Congressional Record—Senate S7277
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December 8, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7277 works. We will fondly remember Ernie COVID–19, and pharmaceutical stock- than when he was driving Governor with a trademark cigar in hand and a pile development. John Lynch in 2012 and they witnessed smile on his face and the way his pres- Mr. Benor has received numerous an accident. A car had gone through a ence filled every room he entered. We awards throughout his career. In 2012, guardrail, fallen into an embankment, will remember his generous and kind President Barack Obama awarded Mr. and caught fire. Scott pulled over, and spirit, which lifted us all. Benor the Presidential Rank Award of along with an off-duty firefighter, freed Our deepest condolences go to Ernie’s Meritorious Executive, one of the high- a man who was trapped in the vehicle— beloved family, Sharon, Peter, and Jen- est awards that a career Senior Execu- just seconds before it was engulfed in nifer. We mourn your great loss. tive Service member may receive. flames. For his lifesaving action, Scott To Ernie, rest in peace, dear friend.∑ Dave Benor’s impact on public health was honored with a number of awards, f will be felt for years to come both including a Carnegie Medal, a national honor that recognizes those who risk TRIBUTE TO DAVID E. BENOR through his work on a wide variety of public health programs and by the in- their lives to an extraordinary degree Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I spiring example he has provided for the while saving or attempting to save the am honored to thank and congratulate many attorneys with whom he worked lives of others. one of my constituents and one of the and mentored. I was pleased to have a Throughout his service, Scott ap- Federal Government’s unsung heroes, flag flown over the U.S. Capitol over proached everything with humor, kind- David E. ‘‘Dave’’ Benor, who is retiring the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as a ness, and patience. He never com- on January 3, 2021, after more than 48 symbol of our Nation’s thanks to this plained, and he always served with an years of service as a public health at- outstanding public servant. incredible amount of professionalism. torney at the U.S. Department of I ask my colleagues to join me in Above all, Scott’s main commitment Health and Human Services’ Office of paying tribute to Dave Benor for his was to his family. His service would the General Counsel, HHS–OGC. distinguished service to our country not have been possible without the sup- After graduating from Harvard Law and to wish him all the best in the port and love of his wife Susan, his School in 1972, Mr. Benor began his ca- coming years as he enjoys his well- sons Zachary and Matthew, and his ex- reer at HHS–OGC and never left, rising earned retirement. tended family. to positions of increasing responsi- I am grateful for Scott’s friendship bility throughout the years. Since 2004, f and his years of dedication to the peo- he has served as the Associate General ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ple of New Hampshire. His retirement Counsel for Public Health. In this lead- is well-deserved, and I know that he ership role, he has led HHS–OGC’s Pub- will continue to look for ways to im- lic Health Division, a 100-person office TRIBUTE TO SCOTT FRYE prove his community and the entire within HHS–OGC that provides legal ∑ Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, today I Granite State. services to the Assistant Secretary for rise to honor the career of New Hamp- I hope that you will join me in recog- Health, the Surgeon General, and mul- shire State Trooper Scott Frye, who nizing the years of service of State ∑ tiple agencies that comprise the Public recently retired from the force. Trooper Scott Frye. Health Service, including the National A native of Milford, NH, Scott served f Institutes of Health, the Centers for with the New Hampshire State Police REMEMBERING DEE BENSON Disease Control and Prevention, the In- for more than 22 years as a road troop- ∑ Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I rise today dian Health Service, the Health Serv- er, a member of the narcotics unit, and to honor Judge Dee Benson, who passed most recently as head of the executive ices and Resources Administration, the away this week after a heroic battle protection detail. During his time in Substance Abuse and Mental Health with cancer. Dee had a remarkable and executive protection, Scott served Services Administration, and the Agen- far-reaching legal career, making an under three Governors, including for 4 cy for Healthcare Research and Qual- impact throughout Utah and the coun- years during my time as Governor. ity. Mr. Benor has worked extensively try. But even more than that, he has on product liability, grant law, organ Through our work together, I saw made an indelible mark as a beloved transplant, and vaccine issues, and has firsthand Scott’s commitment to the teacher, mentor, role model, and particular expertise with the Public Granite State. He always sees the big friend. Health Service safety net programs, in picture; he can step into a room and Dee grew up on small farm in Jordan, public health emergency response immediately assess it and the people in UT, across from the old Jordan High issues, and in implementing regulatory it, both as a security risk, but also for School. He served a 2-year mission in and compensation programs. need. Scott can find a way to connect Sweden for the Church of Jesus Christ Mr. Benor has dedicated his entire with and put almost anyone at ease. As of Latter-day Saints and afterwards at- career to implementing HHS’s mission a result, he is greeted as a welcome tended BYU, graduating in 1973 with a to advance the health of all people. He friend wherever he goes in New Hamp- degree in physical education. After a has done this by providing authori- shire. brief stint as a student teacher and tative legal advice on major health ini- While Scott served for nearly a dozen soccer coach at Hillcrest High, he de- tiatives, including those related to bio- years on the security detail of Gov- cided to change career paths and on a terrorism preparedness, biomedical re- ernors, he never lost sight of his com- whim applied to law school. search, organ transplantation, vaccine mitment and obligation to protect the Dee stumbled onto what would be- development and liability, and the pro- safety of every person in New Hamp- come a brilliant vocation in law. He vision of healthcare to medically un- shire. was one of the very first law students derserved populations through such Scott’s experience and deep under- at Brigham Young University, when programs as the community health standing of the Granite State were an my late father, Rex Lee, was founding center program, the Ryan White HIV/ important benefit to those he worked BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. AIDS Program, and maternal and child with. When we would travel to sites of Dee quickly took to law, grasping legal health grants. He has been a key legal natural disasters during my time as concepts with speed and ease, and soon adviser on the Department’s inter- Governor, Scott always had a sense became a star of his class, even with- national health initiatives, including about who needed to be checked in out spending all his time in the libary. Afghan and Iraqi reconstruction, global with and what a community or a public He was an equally affable student, AIDS programs, and quarantine activi- safety official needed in challenging loved by all of his classmates. A gifted ties for diseases such as SARS, pan- times. Even when his day ended and he athlete, he still managed to participate demic influenza, and monkey pox, and was officially off-duty, if he were on his in school activities and sports while in has been part of multidisciplinary way home and an extra State trooper law school, even playing for the soccer teams working on the public health re- was needed, he would be there to help team during his final year and fin- sponse to the War on Terrorism, in- in any way that he could. ishing near the top of his class. cluding the response to anthrax at- Perhaps nothing exemplifies Scott’s After graduating in 1976, Dee spent a tacks, smallpox vaccine development, dedication, bravery, and heroism more few months playing professional soccer VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:47 Dec 09, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A08DE6.006 S08DEPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE S7278 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 8, 2020 with the Utah Golden Spikers of the Throughout the years, Dee retained December 8, 2020, he has signed the fol- American Soccer League, and then his passion for sports and zest for life. lowing enrolled bills, which were pre- turned to his law career. He started out He ran marathons, was an avid moun- viously signed by the Speaker of the in private practice, first at Marineau tain biker, and mastered every sport House: and Mack and then at Christensen and that caught his interest. He was a de- S. 910. An act to reauthorize and amend the Martineau. He would later be appointed voted father who, despite the many de- National Sea Grant College Program Act, to positions at the highest levels of law mands on his time, seemed to maintain and for other purposes.