[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 159 (Wednesday, October 1, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO ROBERT ROTH

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I wish to take a few moments to 
acknowledge the life and work of a very ordinary, yet extraordinary, 
American named Bob Roth of Bristow, VA. Bob died of cancer earlier this 
year, at the young age of 44, leaving behind a wife of 19 years and 
five young children. His was one of far too many vibrant young lives 
cut short by this terrible disease. As was his way in life, Bob fought 
cancer to the very end attacking the disease as ferociously as it 
attacked him.
  Recent developments in the FBI anthrax case had brought the case back 
into the media in the last month. I want to pause and recognize that 
the recent breaks in the case were built upon the hard work of Special 
Agent Roth and his team. Many of us remember what it was like on 
Capitol Hill in October of 2001 when an anthrax-laced letter appeared 
in Senator Daschle's office and another in Senator Leahy's office. 
Spores were found at the U.S. Supreme Court, and postal workers who 
handled the letters died from inhalation. No one felt entirely safe 
from one of the most deadly germs known to man.
  The FBI was immediately on the case, and a September 2003 Washington 
Post article explained their approach in the following manner:

       To run the anthrax case day to day, Assistant FBI director 
     Van Harp turned to veteran FBI agent Bob Roth whose 
     meticulous style mirrored his own. Roth sometimes referred to 
     himself as a cops-and-robbers kind of guy, best suited to 
     pursuing the mobsters, embezzlers and kidnappers who had 
     always been the FBI's bread and butter. But this case posed 
     an entirely new set of challenges, and Roth was willing to 
     try almost anything to solve it .  .  . the FBI's 
     frustrations with the case were palpable. At one meeting at 
     the Washington field office, agents talked candidly about the 
     toll the long hours were exacting on their families. Roth 
     vented, too, groaning to no one in particular, ``Get me out 
     of this.''

  But he never asked to get out. Long after the media lost interest, 
Agent Roth worked tirelessly. As the FBI slogged through one of the 
most complicated, high-profile cases it ever faced, Agent Bob Roth 
served his country as a pioneer in the efforts to fight domestic 
terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. He literally risked his life 
investigating scenes and evidence from the anthrax case. He was later 
honored by being promoted to Assistant Section Chief of the Bureau's 
newly created Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. It was a role he 
had little time to address because he spent the last year of his life 
fighting against his own personal WMD: multiple myeloma, an aggressive 
bone cancer.
  Bob was an exemplary father, devoted husband, committed Christian, 
community leader, and Government servant. He served 16 years for the 
FBI and was highly commended and decorated for his exceptional life and 
unfailing integrity, for his leadership and excellence in his 
profession for his inspiring example as a devoted husband and loving 
father to five beautiful children for his character and long service to 
our country, and for his pioneering efforts in fighting against weapons 
of mass destruction.
  I ask that the Congressional Record reflect the impressive 
contributions made by Special Agent Robert Roth to his country.

                          ____________________