[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 12 (Tuesday, February 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO DAVE LESSTRANG

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2002

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like today to express 
my gratitude and appreciation for the hard work and dedication of Dave 
LesStrang, who for the past 17 years has been a highly-valued member of 
my office, first as press secretary, and then as deputy chief of staff 
and legislative director.
  Dave LesStrang came to work for me in 1985, a newly-minted 21-year-
old college graduate, filled with the zeal and fervor that can only 
come from participation in college political groups like the Young 
Americans for Freedom. We hired him as a press secretary, hoping he 
would grow into the job over time.
  It didn't take long for Dave to show the flair for organizing and 
completing big projects that has marked his career as a congressional 
staff member. One of my constituents, Hulda Crooks, completed her 21st 
climb of Mt. Whitney at the age of 89. When I congratulated her, I 
remarked that I would like to join her if she wanted to try again at 
90. She said ``sure,'' and within a few days called to ask if I was 
getting ready for the hike. I asked Dave to take on the job of 
organizing the event. He spent long hours working out details and 
convincing major media of its importance--with the result that the Los 
Angeles Times carried my photo on its cover for one of the few times in 
my career in the House.
  Years later, Dave helped me convince the Interior Department to name 
a mountain near Mt. Whitney as Crooks' Peak in honor of that 
outstanding lady.
  Dave indeed grew into the job as press secretary. He is an excellent 
writer, and over the years has produced thousands of press releases, 
speeches, constituent letters and other important correspondence that 
often defines the character of a congressional office. Members of the 
media praised my office for providing clear and dependable information, 
a highly valued reputation that we gained in no small part because of 
Dave's efforts.
  He also came to intimately know the needs and character of the Inland 
Empire and High Desert areas of California, which I have represented 
for the past two decades. He has personally taken on the cause of an 
untold number of constituents, ensuring that federal agencies meet 
their responsibilities and provide top service. A typical example 
occurred just last year: One of my constituents asked for help in 
gaining recognition for her father, a pioneer engineer in space 
technology, from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Dave not only got NASA's attention, he helped convince the agency to 
award the constituent's father the Distinguished Service medal, the 
highest to be given to civilians.
  Dave's willingness to go the extra mile and get spectacular results 
was also evident on a number of larger-scale projects.
  When I was named as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on 
Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent 
Agencies, I was committed to finding ways for more people to reach the 
American dream of owning their own home. I decided that it would be a 
powerful symbolic gesture for members of Congress to help build some 
houses for low-income residents of our nation's capital.
  I asked Dave to take on the project, and it soon blossomed into one 
of the most high-profile charitable efforts ever attempted by House 
members. Working with Habitat for Humanity, and with the enthusiastic 
support of Speaker Newt Gingrich and Fannie Mae, Dave organized the 
Houses That Congress Built, a nationwide campaign that saw nearly all 
435 house members personally help build homes in their districts. The 
effort provided a tremendous boost for the effort to provide affordable 
homes to low-income Americans. And true to his spirit of going above 
and beyond, Dave has personally volunteered for hundreds of hours on 
his own working on Habitat for Humanity houses.
  Most of the colleagues from California will remember Dave for the 
other major success he helped accomplish in recent years: The 
organizing of our delegation into an effective, cooperative force for 
the people of California.
  When I became chairman of the California Republican Congressional 
Delegation in 1995, there was little cooperation even among members of 
my conference, let alone across the aisle in our delegation. Members 
were divided by personalities, geography and partisanship, and the 
entire delegation had not come together on an issue since it had been 
grown beyond 50 members in 1980. Dave helped to reverse that historical 
trend. As the only staff member serving all California Republicans, he 
spent hundreds of hours meeting with staff from other California 
offices and personally walked miles in our congressional buildings 
winning signatures for delegation-wide letters. Within a year, we had 
the first letter signed by all 52 members--a feat that is now repeated 
regularly as our members have learned the value of working together on 
behalf of our state.
  Since he became my legislative director in 1999, Dave has helped me 
complete many major projects serving our district. Congress has agreed 
to the expansion of the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, 
completing a decades-long effort in support of the world's finest 
training facility. The Seven Oaks Dam has been dedicated along the 
Santa Ana River, providing flood control protection for millions of 
people in Southern California. And the new national parks in our desert 
are becoming good neighbors for the constituents who live around them.
  I have always felt that members of my staff are like members of my 
family, and it has been a pleasure to watch Dave mature in his personal 
life even as he has become a consummate professional in his job. We 
were delighted when he met and married Elaine Dalpiaz nine years ago, 
and thrilled again when he and Elaine became parents to Matthew nearly 
two years ago.
  Mr. Speaker, after 17 years in my office providing these invaluable 
services to my constituents--and indeed to all Californians and 
Americans--Dave LesStrang is moving on to a new career working for the 
EMC Corporation, a cutting-edge firm providing data storage to help 
protect the records of private industry and government. Please join me 
in thanking him for his dedication and years of service, and in wishing 
him and Elaine well in all of their future efforts.

                          ____________________