[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 159 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8357-H8358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF STEVE CHAZEN

  (Mr. McCARTHY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, friends and family will gather 
to celebrate the extraordinary life of Steve Chazen. As they do, I 
extend my deepest condolences to his wife, Pat, and his entire family.
  The Steve I knew was a transformational leader, proud of his country 
and devoted to his loving family and community. His impact on Kern 
County and across America was enormous.
  As a champion of American energy, he saw the value of investing in 
the Kern County oil patch. In 1998, he organized a masterful deal to 
purchase the Elk Hills Strategic Petroleum Reserve in my congressional 
district in California. It was a huge gamble, but it paid off. Today, 
Kern County is renowned for its energy production, largely because of 
the hard work of our oil workers and our embrace of innovative 
technologies.
  The Elk Hills deal captures the essence of Steve's long and storied 
career. He was a trendsetter, not a trend follower. Others took cues, 
Steve took smart risks.
  With his intellect and vision, his guts and wit, and his candor, 
Steve transformed an industry and helped deliver American global energy 
leadership.

  I also appreciate that he didn't mince words. His quips were 
legendary. He famously said, ``Houston had bad weather and good people. 
L.A. has great weather.''
  By the time we met, Steve was already a titan in industry, but I also 
saw another important side of Steve. I saw his boundless generosity. 
Here is the truth: Steve was a relentless philanthropist. When he 
wasn't working, he was giving back to his community.
  Education, medicine, and environment, these are just a few of the 
many areas that benefited from Steve's unselfish support. His impact 
was profound. The most notable part is, Steve didn't care about getting 
the credit. He was a great leader, but an even greater person.
  Finally, let me say a word about Steve's selfless patriotism. For 
several years, Steve served his country as a canine handler in the 
Vietnam war. He didn't talk about it much, but he was a decorated 
veteran. In Vietnam, Steve and his scout dog would find and disable 
land mines in front of the rest of his unit.

[[Page H8358]]

  Dog handlers like Steve were so effective that they were special 
targets for the enemy. Only 13 of the 113 brave soldiers who trained 
with Steve returned home. Yet because of their courage, more than 
10,000 American lives were saved. Imagine for a moment if the Vietnam 
Memorial had another 10,000 names on it.
  Whether it was his visionary leadership, his philosophy, his pride in 
America, or his deep love for Pat, Steve was a great man. His life is 
an enduring example of leadership and service, a reminder of our duty 
to help one another.
  As we celebrate his life and lasting impact, let's lift up Pat and 
the entire Chazen family in our prayers, and let's dedicate ourselves 
to continuing the lessons Steve instilled in us to improve our country.

                          ____________________