Political Quotes

“I rise today to recognize Betsy Reifsnyder, a dedicated public servant who is retiring in July after nearly 25 years of service to the U.S. Congress. Ms. Reifsnyder came to the Library of Congress in 1984 as part of an intern program and then moved on to the Congressional Research Service in 1985 as a reference librarian. She has worked in a number of challenging roles, and will retire as the data architect of the Congressional Research Service. Throughout her years at CRS, Ms. Reifsnyder has performed complex and institution-supporting duties. Her leadership, sound judgment, and creative work, coupled with her technical expertise and her positive approach to any project or problem were keys to the early and continued success of the Legislative Information System, LIS. Her dedication and ability to find solutions have earned her a trust, and confidence, that echoes throughout the legislative branch. An expert in the legislative process, data structures, and online search systems, she was instrumental in moving legislative data into the Internet age. Ms. Reifsnyder has played an active role in the development of improvements and advanced features for LIS retrieval and display to meet the needs of congressional staff. Both Congress and the general public have benefited greatly from her work on the THOMAS and LIS, systems which have allowed access to reliable and timely legislative information.”