[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 16 (Monday, January 29, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E89-E90]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MOURNING THE LOSS OF MICHAEL S. BERMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 29, 2024

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, we lost a great Minnesotan 
and great American: Michael S. Berman. He passed away on January 12 at 
age 84. A skilled lawyer, shrewd political advisor, and principled 
public servant, Mike made indelible contributions to our nation.

[[Page E90]]

  Mike's penchant for politics was evident when he was a young man. 
Shortly after graduating the University of Minnesota Law School in 
1964, he volunteered on President Lyndon B. Johnson's reelection 
campaign and organized a successful voter registration drive in his 
community. Impressed with Mike's work, Walter Mondale--then Attorney 
General of Minnesota--hired Mike to serve as his special assistant. 
Mike later moved here to Washington, D.C. in 1966 to serve on Mondale's 
Senate staff as Counsel. He quickjy became one of Mondale's most 
trusted advisors.
  Mike's close professional and personal relationship with Mondale 
continued after Jimmy Carter made the Senator his running-mate. Mike 
led Mondale's transition team following the 1976 presidential election 
and went on to serve as the Vice President's Counsel and Deputy Chief 
of Staff.
  After leaving the White House, Mike continued to advise numerous 
political leaders and mentor up-and-coming political operatives from 
across the country--and across the generations. They trusted his 
judgment, enjoyed his humor, and appreciated his honesty. Between 1968 
and 2004, Mike also scheduled every Democratic National Convention. 
Indeed, few people could match Mike's understanding of the 
innerworkings of the Democratic Party. He was a fixture of the 
Washington political landscape for decades. Mike also remained a 
prominent voice on some of the most pressing issues facing our nation 
and world--from promoting gun safety to advocating for civil and human 
rights.
  Crucially, Mr. Speaker, Mike was a man of character and kindness. He 
was a devoted husband to his wife of 42 years, Carol--especially in the 
final months before she tragically passed away of lung cancer in 2007. 
He showed the same devotion to his second wife, Debbie, whom he married 
in 2012. My wife Elaine and I are praying for her and their three 
children and their spouses: Rachel and Dr. Steven Feinleib, Ben and Jen 
Cowan, and William Cowan. My thoughts are also with their four 
grandchildren and with Mike's two sisters, Sheila Teitelbaun and Nance 
Alexander. They ought to take comfort in knowing that we grieve with 
them. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Mike Berman and 
praying for his many friends and family.