[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 167 (Wednesday, October 31, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN APPRECIATION OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE HILL'S JOSEPH CRAPA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 31, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of a true 
patriot and committed public servant, the late Joseph Crapa. He boasted 
a litany of high posts and honors to his name, but it was as Chief of 
Staff to Senator Charles Schumer that he so ably served my native New 
York. Staffers like Mr. Crapa are the backbone of Capitol Hill, the 
too-often unsung movers and shakers who work feverishly on behalf of 
the American people.
  Known as a fast-talking guy from Brooklyn, Mr. Crapa's magnetism drew 
a series of glowing compliments--solid, wise, shrewd. He loved politics 
and government, but remained loyal to his unwavering moral core. He was 
an intellectual powerhouse, relentless in his defense of the little 
guy, but with the practical political know-how to get things done. As 
the executive director of the U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom, his last post, he agitated for a cause near and dear 
to his heart: the battle for religious freedom worldwide.
  He is today--and always--remembered and appreciated as a man of 
conviction and a wealth of knowledge.

          ``Salt-of-the-Earth'' Staffer Crapa Mourned on Hill

       Joseph Crapa, the executive director of the U.S. Commission 
     on International Religious Freedom, died Thursday from cancer 
     at the age of 63.
       Crapa, who had led the commission since 2002, previously 
     worked for 25 years in various Capitol Hill-related jobs, 
     including House committee offices, Member offices and in the 
     Congressional relations shops of several executive branch 
     agencies.
       Immediately before coming to the commission, Crapa worked 
     as chief of staff to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
       ``Joe was a pure salt-of-the-earth human being,'' Schumer 
     wrote in an e-mail. ``To know him was to love him.''
       Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) noted in a statement 
     that she knew Crapa during his service in the Senate and the 
     Clinton administration. She lauded Crapa's ``indomitable 
     spirit and determination'' during the fight to secure funding 
     for New York in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, 
     terrorist attacks.
       Crapa also served as counsel and staff director in the 
     office of Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) for 10 years, before 
     leaving in 1997 to become associate administrator for 
     congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the 
     Environmental Protection Agency.
       Obey said he was dubious when he first interviewed Crapa 
     for a job in 1987.
       ``I thought, `There's no way in God's green earth I can 
     work with this fast-talking guy from Brooklyn,'' Obey said. 
     ``He was about three times as intense as I was. But his 
     solidity, wisdom, and shrewdness came through, and we ended 
     up not only working together for 10 years, but becoming close 
     friends.''
       Obey said Crapa was a ``superb example'' of the importance 
     of the role staffers play on the Hill.
       ``There are a lot of people who never serve in elected 
     office--staffers and people in various agencies--who love 
     this country, are dedicated to doing things right and to 
     advancing the cause of regular people,'' Obey said. He said 
     Crapa ``loved politics, he loved government, he had a moral 
     core to everything he did. He was an intellectual and, at the 
     same time, a hard-nosed practicing pol in the best sense of 
     the word.''
       In a statement released by USCIRF on Thursday, Chairman 
     Michael Cromartie said Crapa ``had an unwavering, principled 
     commitment to . . . protecting religious freedom worldwide.'' 
     He and Vice Chairwoman Preeta Bansal both commented on 
     Crapa's ``sharp political instincts,'' which Barisal said 
     were ``crucial to him in this sensitive area.''
       Over the course of his career, Crapa worked as the top 
     congressional relations official at the EPA, the Department 
     of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International 
     Development, and in the No. 2 spot in the Department of 
     Commerce's congressional relations office.
       He also spent time at the Democratic Congressional Campaign 
     Committee, where he was the executive director of the 
     Speaker's Club, and as vice president at lobby shop Dutko and 
     Associates. For 6 years during his time in Obey's office and 
     at the EPA, Crapa taught part-time as adjunct professor of 
     government at Georgetown University. He was a John C. Stennis 
     Congressional fellow in 1995-1996.
       Crapa was born Dec. 16, 1943, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He received 
     his bachelor's degree from St. John's University in New York 
     City and went on to receive a master's degree from Duke and a 
     Ph.D. from the University of Arizona; all three degrees were 
     in British and American literature. He married Barbara Vaskis 
     in 1967; the couple had one son, Judd, and two grandsons, 
     Sebastian and Baird.
       A memorial service for Crapa is scheduled for 1 p.m. today 
     at St. Peter's Church on Capitol Hill.

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