[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E975-E976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              GRATITUDE FOR THE SERVICE OF RENATA STRAUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 27, 2010

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
thank one of the most dedicated and productive members of the Judiciary 
Committee staff for her service to the House, Renata Strause. For 3\1/
2\ years, Renata has worked with exceptional dedication and drive for 
the Judiciary Committee, and I rise to commend her for her 
achievements.
  After graduating from high school in Lancaster, PA, Renata began her 
professional career before attending college when she worked for a year 
as a legislative aide to State Representative P. Michael Sturla in the 
Pennsylvania State General Assembly. After putting together the first 
annual Lancaster Legislative Weekend, Renata matriculated at Oberlin 
College in Ohio during the Fall of 2002.

[[Page E976]]

  She earned her bachelor's degree in politics from Oberlin, where she 
cochaired the College Democrats' club, competed as a finalist for the 
Harry S. Truman Scholarship, received several departmental prizes for 
her academic work, and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She 
immersed herself fully in the political life of Oberlin, Ohio as well--
working on city ballot initiatives for education, city council races, 
and get-out-the-vote efforts during several elections. During her 
summer and winter breaks, she also worked at the Pennsylvania 
Department of Education and served as Congressional candidate Lois 
Herr's deputy campaign manager during the 2004 election cycle in 
Lancaster County.
  Following graduation, Renata came to Washington to work at the 
political consulting firm of Evans & Katz. Managing the daily 
operations of the Washington office, Renata represented clients before 
the Federal Election Commission, helped coordinate fundraising for 
several House and Senate candidates, and prepared electoral compliance 
reports for the firm.
  At the beginning of the 110th Congress, Renata joined the Judiciary 
Committee staff and became an invaluable member of the committee's 
oversight team. She took on an incalculable number of tasks, staffing 
Members of the committee and myself on administration oversight issues, 
voter suppression, executive branch accountability, gaming issues, 
health care, and most recently the committee's work on the liability 
issues related to the Gulf Coast oil disaster. She has been 
instrumental to the committee's investigative work on Federal Bureau of 
Investigation and the Department of Justice, including the firing of 
nine U.S. Attorneys and the resultant Contempt of Congress resolutions 
on the House Floor. She also worked on large portions of the 
committee's comprehensive staff report on the previous administration: 
Reining in the Imperial Presidency: Lessons and Recommendations 
Relating to Presidency of George W Bush.
  Renata is leaving the committee and Washington to attend Yale Law 
School this fall. On behalf of the Judiciary Committee, its staff, and 
this distinguished body, I would like to thank her for her exemplary 
work, generosity, sense of humor, and boundless energy. She will be 
sorely missed as a colleague and friend, but we wish her the best of 
luck and extend to her our deepest gratitude for her service.

                          ____________________