[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 140 (Tuesday, October 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1982-E1983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO KURT ANDREW DODD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 7, 2003

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, last week the Committee on 
Appropriations lost a dear friend and valued colleague, Staff Assistant 
Kurt Dodd. I rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his service for 
the American people and to his memory.
  Kurt Andrew Dodd was born on April 17, 1957. He began his Federal 
service in 1980 at the age of 23 as a geologist with the U.S. 
Geological Survey. After 17 years with USGS, Kurt came to work for the 
Appropriations Committee as a detailee to the Interior Subcommittee in 
January 1997. He spent the next

[[Page E1983]]

6\1/2\ years in the appropriations process, serving as minority clerk 
for the Interior Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee as 
well as staff assistant for the Treasury-Postal and Transportation-
Treasury Subcommittees in the House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, the responsibilities of these positions were enormous, 
and Kurt carried out those responsibilities with the utmost 
professionalism, dedication, and intelligence. Most recently, Kurt 
reviewed the budget requests and oversaw financial management of the 
Department of the Treasury, the General Services Administration, and 
the National Archives and Records Administration. Congress appropriates 
over $18 billion annually for those programs. And we did that each year 
counting on Kurt's expertise and recommendations. Kurt oversaw some of 
our Nation's highest priority programs, including those related to the 
tracking of terrorist financing and money laundering. His analysis and 
support were critical not only in providing for timely construction of 
Federal buildings in general, but also for renovation of the National 
Archives Rotunda, which recently reopened to the public. His service to 
the Nation and to the Committee on Appropriations will be sorely 
missed.
  But anyone who knew Kurt would tell you that his dedication and hard 
work for the American people were only part of the story. His 
accomplishments include not one but three master's degrees--one in 
science, one in business, and one in history. He was a voracious 
reader, and a student of history. Kurt was just as comfortable 
discussing campaigns of the Peloponnesian War or riptides as he was 
going over Treasury Department balance sheets. And when his coworkers 
would express interest in a subject, Kurt would often give them a book 
from his personal collection to help spread the knowledge he had 
already attained. He was a true Renaissance man.
  But most importantly, Kurt was a man of kindness, decency, and 
integrity. Generous to a fault, he was loved not only by his family, 
but also by his colleagues on the Hill who worked with him each day. 
His gentle demeanor, sense of fairness, and civility to all serve as an 
inspiration to those of us who work in the cauldron of ideas and 
passions we call Congress. We need more people like Kurt Dodd in the 
congressional community, to remind us that fairness, courtesy, and 
respect can get a lot more accomplished than posturing, arguing, and 
gamesmanship.
  Sadly, Kurt's mobility, and ultimately his life, was cut short by 
multiple sclerosis. He suffered this terrible, degenerative disease for 
several years with great dignity, Mr. Speaker, continuing to perform 
his duties on the committee with extraordinary skill and dedication.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a sad day for the Appropriations Committee. The 
American people have lost a dedicated public servant; his family has 
lost a loved one; and his colleagues in the government have lost a dear 
friend. I ask all Members to join me today in celebrating the life of 
Kurt Dodd and the example of hard work and professionalism he left for 
us to follow.

                          ____________________