[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 97 (Friday, June 20, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1032-E1033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN APPRECIATION OF DAVID SHAHOULIAN AND HIS YEARS OF SERVICE

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2014

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I, along with House Judiciary Ranking 
Member John Conyers, Jr. of Michigan and Representative Zoe Lofgren of 
California, would like to thank David Shahoulian for more than seven 
years of service to the House of Representatives. Throughout this time, 
David has served as a dedicated counsel to the Judiciary Committee 
under three Chairmen, including myself, John Conyers, Jr., and Lamar 
Smith of Texas. For the last three years, he has served as the Minority 
Chief Counsel to the Judiciary's Committee's Immigration Subcommittee.
  A native of Miami, Florida, David initially pursued a career in the 
film industry after graduating summa cum laude from Florida State 
University. David eventually returned to school to earn a Master's 
Degree in creative writing from the University of Southern California 
before obtaining his law degree from the Yale Law School.
  It was in law school that David developed a passion for immigration 
law. Through his work in the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services 
Organization, David spent hundreds of hours representing clients at the 
Asylum Office all the way up to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. 
After graduation, he worked for two years as a Chesterfield Smith 
Public Interest Fellow at the law firm of Holland & Knight LLP. Just 
two months into his fellowship, David looked out the window of his 
Miami apartment and saw dozens of Haitian refugees scrambling onto the 
Rickenbacker Causeway after their boat ran aground. David ultimately 
represented a number of these asylum seekers and worked to secure pro 
bono counsel for many more. As the child of refugee parents from Iran 
and Cuba, David is a tireless advocate for those who have fled 
persecution and torture in search of freedom and liberty.

[[Page E1033]]

  After three additional years at the law firm, David joined the 
Judiciary Committee in March 2007 and took on an ever-expanding 
portfolio of issues. Over time, his ability to master questions of law, 
policy, politics, and House procedure earned him the respect of Members 
and staff on both sides of the aisle. Throughout his tenure, David 
played a critical role in bipartisan negotiations over legislative 
topics large and small. He was the lead staff Democratic negotiator for 
the Judiciary Committee on the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims 
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which made major reforms to 
immigration law regarding the victims of trafficking and unaccompanied 
children, and the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 
2010, which established a program to provide health care to those 
injured during recovery and cleanup efforts at the September 11 
terrorist-attack sites and by reopening the September 11 Victim 
Compensation Fund to provide compensation for such injured persons.
  David's affable demeanor and quick mind have frequently been on 
display and have earned him many friends on both sides of the aisle and 
in both chambers of Congress. David's absence will be felt for years to 
come on matters pertaining to immigration law and policy, but we know 
that he will continue to work in this area as Deputy General Counsel of 
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
  Mr. Speaker, we applaud David's tireless, principled and loyal public 
service to the U.S. House of Representatives and the American people 
and wish his every success in his future endeavors.

                          ____________________