[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 18, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1632-E1633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THANK YOU, BRYAN WIRWICZ, FOR YOUR LOYAL SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JACK FIELDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 1996

  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it was with mixed emotions that I 
announced last December 11 my decision to retire from Congress at the 
end 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 each of 
them.
  Today, I want to thank one member of my staff, Bryan Wirwicz, my 
longtime press secretary, for everything he's done for me and my 
constituents in the 16 years he has worked in my office.
  I met Bryan during my first congressional campaign in 1980. He had 
recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
with a degree in journalism and political science. Bryan had 
participated in a 3-day seminar, sponsored by the National Republican 
Congressional Committee, designed to teach young people how to handle 
media relations for congressional candidates. His name was passed along 
to me as someone who might be helpful to me in my campaign.
  It was our first political campaign, and we learned together as we 
worked together. After I was elected, I asked Bryan if he would move to 
Washington, DC, to serve on my congressional staff.
  He did so, but departed in mid-1982 to work in an unsuccessful 
congressional campaign in California. In early 1983, he went to work 
for our former colleague, Win Weber of Minnesota. Bryan and I stayed in 
touch, and we eventually decided to team up once again. He rejoined my 
staff in mid-1983, and has been with me since that time.
  Through the years, Bryan has worked with local, statewide, and 
national news reporters--developing and maintaining excellent working 
relationships with them. I've told Bryan many times that I consider him 
to be the best writer around. In the op-ed pieces, newsletters press 
releases, and position papers he has prepared for me over the years, 
Bryan has been able to summarize and explain complex and oftentimes 
highly technical issues in plain English, allowing my constituents to 
more easily understand those issues and my positions on them.
  Bryan is a generalist, but he is also a quick study--quickly gaining 
an understanding of maritime issues when I served as ranking minority 
member of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, and 
gaining an understanding of telecommunications and securities issues 
when I became chairman of the House Telecommunications and Finance 
Subcommittee in 1995.
  In 1993, when I ran for the U.S. Senate, I ask Bryan to take a leave 
of absence from my official staff, move to Houston, and join my 
campaign staff. As I told him at the time, his participation in my 
Senate campaign provided me with a ``comfort level'' that I would not 
have enjoyed had he not been with me. I lost

[[Page E1633]]

that campaign, but Bryan's presence made the experience more enjoyable, 
or at least more bearable, that it would have been without him.
  Mr. Speaker, Bryan is one of those hard-working men and women who 
make all of us in this institution look better than we deserve. I know 
he has done that for me, and I appreciate this opportunity to publicly 
thank him for his dedication, loyalty, and professionalism.
  Bryan plans to continue working in the public relations and media 
relations arena. He also plans to continue devoting his spare time to 
his two primary hobbies--bicycling and investing. I wish him may more 
miles of scenic, safe, and relaxing bicycling, as well as many more 
years of double-digit returns on his Compaq, Merck, PepsiCo. and other 
stocks.
  Mr. Speaker, I know you join with me in saying ``thank you'' to Bryan 
Wirwicz for his loyal service to me, to the men and women of Texas' 
Eighth Congressional District, and to this great institution, and I 
know you join me in wishing him the very best in all of his future 
endeavors.

                          ____________________