[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8771-S8772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MATTHEW P. GOODMAN

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Matthew P. Goodman 
as he retires from his leadership position at the Council on Foreign 
Relations, marking the conclusion of an exceptional career spanning 
more than three decades of service to America's economic security and 
international leadership and to the American people.
  Mr. Goodman's dedication to our Nation's interests in the global 
economy has been unwavering. Throughout his career, he has served with 
distinction in multiple Presidential administrations, led 
groundbreaking research, and shaped the debates that define how our 
country engages with and in the international economy.
  Mr. Goodman's exemplary commitment to public service has been in the 
best tradition of bipartisan service to our Nation. His government 
service began at the U.S. Treasury Department during President Reagan's 
second term, where he served as an international economist, including 5 
distinguished years as financial attache at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, 
representing American interests during a transformative period in U.S.-
Japan economic relations and the broader Asia-Pacific economy. He is 
being honored by the Government of Japan for his lifelong support for 
our alliance.

[[Page S8772]]

  Mr. Goodman served as senior adviser to the Undersecretary for 
Economic Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, where he contributed 
to the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. From 2002 to 2004 
under President George W. Bush, he served as Director for Asian 
Economic Affairs on the National Security Council staff during a 
pivotal period in U.S.-Asia relations, during which we worked together 
closely.
  During the Obama administration he served as Director for 
International Economics on the National Security Council staff from 
2010 to 2012, where he played a crucial role in helping the President 
navigate complex global economic challenges. As White House Coordinator 
for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, forum and the East 
Asia Summit during America's APEC host year, he oversaw U.S. policy 
development in these critical forums and helped organize major 
international summits including the G-20 and East Asia Summit.
  Mr. Goodman has been equally influential in shaping economic policy 
through his intellectual leadership. Most recently, he served as 
distinguished fellow and Director of the Greenberg Center for 
Geoeconomic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he 
launched and led the RealEcon initiative: Reimagining American Economic 
Leadership. Critically, with the RealEcon initiative Mr. Goodman sought 
not to take Washington wisdom to the American people, but rather to 
spend time with the American people, traveling across our Nation, 
meeting with Americans from all walks of life, listening to their 
concerns and hearing their ideas, so that he could take their wisdom 
back to Washington.
  Through his leadership of the RealEcon initiative at CFR, Mr. Goodman 
tackled one of the most pressing challenges of our time: building a 
sustainable domestic consensus for American international economic 
engagement.
  Before joining CFR in 2023, Mr. Goodman spent over a decade at the 
Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS, serving as senior 
vice president for economics and holder of the prestigious William E. 
Simon Chair in political economy. During his tenure at CSIS from 2012 
to 2023, he established and directed important work on global economic 
policy with particular expertise on the dynamic Asia-Pacific region, 
testifying before Congress on numerous occasions and advising 
policymakers on critical economic and trade issues. Like many of my 
colleagues, I have been the beneficiary of his insight and advice.
  His private sector experience, including 5 years as head of Goldman 
Sachs's government affairs operations in Tokyo and London, gave him 
invaluable insights into how policy intersects with commerce and the 
private sector.
  Mr. Goodman's analytical rigor rests on a strong academic foundation. 
He earned his master of arts in international relations from the Johns 
Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, one of 
the Nation's premier institutions for training foreign policy 
professionals, and his bachelor of science in economics from the 
prestigious London School of Economics.
  Behind every accomplished public servant stands a supportive family, 
and Mr. Goodman's achievements have been made possible by the 
unwavering love and partnership of his wife Patty Goodman. Together, 
they have built a warm home in the Washington area and raised two 
accomplished sons--Misha and Will--while navigating the demands and 
long hours of public service.
  The Goodman household has also been a place of multigenerational care 
and connection. When Patty's father John needed support, they welcomed 
him into their home with love and dedication. Matthew's own father Ray 
Goodman, born in London in 1916, lived to celebrate his centennial 
birthday, a testament to the resilience and longevity that runs in the 
family and a living connection to a century of global history and the 
``special relationship'' between the United States and the United 
Kingdom. Countless Washingtonians were also blessed to have Matthew's 
mother Dorothy in their lives as the founder of the Washington 
International School and a fierce advocate for education reform.
  Those who know Matthew Goodman recognize not just his policy 
expertise, but his remarkable sense of humor, his ability to maintain 
perspective during challenging times, and his gift for bringing people 
together. His annual family poems--shared with friends and family 
during the holidays--reveal a man who can find light even in dark 
times, who values literature and wit alongside economic data and policy 
analysis, and who never lost sight of what matters most even while 
serving at the highest levels of government and policy making.
  Mr. Goodman's contributions to American economic statecraft have been 
important and lasting. He has been at the table for critical decisions 
affecting trade policy, international economic institutions, supply 
chain security, and America's engagement with the Asia-Pacific region. 
His work on economic security, geoeconomics, and the intersection of 
economics and foreign policy has influenced a generation of 
policymakers and scholars. An important part of his legacy are the 
hundreds of interns, associates, and staff who benefited from his 
training, support, and encouragement. Many have followed his example in 
service to the country in roles across the government.
  As Mr. Goodman retires from CFR and this chapter of extraordinary 
public service comes to a close, he leaves behind a legacy of rigorous 
analysis, principled leadership, and dedicated service to the American 
people. His work has made our Nation more secure, more prosperous, and 
better positioned to navigate the complex challenges of the global 
economy.
  On behalf of a grateful Nation, I congratulate Matthew P. Goodman on 
a distinguished career and wish him, Patty, Misha, and Will health, 
happiness, and well-deserved time together in the years ahead. I know 
that his retirement will be filled with the same humor, grace, and 
intellectual curiosity that have characterized his remarkable career. 
We will all continue to look to him for his thought leadership and wise 
counsel.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Matthew P. Goodman for his 
decades of exceptional service to the United States of America.

                          ____________________