[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16168]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING TIM FRIEDMAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about Tim Friedman who 
is leaving this body to start a new life, one a lot more relaxing I am 
sure. But I can tell him, he won't be surrounded by as many people that 
absolutely admire and like him like he is day in and day out here.
  I have gotten to know this man. He has been here for 30 years, but I 
have gotten to know him over the past 2 years while I have come to the 
floor 165 times to bring 5-minute special orders on bringing our troops 
home from Iraq. But what I have learned about him because he is here 
every night while we are doing our Special Orders, that his job in 
keeping this House floor together, to keep Members on the straight and 
narrow and knowing what we are doing and what we are not supposed to 
do, like talking on our cell phones on the floor, he does with good 
humor, he does with good grace.
  But his most important chore, and I think he has always known this 
with me, has been to find my fountain pens when I lose them. Actually, 
he can find a real fountain pen. I have a bit of a fetish for nice 
fountain pens. He finds other people's, and he thinks they are mine 
because I so often lose mine. But he also finds things that other 
Members of the House lose. He is a real sleuth, and he finds them, he 
knows who they belong to, he lets us know that he has got them.
  Mr. Speaker, even though he is starting a new chapter in his life, 
even though he is leaving us, we know that he has been here and we will 
always remember how he has treated every single one of us. I am glad 
that he was part of this chapter in my life.
  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.
  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join the gentlewoman from 
California in acknowledging and honoring our friend, Tim Friedman, for 
all his 30-plus years of service to the House of Representatives.
  I have been here now 10 years, Mr. Speaker, and I can you I have 
asked a great deal of Mr. Friedman, how to get from place to place, 
what the votes are going to be, asking him his advice on all kinds of 
family matters, frankly, to whether to go home for that soccer game or 
that school play. And he always gave me the right answer: Go home and 
be with your kids, and we will take care of the institution.
  Mr. Friedman has been an exemplary servant to this institution and to 
this country. And for 30-plus years of service, I want to thank him and 
his family for all of the sacrifice that he has expended on behalf of 
our country.

                              {time}  1630

  I want to say one other word. Tim is part of a team on our side of 
the aisle that makes our work possible. I know on the other side of the 
aisle there is a terrific team of people helping our friends on the 
other side of the aisle. So Tim represents the finest in public 
service, and I want to wish him and his family a wonderful retirement, 
and from the bottom of my heart, Tim, a sincere and grateful thank you 
for all you have done for me and for the Democratic Party, for the 
Democrats here, for the United States Congress and the people of this 
country.
  Thank you, Tim Friedman.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me, 
and I want to add my words of great compliment and appreciation to Tim 
Friedman, a true gentleman who has served this House with such 
distinction for over three decades of his life. His career here 
represents the highest level of public service, and members of his 
family, his children, his relatives, all of his friends here, all the 
Members of Congress that he has served and the American people should 
know this man because so many of the really top quality staff members 
who serve the Nation do not get the kind of recognition that they 
genuinely deserve.
  I want to thank him for his gentlemanly demeanor, being a true man of 
the House, and for helping us build a better Nation and world. Your 
service has been exemplary. Thank you on behalf of the Nation and thank 
you on behalf of the people of Ohio as well, all of whom you have 
served with such distinction. Congratulations. God bless you and may 
the future be even brighter than the years that you spent here.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding to 
me on behalf of such a fine and good man.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, Tim, thank you for taking 
care of us. Thank you for being you, and thank you for being in this 
chapter of my life.

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