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[Pages S1575-S1576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Tribute to Bruce King
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I know my good friend from Georgia has to
get somewhere, and I have to get somewhere. I will be very brief.
I want to take a moment to pay tribute. We have staffers here who are
just unsung heroes. They work day in and day out. Because of their
diligent work, the world and the country is a better place.
One of these people who works in quiet dignity and gets so much done
and is so well respected is Bruce King. He has been indispensable at my
office, and today, this afternoon, it is my unfortunate duty to say
farewell to Bruce.
He has worked in the Senate in some capacity since 1984. He has
worked for Judiciary, Senator Lautenberg, the Budget Committee, and as
the senior
[[Page S1576]]
counsel for multiple Democratic leaders on the Federal budget,
stretching from Leader Daschle to Leader Reid to me. In that short
time, Bruce wasn't short of legislative achievement, from negotiating
the balanced budget agreement of 1997 to blocking the privatization of
Social Security in 2006, from shepherding health reform through the
Senate to passing the financial rescue bill after the crisis in 2008.
One of our most distinguished Senators would be proud of that record.
Their name would be in lights. Bruce did all of that and much more in
his, as I said, quiet, steadfast, brilliant dignity.
I have never sat on the Budget or Appropriations Committees, so when
I became leader, having his experience and wisdom was incredible. I
have met no one who could take these complex issues and put them in
terms that even someone like myself could understand, not being an
expert on those things. He was able to understand the big picture and
never get caught in the minutia, although he knew the minutia extremely
well.
When you ask Bruce's opinion on a matter, he presents it so
succinctly and persuasively that you know it is the right answer in a
matter of minutes, until he decides to play devil's advocate against
his first opinion and convinces you of the opposite because he is one
of those staffers who has never had an ax to grind. He said: Let my
Senators know both sides, and let them decide.
But we knew both sides so well and so lucidly because of Bruce's
ability to take these issues and help us understand them.
He can juggle so many variables in his head at once. He can weigh the
pros and cons. He has an instinctive knowledge of how to deal with the
tradeoffs, and he can keep it all in a simple way.
He is a modest man. He has sat at the same desk in the Capitol for 14
years. Every day, he brings his lunch--peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches--and he leaves the office at almost the same time every
night to have dinner at home with Janis, his beloved wife.
Senators get the spotlight and the credit when our initiatives
succeed, but so many initiatives would never have succeeded without
Bruce King. Bruce, through the years, deserves an ocean of credit for
his work. He would never claim a drop of it because he is a humble man.
For all his expertise, he is humble, kindhearted, and thoughtful.
Everyone likes him. In all the years he has worked here, I never heard
a single person say a single bad thing about him. That is a pretty good
tribute in a place like the Senate.
Bruce's departure will be a loss to his friends and colleagues and to
the Senate as a whole and, of course, to my office.
There is only one bad thing I can say about him. He switched his
allegiance from the New York Mets to the Nationals. The good news is
that he will be able to catch some more games with Janis, his son
Aaron, and his daughter Liana.
Bruce, you are a blessing to our office, to the Senate, and to the
country. We wish you the best.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, to the Democratic leader and Bruce, who
is on the floor, congratulations on behalf of all the Republicans in
the room.
Come down to Atlanta and watch the Braves play the Mets. We would be
happy to have you anytime. Thank you for your time here.