The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF EDITH PRAGUE
______
HON. JOE COURTNEY
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of an eastern Connecticut legend, and my friend, Edith Prague.
Edith's life was marked by service to others, as teacher, a social worker, a state legislator, a state commissioner. I met Edith in our days working together in the Connecticut General Assembly, where she served first a State Representative from 1982 to 1990 and then a State Senator from 1995 to 2013, and her example and guidance on how to conduct yourself as a public official influenced so many new legislators, myself included. She was a fierce and tenacious legislator--never one to back down from a tough debate or miss a chance to advocate for those she served.
Edith was especially passionate about her work for seniors--from lowering drug costs, to expanding access to long-term care and home-
based care. In 1987 the State of Connecticut permanently established the ``CONNPACE'' program which was one of the few public programs that provided direct help to seniors for prescription drugs. That program was a protype for the federal Medicare Part D prescription drug program enacted by Congress two decades later. I remember well as a new state representative from Vernon, Connecticut watching Edith's inspirational passionate speeches on the floor of the general assembly the day CONNPACE was enacted. That passion led to her confirmation to serve as the first ever head of the CT Department of Aging, another Prague initiative, which gave her an even bigger platform to advocate for the needs and priorities of those in need in the later stages of life.
That was always a hallmark of Edith's service--looking out for others and fighting on behalf of those who needed a champion. Edith called herself ``a social worker with power,'' and she worked every day to use her platform to make a difference in the lives of those she served and crossed paths with over her lifetime. The proof of that is in the countless people across eastern Connecticut who can say that Edith helped them in ways big and small.
Above all, though, family was the most important part of Edith's life. Being a mother and grandmother was always top priority for Edith, and I know daughters Shelley, Benay and Joanne and grandchildren Nathan, Matthew, Sam, Josh, Chris, Brian, Katie, Tim and Michael, will remember her love and passion for her and for others in need.
I will always be grateful to call Edith my colleague and my friend. She was truly one of a kind, a wonderful person we just won't see replicated. Our region, our state and our country are better for her lifetime of service and dedication to others.
I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Edith's life and legacy as eastern Connecticut mourns her passing.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 220
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