[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 183 (Thursday, December 1, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8003-H8004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING TOM MELLON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the Bucks 
County Bar Association's most ardent supporters, my dear friend, Tom 
Mellon. Tom is known by many around the country for his passion and 
commitment to the law, but is equally known in the Bucks County area as 
a dedicated civil servant who has spent his entire life giving back to 
the community.
  I've known Tom for many years, and although we come from different 
party backgrounds, it has never gotten in the way of our friendship. 
Our shared values have always trumped politics. First and foremost, Tom 
is a family man. He's a loyal husband to Sara and a dedicated father to 
four sons, Thomas, Christopher, Ryan and Henry. Tom is also one of the 
friendliest people you will ever meet. He has a genuine personality and 
a warm welcoming demeanor, which have served him well throughout his 
career.
  Tom always seems to carry with him an inner Irish spirit. From day 
one he has championed the underdog and the downtrodden, which is truly 
an admirable quality. Throughout the course of his legal career, Tom 
has been the David to many a corporation's Goliath, taking on Big 
Tobacco, multiple pharmaceutical companies, and even global terrorists. 
He never waivers in his dedication to his clients or to his cause. His 
cases are taken not necessarily because he knows he can win, but 
because morally they are the right thing to do. Tom is truly an 
inspiration to many young, aspiring attorneys who want to change the 
world. He has been to me.
  As Tom sees it, his life duty is to help those who are in need. He 
launched his legal career representing the interests of victims of 
crime in the United States Attorney's Office, and he has never looked 
back.
  Today he continues his representation of the less fortunate, proudly 
serving as a trial attorney in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
  After 9/11 Tom served as a lead counsel among a national consortium 
of attorneys who were retained by the families of the victims of the 
terrorist attacks in order to pursue an investigation into the 
involvement of Iran and al Qaeda. In 1999 Tom arranged for the first 
group of American lawyers to

[[Page H8004]]

visit Havana, Cuba, in order to better understand the culture of the 
land and the inner struggles of the Cuban people.
  Currently Tom also serves on the board of directors of the Bucks Mont 
Katrina Relief Project and has raised millions of dollars for the 
victims of Hurricane Katrina in Hancock County, Mississippi. As part of 
this mission, Tom has led over 100 attorneys and their family members 
on multiple trips to Hancock County to clean up the devastation, 
rebuild homes, and assist in the construction of new community 
buildings like a food pantry and an animal shelter.
  Tom's morals and decorum permeate every aspect of his life. His 
loyalty is unwavering and unparalleled, whether it be to family, 
friends, employees, or clients. His dedication to the community speaks 
volumes about who Tom is as a person. He is a kind, giving, unique 
individual, and I'm truly blessed to have called him a friend for so 
many years and to honor him today as he will be honored tonight at the 
Bucks County Bar Association.

                          ____________________