[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 25]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING JOE REMCHO

  (Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I lost a dear friend and 
law school classmate and Californians lost a true champion of public 
interest and civil liberties. Joe Remcho died tragically in a 
helicopter accident. He will be sorely missed. I met Joe in law school 
37 years ago. We became quick and close friends. After law school we 
took different paths, but both reveled in politics, public interest, 
and public policy. Joe became an acknowledged expert in first 
amendment, election law, and civil liberties. As a rookie lawyer, he 
represented soldiers in Saigon during the Vietnam War and later worked 
as a staff attorney and lobbyist for the ACLU in San Francisco and 
Sacramento.
  He became an advisor to many public officials, including California 
Governor Gray Davis, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and me and was sought 
after for his skill, his decency, and his common sense. His advocacy 
greatly influenced the redistricting process in California, and he 
brought numerous cases involving voter initiatives, term limits, and 
campaign finance.
  Legal titan that he was, I will remember Joe as quiet and self-
effacing, a truly decent individual who eschewed headlines and 
publicity. He always had time to give advice to his friends, often pro 
bono. Recently, he helped me with a small, but important, family issue.
  People like Joe are rare, but their impact great. Joe Remcho's legacy 
will inspire young lawyers for years to come. To his family, friends, 
clients, and other classmates, my family extends our deepest 
condolences.

                          ____________________