[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 15 (Monday, January 26, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S822-S823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. HAROLD C. RELYEA

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, on January 30, 2009, after more than 37 
years of service at the Library of Congress, Dr. Harold C. Relyea will 
retire as a specialist in American National Government at the 
Congressional Research Service, CRS. His service and devotion to the 
U.S. Congress will be greatly missed.
  President Thomas Jefferson once observed that ``information is the 
currency of democracy.'' He also noted that ``whenever the people are 
well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.'' Thanks 
to the fine work of Dr. Relyea and his colleagues at the Congressional 
Research Service, the people's representatives in Congress are well-
informed--and, thus, well-armed--to preserve and defend the ideals, 
structure, and balance of our government as envisioned by our Founding 
Fathers.
  As Senators and staff come and go, the best CRS specialists become 
repositories of institutional knowledge, deep wells of experience who 
offer perspective and thoughtful analysis. Such specialists tend to 
take a long view on issues, having seen issues and trends emerge and 
reemerge in varying forms.

[[Page S823]]

These public servants enlighten and educate Members, and sometimes 
testify before congressional committees. These men and women are 
steeped in their field of expertise, and though some come to be 
recognized for their published work and analysis, most labor in 
anonymity, satisfied by the pure reward of helping to inform and shape 
the public debate.
  Dr. Relyea is, and has been, reliable, authoritative, and humble--a 
genuine example of the true public servant over the long years of his 
career. A native of Oneida, NY, Dr. Relyea earned his doctorate in 
government in 1971 from American University--my own alma mater. He 
joined the Congressional Research Service that same year, shortly after 
the enactment of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 that 
provided the charter for the modern Congressional Research Service. Dr. 
Relyea was promoted to head of the Executive Organization and 
Administration Section at CRS in 1976. Twenty years later, he became 
the head of the executive and judiciary section of the government and 
finance division. As a Specialist in American National Government, Dr. 
Relyea garnered national recognition for his research and writings on 
the Presidency, and executive branch powers and organization.
  I came to know Dr. Relyea in 2002, as the Bush administration 
attempted to expand its use of emergency and wartime powers, and I 
increasingly sought to defend and assert the rights and privileges of 
the Congress as a co-equal branch of government under the U.S. 
Constitution. I recall sitting across the table from Dr. Relyea in the 
Appropriations Committee hearing room, where I had asked several CRS 
specialists to brief me on the creation of a new Department of Homeland 
Security. I remember being impressed by Dr. Relyea's depth of 
knowledge, and his timely and thorough responses to my requests for 
information. Dr. Relyea and others sacrificed their August recess that 
year, in order to help prepare for a long debate when the Senate 
returned in September.
  I welcome this opportunity to thank Dr. Relyea, and to thank everyone 
at the Congressional Research Service for their hard work and 
dedication. As a source of necessary expertise for Members of Congress, 
CRS helps to provide a vital counterweight to a mighty and powerful 
Executive branch.
  In a career that has spanned four decades and eight administrations, 
Dr. Harold C. Relyea has set a standard of superior service for the 
entire Congressional Research Service. It's clear that Dr. Relyea has 
earned the respect and appreciation of his colleagues. He is a patient 
and generous mentor and has assisted a full generation of CRS analysts 
in developing their skills. In 2008, his colleagues showered praise on 
Dr. Relyea as they nominated him for the prestigious Director's Award. 
I think their greatest tribute to him, however, would be to continue 
his outstanding legacy of scholarship.
  I thank Dr. Relyea for his extraordinary dedication to the work and 
traditions of the U.S. Congress and to the country and the Constitution 
which we all revere.

                          ____________________