[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ROBERTA CHEFF BROOKS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 14, 2001

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of my 
colleagues the contributions of a great public servant, Roberta Cheff 
Brooks, on the occasion of her retirement from service to the House of 
Representatives and to the constituents of the 9th District of 
California. On February 22nd, after more than 30 years in the United 
States Congress, Roberta will retire from her position as my District 
Director in our Oakland District office. She will be greatly missed.
  Roberta, a native of Wilmington, Delaware received her Bachelor of 
Arts from Smith College in 1964. She moved to Berkeley, California in 
1967 and became very active in local and anti-war politics.
  She began her tenure with the House of Representatives in 1971 by 
working for my former boss, colleague and friend Congressman Ron 
Dellums. Roberta served as a liaison between the Berkeley Coalition and 
the Dellums for Congress campaign in 1970. Following that successful 
campaign, she was asked to work for the new Congressman Ron Dellums in 
his district office on constituent affairs.
  Roberta was a strong voice in the anti-Vietnam War movement. While 
she worked hard to serve as an active voice for constituent's of the 
9th District, she remained active in local politics through the April 
Coalition and later through Berkeley Citizens' Action.
  Roberta's commitment to her community expanded as she became deeply 
involved with local boards and organizations, as well as, ad hoc groups 
that included the following: Oakland Perinatal Project (which was the 
precursor of the East Bay Perinatal Council) and the Coalition to Fight 
Infant Mortality. With these affiliations, she helped organize ad hoc 
hearings on infant mortality, which Congressman Dellums chaired as the 
Chairman of the D.C. Committee.
  Roberta was a cofounder of the California Health Action Coalition 
which worked diligently on the bill Congressman Dellums introduced 
calling for a National Health Service. She was also part of a national 
coalition for a National Health Service and helped organize national 
groups working in several cities in the country to garner support for 
the bill.
  She helped organize hearings on homelessness which Congressman 
Dellums chaired in Oakland. She served on the advisory board of Legal 
Assistance for Seniors for many years. She was also on the Board of the 
Coalition for the Medical Rights of Women and the Perinatal Health 
Rights Committee.
  Roberta organized hearings chaired by Congressman Lantos who came at 
the request of Congressman Dellums to investigate labor and safety 
issues related to the protracted Summit Hospital strike. The hearings 
contributed to a resolution of the strike and led to a more responsive 
board which included additional community members.
  Roberta's commitment to ``free speech'' and community supported radio 
led her to serve on the local advisory board of KPFA radio for a number 
of years and on the national Pacifica Board of Directors for nine 
years.
  When the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission slated Oak 
Knoll Naval Hospital, Alameda Naval Station and Naval Rework facility, 
as well as, the Public Works Center located at Naval Supply Center, 
Oakland for closure, Roberta joined Sandre Swanson in establishing the 
East Bay Conversion and Reinvestment Commission. That Commission then 
proceeded to help establish the Alameda and Oakland Reuse authorities--
public bodies on which Roberta served as an alternate and then later as 
a principal commissioner. These organizations focused on base 
conversions and provided oversight on reuse plans to convert the 
military bases to peacetime operations.
  Throughout the base conversion process, Roberta's emphasis remained 
on the human resources component--job creation for workers; working to 
establish the homeless collaborative which worked with both reuse 
authorities to create a process which HUD has described as a model for 
accommodating the homeless in base closure; working hard with the 
community advisory groups; and working with public benefit conveyances. 
Roberta cites this as an extremely important part of her work 
especially since it was so creative, establishing policies and 
procedures for base closure. She assisted in developing a way to 
``sell'' the federal worker to private industry, and other important 
projects.
  Roberta has worked closely with all of the community health clinics 
in the district; Chabot Observatory; the Ed Roberts Campus at Ashby 
BART station; HIV/AIDS; Cuba; issues related to the elderly; and many 
others. She served on both Congressman Dellums' and Congresswoman 
Barbara Lee's political advisory boards throughout her career.
  Her casework load has focused on Federal Workers compensation; Office 
of Personnel Management (which was known as the Civil Service 
Commission), and at other times, Social Security and EEOC. She has 
served thousands of constituents for Congressman Dellums and 
Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
  When Congressman Dellums retired in February of 1998, Roberta 
continued her Congressional career with me in April of that same year. 
She became my District Director and was the first female District 
Director in the history of the 9th Congressional District. Every member 
will attest that having a staff member with the ability to develop 
expertise quickly and thoroughly on a wide range of issues is extremely 
valuable. With Roberta on my team, I knew that I was getting the best 
political advice in order to make competent legislative and policy 
decisions.
  Roberta represented me well on many issues and continued to handle 
some casework as well as extensive issues related to base closures, 
health, and homelessness. She helped coordinate a major Housing Summit 
which was sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in 
August 2000 which was attended by seventeen members of Congress and 
more than five hundred people.
  Roberta is best known for her sound advice. Ron Dellums has said, 
`the only reason I did anything was because Roberta Brooks told me to.' 
While her political judgement was always thorough and thoughtful, her 
message to young people was even more profound.
  To young men and women she says, ``work for someone whose politics 
you share because the work is very intense and it is very important 
that you believe in what you are doing.'' She tells them that she has 
been so blessed in her work life to have been able to go to work every 
day believing in what she is doing, believing she is making a 
difference and that her work is consistent with her own political 
beliefs. She says that is the best work a person can have.
  Throughout Roberta's career, her professionalism was distinguished 
with honesty and integrity. I always knew that I could rely on her 
advice and suggestions because she used her mind, heart and soul in 
decision making. Because of this, the 9th Congressional District has 
been served with distinction and with grace. Roberta's forthrightness 
was appreciated by everyone. I particularly appreciated her tremendous 
clarity and directness.
  Roberta is an American of the finest caliber and this institution 
will miss her greatly. As Roberta transitions onto new experiences and 
challenges, we all cheer for her future and success.

                          ____________________