[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 112 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1603-E1604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ERIC K. FEDERING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 1997

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, today marks the last day of House service 
for Eric Federing as the Democratic director of communications for the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  Eric began his service to the House 10 years ago this week. In 1987, 
his first position was as press secretary and speechwriter to our 
former colleague, Norm Mineta. When Norm became chairman of the Public 
Works and Transportation Committee in 1993, he moved Eric to the 
committee to open and modernize its information services to better 
serve all of our colleagues and the news

[[Page E1604]]

media. In addition, in Norm Mineta's last year in Congress, Eric also 
served as his congressional liaison to the Smithsonian Institution's 
Board of Regents. Starting tomorrow, however, after more than 4\1/2\ 
years of service to our committee, Eric will move to the other body and 
take up the post of press secretary to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of 
Connecticut.
  Eric has provided great service to our members and staff. Daily he 
provided a news summary of more than two dozen newspapers, trade 
periodicals, and major wire services--all arriving on our members' 
desks before the start of every hearing or markup. He also organized 
news events in concert with the personal staffs of our members and with 
the Democratic leadership, and responded professionally and quickly to 
numerous press inquiries. In the last Congress, he led our way along 
the information superhighway by instituting our site on the World Wide 
Web. In addition to his communications expertise, his political counsel 
and information strategy have been very much appreciated.
  On his own time, Eric also worked for the best interests of our 
Democratic Party and for our national interests abroad. He 
distinguished himself with senior positions at the last two Democratic 
National Conventions--serving as manager of press information center 
operations in Chicago last year.
  Overseas, Eric embarked in a unique association with the United 
States Information Service whereby he undertook four month-long trips 
to Australia in as many years to lecture on American Government, the 
Congress, our elections, our news media, and civil rights. As a 
voluntary visitor working with USIS, he has visited just about every 
university on that continent and spoken with numerous journalists, 
business leaders, government officials, and students.
  Amidst all this, Eric has also found time to dabble in the arts. Last 
year, he signed a contract with the Farber Literary Agency of New York, 
which is representing him on a novel he has written about Hollywood and 
politics. Through much of the 1980's, Eric founded and led an 
independent effort to restore the 1963 motion picture ``It's a Mad, 
Mad, Mad, Mad World.'' That effort gained Eric a touch of national fame 
and a greater appreciation for America's cinema heritage. He has been 
active in the effort to preserve some of our Nation's remaining motion 
picture palaces of the 1920's and 1930's.
  Mr. Speaker, many people come to work in this institution for as many 
reasons as there are staff positions. As a teenager, Eric was greatly 
influenced by watching the Watergate hearings. While at George 
Washington University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa while working 
half-time at the State Department, Eric knew then that he wanted to 
work in Congress to help communicate the Nation's business to the 
world. As I said, he began to do that 10 years ago, and has done so 
with consummate skill and impeccable integrity.
  For all his hard work, dedication, and counsel, I ask that all of our 
colleagues join with me in thanking Eric for his great service to this 
House, particularly to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, and to our Nation. We wish him well now and in the 
future.

                          ____________________