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[Pages S2430-S2431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO DIANA MILETE
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the career of Diana
Milete. Diana has spent her life in public service and has made a
difference in the lives of tens of thousands of Ohioans.
Diana came to my congressional office when I was very first elected
to the House and has been with us ever since, through all my time in
the House and my entire 12 years in the Senate. When she retires at the
end of this month, she will have spent more than three decades in
Federal service.
Helping Ohioans is one of the most important things our office does,
and as the head of our constituent services program, her work has
touched the lives of more than 59,000 Ohioans. These were seniors
trying to navigate Federal Agencies to get the Medicare and Social
Security benefits they earned over a lifetime of work. They were
veterans and their families trying to secure medals and VA benefits.
They were Ohio workers trying to claim the tax credits they earned.
Diana went above and beyond the call of duty for so many Ohioans.
I remember 2\1/2\ years ago, right before the Fourth of July, our
office received a request for assistance from a
[[Page S2431]]
man in Cleveland named Danny Salazar, who was trying to arrange visas
for his family to visit him from the Dominican Republic. You may
recognize the name Danny Salazar--he was the Cleveland Indians' star
pitcher, and the reason he wanted his family to come visit was because
he had been selected to play in the MLB All-Star Game in San Diego.
Diana got right on the case, and, working with other members of our
team, she was able to make sure Danny's family got visa appointments in
time for the game. Danny's mother got to come watch the game with her
son, and he sent our office a picture of him and his family at Petco
Park--a picture that hung on Diana's wall.
Of course Diana's efforts weren't restricted to Major League Baseball
players. Our office helps any Ohioan who needs it, and we have received
piles of letters over the years from Ohioans writing to thank Diana for
all her hard work for them.
After Diana helped her with her Social Security claim, a woman from
Elyria wrote: ``Diana, you are an angel in disguise. You literally
saved my life and ended my despair.'' Another woman from Avon wrote to
Diana, ``Many thanks for doing the near impossible!''
Diana didn't stop with helping individual Ohioans. Over the years she
worked on several cases related to ALS patients, who faced a mandatory
waiting period of two years before they could receive disability
benefits. Tragically, ALS is a fast-progressing disease, and many
patients pass away before the 2-year waiting period is over. Diana
brought the issue to our office's attention, and our legislative staff
went to work. I joined my colleagues in the House and Senate to
introduce legislation to fix this, and we eventually got it done. We
reduced the 2-year waiting period to 5 months. This year, as Diana's
time with our office comes to a close, I have joined a bipartisan group
of colleagues to introduce legislation to eliminate the waiting period
for ALS patients all together. That is how our office works best--we
talk to Ohioans, dedicated workers in Ohio like Diana listen to their
stories and bring their issues to the attention of our office, and our
legislative staff works on a solution.
We are all going to miss Diana when she retires at the end of this
month, but she has earned a long and happy retirement spent with her
family in Lorain. Diana's impact on this office will be felt long after
she is gone. She has built one of the best casework operations in the
country, and I know her team is going to carry on Diana's legacy,
serving Ohioans with compassion and dedication for years to come.
Diana, thank you for your service to the people of Ohio.
____________________
