[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 166 (Friday, December 21, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S8359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO GORDON LEDERMAN

 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, included in the Department of 
Defense Authorization Act is bipartisan, bicameral legislation I co-
sponsored titled ``The Interagency Personnel Rotation Act,'' which 
seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal 
Government's national and homeland security operations by encouraging 
the temporary rotation of certain homeland and national security 
employees among the different agencies that have homeland security 
missions.
  Like the Goldwater-Nichols Act, which established the principle of 
interagency rotation within our armed forces, this amendment will have 
the effect of building trust and better communications among these 
different agencies, thus enhancing their collective efforts to 
safeguard our nation from the terrorist threat.
  Much of the credit for crafting this bipartisan legislation goes to 
Gordon Lederman, formerly Associate Staff Director and Chief Counsel 
for National Security and Investigations on the Senate Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
  Gordon left my Committee staff earlier this year due to illness. 
However, this legislation will add to his record of enhancing the 
security of our country, and especially of breaking down the barriers 
to greater cooperation and collaboration between agencies that must 
work together to keep our country safe.
  Thomas Jefferson once asked the question: ``What duty does a citizen 
owe to the government that secures the society in which he lives?'' 
Answering his own question, Jefferson said: ``A nation that rests on 
the will of the people must also depend on individuals to support its 
institutions if it is to flourish. Persons qualified for public service 
should feel an obligation to make that contribution.''
  Gordon has selflessly answered Jefferson's centuries old call and has 
had a distinguished career in public service dedicated to the security 
of our Nation.
  Here are just a few highlights of Gordon's career.
  In 2003, Gordon joined the 9/11 Commission staff and was responsible 
for assessing the Intelligence Community's senior-level management 
structure. His work included developing potential recommendations for 
intelligence reform modeled on the Goldwater-Nichols Act as well as 
examining Congressional oversight.
  After the 9/11 Commission released its report in July 2004, Gordon 
moved to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee as a special bipartisan staff member. He served as the lead 
drafter and negotiator of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism 
Prevention Act of 2004, which enacted the Commission's recommendations 
to create the Director of National Intelligence and National 
Counterterrorism Center.
  Gordon also worked on the Committee's investigation into the flawed 
response to Hurricane Katrina at all levels of government.
  In February 2006, Gordon joined the U.S. National Counterterrorism 
Center to assist the Executive Branch in implementing the legislation 
he helped author. His work included the Center's organizational 
strategy and internal allocation of roles and responsibilities.
  Gordon later returned to the Committee and was the lead investigator 
of the Committee's inquiry into the murders at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 
2009, when Maj. Nidal Hasan--a psychiatrist trained by the U.S. Army at 
taxpayer expense--entered the Soldier Readiness Processing Center with 
two loaded pistols and opened fire, killing 13 and wounding 32.
  Following a 14-month investigation, the Committee released its 
report--``A Ticking Time Bomb: Counterterrorism Lessons from the U.S. 
Government's Failure to Prevent the Fort Hood Attack,'' of which Gordon 
was the lead writer.
  The report detailed flawed practices and communications, both within 
and between the FBI and Department of Defense, which allowed Hasan to 
remain in the military--and even be promoted--despite many warning 
signs that he was becoming dangerous. The report also contained a 
series of recommendations that, had they been in place, probably would 
have led to Hasan's dismissal from the Army and prodded the FBI, which 
was aware of Hasan's suspicious actions, into a more aggressive 
investigation of his growing violent Islamist radicalization.
  My time in the Senate is drawing to a close. I have already given my 
farewell address. However, I just wanted to take these few minutes to 
thank Gordon Lederman for the Interagency Personnel Rotation Act into 
law, and for his career long dedication to making our homeland more 
secure.

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