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“THE DEPARTURE OF STEVEN APICELLA, LEGISLATIVE FELLOW” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S15068 on Nov. 19, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE DEPARTURE OF STEVEN APICELLA, LEGISLATIVE FELLOW
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to recognize my Legislative Fellow, Steven Apicella, who will be leaving the Lott staff, my team, at the end of this session.
I must admit, when Steven first joined us, I was not sure who he was or why he was lurking in my meetings. However, I quickly learned that thanks to the wisdom of my Chief of staff and then Legislative Director, the Department of Energy had lent me and Mississippi one of their best.
Over the past twenty months, Steven has become an indispensable part of my legislative shop. He has worked hard on a broad range of issues--
each time jumping in feet first, soaking up knowledge, and moving legislation forward in this often complicated process.
Steven began his Capitol Hill experience during the lengthy and grueling TEA-21 negotiations. He quickly realized my transportation priorities for my home state of Mississippi, and was helpful in making sure these issues were not ignored. During these long hours spent hammering out the details of TEA-21, Steven earned the respect of staff, as well as mine.
Steven advised me on a variety of high-tech issues, and was an active participant of the team which formulated a focus for the Republican Technology Task Force. He worked with the staffs of several of my colleagues to reach a consensus--often not an easy task.
Steven has also been very diligent in advancing a meaningful and updated encryption policy--one that balances national security, law enforcement and trade interests. He continually made sure that all parties realized that these are not mutually exclusive priorities. Steven detected this significant issue and was responsible for bringing it to my attention and guiding me as the bill worked its way through the Commerce committee.
Digital signatures is another issue Steven has aggressively pursued. He played an active role in getting the government portion of the legislation enacted into law last Congress, and worked extensively toward today's Senate passage of this needed opportunity for the private sector.
An important service on behalf of the State of Mississippi has been Steven's diligence on national parks legislation. This year Steven was very helpful in preparing two bills that I introduced in this area--one to add the battlefield at Corinth as part of the Shiloh National Park, and another to begin the planning for the designation of the Vicksburg Campaign Trail. On each of these bills, Steven worked effectively with the Senate committee of jurisdiction and was responsible for getting the funds authorized before introduction. I am happy to say that today those bills passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
Finally, with Steven's help I again fought the uphill battle of Title Branding. Steven worked with and strengthened a large, bipartisan effort to draft and support legislation to brand the titles of severely damaged salvaged vehicles, so consumers will be able to identify potentially dangerous used cars before they are purchased. Steven searched for a compromise, and constantly pushed the envelope of consensus. Steven tirelessly championed this pro-consumer bill and his efforts brought it to the threshold of Senate passage.
Although Steven was assigned areas which were outside the realm of his ``parent'' employer, Department of Energy--he has been an excellent ambassador. He has helped the staff understand the intricacies of the agency and appreciate its problems. As Steven returns to his duties at DOE, I hope his experiences and the skills and contacts he has developed while serving as a part of my staff will serve him well.
Over the past several years, I have been privileged to have the services of legislative fellows, to provide stellar support for my efforts. Steven has been fantastic. I thank Steven for his dedication and determination, and I thank DOE for their patience--I'm sure they are ready to have him back, working his magic there. I wish Steven, and his son Jarrett, Godspeed in their future endeavors.
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