[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING TOM STRICKLAND

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 3, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge and commend 
the work of Tom Strickland, who has served the federal government and 
Colorado with distinction as United States Attorney.
  Tom Strickland was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by 
the United States Senate to serve as U.S. Attorney for Colorado a 
little over two years ago. Before that time he was a successful 
attorney with the law firm of Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber & Strickland, 
and prior to that was a senior advisor to Colorado Governor Dick Lamm.
  Tom and his wife, Beth, have been good friends to my father and me. I 
have enjoyed his association and believe that his service as U.S. 
Attorney will be remembered for a high degree of professionalism and a 
commitment to the welfare of Colorado and the nation.
  I believe Tom's service as U.S. Attorney ought to be recognized in 
this House and I submit for the Record the following words from the 
March 28, 2001 addition of the Denver Post, which say better than I can 
how his service will be remembered.

                       Good Work, Tom Strickland

       We'd like to tip our hats to U.S. Attorney Tom Strickland, 
     who will be leaving office Saturday, for a job well done 
     during the nearly two years he's been in office.
       Strickland was sworn in April 21, 1999--the day after the 
     Columbine massacre--but in a relatively short period of time 
     acquired a reputation as a tough, effective law-and-order 
     prosecutor.
       Strickland took the initiative in establishing Colorado's 
     version of Project Exile, a Virginia program aimed at keeping 
     guns out of the hands of felons. Federal, state and local law 
     enforcement agencies cooperated in prosecuting the often-
     overlooked federal violation when felons busted for other 
     crimes were found to possess firearms.
       Colorado Project Exile enforces existing gun laws, 
     prosecuting criminals in the jurisdiction with the toughest 
     penalties. During Strickland's tenure, the number of federal 
     firearms prosecutions tripled from 54 defendants in 1999 to 
     147 in 2000. The successful program is a rare bit of common 
     ground where such diverse factions as the National Rifle 
     Association, Handgun Control Inc. and SAFE Colorado can 
     agree.
       But Strickland also targeted other criminal groups, from 
     the Sons of Silence outlaw motorcycle gang to big-time drug 
     traffickers, and even a group of federal prison guards who 
     were brutalizing inmates.
       The University of Texas Law School graduate was an 
     effective administrator and well-respected by veteran lawyers 
     in his office.
       Strickland is a Democrat who was asked for his resignation 
     by President Bush, a Republican, John Suthers, former El Paso 
     County district attorney, is considered the front-runner for 
     Strickland's post.
       One of the unfortunate aspects of the spoils system is that 
     positions such as U.S. Attorney are presidential 
     appointments, and whenever the party in power in the White 
     House changes, many able public servants are asked to leave. 
     Strickland is a recent example; an earlier one is Richard 
     Stacy, who as U.S. Attorney for Wyoming, had to resign when 
     the Clinton administration took office, despite being an 
     aggressive, effective prosecutor.
       It's a shame that well-qualified public servants like 
     Strickland and Stacy are asked to resign instead of being 
     given a second look, party affiliation notwithstanding.

     

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