[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THANK YOU, CHRISTY STRAWMAN, FOR YOUR LOYAL SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JACK FIELDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 1, 1996

  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it was with mixed emotions that I 
announced last December 11 my decision to retire from the House at the 
conclusion of my current term. As I explained at the time, the decision 
to retire was made more difficult because of the loyalty and dedication 
of my staff--and because of the genuine friendship I feel for them. 
Each one of them has served the men and women of Texas' 8th 
Congressional District in an extraordinary way.
  Today, I want to thank one member of my staff--Christy Strawman, my 
senior telecommunications policy advisor--for everything she's done for 
me and my constituents in the 5 years that she has worked in my office.
  Christy came to work in my office in 1991 as a legislative assistant. 
In that position, she handled a wide variety of issues--briefing me on 
legislation and responding to constituent inquiries on issues for which 
she was responsible.
  Two years later, when my legislative director left my office, I asked 
Christy to head up my legislative staff. As my legislative director, 
Christy managed the other members of my legislative staff and 
coordinated my overall legislative agenda. She also worked with the 
legislative counsel in drafting legislation. In particular, she advised 
me on telecommunications and securities matters, health care, trade, 
environmental and transportation issues.
  In January 1995, when the Republican takeover of Congress allowed me 
to assume the chairmanship of the House Telecommunications and Finance 
Committee, I asked Christy to devote her entire focus to working with 
me, subcommittee staff, and subcommittee members to help hammer out 
comprehensive telecommunications reform legislation--legislation that 
had proved elusive in the 103d Congress. But Christy knew the issues, 
knew the personalities, and knew my priorities for telecommunications 
reform legislation. As the process dragged on, the hours were long, and 
the negotiations were often frustrating. But 3 years after we first 
began the effort, Republicans and Democrats, House Members and 
Senators, and congressional leaders and administration officials 
finally reached an agreement that we could all support. In February, 
President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996 into 
law. Much of the credit for making the goal of reforming the Nation's 
telecommunications laws a reality belongs to Christy. Without the 
dedication and hard work she demonstrated throughout the arduous 
process, I question whether this legislation would have been enacted 
into law. Christy has also had the opportunity to help enact into law 
securities litigation reform and capital markets deregulation 
legislation. She has worked tirelessly for many years to help me 
achieve my legislative priorities, and I deeply appreciate her efforts.
  Christy Strawman is one of those hardworking men and women who make 
all of us in this institution look better than we deserve. I know she 
has done that for me, and I appreciate this opportunity to publicly 
thank her for the dedication, loyalty and professionalism she has 
exhibited throughout the years it has been my privilege to know and 
work with her.
  Christy has yet to make a definite decision about what she wants to 
do in the years ahead. But I am confident that the skills and the 
personal qualities she has demonstrated in the past will lead to 
continued success in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I know you join with me in saying ``thank you'' to 
Christy Strawman for her years of loyal service to me, to the men and 
women of Texas' 8th Congressional District, and to this great 
institution.

                          ____________________