[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 58 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E888-E889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       A TRIBUTE TO PHIL FRIEDMAN AND COMPUTER GENERATE SOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 2005

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on May 5, 2005 thirty years to the day after 
he arrived on this country's shore, Phil Friedman will once again cast 
his gaze on the awesome spectacle of the Statue of Liberty as so many 
other immigrants before and after him have done.
  But this time, he will be seeing that spectacular symbol of America's 
promise from his new office, as the successful company that he founded 
two decades ago celebrates its move from Broadway to Lower Manhattan.
  Phil's story is a singularly American one that would have done 
Horatio Alger proud. It can inspire other people who are U.S. citizens 
by choice, such as me and my wife, as well as anyone who understands 
what the American dream is about.
  Phil Friedman came of age in the Soviet Union, where he was trained 
in electronic engineering, accounting and finance before fleeing the 
oppressive Soviet system. After surmounting the challenge of 
emigrating, he found that life in America as a new arrival was no walk 
in the park--in order to succeed, he needed a better facility in 
English, and even more professional credentials. So he went back to 
school while his wife, Rose, studied accounting. After earning multiple 
degrees from New York University, he spent eight years in various 
positions in the information technology industry--first as a 
programmer,

[[Page E889]]

and then director of management information systems.
  Phil then took the plunge of entrepreneurship and began his own 
company, which he called Computer Generated Solutions (CGS). Like its 
founder, CGS rose from humble beginnings. At the start there were five 
employees in a small office in New York. The company now employs more 
than 1000 professionals in offices across the country and around the 
globe. Since its inception, both CGS and Phil have won numerous awards 
and gained the respect and praise of business analysts.
  As CGS has expanded its operations, Phil Friedman has been mindful of 
the potential effect on the U.S. workforce. He has resisted the 
industry trend toward outsourcing services and management positions, 
and has used the company's overseas facilities primarily to serve 
customers in those regions. Not long ago, he told a reporter that ``In 
the rush to send so many jobs offshore,'' the IT industry in this 
country was ``neglecting our moral responsibility to our employees. We 
said we needed these skills; now we're abandoning these people.'' CGS 
has made substantial investments in training its U.S. employees and 
developing their skills.
  On May 5, 2005 Computer Generated Solutions will inaugurate its new 
headquarters at the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan, an event 
significant in its own right, since it marks the continued rebirth of 
an area devastated by the September 11th attacks. It is a fitting 
conclusion to this story that when Phil Friedman moves into the new CGS 
office building, he won't be gazing up at the Statue of Liberty looming 
overhead, but gazing out at the broad panorama of the harbor, Ellis 
Island and a horizon as full of promise as any immigrant's aspirations 
for a new life in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, Phil Friedman and his wife Rose have given much back to 
this country. They have thrown their time and energy into countless 
philanthropic efforts on behalf of numerous causes both here in America 
and in Israel, for which they have received widespread and well-
deserved recognition. The Friedman's and their children, Alyx and 
Jeffery, are truly the personification of the American dream. I urge 
all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating them on their 
successes, and wishing CGS the best of luck in its new home.

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