[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2118]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING ROB COGORNO

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute out of order.)
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, over the years, we have been greatly 
advantaged by some extraordinary people who work with us and for us. I 
have been particularly advantaged as the minority whip with an 
extraordinary man who has worked for me now for 5 years. Prior to that, 
he worked for Dick Gephardt for many years and has been on this floor 
working on behalf of not only the majority side or the minority side, 
depending on what the Democrats were, but also in trying to make sure 
that this institution talked to one another and worked together as well 
as it possibly could.
  He is going to be retiring now after 25 years of service to this 
institution. He's been a congressional staffer since 1983. He has 
served as floor director for the majority leader since January of 2007, 
myself. In that capacity, he has been responsible for scheduling bills 
and managing the daily legislative program. He's provided tremendous 
legislative advice to so many of you on the floor who have gone to him 
and asked him for his counsel. He's provided policy advice to our side 
of the aisle and policy discussion with your side of the aisle, and he 
has also been a communications counsel.
  There is nobody who knows this young man who does not like him. He is 
a decent, good, very smart, wonderful human being.
  He served as floor director in my office, as I said, for 4 years. 
Prior to that, Rob was the chief appropriations staffer for former 
Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt, and he also worked for Representatives 
Rosa DeLauro and Peter Visclosky. In those positions, his primary areas 
of focus included appropriations, global health, and foreign 
assistance.
  During his career, Rob also worked for former Senator Brock Adams and 
former Representatives Jimmy Hayes, Cathy Long, and Gillis Long.
  Rob is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley with a 
bachelor's degree in physiology and earned a master's in public policy 
at the University of Washington, and before that, was floor director 
for the Democratic whip's office.
  All of us have deep affection for those people who spend 
extraordinary amounts of time at pay, which is not comparable to what 
they would be earning in the private sector. And I want to say, Rob 
Cogorno, to you, how very much I appreciate all that you have done for 
this institution, all that you have done for me as an individual, and I 
know I speak for all of the Members that we will greatly miss your 
advice and your counsel, your good humor and your good judgment. And we 
say to you, we wish you the very best of luck in everything you do.
  I might also say that the young man who just gave me another piece of 
paper with some business is Rob's successor, and I urge Members of both 
sides of the aisle when he can be helpful to you, give you advice in 
terms of scheduling or the calendar in terms of when we are doing 
business, Alejandro Perez, my new floor director.

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