[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 118 (Thursday, July 13, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3972-S3973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Tribute to Everett Eissenstat

  Mr. President, I wish to take this time to pay tribute to a very dear 
and noble colleague of mine, Everett Eissenstat. For the past 6 years, 
Everett has served as my chief international trade counsel on the 
Senate Finance Committee--a very important position. He has had a long 
and distinguished career in public service, obtaining and utilizing 
what is really an unparalleled level of knowledge and expertise about 
our Nation's trade policy. In fact, I think it is safe to say that very 
few, if any, individuals have had as great an impact on the current 
state of U.S. trade law as Everett Eissenstat. His public service will 
continue, as he has recently gone on to serve as the Deputy Director of 
the National Economic Council.
  Everett received his juris doctorate at the University of Oklahoma, 
where he graduated cum laude and served as research editor of the 
Oklahoma Law Review. He also holds a master's degree in Latin American 
studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor's degree 
in political science and Spanish from Oklahoma State University. With 
diverse alma maters like that, some might wonder how Everett decides 
what colors to wear on college football Saturdays. But those of my 
colleagues who know Everett will correctly guess that he has, since his 
undergraduate days, remained a devoted fan of his beloved Cowboys.
  After obtaining his law degree, Everett went to work for Dixon and 
Dixon in Dallas, TX. Later, he worked as Congressman Jim Kolbe's 
legislative director and, shortly thereafter, he became the 
international trade counsel for the Senate Finance Committee for 
Senator Grassley, who was then the lead Republican on the committee.
  Everett was a key staffer in the effort to draft and pass the Trade 
Act of 2002, which renewed trade promotion authority for the first time 
in 8 years. This was a major update to our Nation's trade laws and made 
possible the completion and passage of trade agreements with Chile, 
Singapore, Australia, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Peru, Colombia, South 
Korea, Panama, as well as the countries of the CAFTA-DR agreement; 
namely, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and 
the Dominican Republic.
  Everett then helped implement a number of these agreements when he 
served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Western 
Hemisphere, a position he held from 2006 through 2010.
  After recognizing his fine work, I asked Everett to return to the 
Finance Committee in January of 2011 to once again serve as chief 
international trade counsel, and he continued to distinguish himself as 
one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated trade lawyers in the 
country.
  Very early in his second tenure at the Finance Committee, he helped 
shepherd our free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South 
Korea through the Senate. In 2015, he was the key staffer in the effort 
to draft, introduce, and pass the bipartisan Congressional Trade 
Priorities and Accountability Act, which, among other things, once 
again renewed trade promotion authority after another 8-year gap, and 
updated our Nation's trade negotiating objectives for the 21st century.
  At about the same time, Congress also passed legislation to update 
our customs enforcement and facilitation laws, as well as a bill to 
reauthorize some important trade preferences.
  All of these successes were the culmination of years of hard work and 
represent the most ambitious legislative agenda on trade in recent 
history, and Everett was an indispensable part of it all.
  With his work on passage of those laws in 2015, his work on the prior 
TPA statute in 2002, and his efforts at USTR, Everett has been a key 
player in the development and facilitation of a generation of U.S. 
trade law. That is no small feat. More than anyone I have known, 
Everett is committed both to improving opportunities for Americans 
abroad and to ensuring an increasingly free-trade economy around the 
world. He is a true believer in free trade and the benefits free trade 
brings to our economy.
  I am not the only Senator who will miss Everett's knowledge and 
expertise. Indeed, during his time here, he was an asset to the entire 
Senate. But, more than that, I will miss him personally: his tireless 
work ethic, his calm and thoughtful demeanor, and his cheerful 
disposition, even when he is breaking bad news or telling Senators 
things they may not want to hear.
  While I am sad to see him go, it is comforting to know that Everett 
is continuing to serve our country and will keep advancing pro-growth 
economic policies at the National Economic Council. His expertise and 
wisdom are more important now than ever before, with numerous trade 
possibilities on the immediate horizon.
  As I have said before, and I imagine I will say many times again, 
Everett is very, very good at what he does. The administration and the 
country are lucky to have such an important asset. I look forward to 
seeing his successes in this new chapter of his career, though it goes 
without saying that he leaves behind some very big shoes to fill. I 
count myself lucky to have been the beneficiary of Everett's knowledge 
and advice for several years.

[[Page S3973]]

  I want to wish Everett, his wonderful wife Janet, and their sons 
Jacob and Alex the very best in this and any other future endeavors. 
Everett has a dedicated family, and I understand that they are here 
today; that Everett's wife and his one son were outside here just a 
short time ago. I am quite certain they are just as proud of Everett as 
I am.
  I have worked with a lot of people in the U.S. Senate. I have had a 
lot of staff people, and all of them have been, almost to a person, 
very, very good. I have appreciated all of them, and I know that we 
wouldn't be nearly as good without our staffs whispering in our ears, 
preparing the documents that we put into the Record, working with us to 
help us improve our abilities to put forth our agendas.
  I want my colleagues to know that Everett Eissenstat has been one of 
the all-time great staff people on Capitol Hill. I hesitate to even 
call him a staff person because he has the kind of reputation that goes 
far beyond being a staffer on Capitol Hill. He is one of the great 
leaders in this country, and I just want him to know how much I 
personally appreciate him. I want his wife to know how much I 
appreciate her and him; and his children--I want them to know what a 
great father they have.
  Everett is a great, great man, and I am really happy to have said a 
few nice words about him on the floor. No matter what I say, it is not 
enough to explain what a truly great individual Everett Eissenstat 
really is.
  I hope we can get other good staff people like Everett to help us on 
both sides. We are willing to work with both sides, willing to bring us 
together to do the things we know are important for this country and 
its future. Everett is one of those. I am going to miss him terribly. 
On the other hand, I know that where he is now is very important, and 
he will do the job as well as anybody alive.
  I just want to pay tribute to him and his wife and his son who is 
here today, and tell him how much we all love and appreciate him.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.