[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 2 (Thursday, January 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E45]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE ROBERT T. 
        MATSUI, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 4, 2005

  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
H. Res. 11 expressing profound sorrow on the occasion of the death of 
the Honorable Robert T. Matsui.
  I am saddened by the loss of a great man and wonderful colleague in 
Bob Matsui. He was a person dedicated to others, not just in his 
remarkable public service, but also in his warm and embracing 
character. His passing is a loss to the people of his district, 
California, and all Americans who benefited from his wisdom in Congress 
for the past 26 years.
  Most of all, my heart goes out to his family. His wife, Doris, his 
son, Brian, his daughter-in-law, Amy, and, of course, his 
granddaughter, Anna, were the most important things in the world to 
him, and I only hope that their grief can be tempered by the knowledge 
of his constant and unwavering love for them.
  While it will be difficult for Californians, and all of Bob's 
colleagues in Washington to accept this tragic loss, I think we owe it 
to him to remember all of the positive things that Bob stood for. He 
was the first Japanese-American elected to the Sacramento City Council 
and one of the first Japanese-Americans to serve in the U.S. Congress.
  These are remarkable feats for any American, but are simply 
astounding coming from Bob Matsui, who was forced into an internment 
camp, along with his family, when he was only six months old.
  But Bob would never hold a grudge against the country that had done 
him and so many other Japanese-Americans wrong. He was too great a man, 
and he had too big a heart. He continued to strive for what was right 
for decades, using his energy to improve those systems that so many 
Americans rely on. He was as committed to Social Security and 
protecting older Americans as he was to upholding the ideals and 
principles of the Democratic Party, creating a strong future for the 
next generations.
  Bob Matsui was a terrific mentor and a terrific friend to me. While 
our time together was cut too short, he provided an excellent role 
model of how to stay true to your beliefs even in the face of 
adversity. Today I join all Californians and Americans in mourning 
Congressman Robert Matsui. Serving with him in this body will always be 
one of the great honors of my career.