[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 64 (Friday, May 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E839-E840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN APPRECIATION OF MARTY RUSSO'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COUNTRY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2002

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, earlier this spring, 
the newspaper ``Roll Call'' ran a story on our former colleague Marty 
Russo. Marty was our colleague for 18 years. During that time, he was 
an outstanding Member of Congress, with his service on the Commerce and 
the Ways & Means Committees. He played a crucial role for the Democrats 
in Congress as a Deputy Whip where he was our most effective vote 
counter. Marty was a complete Member of Congress in meeting his 
responsibilities to his constituents, to his fellow members of the 
House and to his party. The House of Representatives is richer for his 
service to our country.
  The newspaper ``Roll Call'' also makes it clear that the personal and 
professional skills that Marty demonstrated as a Member of the House 
are serving him well in the private sector as he helps lead Cassidy & 
Associates in a top position among governmental representation firms in 
Washington, DC. The article also makes it clear that Marty is finding 
the time out of Congress to enjoy his beautiful family.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to share the ``Roll Call'' article with our 
colleagues and express my appreciation for my former colleague's 
important contributions to our country.

                    Second-Greatest Job in the World

                         (By Courtney Thompson)

       Upon entering former Illinois Rep. Marty Russo's (D) D.C. 
     office, one immediately notices the myriad of photos covering 
     the walls.
       There are shots of Russo in a golf foursome with former 
     Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Gerald Ford; Russo 
     smiling with Michael Jordan; Russo with his arm around 
     Speaker Tip O'Neill; Russo and Arnold Palmer posing on the 
     golf course; Russo stealing home plate at the Congressional 
     baseball

[[Page E840]]

     game; and Russo giving the elder George Bush putting tips on 
     Air Force 2.
       And one of Russo's newborn granddaughter.
       No, Marty Russo doesn't take his famous friends or his 
     family for granted.
       ``When I sit back and think about where I grew up, the 
     neighborhood I cam from and what a tough struggle my parents 
     had, I am overwhelmed,'' the 58-year-old said. ``I am a 
     first-generation Italian American, and for me to have friends 
     like the president of the United States is a pretty big 
     deal.''
       Russo was elected to Congress in 1974 as part of the post-
     Watergate, reform-oriented class. In a win that Russo himself 
     describes as ``extremely lucky,'' the 6-foot-3 native of 
     Chicago's Little Italy section embarked on what would become 
     an 18-year stint in the House.
       But what Russo deemed the ``best years of my life'' came to 
     a bitter end in the 1992 Illinois primary. Redistricting 
     forced him to run against fellow Democratic incumbent and 
     commuting friend Rep. William Lipinski. After losing the 
     tightest race of his career, Russo finished out his term 
     while contemplating the inevitable: What next?
       Following in the path paved by many before him, Russo 
     entered the realm of lobbying by accepting a position with 
     Cassidy & Associates, a government relations lobbying firm 
     based in Washington.
       ``Two wonderful things happened to me in my life,'' Russo 
     said recently. ``One was winning an election, one was losing 
     an election. I had the greatest job in the world when I was a 
     Member in Congress, and now I have the second-greatest job in 
     the world.''
       Prohibited by law from lobbying Members for a year, Russo 
     advised clients on political strategy, while learning the ins 
     and outs of business development and lobbying White House 
     officials.
       About making the transition to lobbying, Russo said, ``The 
     one thing you have to get good at is learning how to ask.''
       Although Cassidy boasts clients such as VoiceStream 
     Wireless, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. and the Taiwan Studies 
     Institute, it is the Chicago hospital where he was treated as 
     a boy that he holds closes to his heart.
       Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, located on 
     Chicago's West Side, has been the beneficiary of many 
     government dollars thanks to Russo's dedicated lobbying 
     efforts. In a joint effort with Cook County Health Services 
     of Chicago, the two hospitals created the Core Center, a 
     four-story facility that provides outpatient care to 
     individuals and families with HIV/AIDS. The center features a 
     screening clinic, pharmacy, counseling services and 
     children's playroom.
       ``I've seen [Cassidy & Associates] do a lot of good for a 
     lot of people,'' Russo said. ``And it's been great working 
     with Jerry Cassidy, he's like the Tip O'Neill of the lobbying 
     business.''
       In 2000, Russo was promoted to vice chairman, president and 
     chief operating officer at Cassidy. The key to Russo's 
     success? Drawing from the many lessons he learned during his 
     days in the House.
       ``One of the critical things you learn when in Congress is 
     that your word is very important,'' Russo said. ``It's all 
     you have around here. So when I talk to Members I tell them 
     the truth, because if you don't, the next time you come back, 
     they aren't going to listen to you.''
       Russo advocates bipartisanship, saying a Congressman's sole 
     purpose is to make the government function better.
       ``One of the key things was that I had was friends on both 
     sides of the aisle. We could argue and battle on the floor as 
     much as we wanted, but then we got together afterwards--went 
     to dinner, played gold, baseball, basketball. Because we were 
     all personal friends, we were able to get a lot more 
     accomplished.''
       Stretching the idea of fraternizing with one's colleagues 
     to the limits, Russo and three other Democrats lived together 
     five days a week for 10 years. He was the first to move into 
     his friend Rep. George Miller's (D-Calif.) two-bedroom house 
     at 127 D St. S.E. in 1982, claiming the last bedroom. Shortly 
     after, then Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) abandoned his 
     basement quarters to inhabit Miller's living room. Believing 
     that three Congressmen in one house just wasn't enough, 
     Miller moved his piano out of the bay window to make room for 
     then Rep. Leon Panetta (D-Calif.).
       ``It was the best 10 years ever spent; it was like a little 
     fraternity house with the four of us. Now Chuck is a Senator, 
     George is still in the House, and Leon became Clinton's chief 
     of staff. So I guess the house did all right.''
       Russo and his wife, Karen, moved to McLean, Va., in 
     September 1997, capping off 24 years of weekly commutes.
       Russo never believed that he would permanently make the 
     move from his beloved hometown of Chicago. When his eldest 
     son, Tony, moved to Washington to begin working with Sen. 
     Joseph Biden (D-Del.) and his youngest son, Danny, was 
     attending Georgetown University, both Russo and his wife 
     realized it was an easy decision to make.
       Now, less than a month after the birth of his first 
     grandchild, the former lawmaker happily lives just six 
     minutes from his son's family. An adoring grandfather, Russo 
     finds himself stopping by every night on his way home from 
     work.
       ``I am really enjoying my granddaughter,'' Russo said. ``I 
     saw this bumper sticker a couple of years ago that said, `If 
     I'd known grandkids would be this great, I would have had 
     them first!' And now I feel the same way!''


                             five questions

       What are you most proud of from your tenure in Congress?
       One of my proudest moments was when I introduced the 
     national health care bill in 1991, which then became a major 
     issue in the 1992 presidential election.
       I think it . . . helped Democrats take back the White 
     House.
       What do you miss the most?
       I miss the friendship on the Hill. Whether you were a 
     Democrat or a Republican, we really got a lot of stuff done, 
     and we did it together. And I miss doing the policy. It's an 
     enormous responsibility, but what a deal.
       What do you miss the least?
       I don't miss the travel, being away from home.
       Was there a particular Member whom you admired the most?
       The Member I admired most in the House was [then] Speaker 
     Tip O'Neill [D-Mass.]. And a close second was Rep. Danny 
     Rostenkowski [D-Ill.]
       Do you have any advice for current Members?
       The best advice I can give is to understand that compromise 
     is very important. As Danny Rostenkowski always said, ``You 
     don't have to throw a touchdown pass every time you move 
     legislation. You've just got to move it down the field and 
     eventually get it in the end zone.''

     

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