[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 200 (Friday, November 27, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





               CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MS. ELAINE SHAMIR

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 27, 2020

  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 
life of my friend Ms. Elaine Shamir, who passed away at the age of 48 
on October 5, 2020. Elaine dedicated her life to advocating for causes 
that would help her fellow human beings and promote democracy and 
fairness. Elaine believed passionately in the equality of all persons 
no matter what race, gender, or religion, and lived her life in a way 
that reflected that. She attributed her love of all mankind to the 
loving influence of her father, Mordechai Shamir.
  Born on October 12, 1971, Elaine grew up in Randolph, New Jersey. She 
attended the University of Maryland and worked in Washington, D.C. 
until she came to Los Angeles to work for the senatorial campaign of 
former United States Senator Barbara Boxer. For the following 20 years, 
Elaine would continue to work for Senator Boxer in addition to her work 
as the founder of Integrity Matters, a full-service firm that provides 
elected officials, candidates, and organizations the tools and 
resources necessary to succeed. Elaine dedicated much of her time to 
advocating for causes close to her heart. Elaine was passionate about 
mental health causes and was a driving force behind the passage of 
mental health parity laws through Mind Matters, an organization she 
founded to fight for access to mental health care for all Americans. 
Most recently, she had been working to protect voter's rights and fight 
against voter suppression with Fair Fight, a national voting rights 
organization based in Georgia. When she wasn't working, Elaine spent 
her time enjoying music, cinema, swimming, the ocean, and spending time 
with her family and friends.
  Elaine is survived by her mother, Ruth Shamir, her sister, Karen 
Marks, her brother-in-law, Ian Marks, her niece, Madison Marks, and her 
nephews Mason and Maxwell Marks, as well as many other loving family 
members and friends. It was an honor for me to have known and worked 
with Elaine. May Elaine's memory be a blessing to us all.

                          ____________________