[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E53-E54]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING AMY RUTKIN AND HER SERVICE TO THE U.S. HOUSE OF 
                            REPRESENTATIVES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 18, 2024

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Amy Rutkin for nearly 
twenty-five years of outstanding service to the constituents of New 
York's 12th Congressional District and the House Judiciary Committee.
  The decision to hire Amy as my Chief of Staff in 1999 was--as all my 
best decisions are--at the suggestion of my wife, Joyce, who had met 
her while working on the same New York City Comptroller race. While Amy 
hadn't previously worked on the Hill, upon meeting her, I knew she 
possessed the intellect, tenacity, and problem-solving skills necessary 
to step directly into the Chief of Staff role.
  Previously, Amy had served as Director of Government Relations and 
Public Policy at Hadassah; as a Policy Analyst for New York Governor 
Mario Cuomo; and as Associate Director of Public Affairs at Planned 
Parenthood. This experience demonstrated our shared passion for 
advocacy and fighting for the principles we both believe in: women's 
and LGBTQ+ equality, civil rights, progressive Zionism, and much more.
  While Amy grew up in Arizona and earned her undergraduate degree at 
Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts, she became steeped in the 
world of New York City politics when she studied at my alma mater, 
Columbia University, going on to graduate with a master's in public 
administration.
  Despite a promise not to stay in the position ``a day over four 
years,'' Amy was quickly thrown into the center of some of our nation's 
most significant challenges, and her commitment to seeing those 
challenges through kept her fighting alongside me for nearly twenty-
five years. Barely two years into her taking the Chief of Staff role, 
the 9/11 terrorist attacks devastated my district, which then stretched 
from the Upper West Side of Manhattan through the heart of the World 
Trade Center and to parts of Brooklyn. We knew immediately that the air 
in Lower Manhattan wasn't safe to breathe--despite assurances from the 
Bush Administration--and in the years following, Amy dedicated herself 
to leading efforts in Congress to care for the victims, work that 
culminated in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. This 
landmark legislation upheld our promise to our nation's heroes who 
responded to the attacks as well as to all those who had been impacted 
by the toxic dust in the disaster area--a monumental feat that affected 
thousands of lives. Thanks to her persistence and dedication, Amy's 
impact on our 9/11 families can be felt far and wide.
  Years later, in 2017, our work together would face its biggest test 
as I entered the race to become Ranking Member of the House Judiciary 
Committee. Thanks in great part to the strong record I had built over 
the years with Amy's advice, I earned the trust of my colleagues to 
become the Ranking Member, a goal we had discussed for many years 
finally coming to fruition. I was proud to appoint Amy as Chief of 
Staff to the Committee, a role she seamlessly assumed following our 
victory.
  Becoming Ranking Member--and later, Chairman--of the Judiciary 
Committee brought with it great opportunities for legislative action 
that Amy and I had talked about for years. It came with a caveat, 
however; Donald Trump was the President, and there was mounting 
pressure to launch an impeachment inquiry as he was fundamentally 
threatening and degrading our democracy.
  Amy navigated the complexities of leading an impeachment with a 
steady hand, facing a demanding schedule and non-stop media attention, 
managing a staff of some of our nation's finest minds, and working 
closely with the House Leadership team. This experience earned her the 
acclaim of former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who praised her ``wise 
counsel'' and ``razor-sharp instincts,'' an assessment I couldn't agree 
with more.
  After the Impeachment concluded in early 2020, unbeknownst to anyone 
at the time, we would be back again the following year for yet another 
impeachment after President Trump led the January 6, 2021, insurrection 
at the Capitol. While under vastly different circumstances--this time, 
the Members were the direct victims of the President's crimes--Amy 
built on past experience to give President Trump the dishonor of being 
the only President to be impeached twice.
  Impeachments aside, Amy's tenure leading the staff of the Judiciary 
Committee allowed us to realize several legislative goals we had worked 
on together for two decades.
  For example, back in 2009, when same-sex marriages were under attack, 
Amy was critical in helping author the Respect for Marriage Act to 
protect marriage equality, a bill that was seen as fanciful at the 
time. Although the Supreme Court later recognized marriage equality in 
the Obergefell decision, this right came under renewed threat when 
Justice Thomas urged revisiting that precedent in the Dobbs case, which 
overturned decades of precedent protecting the right to reproductive 
freedom. Amy seized the moment and jumped into action to revive efforts 
to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. Within months, we were on the 
White House Lawn together with President Biden as he signed the bill 
into law. A dream that seemed impossible just a decade earlier had 
become a reality largely due to Amy's relentless tenacity for LGBTQ+ 
equality.
  Fighting for civil rights has always been at the core of my political 
philosophy, but it was never more urgent than in the wake of George 
Floyd's murder in 2020, when our country was clamoring for change to 
our nation's approach to policing. Amy worked in tandem with then-
Representative and now-Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to advance the 
George Floyd Justice in Policing Act through the House, not once but 
twice. On their work together, former Congresswoman Bass said, ``Let me 
say in no uncertain terms that the United States House of 
Representatives would not have been able to pass the most comprehensive 
police reform package in United States history--the George Floyd 
Justice in Policing Act--two different times, without Amy's steady 
guidance and leadership.''
  Simply put, under Amy's leadership, the House Judiciary Committee was 
as productive and consequential as it has ever been in the years I 
served as Chairman. These accomplishments allowed me to run in a 
difficult primary last cycle on a record that was unmatched, and I am 
thankful to Amy not only for helping to develop this record, but also 
for amplifying to constituents the impact of my work in Washington.
  Even now in the minority, Amy continues to influence the issues she 
is most passionate about. In the wake of the October 7th attack on 
Israel, she has doubled down on her work supporting my role as the most 
senior Jewish Member of Congress and she is a visible demonstration 
that you can be both progressive and Zionist. She is relentless in her 
work supporting our informal group of Jewish Members of Congress--and 
her success in bringing together voices from across the political 
spectrum speaks volumes to her understanding of the complexities of the 
Jewish community and her deep connection to the values that bind us 
together.
  I would be remiss if I did not mention Amy's children, Phoebe and 
Zoey. Both of her children were born during her tenure in the office, 
and for me and the rest of our team, it has

[[Page E54]]

been a pleasure watching them grow up and hearing their stories and 
jokes about their dog, Rufus.
  As Amy moves on to the next chapter in her life, I am forever 
grateful to have had her by my side for nearly twenty-five years as my 
most trusted advisor. With her brilliant political instincts, keen 
understanding of policy, and strong moral compass, she has been 
essential in bringing about so many of my accomplishments throughout my 
tenure in Congress.
  I want to thank her for her many years of service and her friendship 
over the years. My district, the Judiciary Committee, and the lives of 
millions of people are better off for having had Amy fighting on their 
behalf.

                          ____________________