[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 195 (Tuesday, December 11, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING CATHY HURWIT FOR A LIFETIME OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 11, 2018

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the most 
important people in my life for the last twenty years, my treasured 
friend and Chief of Staff, Cathy Hurwit. After two decades of working 
by my side, supporting, counseling, directing, and making all things 
happen, Cathy is retiring at the end of this year.
  I think it says a lot about Cathy that she began her service to our 
county right out of college as a VISTA volunteer. Having never 
previously been west of the Hudson, she spent a formative year working 
on a migrant housing project in Davis and Weber Counties in Utah. Her 
project fixed up homes, developed a community health center, and worked 
with the children. That year set the stage for Cathy's never-ending 
commitment to do everything she could to make life better for everyday 
people.
  Cathy Hurwit is well known on Capitol Hill as one of the most 
knowledgeable, savvy, brilliant, literate, helpful, visionary, 
hardworking, effective, strategic and relentless progressive leaders. 
She is the go-to person for staff and members inside the Congress as 
well as advocates, constituents and lobbyists outside. She is a skilled 
organizer who knows how to move a progressive agenda.
  Cathy's history on the Hill began forty years ago. She served on the 
staff of Congressman Toby Moffett (D-CT) as Energy Policy Director from 
1976 to 1979. She then worked as advisor to the Subcommittee on 
Environment, Energy and Natural Resources of the House Government 
Operations Committee from 1979 to 1982, followed later by two years for 
Congressman (now Senator) Ed Markey (D-MA) from 1987 to 1989 as his 
Legislative Director.
  Cathy then left the Hill to become the Legislative Director for 
Citizen Action, a multi-issue coalition of progressive organizations 
from 1988 to 1997, overseeing campaigns that blocked President Reagan's 
efforts to deregulate natural gas--while passing legislation to protect 
homeowners from utility shutoffs, winning worker and community ``right 
to know'' about toxic emissions and promoted Patients' Bill of Rights 
in Congress and around the country. Through that period, I became 
friends with Cathy through our mutual work with our Illinois affiliate.
  The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, one 
of the great public employee unions in our country, hired Cathy as 
their Legislative Affairs Specialist from 1997 to 1999--until I was 
able to lure her back to the Hill as my Chief of Staff. By then she had 
vowed never again to work in Congress, but I am grateful that she came 
back to get me started, and even more grateful that she stayed!
  Cathy has built and led incredible staffs in our office over the last 
twenty years. At the heart are my Deputy Chief of Staff, Kim Muzeroll, 
who is the glue that holds our D.C. office together, and Leslie Combs, 
my fabulous District Director who oversees a renowned constituent 
service operation. Along with Cathy, they make up a team of powerful 
women who have been in charge of our staff since my very first day in 
Congress.
  Alumni of our office have served in the White House, as Chief of 
Staff to Nancy Pelosi and others, as Deputies to Cabinet Secretaries, 
and major leaders in not-for-profit and labor organizations. All of 
them benefited greatly from Cathy's mentoring and still consider 
themselves part of Team Schakowsky.
  As I write this Extension for the Congressional Record, I still find 
it impossible to imagine future sessions without Cathy Hurwit right 
next to me, strategizing about how to move our progressive agenda 
forward. Her expertise in health care made it possible for me to write 
portions of the Affordable Care Act. Opportunities like that will 
hopefully come again soon. Cathy tells me that she will still be 
available to help, and I will be certain to test that. She remembers 
all the complicated details of so many issues and bills, the struggles 
and the victories, the names of all the players on every side of the 
issues. Her institutional memory is exhaustive. (There are some people 
who should hope that Cathy does not write a book!)
  Even when she leaves, Cathy will be a force to be reckoned with. She 
has a lifelong commitment to social justice and to working for 
progressive change. I am sad that this phase is over knowing I have a 
lot more to learn from Cathy. My precious friend, as you leave the 
Rayburn Building, know that you have dramatically improved so many 
individual lives, including mine. And, more importantly, that you have 
made life better for millions of people who, through your work, now 
have access to health care and hope for a better future.
  Cathy will be deeply missed in our office and throughout the Hill. I 
look forward to maintaining our partnership in the ongoing struggles 
for justice, equality and peace. From the bottom of my heart, I thank 
her for her service.

                          ____________________