[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 193 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1270-E1271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LATE BOBBY SILVERSTEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 13, 2022

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, on November 17 of this year, we lost a 
dedicated public servant and crucial advocate for disability rights: 
Bobby Silverstein. He served in the House of Representatives as counsel 
to the Education and Labor Committee's Select Education Subcommittee 
and later in the Senate as staff director and chief counsel for the 
Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Committee on Labor and Human 
Resources. I worked with him most closely when I was the lead House 
sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act and he was working as 
Senator Tom Harkin's chief aide. In that role, he helped craft the ADA 
and fought tirelessly to secure its enactment. Like so many others. I 
admired Bobby's intellect, strong character, and commitment to public 
service. I believe that my friends Katy and Ralph Neas articulated that 
admiration we all feel for Bobby perfectly in their remarks at his 
funeral service, and in honor of Bobby, I include in the Record their 
speeches.

                            [Nov. 22, 2022]

            Remarks for Bobby Silverstein's Memorial Service

                             (By Katy Neas)

       In 1987, Bobby was my boss. When I left the Hill in 1991, 
     he was my friend, and somewhere along the way over these 35 
     years, he and Lynne became family.
       There are three things you need to know about Bobby.
       No one was better prepared. Yes, he really did have a 
     binder for everything.
       No one wanted to get to ``YES'' more than Bobby.
       No one was more genuine, thoughtful, loving, respectful, 
     and patient, and he was fun.
       I worked for Bobby on the original Americans with 
     Disabilities Act. One of his many gifts was his devotion to 
     bringing people together--the disability community, the 
     business community, Republicans and Democrats. He had endless 
     patience and wanted to learn from each individual's 
     perspective so that the ADA could be the strongest LAW 
     possible. One of the best parts of this time was a certain 
     individual from the Leadership Conference, Ralph Neas, who 
     was in our office almost daily to coordinate with Bobby. 
     Ralph and I were married in November of 1988 and spent the 
     next 20 months engulfed in the ADA.
       During those months, I had many conversations with Lynne, 
     asking her about ``Bobby time''--meaning, what time did Bobby 
     come into the office. Her typical response was ``don't ask.'' 
     What most people didn't know is that he would be in the 
     office around 3:00 a.m. every day so that he could leave by 
     6:00 p.m. to have dinner with Lynne and the boys. That was 
     his schedule for months.
       Bobby at his ``Bobby-est'' when in conversation with 
     Senator Orrin Hatch. There were amendments that sought to 
     discriminate against people with HIV that Senator

[[Page E1271]]

     Hatch was considering supporting. Bobby tracked him down in 
     the hallway to share with him an anecdote about a zoo in Ohio 
     that had requested a group of students with down syndrome 
     leave because their presence was upsetting to the animals. 
     Bobby explained to Senator Hatch that the fundamental 
     discrimination these children faced was the same 
     discrimination that people with HIV faced. In his sincere 
     Bobby way, he was the perfect messenger and Senator Hatch 
     ended up doing the right thing.
       So on to the fun Bobby. Bobby and Lynne joined the Lowes 
     Island County Club as it was a club without gender-based 
     restrictions where Lynne could be the primary member and play 
     golf anytime she wanted. The club was purchased by the Trump 
     organization sometime later. Several times in that first year 
     of the Trump presidency, Bobby would call, using that golf-tv 
     announcer voice--to let me know that the President was on the 
     17th hole with a gazillion secret service agents--because I 
     was in desperate need of this important information.
       So, while I won't ever pick up the phone to ``Hi, it's 
     Bobby'' again, I will carry him in my heart for all the days 
     of my life. And I will always ask myself in a tough 
     situation, what would Bobby do? And I would ask you do to the 
     same.
       When someone treats you with disrespect or anger, think--
     What would Bobby do? He would try to find out why they are 
     upset and to see if there is a way to reach consensus.
       When life throws you a curve ball, think--What would Bobby 
     do? He would analyze the problem from every angle, go back to 
     his fundamental principles of right and wrong, and come up 
     with a solution.
       And finally, when you are having a really bad day, think--
     What would Bobby do? Know that he would envelop you in his 
     love, patience, and generosity and move heaven and earth to 
     support you. And if you do that for someone else, Bobby will 
     be on your shoulder cheering you on.
       I am the most grateful person on the planet to have had 
     this incredibly intimate personal and professional 
     relationship with Bobby Silverstein. Every day since his 
     death last week, I've woken up crushed by sadness but 
     overwhelmed with the joy that comes with being Bobby's 
     friend. How can you think about Bobby and not smile? As I put 
     one foot in front of the other, I will think about what would 
     Bobby do, what would Bobby expect me to do, and how can I 
     advance his legacy. It won't be easy, but Bobby showed us 
     what's possible.

                            [Nov. 22, 2022]

                      Eulogy for Bobby Silverstein

                            (By Ralph Neas)

       For 35 years, I have been in awe of Bobby Silverstein. The 
     reasons are many. High on my list, of course, are his notable 
     and numerous professional accomplishments, especially his 
     leadership role in the enactment of the historic Americans 
     with Disabilities Act.
       But my role today is to discuss primarily the personal and 
     not the professional. I would like to share with you two 
     episodes in my life that demonstrate why no one could have a 
     better friend than Bobby Silverstein.
       In early November of 2018, I was laying paralyzed on an 
     I.C.U. bed at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. For the 
     second time in my life, I had contracted Guillain Barre 
     Syndrome, a rare and usually reversible auto-immune disorder 
     that can sometimes lead to total paralysis and death.
       After confining me to more than 100 days in hospital beds, 
     the syndrome had struck most of my body, but not my lungs. 
     However, it had become increasingly apparent, as breathing 
     and talking became more difficult, that my lungs were its 
     next target and a ventilator might be necessary to increase 
     my chances of survival.
       At this critical moment, in walks Bobby, with his perpetual 
     grin, his sense of humor, and his trademark optimism. He had 
     learned from Katy that I was in really bad shape. Bobby 
     correctly figured out that I probably needed a close friend 
     to help Katy keep me company and my sanity. And very 
     importantly be my advocate when necessary.
       He sure got that one right. And no one was better 
     qualified. Bobby understood how vital it was for a patient in 
     my condition to communicate needs and participate in 
     important decisionmaking. He realized that without 
     augmentative and alternative communication devices, those 
     goals would be impossible to achieve. Bobby and the 
     hospital's alphabet chart became an incredible team. Thanks 
     to them, my anxiety level dropped considerably.
       But soon it was clear that if I were to live, I had to be 
     put on a ventilator. Bobby was the last nonmedical person I 
     saw before the medical procedure and the first one I saw as I 
     regained consciousness. And Bobby and the alphabet chart 
     remained my constant companions until I was out of the woods. 
     Bobby had been the indispensable friend we all need when the 
     stakes are the highest.
       Fast forward four years: Bobby is battling cancer and my 
     communications with him are by email or phone calls. I told 
     Katy that I forever will owe Bobby ``big time'' for what he 
     did for me in 2018. It was time for me to return the favor. I 
     would visit him in person on a regular basis for as long as 
     it took to get him better.
       On November 5, I was on my way to the Silverstein home, 
     armed with three bowls of chicken soup (of course) for Lynne, 
     Bobby, and myself. While we waited for Lynne to return from 
     an errand, Bobby and I sat on the porch, basking in the early 
     fall sunlight and talking about everything: families, 
     politics, sports, friends, and his tenacious battle to defeat 
     pancreatic cancer.
       An hour into our conversation, Bobby pivoted suddenly and 
     dramatically to the strong possibility that pancreatic cancer 
     might win. He made it abundantly clear that he would continue 
     to fight the cancer with all his might, but he knew the odds 
     were not in his favor. He just wanted me and everyone else to 
     know that he was not afraid of dying. Indeed, if he died, he 
     would die a happy man. He explained that he had lived a full 
     life, experiencing all its joys, especially the love of his 
     family and friends and his enormous love for them.
       Bobby first talked about how wonderful it was to have been 
     married to Lynne, the love of his life, for 51 years. Then he 
     turned to Mark and Evan and how fabulous and loving they had 
     been as sons and how they had married Steph and Christie, two 
     remarkable and loving women. And to the surprise of no one in 
     this room, Bobby shared with me for the millionth time, how 
     spectacular it was to be the grandfather of Cyrus, Chloe, 
     Jacob, and Bailey.
       And yes, he did mention his professional career with a 
     sense of pride in his accomplishments and the opportunities 
     he had to help better the lives of countless Americans.
       While Bobby talked, I realized that once again I was the 
     one receiving another friendship gift. In his careful, 
     diplomatic, and effective way, Bobby was making it clear that 
     it is possible to achieve balance in one's personal and 
     professional lives--with a lot of hard work, the willingness 
     to compromise, and love.
       As I drove home that day, I promised myself that no matter 
     what life still had to offer, I would try to be more like 
     Bobby. Once again, thank you, my dear friend.

                          ____________________