10.19.23

McConnell Honors Retiring Senate Historian Betty Koed

‘Over her time in the Senate, Betty has been a fierce advocate for the preservation of Senate records. Her colleagues describe her as a role model and mentor who’s highly knowledgeable, considerate, and persistent. It would be no exaggeration to call Betty Koed’s tenure as Senate Historian an historic milestone in its own right.’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Betty Koed:

“I’d like to take a minute to thank an all-star member of the Senate community as she departs on a well-deserved retirement.

“For the past 25 years, recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of the U.S. Senate has been Betty Koed’s top responsibility. As Senate Historian, Betty has immersed herself more than pretty much anyone in the lore of this remarkable institution.

“Betty joined the Senate as Assistant Historian in 1998, in time to witness history with the impeachment trial of President Clinton. And her intelligence and determination came in handy immediately, as the Historian’s Office phones rang off the hook with questions about the complex rules, procedures, and precedents that surrounded the first such event in more than a century.

“But as much as members of this body are prone to make history, Senators also tend to like consuming history.

“I, myself, am no exception. So back in 2009 when former Senate Historian Richard Baker retired, I invited Betty to start visiting Republican Conference lunches to deliver weekly presentations on Senate history.

“By all accounts, Betty’s ‘History Minutes’ were the highlight of many a lunch. In fact, they were so popular that we asked her to turn these stories into a book. And I’m glad to say that impressive volume, illustrating some of the most dramatic and significant events in the Senate’s history, was actually published earlier this year.

“Over her time in the Senate, Betty has been a fierce advocate for the preservation of Senate records. Her colleagues describe her as a role model and mentor who’s highly knowledgeable, considerate, and persistent. It would be no exaggeration to call Betty Koed’s tenure as Senate Historian an historic milestone in its own right.

“So I’d like to offer Betty my heartfelt thanks for her loyal service to this institution. And I know our colleagues join me in wishing her all the best.”

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Related Issues: Tributes