[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            JOHN E. BARRIERE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 1998

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important 
and under appreciated aspects of the workings of our democracy is the 
extraordinarily dedicated and able work done by the professional staffs 
who serve those of us who have been elected to Congress. While it is 
popular to mock people who work in the political and legislative 
system, in fact their contribution represents one of the great bargains 
the American people receive. Our work is enormously helped by the large 
number of extremely talented and dedicated people who put in extremely 
long hours helping us make public policy, at far less compensation than 
most of them would receive in almost any other occupation.
  I thought of that recently Mr. Speaker when I learned of the death of 
an extremely dedicated creative individual who is one of those who 
helped set the model for the kind of professional policy advisor on 
whom we are now so dependent. His name is John Barriere, and he came to 
Washington 50 years ago. Sadly, John Barriere died last week at the age 
of 78, and he left behind him a legacy of extraordinary service to 
democracy. I was recently reminded by Gerry McMurray, a former Chief of 
Staff of the Housing Subcommittee of the House Banking Committee, that 
Mr. Barriere was the first man to be a professional staff member of 
that subcommittee, having helped bring it into existence 43 years ago, 
and serving as its Staff Director until 1964. Because of the great 
ability he showed in that position, he was chosen by Speaker John 
McCormack in 1964 to be the first policy staff advisor to the Speaker, 
and he was the Executive Director--and heart and soul--of the 
Democratic Steering and Policy Committee until 1978. Among the pieces 
of legislation that he played an indispensable role in bringing to 
passage were the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968--that extraordinarily important 
set of bills that helped break the back of legal racism in America.
  He worked closely with Richard Bolling during his chairmanship of the 
Rules Committee in bringing forward the Congressional Reform Act of 
1974 and 1976, and the Budget Act of 1974.
  Indeed, along with John McCormack, Richard Bolling, Harry Truman and 
Senator Robert Wagner recognized John's great ability and put him to 
work. In other words Mr. Speaker he was a man whose great ability and 
equally great willingness to serve proved to be an important asset for 
a series of leaders in our governing processes.
  I was pleased myself to meet him more than 30 years ago, when in the 
service of the gubernatorial campaign of the late Edward McCormack, a 
nephew of the Speaker, I came to Washington to do some research on 
federal issues. I was then a young graduate student in political 
science, and meeting John Barriere, and listening to him describe the 
interaction of the legislative process, politics, and substantive 
policy was an extraordinary education which I never forgot.
  Many years later, when my domestic partner, Herb Moses, went to work 
at FannieMae, I was delighted to learn that one of his co-workers was 
Laura Barriere, the daughter of John, and vicariously through Laura I 
was able to renew that acquaintance. I was saddened by news of his 
death, and Herb and I send our condolences to Laura, and the rest of 
the family. And I wanted to note here the passing of this man who 
quietly, but very effectively, did so much to set a pattern of 
professional service in the House from which we continue to benefit.

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