[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JULIUS P. KNAPP

  Mr. WICKER. Madam President, I rise today to commend Julius ``Julie'' 
P. Knapp for his service to our Nation during the past 45 years. Mr. 
Knapp retires this month from his position as the FCC's Chief of the 
Office of Engineering and Technology, OET, where he helped usher in the 
modern age of communications and was instrumental in making spectrum 
available to fuel our Nation's economic growth in this area. If you are 
accessing a mobile device right now, using Wi-Fi, or buying the latest 
wireless gadget, you are likely benefiting from Julie Knapp's work.
  Mr. Knapp is well known and respected here in Congress for his 
technically precise and straightforward testimony at countless 
hearings. Mr. Knapp is a world-recognized expert in communications and 
is widely viewed as a leader on technical policy issues because of his 
expertise, his pragmatic and fair approach, and his ability to 
``translate'' complex engineering issues to policymakers on all sides 
of an issue. He has briefed generations of congressional staffers on 
the intricacies of spectrum management and provided significant and 
substantial input on spectrum legislation. Many Members of this body 
have discussed communications industry developments with Julie, 
including low power FM, wireless and satellite issues, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, 
and 5G, among others.
  When the public looks at Julie Knapp's career, we can see a parallel 
to the timeline of America's communications industry's growth. He 
graduated from high school in New Hyde, NY, in 1969, and he received 
his engineering degree from the City College of New York in 1974. Less 
than a month later, he went right to work for the American people. He 
rose through the ranks at the FCC, beginning as a 22-year-old 
certifying radio frequency devices and growing into a seasoned 
professional in the increasingly important equipment authorization 
branch. He became Chief of the FCC laboratory, Chief of the Policy and 
Rules Division for OET, and finally Chief of OET, where he has served 
with extraordinary distinction since 2006.
  Mr. Knapp's outstanding work has brought him numerous awards and 
accolades within the government and in the engineering community. In 
2012, he received one of the highest honors for a civil servant, the 
Presidential Distinguished Rank Award. He also has received the FCC's 
Gold and Silver Awards and the Eugene C. Bowler Award for exceptional 
professionalism and dedication to public service.
  Mr. Knapp has served the United States through multiple 
administrations, never asking for more than the opportunity to make a 
difference--and along the way, making a lasting, positive impact. He 
epitomizes the concept of civil service. We all owe Julie Knapp a debt 
of gratitude and our sincerest thanks for dedicating his life to 
building America's communications systems and making these services 
universally available to all of us and for doing so with grace and 
humility.

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