[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 162 (Tuesday, October 10, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        TRIBUTE TO CURT HAENSEL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BILL SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 10, 2017

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, according to their website, ``The Office of 
the Legislative Counsel provides legislative drafting services to the 
Committees and Members of the House of Representatives on a non-
partisan, impartial, and confidential basis. Our goal is to work with 
Committees and Members to understand their policy preferences in order 
to implement those preferences through clear, concise, and legally 
effective legislative language.'' For the last 30 years, no one has 
performed all of the above more professionally and more successfully 
than Curt Haensel.
  Curt has specialized in transportation law his entire career. His 
sharp mind and relentless pursuit of perfection (sometimes in spite of 
staff and Member interference) ensured that bills considered by the 
Committee and the House were clear and coherent expressions of 
legislative intent. I and my predecessors have relied on Curt's 
expertise and creativity to draft legislative solutions to many complex 
issues. Even under immense pressure, Curt's guidance was always calm, 
balanced, and fair. I don't know how many bills or amendments Curt has 
drafted (it must be in the thousands), but I can tell you that a great 
many of our Nation's most profound laws bear his fingerprints.
  Curt not only cared about the work product, but more importantly, he 
cared about the people he was working with. He has infinite patience, 
is humble, and is kind. He served as a mentor and tremendous 
professional example to many young legislative counsels and Committee 
staff over the last 30 years.
  On behalf of myself, the staff of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, and the entire House of Representatives, I want to 
express my sincere gratitude to Curt for his years of service. His 
contributions to this institution have been invaluable and the impact 
of his guidance will be felt for many, many years to come. I wish him, 
his wife Meg, and his two children well. I wish him good luck with his 
future endeavors. He will be missed.

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