[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 19, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E885-E886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MUFTIAH McCARTIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 2010

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, over the last several months 
several of our colleagues have announced they plan to retire from 
Congress and in a few months some may not return to us due to the 
workings of our democracy. All of their departures will, in some way or 
another, impact this body--the peoples' House.
  But there will be one loss this year that will be felt most by the 
members and staff on both sides of the aisle--that of Muftiah McCartin. 
Now Muftiah's name may not be well known to the people who live in our 
districts, but I would

[[Page E886]]

hazard a guess that there is not one member of the House of 
Representatives who has served in the last 30-plus years who does not 
know and love Muftiah--whether in her role as a parliamentarian, as a 
staff member on the Committee on Appropriations, or in her most recent 
role as the staff director of the Rules Committee. In every instance 
she brought a fundamental fairness, openmindedness, kindness and an 
incredible work ethic. She handled herself with the utmost 
professionalism even in the most trying of circumstances--namely having 
to deal with the 435 of us, and on occasion having to tell us something 
we did not want to hear.
  As I look back on the words of tribute spoken last week by so many of 
my colleagues I am most impressed by the fact that those words were all 
spoken from the heart, as are mine. They were not words of canned 
praise, nor were they sterile platitudes--they were expressions of 
genuine friendship and respect. I will not repeat what was said about 
Muftiah's distinguished career--although it bears remembering. Rather I 
will share a few reflections from her time working for the 
Appropriations Committee when I was chairman.
  In 2005 during my first year as Chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee, it was Muftiah who patiently schooled me and my staff in the 
complexities of House Rules as we worked on the 11 appropriations bills 
that came to the House floor that year. I think it is fair to say that 
had it not been for Muftiah, we would not have successfully completed 
our important work in a manner that was open and fair to all the 
Members. In 2006 I had the good fortune to be able to convince Muftiah 
to leave the parliamentarian's office and come to work on the Committee 
on Appropriations. I expect the parliamentarian and his able colleagues 
might still be angry with me for that, but they have, as usual, been 
very gracious. While Muftiah knew the rules under which we consider 
appropriations bills each year better than anyone else on my staff, 
especially the intricacies of the Budget Act, she did not have a 
background in the minutia of the appropriations and budgeting process. 
What she did have--and still does--is an incredibly keen mind and a 
tenacious work ethic.
  I assigned Muftiah to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies, the second largest and one of 
the most important bills that touch the lives of every one of our 
constituents. As soon as she got there I observed her dig into budgets 
and programs as if she had been doing it all of her life. She quickly 
grasped arcane budgetary concepts, made the difficult recommendations 
that the committee staff must make to Members every day, asked the 
tough questions that must be asked in order to produce a responsible 
budget, and mentored younger staff in the rules and procedures of the 
House. As we knew would happen when she was hired, Muftiah could not 
learn enough, soaking up every bit of knowledge she could come by.
  Now we bid a fond farewell to a loving wife and mother, a fierce 
friend, a great employee and a true institutionalist when it comes to 
this House. Muftiah has demonstrated a love and commitment to this 
institution and to public service that unfortunately we don't see often 
enough. Her work is an example that all of us should take note of and 
aspire to emulate. I can think of no greater role model for girls and 
young women than Muftiah McCartin--a woman who put herself through law 
school while holding down a full-time job and raising a family; one who 
understands that we have far more in common than we have differences; 
one who never put politics before principle; and a woman who faced 
every challenge, no matter how difficult, with a smile on her face and 
a kind word for all. My wife, Arlene, and I wish her all the best in 
the many years to come.

                          ____________________