[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 208 (Thursday, January 3, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1746-E1747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING JASON EVERETT FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 3, 2019

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise, along with Hank Johnson, 
Chair of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the 
Internet; and Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, 
Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations--to thank Jason 
Everett for nearly a decade of service to the House Judiciary 
Committee.
  Growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, Jason attended college at Duke 
University and law school at William and Mary, before returning to the 
Washington, D.C. area. He began his career on Capitol Hill as a 
Legislative Aide to Senator Barbara Boxer, and he later worked for 
Congressman Mel Watt as a Legislative Assistant covering Judiciary 
Committee issues. He joined the House Judiciary Committee in 2009 as a 
Counsel, working on intellectual property and other issues, and he 
later rose to become Chief Counsel of the Subcommittee on Courts, 
Intellectual Property, and the Internet, as well as a Deputy Chief 
Counsel of the Full Committee, overseeing the Intellectual Property and 
Crime Subcommittees.
  As Chief Counsel of the Intellectual Property Subcommittee, Jason was 
responsible for handling highly complex patent, copyright, trademark, 
and courts issues, among other matters. Many Members and staff relied 
heavily on his ability to explain, in a clear and understandable 
manner, the often complicated and highly technical matters that moved 
through his Subcommittee. He also deftly balanced his substantive 
expertise with a keen appreciation of the various stakeholders' 
interests in each issue, and an ability to find consensus among these 
sometimes divergent interests.
  Jason's efforts were vital to enacting significant reforms to the 
intellectual property ecosystem that will promote innovation and 
protect the creative community. For example, he worked tirelessly to 
pass the Defend Trade Secrets Act, which helps firms keep proprietary 
information--which, if disclosed, could be ruinous to them--from being 
made public. This legislation will save the American economy many 
billions of dollars, and preserve many thousands of jobs.
  Jason was also a critical player in the Committee's lengthy review of 
the Copyright laws, leading to passage of the Music Modernization Act, 
historic bipartisan legislation to reform the music licensing system. 
He spent countless hours working with a vast array of stakeholders to 
craft legislation that will better serve music creators and digital 
music providers, and ultimately consumers. He was also instrumental in 
passing legislation to promote greater diversity among patent holders, 
passing legislation to ensure that visually impaired individuals have 
access to published works, and developing hearings to oversee the 
implementation of the America Invents Act.

[[Page E1747]]

  In each of these matters, Jason not only worked with various parties 
to achieve consensus, but he also worked closely with his Republican 
counterparts to find a bipartisan solution. Jason's cooperative spirit 
and excellent sense of humor helped pave the way for legislation that 
ultimately garnered near unanimous support.
  In addition to Jason's work on the Intellectual Property 
Subcommittee, as a Deputy Chief Counsel for the Full Committee, he also 
worked closely with his colleagues on the Crime Subcommittee. In this 
role, he helped navigate many thorny issues in pursuit of criminal 
justice reform, and his efforts paid off with passage of the First Step 
Act. He has also been involved in a range of other criminal justice 
issues, such as the Violence Against Women Act and gun safety.
  Jason is universally well-liked and respected among Democrats and 
Republicans, Members and staff, both on the Hill and off. His positive 
attitude and hard work will be greatly missed by everyone who worked 
with him, but we wish him all the best in his future endeavors, and we 
thank him for his service to the Judiciary Committee, to the Congress, 
and to the country.

                          ____________________