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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING MELINDA WALKER ON HER RETIREMENT AS CHIEF REPORTER OF DEBATES
______
HON. NANCY PELOSI
of california
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 22, 2019
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Melinda Walker, the
Chief Reporter of Debates, on her retirement in August after more than
20 years of outstanding service to the House of Representatives.
Ms. Walker has brought great effectiveness and integrity to this
critical position, which has long been vital to the transparency and
accessibility of Article I, the Legislative Branch, to the American
people. She carries on the long, storied tradition of shorthand
reporters of debates, upon whom the House has relied for nearly two
centuries to ensure that the People's House can be open and accountable
to the American people.
A proud native of Texas, Ms. Walker came to the House in 1999 after
serving as a court reporter for the UN International Criminal Tribunal
for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania. Her career began after graduating from
the Stenograph Institute of Texas in 1989, and her skills took her
around the country and the world, with positions in England, the
Caribbean, and South Africa.
Ms. Walker has led a career of great distinction in the House. She
has reported both House committee hearings and Floor proceedings, and
has taken down committee testimony from two Chief Justices of the
United States and three Secretaries of State, among many others. On the
Floor, Ms. Walker has reported the State of the Union messages for
three Presidents as well as the speeches of numerous foreign
dignitaries during Joint Meetings of Congress.
Upon her promotion to Chief Reporter in 2015, she led the team of
court reporters and staff in charge of the production of the
Congressional Record. She has distinguished herself by the excellence
with which she has mastered intricate parliamentary nuances of House
proceedings and by her passion for and commitment to this institution.
Among her many contributions to the House is the legacy she leaves
through the 200-page style and format manual that she fully revised and
updated for the Office of Official Reporters, which will serve as a
resource for years to come.
Ms. Walker is recognized by the National Court Reporters Association
as a Registered Professional Reporter, a Certified Manager of Reporting
Services, and is a Certified Shorthand Reporter in Texas. She plans to
return to her hometown of San Saba, Texas, and spend more time with her
family and faithful hound dog, Bleu.
Madam Speaker, Ms. Walker has joined a long and distinguished
tradition of dedicated, nonpartisan service to the House, and I join
her staff and many others in wishing her the very best in retirement.
____________________