Recognizing Paul Russo on His Retirement

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Mr. Paul Russo, a dedicated public servant, on his upcoming retirement. For the past forty years, Mr. Russo has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of our Nation's heroes through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since 2018, he has been employed as the Director of the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System. In this capacity, Mr. Russo has overseen the delivery of healthcare for more than 130,000 Veterans in Florida. In addition to running the main hospital, Mr. Russo has managed eight outpatient clinics, supervised 4,500 employees and managed an annual operating budget of more than $1 billion. Mr. Russo also served as Director of the Miami VA Healthcare System for six years and at the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina for two years. Mr. Russo is a recipient of numerous awards for distinguished service. He has also served on many boards and committees within the Department of Veterans Affairs and external to the agency. It is clear that Mr. Russo has made a profoundly positive impact on the lives of many Veterans, and I am grateful for his service.

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