[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16] [Senate] [Page 21551] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO MARY BOURDETTE Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to Mary Bourdette, who passed away earlier this month after a 15-month struggle with ALS. My condolences go to Mary's family and the many friends and colleagues with whom she shared her spirit and commitment to social justice and making our country stronger through our families. Mary is missed by me and so many others who had the honor to work with her as she championed the needs of those who have no voice in the political process. Our nation is truly better for Mary's 30 years of work on behalf of children and families. Mary, who keenly understood the legislative process, combined her passion for good policy with a political pragmatism that yielded real results. She never lost sight of the important issues and built effective coalitions to guide important legislation to passage. Most notably, her focus on the children never wavered. Her commitment, talent, and leadership improved the lives of countless Americans. I had the honor to have worked with her over the past 20 years on behalf of those among us with the greatest needs. Mary had an ability to get to the heart of the matter and move it forward. She was a driving force during the 3\1/2\ years we worked to win enactment of the child care and development block grant. She played a critical role in expanding the earned-income tax credit to help even more low-income families. She also helped to move forward important bills related to foster care and adoption. Her keen understanding of the technical Federal budget process benefited innumerable children and their families. I am especially grateful for Mary's tireless work related to Head Start. During reauthorization of this important legislation in 1993, she was instrumental in the creation of Early Head Start that provided more comprehensive assistance to parents and their infants and toddlers. When the law was again reauthorized in 1998, Mary was there to ensure that it was further strengthened. I applaud Mary's many accomplishments throughout her distinguished career. From the Legal Services Corporation to the Children's Defense Fund to the Child Welfare League of America to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, her dedication to helping the most vulnerable among us never wavered. Mary Bourdette made enormous contributions and left all of us with much to protect and to build on in the future. We and the Nation's families are so grateful to Mary for her dedication and work to better the lives of our Nation's children. ____________________