[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 118 (Thursday, August 5, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN PRAISE OF MICHAEL COPPS

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Madam President, I rise once again to honor one of our 
Nation's great Federal employees.
  The Federal employee I am recognizing this week--and this is my 89th 
since last May, and here they are on the chart--has made a name for 
himself as an advocate for sensible regulation of the communications 
industry.
  At the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Copps has been a 
tireless fighter for the public interest and a steadfast campaigner for 
localism in broadcasting. In his position as one of the five 
Commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to 
oversee the regulation of our communications industry, Mike must work 
with the other Commissioners to come to agreement on key issues 
affecting broadcasting, the Internet, and other media. Whether they 
agree with him or not, I know they have to respect and admire his 
passion and energy in advocating for what he believes to be the best 
way to serve the American people.
  I did not choose to honor Mike only because he is one of the FCC's 
Commissioners; he has had a distinguished public service career for 
three decades. His service as Commissioner is just his latest role in 
the Federal Government. Mike is currently in his second term, having 
been appointed twice by President George W. Bush.
  Before his appointment to the FCC, Mike served at the Department of 
Commerce as the Assistant Secretary for Trade Development and Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Basic Industries.

  Prior to his service with the Commerce Department, Mike spent 12 
years here in the Senate as chief of staff to former Senator Fritz 
Hollings of South Carolina. That is how I got to know Mike, when I was 
chief of staff for now-Vice President and then-Senator Joe Biden. I can 
say from personal experience that, as a chief of staff, Mike was truly 
first class. He earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues 
across the Senate on both sides of the aisle. Smart, exercising good 
judgment, and a very good listener, Mike embodied the skills and values 
that make someone a great chief of staff.
  Before coming to Washington in 1970, he spent time working in the 
private sector for a Fortune 500 company, and he also taught as a 
history professor for some years at Loyola University of the South, in 
New Orleans. He holds a bachelor's degree from Wofford College in South 
Carolina and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel 
Hill.
  In his current role, Mike has been an untiring advocate for the 
public and has worked to push the FCC back toward its core mission: 
enforcing the regulations that maintain fair competition, protecting 
consumers, and ensuring that the communications industry serves the 
public interest. Particularly, he has been a crusader against control 
of the Internet by big corporations. His promotion of an open Internet 
is based on his belief that communications media should benefit all and 
foster the growth and development of communities.
  Last week, I spoke from this desk about the dangers of regulatory 
capture. Over the past decade, many of our regulatory agencies have 
been caught up in a deregulatory mindset that viewed self-regulation as 
not only adequate but preferable. Michael Copps has long been a voice 
of reason against regulatory capture.
  He is just one example of the many outstanding men and women at the 
Federal Communications Commission. They are all truly great Federal 
employees, and I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring their 
service to our Nation.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KAUFMAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. KAUFMAN. Madam President, I ask that the time of the quorum call 
be equally divided.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. KAUFMAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. JOHANNS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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