[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 6, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E366-E367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN MEMORY AND PRAISE OF GREGORY ALAN BERRY A PERSON DEDICATED TO 
  EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 6, 2022

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of this body and 
the Committee on the Judiciary, I want to offer praise and a message of 
appreciation for a beloved man, who served as a member of my personal 
staff in service of the constituents of the 18th Congressional District 
of Texas, located in the city of Houston.
  He was a member of the baby boom generation that directly benefited 
from and was inspired by the work of President John F. Kennedy, 
President Lyndon Banes Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and 
many other leaders that worked for equality and justice for all.
  I am proud but heart-broken to later today participate in a tribute 
to his service in the U.S. House of Representatives, because Gregory 
Berry is an American original, my friend and valued member of my staff 
who died on March 15, 2022, at the age of 66 years old.
  Gregory Alan Berry, long-time legislative counsel in the U.S. House 
of Representatives, died unexpectedly from hypertension on March 15, 
2022, at his home in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
  Greg was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 16, 1956, the second 
son of Jesse Frank Berry and Bonnie Allena Berry. His father preceded 
him in death. He is survived by

[[Page E367]]

his mother; his two sons, Michael Jeffrey Berry and Connor Sias Berry, 
and their mother Elva Bowden Berry; his two brothers, Jeffrey (Donene) 
and Michael Berry, his sister, Bonnie Berry LaMon (Andre); two nieces, 
one nephew, two great-nieces, one great-nephew, five aunts and four 
uncles.
  When Greg was four years old, his family moved to California where he 
attended various schools including Saddleback High School in Santa Ana. 
He graduated from Evergreen High School in Seattle after his family 
moved there the summer before his senior year.
  Greg played both baseball and football in high school but was best 
known for his copious understanding of current political events, his 
debate skills, and his ability to recite on-demand the famous speeches 
of Abraham Lincoln and other seminal politicians and orators. Greg 
graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Business 
Administration. In 1980, he obtained his J.D from University of 
Pennsylvania Law School.
  Greg began his career as a Senior Attorney-Advisor in the U.S. 
Department of Energy, Office of Hearing Appeals, where he received the 
DOE Special Achievement Award for superior performance and sustained 
excellence and originality in legal analysis, research, and writing.
  Four years later he became a Senior Trial Attorney in the Office of 
General Counsel at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he 
received several Special Achievement and High Quality Awards as well as 
Certificates of Appreciation for Outstanding Performance.
  Greg excelled at both these positions, but the call on his heart and 
mind since the early 1960s had always been American politics.
  In 1989 he answered that call by matriculating into the University of 
Michigan Political Science Department. He graduated in 1991 with an 
M.A. in American Politics and Government, and within two years 
thereafter had completed all coursework and qualifying exams in 
connection with a Ph.D from the same program.
  While still a Ph.D candidate at the University of Michigan, Greg 
accepted a position as Visiting Lecturer of Political Science at the 
University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.
  He taught several courses in American national government, politics, 
and American political thought.
  The University of Canterbury offered him a full-time position and he 
returned to the University of Michigan where he taught introductory and 
advanced courses in American politics, government, political theory, 
race and politics, and political communication.
  He then taught similar courses at James Madison University, in 
Virginia, before accepting a position as Legal Writing Professor at 
Howard University School of Law (HUSL), in Washington, D.C.
  At HUSL he taught litigation related courses, Legal Reasoning, 
Research and Writing, Appellate Advocacy, and Legal Methods.
  He was the Faculty Advisor to an award-winning National Moot Court 
Team and was voted ``Law Professor of the Year'' in 2003, and several 
times received the Warren S. Romarin Award for Excellence in Teaching 
and Service.
  In 2006, Greg ``entered Congress'' as my Legislative Director/Senior 
Policy Adviser.
  I knew then that I had found an extraordinary mind to serve in my 
personal office and the Hill had a great scholar who would contribute 
to the work of this great democracy.
  Gregory over the years, also served as Legislative Counsel to 
Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA).
  At the time of his passing Greg had worked for nine years as my Chief 
Counsel and Legislative Director.
  He enjoyed developing, drafting, and managing legislation for the 
Appropriations, Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, Transportation & 
Infrastructure, Homeland Security, Science, and Rules Committees.
  He negotiated with senior staff officials in the House leadership and 
standing committees, frequently on behalf of the office.
  He sat in countless meetings with Executive Department officials at 
the federal and state level, and often met with lobbyists and policy 
entrepreneurs to garner support for important legislative initiatives.
  He especially enjoyed writing statements and speeches for delivery in 
committee hearings and markups; before the Rules Committee and on the 
House floor; in the congressional district, across the nation, and 
abroad; and for print, electronic, and online media.
  In his capacity as Legislative Director, Greg thrived on supervising, 
mentoring, and training the junior staff of legislative assistants, 
correspondents, and interns.
  Greg was also a kind hearted person who treated everyone with dignity 
and respect.
  His family is exceedingly grateful to Greg's colleagues and friends 
on the Hill for sharing his love of public service in the United States 
House of Representatives because he was able to spend the last sixteen 
years of his life steeped in the political world which unrelentingly 
captured his imagination as a young boy.
  A fitting and proper means of paying tribute to Gregory Berry's 
extraordinary life is to join with family, friends and co-workers to 
salute this great democracy, which he loved without ceasing through his 
years of dedicated service.
  I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory and thanks 
of Gregory Alan Berry, the three year old boy who visited the Capitol 
with his mother who returned to work in the job that gave him immense 
joy.

                          ____________________