[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 154 (Thursday, October 22, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H11622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    TRIBUTE TO CHUCK ATKINS OF THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

  (Mr. GORDON Tennessee asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise to sadly announce a 
retirement. No, it's not mine; it's much worse. The chief of staff of 
the Science and Technology Committee, Chuck Atkins, is going to be 
retiring at the end of this year.
  As all of us know, if we are going to run our business well and be 
successful, we have to have good friends that will give us advice. We 
have got to have an outstanding staff that will help us execute our 
work. Chuck has been both of those for me.
  Chuck has served his country with distinction in a number of ways. 
From the jungles of Vietnam as a decorated marine, including a Purple 
Heart, to the Halls of Congress, Chuck has been a patriot.
  He first came to Washington in 1993 with our former colleague Scotty 
Baesler, from Kentucky. Then in 1998, Chuck took on the chore of being 
the chief of staff for my personal office. Later, when I became ranking 
member of the Science and Technology Committee, Chuck took on those 
additional responsibilities as the staff director there.
  In 2007, when I had the good fortune of you allowing me to serve you 
as the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, Chuck then 
became the staff director for the committee. Quite frankly, he has been 
the key to our committee's success, skillfully putting together an 
outstanding staff, mentoring them, bringing them along to really 
perform to their maximum potential, and doing all of that, I am very 
pleased, in a bipartisan manner.
  I will tell you one quick story there. When I first became elected, 
as you know, the majority staff has two-thirds to one-third, and so 
there was a big switch. Chuck went to the minority staff and said they 
could be the first ones to interview for our new expanded staff. After 
interviewing them, because he wanted to get the very best that he 
could, our first five hires were from the Republican staff. All the 
other Republican staff members who didn't have a job, he said they 
could stay and help us work until they could find another job.
  I think because of that, over the last 2\1/2\ years, we have been so 
successful in being able to pass 82 bipartisan bills and resolutions. 
Twenty-seven of those have been signed into law and many more are in 
the pipeline to be signed.
  Chuck, thank you for a job well done. I hope that Chuck's wife, 
Merry, is listening. If so, Merry, thank you for putting up with Chuck 
for those late nights, and thank you for, I am sure, having to put up 
with the frustration that he would bring home from having to work with 
me.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Would the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Certainly.
  I yield to my friend and ranking member of the Science and Technology 
Committee, Mr. Hall.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Bart, I agree with you. I certainly want to pay 
tribute to Chuck Atkins.
  He has been a loyal servant of this House. He is respected on both 
sides of the House. It has been a pleasure to work with him. I can say 
that he is really a man of integrity who led his staff admirably.
  Part of the reason the Science and Technology Committee has such a 
bipartisan committee is because of staffers like Chuck Atkins who 
dedicated themselves to serving a cause greater than he felt himself to 
be. He served us in war and peace as a Vietnam veteran. He has a long 
history of serving our Nation, so it should come as no surprise he 
chose to come to Washington to give his services here.
  Chuck, you are going to be missed. I hope you have a good retirement 
from the House of Representatives. Thanks to you for all you have done 
for the greatest good for the greatest number.

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