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.
“ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS” mentioning Deb Fischer was published in the Senate section on pages S1891-S1892 on April 13.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
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REMEMBERING DR. DAVID C. WHERRY
Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to recognize the remarkable life of Dr. David Wherry.
Born in Pawnee City, NE, he was the son of the former Nebraska Senator Kenneth S. Wherry, who served as the minority leader here in the U.S. Senate.
Dr. Wherry attended Doane College in Crete, NE, before enrolling at the U.S. Naval Academy.
He then chose to go into the medical profession.
Little did he know the major impact he would have in this field.
After graduating from George Washington University with his medical degree and completing his surgical training, he was commissioned as a Medical Corps officer in the U.S. Air Force.
He then moved overseas for his residency, taking a position as a surgical doctor at the 7559th USAF Hospital in Burtonwood, United Kingdom.
He spent more than 2 years there before returning to the United States to become a teacher at George Washington University and later also at Georgetown University.
After years of teaching, Dr. Wherry returned to Active Duty during Operation Desert Storm and retired in 1993 as a colonel.
Following his years of service to our country, he returned to teaching and academic research.
Dr. Wherry became renowned in the medical world as a leading innovator in minimally invasive surgery, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy on the gallbladder.
In his research in this area, he published over 50 manuscripts, 3 book chapters, and produced 2 films.
Additionally, he helped found laparoscopic cholecystectomy courses for servicemembers and trained thousands of military surgeons.
I want to note that Dr. Wherry was one of the first doctors in the United States to perform colonoscopies, making him a leading expert in this procedure that is performed on so many Americans and is vital in helping to detect and catch diseases like colon cancer.
International work was important to him, and he was successful in helping bring humanitarian aid to hospitals in the Philippines.
He also collaborated with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, USUHS, and with the University of the Philippines/
Philippine General Hospital in bringing surgical residents to do scientific research at USUHS as well as arranged exchanges between medical students for training purposes.
He wanted to share and expand on his work by collaborating with others, so he helped found the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons.
He was a member of the Societe Internationale de Chirurgie and International Biliary Association.
On top of all of these efforts, he continued to be a senior surgical consultant to the medical division of the U.S. Department of State.
His work and dedication to improving surgeries around the world and for our military men and women has been recognized by the State Department and the Department of Defense.
Both agencies presented him with their Meritorious Honor Award.
In addition to his place as a leader in the medical world, he was also a dedicated husband and father.
His wife, Azucena ``Ceny'' Wherry, was an RN whom he married in 1975.
His son, Kenneth D. Wherry, followed in his father's footsteps and joined the military to serve his country, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
Dr. David Wherry represents the best of Nebraska.
He was a hard worker who was not afraid to put in long hours.
Because of his dedication to studying and advancing medicine, he changed the world for the better.
I join all Nebraskans in honoring Dr. Wherry's life and recognizing his faithful service to our Nation and his incredible contributions to medicine.
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