[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 3, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S5274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM E. BREW, MINORITY GENERAL COUNSEL, SENATE COMMITTEE 
                          ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I note with great sadness the 
departure of someone who had become a veritable institution on the 
staff of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs--minority general 
counsel, William E. Brew.
  Bill retired from the Committee on April 4, 1997--19 years and 1 day 
after he came for what he believed, at the time, was a less than 2-year 
commitment. How fortunate we all have been that those 2 years stretched 
out for almost 2 decades!
  When Bill joined the committee staff as associate counsel in April 
1978, the Committee was still fairly young--it had only been 
established in 1971. So, the fact is, Bill has been with the Committee 
for almost as long as the Committee itself has been in existence. Ask 
him about any piece of legislation that came before the committee 
during his tenure, and he can most likely give you a blow-by-blow 
description of its legislative history, the major players involved, 
subsequent modifications, etc. Everyone who has heard of Bill's 
departure has commented on how great the loss of his institutional 
memory will be.
  Bill is truly a fountain of knowledge about veterans legislation. But 
his is no dry history lesson. Bill is a wonderful storyteller, whose 
recounting of the past is full of humor and the little details that 
bring those events to life.
  And no one shares his knowledge more generously and willingly than 
Bill. He is a gifted teacher. Countless young--and not so young--
legislative staffers have benefited from his unique expertise. Bill's 
patience is legendary. No matter how many times he explained something, 
he was always willing to take time to go over it again. His mentoring 
of younger staffers was particularly meaningful to many with whom he 
discussed not only work issues, but life goals and philosophies.
  Bill anchored the committee through times of change. He saw the 
committee through several shifts of control from Democratic to 
Republican Congresses, and although a committed Democrat himself, won 
the respect and appreciation of both Democratic and Republican chairmen 
alike. He was tremendously helpful to me at the time I assumed 
chairmanship of the committee in 1993. He has truly been a mainstay of 
the committee.
  Bill is a graduate of Notre Dame (B.A.) and Catholic University 
School of Law (J.D.), a two-term veteran of the Navy, including 18 
months duty in Vietnam, and a devoted family man, the father of five 
children. He is a role model of old-fashioned values--honesty, 
integrity, fairness, service to others, modesty. He is a true team 
player. He never claimed the spotlight, but was always there, behind 
the scenes, to offer his wise counsel, expert guidance, and astute 
judgment.
  Bill thoroughly understood the legislative process and was a highly 
effective advocate for veterans. He is a master of negotiation, able to 
sort through complex issues and focus on realistic solutions that weigh 
the ideal vs. the attainable. Whether or not they agreed with him on an 
issue, all who dealt with him knew him to be fair-minded, balanced, and 
an often calming voice of reason in the heat of intense discussions 
that shaped important legislation.
  Bill's accomplishments are many. Most significant among them are 
legislation leading to establishment of the U.S. Court of Veterans 
Appeals for judicial review of veterans claims, and the Veterans' 
Claims Adjudication Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the 
claims process; expansion of programs relating to the readjustment 
needs of Vietnam and post-Vietnam veterans, including creation of a 
National Center on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; implementation of 
several initiatives to address the problem of nurse shortages at VA 
hospitals; changes in VA's procedures responding to the needs of women 
veterans sexually assaulted while on active duty; and revision of VA 
health care eligibility rules. He also collaborated with the General 
Accounting Office to design and conduct a study evaluating the 
supervision of VA surgical residents, and then worked with VA to carry 
out recommended changes leading to increased quality of surgical care.
  Bill left behind big shoes to fill. He is enormously missed by all of 
us who worked with him.

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