[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 37 (Thursday, March 2, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING EDWARD ``ED'' GARVEY

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of my 
friend Edward ``Ed'' Garvey. Ed spent his lifetime fighting for 
equality, justice, and fairness for all Wisconsinites and Americans and 
did so with passion, joy, and a great Irish wit.
  Ed was born in 1940 in Burlington, WI, to Edward and June Garvey. His 
legacy of leadership and service began at a young age. He emerged as a 
young leader in Wisconsin through Badger Boys State and as student body 
president at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  Ed's lifelong commitment to social justice and racial equality began 
in college. As a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating 
Council, Ed traveled to the South to join the African American civil 
rights movement. Following 2 years serving our Nation in the Army, Ed 
attended the University of Wisconsin Law School, graduating in 1969.
  Thereafter, Ed joined the Minneapolis law firm Lindquist and Vennum 
and worked for the newly formed National Football League Players 
Association--NFLPA. For 12 years, Ed fought for labor rights for NFL 
players and workers, first as the NFLPA's attorney and eventually as 
its first executive director. He won greater freedom and economic 
fairness for the players, securing a fair share of profits for players 
who at the time needed second jobs to supplement their $35,000 
salaries.
  Ed was never shy or deferential. He spoke truth to power and 
challenged the system anywhere he found an injustice. He loved a good 
fight, and he took great pleasure in the battles, but he was always 
respectful and driven by the progressive values that guided him. In 
moments of the greatest conflict, Ed would often use humor to disarm 
others while making a point. Even his greatest adversaries appreciated 
his principled positions and enjoyed his wit and intellect.
  After more than a decade with the NFL, Ed returned home and was named 
Wisconsin Deputy Attorney General, where he took on big polluters and 
fought for environmental protections. He ran for the Senate twice, and 
in his bid for Governor in 1998, Ed not only fought for campaign 
finance reform, he led by example because he has always been deeply 
committed to changing a system where powerful interests have too much 
influence over public policy. While Ed came up short in his campaigns, 
he never gave up his fight for the ``little guy'' as a respected lawyer 
and as a leading progressive voice in our State.
  Ed understood how important it is to pass on to the next generation 
our proud, progressive tradition in Wisconsin. He founded ``Fighting 
Bob Fest'' to honor the legacy of former progressive Wisconsin Governor 
and U.S. Senator Robert ``Fighting Bob'' LaFollette. Each year, Ed 
brought progressives together from across the country to share this 
tradition and give people a voice.
  Ed's list of accomplishments and successes is long and has one thing 
common: He was committed to something bigger than he was. If you asked 
him, he would say his greatest accomplishment was his family. He spent 
more than five wonderful decades filled with adventures with his wife, 
Betty, and their three daughters, Pam, Kathleen, and Lizzy. In recent 
years, his four grandchildren were his greatest joy. I know that their 
wonderful memories of him will stay with them always.
  I feel so privileged to have known and worked with Ed since my early 
years in public service. Ed lived his life and pursued his work with 
persistence and purpose. He loved Wisconsin and stood up for people 
from different walks of life because he wanted to make a difference in 
people's lives.
  Perhaps most important, Ed inspired generations of young people to 
enter politics and law, to engage in our democracy, to let their voices 
be heard, and to never be intimidated by those of wealth, power, and 
privilege. I am a better person for having fought with him in support 
of a more progressive Wisconsin, and I am honored to work to continue 
his important legacy. ``Forward!''

                          ____________________