic appropriations bill in the history of the United States to appropriate taxpayer money for Federal purposes. This is a very complex bill with difficult issues. Bettilou does it with a great deal of skill and grace.”