[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 30, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING MICHELE LONGO EDER

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a woman whose 
remarkable life included decades of service fighting hard for fishers 
on the Oregon Coast, practicing with distinction as an attorney and 
together with her husband Bob, raising a family.
  My friend Michele Longo Eder tackled the many administrative duties 
in the family's fishing business and somehow found time to serve on 
numerous advisory boards to protect fishing families' across Oregon and 
the Nation. In the course of her extraordinary life, Michele was 
appointed to the National Fishing Vessel Safety Advisory Committee, the 
Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, and the U.S. Arctic Research 
Commission. My overarching memory of this dynamic Oregonian was her 
constant presence in my office. She never backed down from advocating 
for fishers and always tried to find solutions to the challenges they 
faced.
  Michele also worked as a trial attorney. In 2004, she and Gerry 
Spence represented Brandon Mayfield, an Oregonian wrongfully 
investigated by the FBI for the 2004 train bombing in Madrid. The FBI 
targeted Brandon because of a mismatched fingerprint, going so far as 
to arrest him for several weeks, even when Spanish authorities clearly 
indicated they had other suspects. Michele worked tirelessly and 
successfully for Brandon until he regained his rights and freedom.
  Michele also volunteered within her own community, finding multiple 
ways to be a true public servant in Oregon. She was president of the 
Yaquina Bay YMCA, board member for Newport Fishermen's Wives, and a 
member of the board of trustees at Oregon State University. She also 
screened cases for the Oregon Innocence Project, helping to fight 
injustices in our legal system. In a 2014 interview, Michele was asked 
to describe fishing with one word. Michele answered ``hope.'' That is 
the word that always leaps to mind when I think of Michele along with 
grace and the wealth of knowledge she brought to every situation.
  I extend my condolences to her husband Bob, their son Dylan, and 
their grandkids August Benjamin and Lark Michele.
  Michele Longo Eder lived an extraordinary life and deserves huge 
thanks for her career of contributions to our State and Nation. Her 
dedication to public service will be greatly missed.

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