[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E235-E236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        A TRIBUTE TO JOHN T. CAULFIELD, ESQ. UPON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 2007

  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend Mr. John Thomas 
Caulfield for over 25 years of outstanding service to the Congress and 
over 30 years of public service.
  Mr. Caulfield has been known as a ``lawyer's lawyer'' on Capitol Hill 
and has provided all manner of counseling to the Congress including as 
a legal strategist and accomplished expert on the legislative process 
as the General Counsel to the Capitol Police Board, the Chief of Police 
and the U.S. Capitol Police for the past 20 years.
  His contributions on behalf of the men and women of the Capitol 
Police and the entire Congress are truly immeasurable. His unique 
insights on Congressional operations and the institutional functions 
render him one of the few who, by direct experience, understand the 
complex and sometimes arcane interplay between and among the Houses of 
Congress and congressional entities.
  His dedication to the protection of the legal institutional interests 
of the federal legislative branch has led to him being recognized 
nationally and even internationally as a First Amendment expert. He has 
been called upon

[[Page E236]]

to provide legal advice to the Parliaments of both Australia and Canada 
as well as the City of New York relative to the development and 
implementation of free expression demonstration, regulatory system 
balancing, and fundamental First Amendment rights of free speech, with 
appropriate governmental limitations. His profound grasp of these 
sometimes nuanced and competing constitutional and legal interests is 
demonstrated almost daily as he provides advice and counsel to the 
Capitol Police Board and the Capitol Police.
  A native of Buffalo, New York, John has always maintained his ``down-
to-earth'' roots as a person of integrity, humility, trustworthiness 
and truthfulness with a ``what you see is what you get'' approach to 
all endeavors. However, it is his keen legal intellect and overwhelming 
ethic for hard work combined with a Runyonesque, street-wise toughness 
that allowed him to remain calm during the many emergencies and 
critical situations that he was asked to handle on behalf of the 
Congress.
  An accomplished student-athlete in high school and college, he has 
been recognized for academic and athletic honors including being 
inducted into the Canisius High School Hall of Fame as well as academic 
and athletic honors at John Carroll University. When asked, John has 
credited his Jesuit education and athletic participation as the 
cornerstone of his intellectual curiosity, thirst for knowledge and his 
drive to compete. This combination of attributes has allowed him, as an 
advocate, to temper the spirit of litigation ``combat'' with an eye 
toward resolution when it would be in the best interest of his client. 
It has been said by at least one opposing counsel that ``even though we 
were on opposite sides, I knew he was always a straight shooter and I 
could take him at his word.''
  Another Capitol Hill attorney said, ``If he had to knock heads with 
me, he would tell me upfront and then he'd help me up afterward.''
  While the breadth of his legal skills are well-known in Washington, 
DC, his unique expertise in constitutional law, litigation, including 
legal negotiations and settlements, legislative drafting and advocacy 
is unquestionably superior. Yet John, out of a deep sense of humility 
and commitment to public service, shrugs off any praise and dismisses 
his accomplishments, saying ``that is what I expect of myself as a 
public servant.'' John also is often credited with an uncanny knack for 
instantaneous legal analysis and an ability to synthesize complex legal 
issues into simple and understandable terms.
  To a large degree, John has credited the development of his expertise 
in the legislative process to his work as a subcommittee counsel for 
Chairman and former Congressman Henry J. Nowak of Buffalo. While he has 
dedicated much of his own time to mentoring and helping other young 
lawyers with the career development, one of his favorite mentoring 
tips, he learned from his experience under Mr. Nowak individuals 
especially those who work for the Congress should become so familiar 
with an issue that they become ``masters of the 30 second briefing.''
  However, by all accounts, John remains most proud of his 
accomplishments as an advocate for the men and women of the Capitol 
Police. Even though it is rare, indeed, that a public servant can be 
provided with an opportunity to directly impact and improve the lives 
of individuals, John's successful advocacy for a ``private relief'' 
bill for the widow and children of deceased Capitol Police Sergeant 
Christopher Eney and his oversight responsibilities for the U.S. 
Capitol Police Memorial Fund originally established to assist the widow 
and children of deceased Capitol Police Private First Class Jacob 
Joseph Chestnut and Detective John Michael Gibson, the only Capitol 
Police officers ever killed in the line of duty have always been 
treasured accomplishments for him.
  Another example of John's unique and historical contribution to the 
professional development, respect and prestige attributable to the 
Capitol Police is his tireless legal analysis, statutory drafting and 
advocacy spanning several years and culminating in the passage of the 
Capitol Police Retirement Act of 1990. This long sought law enforcement 
retirement initiative for the Capitol Police was viewed by many as one 
of the most significant formal, and historical statutory measures 
enacted by the Congress that recognized and treated Capitol Police 
similar to the FBI and the Secret Service as well all other executive 
branch federal law enforcement officers.
  However, one of the most difficult challenges that John successfully 
faced relates to his collateral appointment as the Chief Legal Advisor 
of the United State Capitol Incident Management Team, the 
congressionally appointed anthrax terrorists acts response entity 
charged by Congress with the responsibility to address the anthrax 
terrorist acts of October 2001 widely reported as the deadliest attacks 
in the history of the United States. Neither the overwhelming long 
hours, the unique and varied legal complexities, nor the personal and 
professional responsibilities placed on John relative to the decision-
making process as to the appropriate remediation of the buildings and 
the protection of individuals, nor the requirements of his regular 
duties as General Counsel could diminish his commitment to the 
continuity of the Congress and his service to the Capitol Police Board, 
the Capitol Police and the Congress.

  Moreover, in virtually all serious and difficult challenges 
confronted by the Capitol Police Board and the Capitol Police during 
his tenure, Caulfield has been heavily relied upon for his unique 
problem-solving skills. Indeed, after receiving notice of a matter that 
was seemingly beyond repair John was consistently called upon to find a 
solution. Under these type of pressure circumstances and with a 
singular focus, even when faced with the inevitable ``finger pointing'' 
of those involved, Caulfield, is almost legendary for his sometimes 
impatient retort ``I'm not interested in fault, you came to me to find 
a fix.'' In the development of resolutions in crisis management John 
exhibits an uncanny ability to quickly assess a given situation and 
synthesize a proposed solution providing a legal and litigation, as 
well as political and public relations risks in a concise and 
understandable manner. As former Doorkeeper of the House of 
Representatives, Jim Molloy once confided to a mutual friend, ``John 
has one of the sharpest and best analytical minds I have ever seen.''
  John has also demonstrated his dedication to service to the 
Congressional community by serving as a volunteer member of the Board 
of Directors of the Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union 
for approximately 20 years. During his service on the Board of 
Directors, the credit union has achieved much growth and success 
including relocating its headquarters to a new, larger facility. 
Additionally, John currently serves as the Chairman of the Member 
Information Security Committee leading the credit union's effort to 
ensure the protection of member personal information security and 
related privacy Issues.
  Madam Speaker, the retirement of John Thomas Caulfield from service 
to the Congress will bring a sense of loss not only for his substantive 
legal scholarship and acumen in such diverse areas of expertise as 
constitutional law, employment and labor law, appropriations law, 
criminal law and procedure, as well as in all aspects of legislative 
process and advocacy, but also I trust these revered halls of Congress 
will miss John's engaging personality, his spontaneous and humorous wit 
and ready smile.
  Madam Speaker, it has often been said that ``everyone is 
replaceable.'' Well maybe at long last we have found in John Thomas 
Caulfield the exception to that maxim.
  Please join me in extending a heartfelt expression of appreciation 
for John's many years of dedicated and conscientious public service on 
behalf of the Congress and the Capitol Police and hearty 
congratulations on retirement to John, his wife Susan, his children, 
Jace and Molly, and his entire family.

                          ____________________