The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRIBUTE TO KEN REICHARD” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the in the Senate section section on pages S2000-S2001 on June 7.
The Department provides billions in unemployment insurance, which peaked around 2011 though spending had declined before the pandemic. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, claimed the Department funds "ineffective and duplicative services" and overregulates the workplace.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO KEN REICHARD
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise to congratulate Kenneth Paul Reichard on his retirement and to thank him for his 17 years of outstanding service as my Montgomery County district director and his career of selfless service to the residents of the county and all Marylanders. This Monday, the city of Rockville will officially recognize Ken--a lifelong resident--for his service. On April 14, Representative Jamie Raskin interviewed Ken for one of his weekly
``Local Hero'' podcasts. The accolades Ken is receiving are well-
deserved. As Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass stated,
``Ken has been a terrific advocate for Montgomery County! We are all beneficiaries of his grace, good humor and leadership.'' Ken is a local hero to Maryland and a personal hero to me. For the better part of two decades, Ken has been a lifeline to Montgomery County, helping to make sure that no citizen is left behind.
Ken was born at the original Montgomery General Hospital in Olney, MD, on August 17, 1943. His parents were Kenneth Henderson Reichard of Guilford Township, Franklin County, PA, and Gladys Lydia Martin Reichard of Reid, Washington County, MD. He is a descendent of a Revolutionary War soldier, George Barnard Reichard, from Pennsylvania, who fought from 1777 to 1780. He grew up in a union household on Horners Lane in Rockville with an older brother, Lee. Ken graduated from Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, in 1961. While he attended high school, he started working part-time at the Safeway grocery store on Bradley Boulevard in Bethesda. He quickly joined the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union--UFCW--and became the local's youngest business agent ever when he was just 21, winning his first election by 87 votes. He traveled to other stores around the State, and it wasn't long before Ken was handling labor grievances and negotiating contracts. By the time he finished his career with UFCW, he was executive assistant to the president of the national union, director of government affairs, and senior vice president. Then-Governor Parris Glendening tapped Ken to serve as assistant secretary and commissioner of labor and industry at the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. After that, he cochaired Senator John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaign in Maryland with Heather Mizeur, who went on to serve as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2007 to 2015, representing the 20th District in Montgomery County.
Given Ken's extensive knowledge of the issues, politics, and people of Montgomery County and beyond, my campaign contacted him and convinced him to serve as my metropolitan Washington-area representative when I first ran for the Senate in 2006. Ken has been with me ever since, and I am so grateful. He has met with countless constituents, businessowners, and elected officials; joined or represented me at field events; served as my liaison to organized labor; and handled special assignments. He has done it all with grace and insight and a quiet competence.
Ken married Sandra Lee Wiley on February 23, 1964, in Rockville, MD. Ken, now widowed, has three children: Cassie, Eric, and Paula; seven grandchildren: Lindsay, Caitlyn, Sampson, Tyler, Amanda, Sydney, and Drew; and two great-granddaughters: Maya and Stella. Ken was a member of Crusader Lutheran Church for a number of years and held several positions on the church counsel. Over the years, Ken has enjoyed volunteering for political campaigns and serving on several boards within Montgomery County, traveling in his motorhome, camping, building and fixing anything for the home, tending to an orchard of fruit trees, and appreciating classic cars.
There are few Marylanders--and even fewer Montgomery County residents--who have not benefited in one way or another from Ken's lifelong service to others. Ken has lived up to Douglas Adams's--author of ``The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''--maxim, ``To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.'' I want to thank Ken's family for ``sharing'' him with the people of Montgomery County and all Marylanders. Above all, I want to thank Ken himself for his wise counsel and friendship over the years. While he no longer works for me in an official capacity, I will continue to rely on him unofficially in the weeks and months ahead while hoping that he spends more time with his family and friends and recreational pursuits.
____________________