[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 25434-25435]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO EDWARD M. AUGUSTUS, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, November 20, 2004

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, today we will close another chapter in the 
history of this

[[Page 25435]]

great institution when we adjourn the 108th Session of Congress. The 
end of every session is always an occasion to pause and reflect, 
however that is especially true for me today because it also marks the 
last session that I will have the special privilege of Ed Augustus as 
my Chief of Staff.
  To a great extent, all of us in elected office ultimately succeed or 
fail based upon the people we choose to surround ourselves with. As a 
former congressional staffer, I know well where the heavy lifting is 
done in meeting the daily demands of serving the public and discharging 
the duties of this office. With that in mind, I consider myself truly 
blessed to have had Ed Augustus as my Chief of Staff for these past six 
years. During that time, I have routinely relied on his wise counsel, 
depended on his keen instincts and trusted his good judgment in 
directing all aspects of my congressional office.
  I have called on Ed to perform some extraordinary tasks during his 
tenure. In each and every instance, he has performed magnificently. 
Most notably, he coordinated President Clinton's historic visit to the 
City of Worcester, Massachusetts in 1998 and then the federal relief 
efforts for the same city following the tragic death of six 
firefighters a year later. Ed was also instrumental in resolving two 
very difficult labor disputes that threatened nursing care and public 
transportation for thousands of Central Massachusetts residents, and 
played a pivotal role in promoting numerous economic development 
initiatives that are right now improving the quality of life for 
families all across my congressional district.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to being an exceptional Chief of Staff, Ed 
Augustus is one of the most thoroughly decent people I know. He 
possesses a boundless reservoir of compassion and a genuine desire to 
help those in need. He is a devoted son, loving brother, proud uncle 
and the most loyal friend a person could ask for. And so, while I am 
sad to see him leave his position on my staff, I am gratified to know 
that he will be serving an equally important purpose in the future.
  On January 5, 2005, Edward Michael Augustus, Jr. will be sworn in as 
a member of the Massachusetts State Senate, and instantly that 
distinguished body will be made better by his presence. The people of 
the Second Worcester District could not have found a more able and 
dedicated public servant to represent their interests on Beacon Hill if 
they had searched the world over. In fact, all citizens of the 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts stand to gain immensely from the 
tremendous contributions Ed will undoubtedly make to public discourse 
and debate in our great state. School children in particular will soon 
discover an eloquent and powerful champion for the cause of improving 
public education all across the Commonwealth.
  Mr. Speaker, Ed Augustus will be a great leader in the Massachusetts 
Legislature because he has entered politics for the right reason--to 
help people. I believe public service is an honorable calling and a 
noble profession. I am certain Ed will live up to that high standard 
and I expect great things from him in the future.
  For now, however, I would like to simply thank him for sharing his 
many talents with me these past six years, and for the sterling level 
of service he has provided to the people of the Third Congressional 
District. Indeed, all of us in this House owe Ed a debt of gratitude.
  Mr. Speaker, I am eternally grateful to Ed for his efforts and I will 
always cherish his friendship. So in that spirit, I would like to close 
by offering my friend and colleague some words of advice as he prepares 
to return to elected office. They are words with which I know he is 
familiar as a scholar of American Presidents, and I hope he will carry 
them with him as he embarks on the next phase of his career in public 
service:

       It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out 
     how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could 
     have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is 
     actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat 
     and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short 
     again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great 
     devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the 
     best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and 
     who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring 
     greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and 
     timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.--President 
     Theodore Roosevelt.

  From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Ed Augustus.

                          ____________________