[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 26, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H1943-H1944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING DAVID LACHMANN ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE U.S. HOUSE OF 
                            REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor David Lachmann on 
his retirement from the House of Representatives and to thank him for 
his 25 years of federal service.
  David came to Washington in 1989 to work for former Congressman Steve 
Solarz of Brooklyn, staffing him on the House Merchant Marine and 
Fisheries Committee, as well as on issues related to criminal justice, 
religious liberty, housing, and the environment.
  When I was elected to Congress in 1992, David became my first 
legislative director. In 1997, David moved to the Judiciary 
Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law. For the past 13 
years, he has served as the Democratic chief of staff on the 
Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee.
  As an expert on the First Amendment, and particularly on issues of 
religious liberty and church-state relations, David was instrumental in 
the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religious 
Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
  He is also one of the foremost experts in the House on bankruptcy, a 
very technical and complicated area of law

[[Page H1944]]

but one that affects millions of people. Over the last 25 years, David 
has worked tirelessly to advocate for the rights and well-being of 
people who are most in need of Congress' protection but who do not have 
access to high-priced lobbyists.
  David performed these services every day, whether in defending 
against attacks on women's reproductive rights, working to protect 
Americans' civil liberties against PATRIOT Act provisions, or building 
support for legislation to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.
  David's resume is impressive, but it does not tell the full story. 
David is a legend in the House. He is one of those committed public 
servants who has become an institution within the institution.
  As the chief of staff of the Constitution Subcommittee, David has 
been the point person on some of the most difficult and divisive issues 
facing Congress each year. Yet, he brings a sense of humor, wit, and 
perspective that is well known in the House, without ever sacrificing 
his commitment to advancing the cause of equality and justice, and to 
defending the rights and freedoms of the most vulnerable among us.
  He has provided Members of Congress, staff, and advocates with a 
wealth of expertise and institutional memory on a wide range of issues 
that would be difficult, if not impossible, to replace. It will be a 
long time before I stop picking up the phone and dialing his number to 
ask him a question about some matter before the committee, or to get 
his perspective on the latest Supreme Court decision, or to just 
reminisce about the days of 1970s and 1980s New York politics.
  David has worked with me for a long time, and his biggest 
contribution has been as a trusted adviser and loyal friend.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking David for 
his service and for his dedication to working on behalf of the American 
people. He will be sorely missed in this institution, but we wish him 
all the best in his future endeavors.

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