Volume 144, No. 151 covering the 2nd Session of the 105th Congress (1997 - 1998) was published by the Congressional Record.
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.
“THE BEST OF STAFF” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2281-E2282 on Oct. 21, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE BEST OF STAFF
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HON. THOMAS J. MANTON
of new york
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 20, 1998
Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my staff, both past and present, for their fine work, dedication, and loyalty.
Mr. Speaker, today, I likely cast my last vote as a Member of this august body. For fourteen years, I have served proudly my constituents of the 7th Congressional District of New York. I hope that I have served them well. I would be remiss, however, if I did not acknowledge and praise the hard-working men and woman who have served with me.
Congressional staff are all too often overlooked in their daily duties and under-appreciated for their efforts. But, as my colleagues well know, this great democratic institution simply could not function without the good work and commitment of our staff.
Mr. Speaker, I have had the great good fortune to have what I consider to be one of the best offices in the Congress and I offer this statement as a small tribute to their good deeds. While individual staffers have come and gone over the years, the office has always functioned as a team, always striving to do their best for me and for the citizens of Queens and the Bronx. I thank them all from the bottom of my heart.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to mention a few of my closest and longest served staffers; individuals who I have come to rely upon without hesitation and whom I consider to be friends.
Jim Mathews, my current Chief of Staff, has served with me for over ten years. First as my Legislative Assistant for Merchant Marine and Fisheries, later as my Legislative Director, and then as my Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Fisheries Management. After a two year stint as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Jim was kind enough to return to work for me in his current position.
Steve Vest was with me from the start, first as my Legislative Director and then as my Chief of Staff for many years. He has gone on to a successful career as Vice President of Government Affairs with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. His advise and counsel always served me well.
David Springer served as my first Chief of Staff. Without David's excellent political insight and working knowledge of the Congress, I could not have been as successful as I was early on in my House service. He has since put his skills to work as a partner in the prestigious Washington Group.
John Olmsted, my Office Manager, has been with me since I took the oath of office in 1985. How a son of Minnesota made his way to the office of a Congressman from New York City I do not know, but I am glad he did. John has kept our computers running and my expense account straight. I will miss his advice on the market as I head towards retirement.
Brian Browne has served me well as my Queens District Office Manager. Balancing a new family with the long hours of a District staffer meeting with constituents at almost any hour of day or night, Brian has done a great job. I wish him well in his new career at my alma mater, St. Johns University.
Lizzy O'Hara has been my eyes and ears on issues relating to Ireland and Irish Americans. I take some small credit for helping move along the peace process in Northern Ireland, which culminated in the Good Friday Accord. My success in this regard owes much to the tenacity, gregariousness, and hard-work of Lizzy.
Elaine Simek, now a prominent securities lawyer in New York, previously served as my Legislative Director and my right-hand-woman on Irish issues. Her dedication over the years helped make the Congressional Ad-Hoc Caucus on Irish Affairs the successful organization it is today. And, like me, she was able to hold down a full-time job while getting her law degree at night school.
Bill Driscoll and Fran Kraft both served as my District Office Managers for many years. Their knowledge of the District and local politics kept me out of hot water more times than I care to remember.
My good friend and colleague, Walter McCaffrey, served me admirably as my very first District Chief of Staff. He later went on to win election to the New York City Council, where he still serves with distinction in the seat I once held.
The rest of my current staff have all played an important role in keeping me informed and knowledgeable of a multitude of issues and concerns. As I said before, they are the real backbone of a successful Congressional office.
Cinnamon Rogers, my Legislative Director, has done a yeoman's job for me on telecommunication and finance issues under the Commerce Committee. Matt Socknat, has helped me obtain crucial funding for cleaning-up a local water body and successfully fought to stop additional flights in and out of LaGuardia Airport. Maggie Berman has done a great job juggling my schedule while working on a number of tricky legislative issues. Adam Wolf has brought a unique sense of humor, dedication, and caring to his staff position. No one is better at obtaining White House tour tickets.
In my District Office, Angela Dekker has had the unenviable task of keeping my schedule straight, and has done so with alacrity. Irene Baker has done an outstanding job taking over the office's press duties and working with my constituents on a multitude of issues. Julia Jimenez has slogged through countless immigration cases without missing a beat. The two newest District staffers, Ivan Lavios and Tim Higgins, have brought a new zest and determination to working with my constituents. And, Fran Mahony Reilly, my Bronx District Office Manager, has successfully taken on the responsibilities of a several person office all by herself. Without her, I simply could not have adequately represented my Bronx constituency.
Mr. Speaker. Finally, I would like to mention a few other members of my staff, both past and present, who have made my offices very special over the years: John Feeney, Rodney Bedford, Sean McIntyre, Jorge Rodriguez, Tom Messina, Tara Thompson, John Smythe, Neal Fenton, and Peter Praeger. I am leaving many individuals out of this list, but I hope they understand that they all played a very important part in keeping the offices running and the constituents of the 7th Congressional District happy.
Mr. Speaker, again I congratulate and thank all of my staff for their many years of service. I will miss them, as I will miss my colleagues and this great institution.
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