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| November 5, 2008 DOL Home > Newsroom > Speeches & Remarks |  |
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U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao As Delivered Dedication of the New York EBSA Regional
Office Thank you, Ann Combs, [EBSA Assistant Secretary], for those warm words. I am delighted to be here with you today to honor this talented team. Before I begin, I would like to recognize a few special guests who are with us:
I am also pleased to see Angelica Tang, Region II’s regional representative. We meet today in a city of renewal and rebirth. Right now, millions of New Yorkers are busy at work—determined after the tragic events of September 11, 2001 to re-building their city and their lives with courage and resolve. Each one of you—whether in BLS or EBSA, New York or Washington—plays an important role in the lives of these everyday heroes. You protect their benefits and pensions, chart their working lives and assist them in numerous other ways. Many of you were at your desks on that terrible September morning when tragedy unfolded. In the midst of chaos and danger, you put others first. Little did you know that you were enlisting in the war against terror by becoming first responders for the American worker. Today, we are inaugurating a powerful symbol of that new beginning. I am pleased to dedicate the new home of EBSA’s New York Regional Office and to pay tribute to the many heroes in our midst. After the attacks, you went to work with literally no resources at all—not even an office. For the first month, many of you worked from home. Then, with the help of OASAM, BLS, and the Regional Solicitor’s office, you quickly set up a temporary headquarters at Varick Street. There, working in cramped spaces, you did your best even though you didn’t even have investigation files! They had been destroyed along with your office. Tasks that normally took a few minutes, took hours. As the hours turned into months, however, you remained focused on your mission: safeguarding the retirement security and health benefits of 150 million American workers and their families. Among your many accomplishments, I want to mention one in particular. Less than a month after the attacks, Benefits Advisors had participated in dislocated worker events attended by 78,000 New Yorkers. These workers were in need of immediate assistance to set up their COBRA coverage and find new employment. The Benefits Advisors, however, were just as shell-shocked and displaced as those to whom they offered critical assistance. Still, you put the needs of others first and helped thousands of dislocated workers and recovered more than $3 million in lost worker funds. I want to commend Frank Clisham for his exemplary leadership, and his dedication to duty in a near-combat environment. You exemplify the American spirit. I salute you and your staff for your professionalism, your commitment, and your “grace under pressure,” which is Ernest Hemingway’s definition of courage. I am so pleased to represent you as Secretary of Labor. And I know that every Department of Labor employee is proud to call you a colleague. On behalf of President George W. Bush and his Administration, thank you for your unwavering commitment to the well being of the millions of Americans who depend upon you. It is not often in life that we are given the opportunity to make a real difference for others. Your resolve and leadership following the events of September 11th made a real, positive difference in the lives of thousands of your fellow citizens. Thank you for exemplifying the best in public service. It is now my privilege to unveil the new award plaques, which will replace those that were destroyed along with your offices on September 11th. I hope they will be a concrete reminder—not of tragedy—but of your unselfish service to others and the best the human spirit has to offer. Thank you. # # # _________________________________________________________________ |
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