[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17493-17500]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING THE GRATITUDE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE 
                     SERVICE OF M. POPE BARROW, JR.

  Mr. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I send to the desk a resolution and ask 
unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 635

       Whereas M. Pope Barrow, Jr., was appointed to the Office of 
     the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives in 
     1968;
       Whereas M. Pope Barrow, Jr., has provided 40 years of 
     service to the House as a member of the Office of the 
     Legislative Counsel under eight successive Speakers;
       Whereas M. Pope Barrow, Jr., has served as the Legislative 
     Counsel for 12 years, following his service as the Deputy 
     Legislative Counsel for 4 years;
       Whereas M. Pope Barrow, Jr., has been the principal drafter 
     over the past 30 years of Federal laws that protect the 
     environment, preserve public lands and waterways, and promote 
     the production and efficient use of energy resources;
       Whereas M. Pope Barrow, Jr., has provided exemplary 
     leadership in undertaking significant programs to modernize 
     the operations of the Office of the Legislative Counsel and 
     the House; and
       Whereas M. Pope Barrow, Jr., has provided steady guidance 
     in continuing the professional, nonpartisan service to which 
     the Office of the Legislative Counsel is dedicated: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its 
     gratitude to--
       (1) M. Pope Barrow, Jr., for his 40 years of service to the 
     House; and
       (2) the Office of the Legislative Counsel for its more than 
     90 years of assistance in the drafting of legislation 
     considered by the House.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan is recognized 
for 1 hour.
  Mr. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 minutes for purposes of debate 
only to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from California 
(Mr. Daniel E. Lungren).
  Madam Speaker, I yield to myself 4 minutes.
  Madam Speaker, this a great institution in which we all take great 
pride in serving. And it is that because of the great Constitution, but 
also because of the Members who have served here over so many years. 
And we can be proud of those who have served as elected Members. Beyond 
those Members who have been elected, there are large numbers of people 
who have served here by appointment as essentially servants of the 
House, or perhaps more better said, as public servants.
  None of those has been more distinguished than the resolution honors. 
I am very proud to handle this time and to have the privilege of 
honoring a dear friend. I am also very proud and very happy that we are 
able to send him off with the dignity, respect and the affection that 
his long and distinguished service has done.
  One of the things that enables us to be very proud of people like 
Pope Barrow is the dedication, the decency and

[[Page 17494]]

the integrity that they bring to their job. In the case of Pope Barrow, 
he has done this with extraordinary dedication. But beyond that, he has 
also done it with extraordinary ability, indeed, remarkable ability. 
One of the things I like to chuckle about is the way that he and the 
people who have worked for him have made it possible for the House to 
serve well and Members of this House to serve well, by giving us the 
best possible legal advice on the handling and the construction of 
legislation.
  From his first day of nearly 40 years of service at the Office of 
Legislative Counsel, Pope Barrow has been an outstanding public 
servant. He served first as a law assistant and then more latterly in 
higher and higher positions until he served as Legislative Counsel. He 
has served this country, this Chamber and all of the Members of this 
body with great distinction and wholly selflessly.
  I have worked together with him, as have most of the Members, 
throughout my years in Congress. He worked on the complicated and 
arduous Clean Air Act amendments. At that time, I promised him that no 
longer would we ever allow this legislation to be opened up to public 
consideration. And those of you who remember the 1990 Clean Air Act 
will understand how he would thank me profusely for that commitment.
  All of us, including myself, have much relied on his expertise in 
energy, in the environment and public lands. He has been impartial. He 
has been nonpartisan. He has shown extraordinary judgment. And he has 
expressed in his deeds an extraordinary sense of duty that has proven 
to be invaluable to this Chamber. These qualities are reflected in the 
high regard in which he is held by Members and staff all across the 
political spectrum and all during his long period of service.
  If you speak to the attorneys and staff in the Office of the 
Legislative Counsel, you will see the impact of Pope's leadership and 
guidance. He has set high standards in the Office while supporting the 
attorneys and the staff in their professional and personal pursuits. 
This balance has set a positive, proactive tone at the Legislative 
Counsel and has served us all, the Congress and the public at large, 
extraordinarily well.
  I remember years ago, when Pope and I were young, perhaps we were as 
young as 50, members of my staff would run back and forth to the Office 
of the Legislative Counsel to drop off drafting requests.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. DINGELL. I yield myself 2 additional minutes, Madam Speaker.
  Today, in no small part of because of the extraordinary leadership of 
Pope, the Office of Legislative Counsel has been modernized. The 
dedicated and hard-working staff members of the Legislative Counsel are 
able to utilize technology to provide the critically important service 
upon which we all rely.
  I want to wish him well, on my own behalf and on behalf of my wife, 
Deborah, as well as the entire body of the House, as he retires to 
spend more time with his children, Isabel, Pope and Rebecca, and to 
express to him our good wishes for happiness and to give him a chance 
to spend more time with the family which he treasures. Perhaps 
retirement will allow him more time to kayak white-water rivers and to 
sail across seas. I will surely miss Pope, and I will wish him well on 
behalf of myself and all of us.
  I want to also congratulate Sandy Strokoff on her appointment as 
Legislative Counsel, and I look forward to working with her in the 
future.
  I reserve the balance of my time, and I ask unanimous consent, Madam 
Speaker, that my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Barrow) may control the remaining time on this side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 635 expressing the 
gratitude of the House of Representatives for the service of M. Pope 
Barrow, Jr. In 1970, as a student at Georgetown Law School, I had the 
opportunity to take a class from a colleague of Mr. Barrow's who was 
then working in the Legislative Counsel's Office. It was to teach those 
of us who were law students what the legislative process was really all 
about, how you made an idea a law. I recall at the time marveling at 
the command of the rules and the use of the English language that was 
presented by that Office, and how they were an integral part of the 
workings of the House of Representatives.
  Later when I came to the House of Representatives the first time in 
1979, I made it a practice for my office to regularly consult with the 
Legislative Counsel's Office to ensure that we, in fact, were doing 
what ought to be done in order to make legislation a reality on this 
floor. And although a member of the minority party for all 10 years of 
my first service in this House, I never despaired of the possibility 
that I might actually pass legislation. So we wanted to make sure that 
it was done in the right way, and the work of the Legislative Counsel's 
Office was always extraordinary. Their ability to continue to work 
tremendous hours is something to behold.
  I would also say that they always acted in a nonpartisan way, so that 
those of us on the minority side, and then during my return here to the 
House, my first 2 years on the majority side, which I might say I did 
enjoy that short period of time, and now once again on the minority, I 
never noticed a change in the attitude of anybody in the Legislative 
Counsel's Office with respect to the professional job they did to help 
those of us who are elected by our constituents to ensure that we get 
the people's work done in this House.
  So, therefore, I am pleased to rise to honor a longstanding member of 
this Institution's support staff, or Legislative Counsel, Pope Barrow. 
The House Office of the Legislative Counsel is, as I mentioned, a 
significant resource and an absolute contributor to the effective 
execution of a Member's legislative efforts, contributing nonpartisan 
service to bring important policy objectives to fruition.

                              {time}  1815

  I can recall some of the most disappointing moments on the floor of 
the House when Members have turned to me as we were discussing 
legislation and I have pointed out what certain words are and they say, 
don't worry about it; the courts will decide. That's an abrogation of 
our responsibility under the Constitution. And as one who has had the 
opportunity to actually see the product of legislation effectively 
impact the law, that is, as a trial attorney, you know that a word, a 
phrase, a misplaced comma, an incorrect grammatical presentation can 
make all the difference in the world in terms of a decision, a real-
life decision with litigants before the court. We also know that it 
impacts the lives of many individuals as they are the beneficiaries of 
government services or government programs, so it is important for us 
to attempt to get it right, and Barrow has been one of those people who 
has dedicated his life to ensure that we do that.
  In his various capacities with the Office of Legislative Counsel, he 
has continued his family's legacy of service to the United States 
Congress. That legacy, which I understand includes three former Members 
of the House of Representatives and one Member of the U.S. Senate, is 
further enriched by the alternate and complementary role that Pope 
Barrow has served as legislative counsel. He has dutifully served the 
House of Representatives, guided by the principle that his service 
might necessarily be equally diligent, regardless of the petitioning 
partisan, aiming to minimize the enormous cost to society of having law 
out there that nobody understands. Those are words to live by in this 
House.
  For his many years of service to this body and his commitment to 
drafting a body of legislation that is intelligible and coherent, I 
extend my sincere thanks to Pope Barrow, and I would

[[Page 17495]]

urge a unanimous vote in support of this resolution.
  At this time, I reserve the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BARROW. Resuming our time, Madam Speaker, at the outset, I would 
like to ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days 
to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BARROW. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  There are a lot of lives that you can live in the law. You can live 
the life of the fighter, the champion on the white horse, the 
litigator, the trial lawyer. You can live the life of the counselor, 
the deal maker, the advisor, the person who helps to plot his client's 
course through uncertain waters. There are a lot of lives you can live 
in the law.
  If you are going to be a deal maker though, if you are going to be a 
counselor, I venture to say that there are very few callings in the 
world that can call upon as much in the services of the personal lawyer 
as serving as counsel to a legislative body. In this country, the 
greatest calling of that sort would be to serve as counsel to the House 
of Representatives in the U.S. Congress. The biggest deals in the 
country are made in this Chamber. Certainly this Chamber possesses the 
body, unlike any court, to trample upon, to barge in upon, to stumble 
upon, to mess up, settled bodies of law that have slowly emerged and 
evolved over decades and in other institutions. And short of only the 
Constitution of the United States, there is nothing to stop a body such 
as this in messing up in all kinds of ways. And so it's essential that 
the advice that we have be the best, the best counsel, in order to make 
sure that the laws we make, that we plan for the future, are fully 
informed and have the best counsel behind them.
  You know, if the Hollywood mogul said that an oral contract ain't 
worth the paper it's written on, or as a client of mine once said, if 
it can't be read, it hadn't been said, then it is essential that the 
deals, the understanding, the undertakings that are made by Members of 
this body that are oral, that are over a handshake, they have to be 
reduced to writing, and those writings have to be clear. They have to 
be understandable. They have to be able to be read and interpreted by 
all of the parties, as Mr. Lungren so ably said, who have to interpret 
and rely upon their counsel.
  Over the last 50 years, I venture to say, if Carlisle is right, he is 
the one who said there is no such thing as history; there's just the 
great man theory of government. There is no history. It's just the 
biography of great men. If that's true, then if you subscribe to the 
lawyer theory of history, then there is no history of law beyond the 
biography of great lawyers.
  In the last 50 years, I'd venture to say the legislative record of 
this government is probably in the personal biography of Mr. John 
Dingell. Over the last 40 years, the legislative record of this 
Congress has been the professional biography of Middleton Pope Barrow 
who, more than any other, has guided this House in the undertakings it 
has made by giving them the language to embody the deals and the 
understandings that are made here in this body.
  A fellow named Charles Black once said, the prima materia of all 
tragedy is the failure to recognize kinship. If that is true in 
relations between country and relations between people, it's also true 
in the law. Not to understand what we do and its kinship to what the 
courts are doing, the regulatory agencies are doing, the States are 
doing, what this government has done in prior years, in prior 
Congresses, the failure to recognize that kinship can lead to all kinds 
of trouble.
  I think it's a matter of personal regard, a great personal matter of 
personal pride for me that I recognize a different kind of kinship with 
the gentleman we honor today with this resolution, because we have a 
kinship of a much more basic and prosaic kind. His father's father's 
father and my father's father's father are one and the same man, the 
first of this name, Middleton Pope Barrow, and I am very proud to claim 
kinship with the gentleman we honor today. I am kind of reminded, 
though, of old Ambrose Bierce's definition of genealogy. Genealogy is 
the study of one's descent from ancestors who did not necessarily care 
to know their own.
  Well, I do care to know my own. I care to know the descendants of a 
common ancestor, Mr. Pope Barrow. It's not for me to say how well our 
district is represented in this House of Representatives, but I think I 
speak for every member of my family in saying that we feel extremely 
well represented by the services that Middleton Pope Barrow has 
rendered this House over the last four decades. We wish you God speed, 
and God bless in all of your undertakings.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I continue to reserve.
  Mr. BARROW. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings).
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank you very much, my good friend from 
Georgia. ``Wordsmithology'' must run in the family, Pope, as I listened 
to John offer his congratulatory remarks from a cousin.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation 
for Pope Barrow, who, on today, announced his resignation as the sixth 
legislative counsel for the House of Representatives. Pope has rendered 
a great service to his country throughout his 40-year career, working 
his way from a law assistant in 1968 to his current position, which he 
obtained by appointment by then Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich in 
1997.
  I don't know how many bills he's drafted since 1968. He probably 
doesn't know either, but I can tell you that a great many of our 
Nation's laws on matters from clean air to taxes, to war powers, to 
crime, owe much of their language to him. Although his may not be a 
household name, all of our lives in this great country have been and 
continue to be impacted by his efforts.
  As an aside, I came in direct contact with Pope in seeking additional 
space for his good offices, and thanks to Speaker Pelosi and her staff, 
we had a modicum of success. And I said to Pope today, I knew the need 
for space because, as a young lawyer, I worked in cramped quarters, and 
I certainly felt that the people who do the people's business here in 
drafting legislation deserved appropriate space. And I would hope that 
we continue those efforts to make sure that they are comfortable.
  Madam Speaker, it's hard not to understand Pope's commendable 
dedication to congressional work; indeed, it runs in his family. 
Several of his relatives have served in the House and Senate, going 
back to the early 19th century when his great, great, great 
grandfather, Wilson Lumpkin, served the State of Georgia as a 
Representative, Senator and Governor. And of course, Pope's cousin, is 
the gentleman from Georgia's 12th Congressional District, my good 
friend, John Barrow.
  Pope and his staff's steadfast commitment to impartiality, 
practicality, and parsimony in the drafting of laws have been of great 
benefit to me over the years, and I am sure that all of our colleagues 
in the House feel the same. I, as they, have always been able to count 
on the Office of the Legislative Counsel to ably assist us and our 
staffs in carefully drafting policies to minimize confusion and 
maximize the benefits of intended legislation. I looked, during his 
tenure, to his staff and his staff's guidance, and they never 
disappointed.
  Madam Speaker, while the House of Representatives is losing a devoted 
member of our body, one who will be sorely missed, I have a sneaking 
suspicion that while Pope pursues his passion for white-water kayaking, 
and I heard the Dean of the House say and traveling seas and other 
activities, his thoughts may only occasionally turn to us here. 
Nevertheless, I hope that he will visit us often and soon.

[[Page 17496]]

  We thank Pope for his service and wish him all the best in the next 
chapter of his life. He leaves an iconic legacy for his successor, whom 
I compliment, along with our colleague, Ms. Sandra Strokoff. And I urge 
the passage of this legislation for a gentleman who may have labored in 
the shadows of this institution but cast a long shadow of his own over 
the legislation that many of us have provided for our constituents.
  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good luck, Pope.
  Mr. LUNGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I would yield to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) such time as he may consume.
  Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, let me express my appreciation to my 
colleagues, Mr. Lungren, Mr. Barrow, the very thoughtful remarks of my 
Rules Committee colleague, the gentleman from Ft. Lauderdale, Mr. 
Hastings.
  I simply want to chime in and say that four decades of extraordinary 
service to this institution is, frankly, quite rare. I see the Dean of 
the House sitting here, and we all know he's been here a little more 
than a decade beyond that. But it still is extraordinary when we have 
someone who has taken on what is one of the least recognized, but what 
is clearly one of the most important, responsibilities in this 
institution. Bringing the office into the 21st century has been 
something that has been made possible because of that four decades of 
experience.
  Members have the task of trying to put together legislative packages, 
and often work, as we all know, is done very late at night. Often, many 
changes are made which are challenged on both sides, but the 
professionalism that has been shown by Mr. Barrow and the entire office 
is something that I can say, as a minority member of the House 
Committee on Rules, does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
  We are going to have challenging days ahead, and I believe that that 
four decades of work has laid the groundwork for what I know will be 
continued professionalism as we deal with these many challenges.
  Mr. BARROW. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from California, the chairman of the Energy and 
Commerce Committee, Mr. Waxman.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the tremendous 
contributions Pope Barrow has made to the House of Representatives and 
to the country in his service with the Office of Legislative Counsel.
  If you watch the floor debate long enough, you will hear Members of 
Congress correctly noting that hardworking staff never get enough 
credit around here. Well, there is another group of professionals that 
often get even less credit for their good work, and that's the staff at 
the Office of the Legislative Counsel.
  Pope Barrow exemplifies the finest characteristics of the men and 
women who actually draft much of the legislation that becomes law: 
hardworking, good-natured, and committed to professional standards.
  Pope has had a hand in crafting virtually every major energy and 
environmental initiative that has moved through the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce in over three decades of my service in the Congress. From 
clean air to safe drinking water, Pope has worked to draft the laws 
that the American people count on Congress to get right. He's also 
worked on laws that are less in the public spotlight, such as laws that 
regulate our energy markets, laws that require white-water releases 
from hydroelectric projects.
  No matter what the subject of his work, Pope has demonstrated a rare 
and invaluable ability to refine complicated concepts into 
comprehensible law.

                              {time}  1830

  Pope also has an unusual way of handling the pressures of the job. 
When Congress was considering the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, he 
would leave the office to kayak down the Potomac River where it gets 
steep, forceful and challenging through the narrow Mather Gorge at 
Great Falls just outside of Washington, D.C. I guess he thought, if he 
could survive that, he could survive anything John Dingell and I might 
throw at him.
  Moving major legislation is a huge undertaking. It can take months of 
negotiation. Tensions can get high working under tight deadlines with 
major consequences at stake. Throughout these times, Pope kept an even 
keel, and could lighten the mood with a wacky but amazingly apt 
comparison or metaphor. It made him a pleasure to work with and a 
legend around here. In that spirit, I'd call Pope the Clark Kent of 
legislative drafters--mild mannered but delivering a superhuman effort 
and performance.
  Pope displayed immense dedication to his work even up to the very end 
of his tenure. This spring, when we marked up the energy bill, Pope 
worked hard to help the committee meet the goal of reporting the bill 
by the Memorial Day recess. He would work late into the night, but 
would come in even earlier in the morning.
  With Pope's retirement, the House is losing an extraordinary public 
servant. I know it will be odd for me to look down at the counsel's 
table during our next energy or environmental markup and not see Pope 
Barrow there. His contributions have been many, and his presence will 
be sorely missed.
  I want to join all of those in wishing him the best in his next 
adventures.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, we've talked about the professionalism, the dedication 
of Mr. Barrow. I'd just like to relate a particular incident that came 
to my attention. It was the day after the House office buildings were 
shut down because of the anthrax attack. At that time, the Committee on 
Resources was still in business, bringing bills to the floor for 
consideration.
  So how did they do this?
  Well, the only way the committee was able to bring its legislation 
forward was through the efforts of Pope Barrow, who was working from a 
dark corner in a conference room in the GAO building, using two 
BlackBerrys, an aged laptop and the phone. He was able to produce the 
necessary legislative materials, and the House was able to continue its 
work but only because of his ingenuity and resourcefulness. It is that 
kind of dedication, when he could have used any excuse not to be able 
to perform his job at that time, that has marked his tenure as the 
legislative counsel, and for that, we thank him profusely.
  Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers on my side, so if the 
gentleman has no more on his side, I will be happy to yield back the 
balance of my time while urging support of this resolution.
  Mr. BARROW. Madam Speaker, I would like to note for the record that 
colleagues of ours who want very much to be here to express, in person, 
their congratulations and best wishes to Pope Barrow on this occasion 
cannot be here because of conflicts that make it impossible for them to 
come.
  Chairman Markey of Massachusetts sends his regards. Chairman Rangel 
of New York sends his regards. Chairman Slaughter of New York also 
sends her regards. All planned on coming here to pay tribute in person 
to the life and work of Pope Barrow, but conflicts in their meeting 
schedules make it impossible for them to come, and so I merely wish to 
note for the record their support of this resolution.
  Having no other speakers on our side, Madam Speaker, I will wrap up 
on a personal note.
  The poet Robert Frost wrote a short poem that says an awful lot. It 
is entitled ``Devotion,'' and it goes something like this:
  ``The heart can think of no devotion greater than being shore to 
ocean--holding the curve of one position, counting an endless 
repetition.''
  When I think of his 40 years of service to this House--20 Congresses, 
of the gun having to start on legislation that has been on the table 
for years, having to be started over and over again with new Members 
coming, all the folks coming and bringing the same ideas back to the 
table and new ideas emerging throughout all of that. I can't think of 
any greater devotion than being able to hold the point of serving as 
counsel to this body.

[[Page 17497]]

  More to the point, it is not for lack of something better to do that 
someone like Pope Barrow serves in this body for 40 years. It is 
because of his devotion to the work of this House and the unique 
opportunity that he has as counsel to this House and that he has had of 
serving as counselor to the folks who are making the biggest and most 
important deals in the country. It is that devotion that we recognize 
today and certainly not for a lack of anything better to do or that 
which is more productive in other spheres. So that is the spirit in 
which I hope we will all acknowledge his service as one of great 
devotion to our country. With that, it is with a great deal of pride of 
association--not accomplishment but of association--that I urge the 
support of this resolution.
  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the 
many proud Americans who have dedicated their professional lives to the 
House of Representatives: Mr. Pope Barrow.
  Pope retires today after more than 40 years of service to Congress--
longer than most Members--and a decade as the House's Legislative 
Counsel.
  In this capacity, Pope has drafted legislation that has affected 
every American: from the air that we breathe, to the food that we eat, 
to the public lands that belong to all of us.
  He has always done so with the utmost impartiality, and with the 
closest attention to ensuring that the laws that we pass here perform 
as Congress intends.
  It is through these consistent efforts that Pope has earned the trust 
of his staff, staff from other offices, and Members of Congress.
  Pope Barrow's service in the Congress has benefitted all Americans, 
but I would particularly like to recognize his work on behalf of San 
Franciscans.
  Working with me and many other Members of Congress, Pope Barrow was 
relentless in his determination to create a viable Presidio Trust for 
the successful future of America's premier urban national park. He 
worked countless hours to craft the right language that would ensure 
bipartisan support and ultimately, passage into law.
  May the Presidio long stand as a tribute to Pope's decades of service 
in the House!
  As we honor Pope, we must also recognize his children, Isabel, Pope 
Jr., and Rebecca, who have also sacrificed so that he could serve along 
with us.
  I would also like to note that Pope comes from a family with many who 
have dedicated their lives to public service. Pope's great-great-great 
grandfather served in the House, Senate, and as a Governor from 
Georgia. His great grandfather also served in the Senate. And today, 
Pope's cousin, Congressman John Barrow, is a distinguished member of 
this body.
  Madam Speaker, Pope Barrow represents the many among us who toil in 
relative obscurity, but proudly serve our country, as staff in the 
House of Representatives.
  In saluting Pope today, we recognize all of his colleagues who work 
extremely long hours, and who consistently rise to the call of duty and 
exceed expectations.
  I know Pope intends to pursue his diverse interests: sailing, 
gardening, and travel. On behalf of the entire House of 
Representatives, we thank him and honor him for his lifetime of 
service.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, it's been said before on similar 
occasions, but bears repeating today: This institution simply could not 
function without the assistance of the many gifted professional 
staffers who serve us--and serve our country--here in the House of 
Representatives.
  I rise today to honor the service of one such individual, Pope 
Barrow, whose talents and tireless dedication have improved countless 
pieces of legislation during his 41 years as a legislative counsel in 
the House.
  Often, Members of Congress are described by the media as ``law 
makers.'' Well, Pope Barrow is a ``law writer''--and one of the very 
best ever to serve in that capacity, going all the way back to the days 
when laws were written by hand, with pens, on parchment. He's that 
good.
  You know, it's not easy--in fact, it's darned hard--to translate the 
complex and often confusing ideas we come up with around here into 
clear, concise legislative language that accurately reflects the will 
of the Congress. But that's precisely the work Pope Barrow dreamed of 
doing when he came to Washington in 1968, fresh out of Harvard Law 
School, to start his new job in the Office of the Legislative Counsel.
  It was an impressive office to be sure, but young Pope Barrow began 
at the very bottom of the ladder as a Law Assistant. Over time, he 
moved steadily up the ranks, first to Assistant Counsel, then to Deputy 
Legislative Counsel, until in 1997 he was appointed ``The'' Legislative 
Counsel to the House.
  That's when Pope Barrow's work first came to my attention--because a 
short time later I became chairman of the Education and Workforce 
Committee. Pope and his top-notch team in the Office of Legislative 
Counsel were invaluable to me and my staff during those years. Their 
assistance helped ensure that our bills were properly prepared and 
ready on time at each stage of the legislative process. They willingly 
lent their expertise from the early development of a rough concept to 
the consideration and final passage of a bill and its eventual 
signature into law.
  Pope's work was always completed in a professional and timely manner 
no matter how challenging the circumstances. Indeed, Pope and his team 
continued assisting my committee even during evacuations of the Capitol 
complex on September 11, 2001, and the deadly anthrax attack several 
weeks later.
  Pope was also instrumental in modernizing the Office of the 
Legislative Counsel to make it more efficient and effective; he worked 
tirelessly to upgrade the computer programs used to produce legislative 
documents, and to make all information available in a user friendly 
electronic medium.
  Madam Speaker, much of what I've just said emphasizes why Pope 
Barrow's service has mattered to the House. But the best explanation 
I've ever heard of why the work of the House Legislative Counsel 
matters to the American people came from Pope Barrow himself. So let me 
take a moment and share with all of my colleagues here today something 
Pope said several years ago:

       If there is one thing that we can do here, it is to 
     minimize the enormous cost to society of having laws out 
     there that nobody understands, with everybody having to feud 
     and fight over what it's supposed to do and what it means; 
     and with agencies struggling to put out regulations when they 
     don't really know what the underlying statutes are supposed 
     to mean. Then people have to puzzle over it and fight over it 
     and courts have to litigate it. It is really much better to 
     get the bills written clearly in the first place.

  Now I'm sure that Pope Barrow would be the first to tell you that far 
too often Congress misses that target, sometimes by a country mile. But 
what he won't tell you is that when our legislation is confusing or 
seems contradictory, it's almost always in spite of--not because of--
the outstanding efforts of Pope Barrow and the dedicated professionals 
who serve under him.
  Madam Speaker, at a time when fewer Americans than ever before spend 
an entire career working in one place--for the same employer--the 
United States House of Representatives has benefited greatly from Pope 
Barrow's commitment to serve here for more than four decades.
  Over the past 41 years he has left an indelible mark on laws that 
have kept our country safe and touched the lives of Americans in ways 
far too numerous to list. That's a legacy of which Pope Barrow and his 
family should be truly proud--and for which those of us who serve in 
the House of Representatives are deeply grateful.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
the career of Mr. Pope Barrow, a man with a distinguished record of 
service in the House Office of the Legislative Counsel. After more than 
40 years, we gather here to celebrate Pope's career and wish him well 
in retirement.
  Pope joined Legislative Counsel in 1968 as a Law Assistant after 
graduating from Harvard Law School. Over the years he advanced within 
the Office, working as Assistant Counsel and Deputy Legislative 
Counsel. In 1993, then Speaker Newt Gingrich appointed Pope as the 
sixth Legislative Counsel, where he continued under Speaker Hastert and 
our current Speaker.
  Drawing on his broad legislative experience, Pope has led the House 
Office of the Legislative Counsel in fulfilling, and exceeding its 
mission to provide impartial and confidential assistance in legislative 
drafting. Legislative Counsel has consistently provided dedicated 
service to the Committee on Education and Labor. Whether we required 
help drafting a bill or amendment, Pope and his staff has always 
conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism.
  For almost 40 years, Pope Barrow has worked with tireless dedication 
drafting legislation and providing impartial advice and analysis on 
numerous issues. During his tenure as Legislative Counsel he has 
remained actively involved in legislative activities, demonstrating 
time and again, his commitment to the House. In fact, he himself 
undertook the drafting of the recently passed Head Start bill when one 
of his staff attorneys faced a family emergency. Without such efforts, 
our Committee

[[Page 17498]]

would not have been able to have put forth such high quality of 
legislation.
  The achievements of the House Office of the Legislative Counsel under 
the leadership of Pope are numerous. His presence and expertise will be 
sorely missed, but I have no doubt that the Office will continue its 
record or high quality work.
  Madam Speaker, I commend the many years of service of Mr. Barrow and 
wish him nothing but the best in retirement.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I want to take a minute to pay tribute 
to Pope Barrow.
  Mr. Barrow heads the Office of the Legislative Counsel, an office 
that advises and assists Members to effect a ``clear, faithful, and 
coherent expression of legislative policies.'' While it's optional to 
use the services provided by Legislative Counsel, most members have 
learned over the years that it's worth the time to cooperate with the 
experts. The office provides legal assistance in connection with 
virtually every bill, resolution, amendment, and conference report 
introduced or offered in the House or one of its committees.
  Pope has led the operation since 1999 after joining the office back 
in 1968. He has worked on legislation in a variety of different fields 
including: taxation; foreign affairs; war powers; pensions; 
environmental law; public land law; and energy law. Even after being 
appointed to the top job he continued to work on energy law in addition 
to his management responsibilities.
  The son of a United States Marine, Pope was born in Savannah, Georgia 
in 1942 near Parris Island, South Carolina. He grew up on a farm near 
here, in Maryland. He attended Yale College and then Harvard Law School 
before beginning his distinguished career in the House of 
Representatives.
  In recent years, Pope has worked very closely with the Rules 
Committee, the committee that I have the privilege to chair. Pope is a 
true professional, nonpartisan, neutral, and serving both parties 
equally. Over the years, he has provided drafting assistance to Members 
representing all political viewpoints and it is a credit to his 
reputation that he and his staff always managed to maintain 
confidentiality with each client.
  The pressures of the legislative agenda have only grown over the 
years since Pope was appointed Legislative Counsel.
  But in that time he has guided his staff of 45 attorneys and 16 
support staff through some of the most taxing legislative sessions, 
producing literally tens of thousands of professionally drafted 
documents each year. His expertise, willingness to be part of the 
solution, and lively spirit will be sorely missed in this House.
  Today, the Rules Committee and the Congress is losing one of its 
greatest resources. We wish Mr. Barrow all the best in his life after 
he leaves behind the hectic amendment deadlines and late night drafting 
and moves on to new challenges. In fact, Pope recently sailed across 
the Atlantic in 21 days--not bad for an attorney--and we hope he now 
finds time to sail across the Pacific.
  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I join with my colleagues in paying 
tribute to the service of Mr. Pope Barrow to the House of 
Representatives in the Office of Legislative Counsel. It is with regret 
that I learned recently that Pope has announced his retirement after a 
career of stellar service to this body.
  Serving 40 years with the Office of Legislative Counsel, Pope has 
held a number of positions of increasing responsibility including 
Counsel, Senior Counsel, Deputy Legislative Counsel and lastly 
Legislative Counsel. His service to the House has been exemplary and 
the legislation passed by this House is better because of his efforts.
  For many years, Pope was the go to guy in the Legislative Counsel's 
office on natural resource legislation. As a 33-year member of the 
Natural Resources Committee, I and my staff have called upon Pope 
numerous times to draft important and complex natural resource 
legislation. I am grateful for Pope's efforts in drafting legislation 
that led to the designation in my home State of West Virginia of the 
Gauley River National Recreation Area and the Bluestone Wild and Scenic 
River.
  Madam Speaker, I know that my colleagues will be able to elaborate on 
Pope's legislative efforts but I want to make note of Pope's skills 
outside the legislative workplace. Some of my colleagues may not be 
aware that Pope is an accomplished kayaker. On more than one occasion 
when I was in my district I would run into Pope who was in West 
Virginia to kayak the beautiful and challenging whitewater found in my 
State. But Members did not have to go to West Virginia to find Pope on 
the water. He is a well-known fixture on the local kayaking scene and 
could often be found challenging the whitewater rapids of the Great 
Falls of the Potomac River.
  Madam Speaker, while I have noted Pope's legislative and kayaking 
prowess, I would be remiss if I did not mention his greatest attribute; 
he is genuinely a nice guy. Fair and level-headed, he is proof that 
nice guys do not always finish last.
  On behalf of myself and the many Natural Resources Committee staff 
that Pope has worked with, I want to wish Pope all the best in his 
retirement and thank him again for the many services he has provided 
Members and staff over the years.
  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker I rise today to pay tribute to the hard 
working individuals in the Office of the House Legislative Counsel, and 
to applaud their work on behalf of the House of Representatives.
  This marks an historic day in the Office of the Legislative Counsel, 
as we celebrate the retirement of Mr. Pope Barrow, after decades of 
hard work, and welcome the leadership of the new Legislative Counsel, 
Ms. Sandy Strokoff.
  Members of the House of Representatives have a long relationship with 
the Office of the Legislative Counsel. We rely on their technical 
expertise, historical knowledge, and attention to detail as we work on 
legislation to better our country.
  Their body of work, and their devotion to making the laws that the 
people of this country live under intelligible and coherent, contribute 
greatly to our lawful society.
  My Committee in particular, the Ways and Means Committee, quite 
possibly has had the longest relationship with the Office. Many of you 
may not know that over 90 years ago, when the Office of the Legislative 
Counsel first opened, the dedicated attorneys in that office drafted 
revenue provisions exclusively.
  Over the years, the Office has grown and hired attorneys with an 
extremely extensive and expansive breadth of knowledge in almost any 
area you can imagine. I think every Member and staffer in this body 
would agree that it is impossible to overestimate our reliance on their 
judgment and professionalism as we do our jobs.
  Pope Barrow first joined the Office of the Legislative Counsel in 
1968. A quick calculation will show that his tenure has spanned almost 
half the existence of the office--a testament to his commitment and 
dedication to his position and this body.
  Mr. Barrow rose up the ranks in the Office of the Legislative 
Counsel, starting as a Law Assistant, followed by promotions to 
Assistant Counsel, Deputy Legislative counsel, and finally, in August 
1997, attaining the position of Legislative Counsel.
  Forty-one years after he first joined, I congratulate Mr. Barrow on 
his lifetime of achievements, not just in the legislative world, but 
also in his commitment to preserving and enjoying our Nation's 
whitewater rivers. I wish him the best in his retirement, and I hope he 
can continue to satisfy his adventurous spirit for years to come.
  In this transition, I would also like to take the opportunity to 
congratulate Ms. Sandy Strokoff on her historic appointment as House 
Legislative Counsel. Ms. Strokoff is the first woman to attain this 
position, which is quite fitting during these exciting times filled 
with so many ``firsts'' for this great Nation of ours.
  Ms. Strokoff also presents a long history with the Office of the 
Legislative Counsel. She first joined the Office in 1975 as Assistant 
Counsel, rising to Senior Counsel in 2000, and today, achieving the 
title of House Legislative Counsel.
  Over the years, she has built a vast portfolio of legislative 
experience, but in particular, her expertise in international trade 
matters has been invaluable to me and my Committee Members.
  I would like to congratulate Ms. Strokoff on her achievement, and let 
her know that I look forward to the work I and my staff will do with 
her office in the future.
  Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I rise to join in 
celebrating the career of Pope Barrow, who is stepping down as House 
Legislative Counsel.
  I have served in this House since 1976, and I have known and worked 
closely with Pope Barrow throughout my 33 years in this body.
  Pope is a true professional--for the last 40 years he has been the 
House's very own Pontiff of Paper, performing miracles in translating 
Members' ideas and concepts into well-crafted bills, amendments, and 
resolutions. He began his career in the Office of Legislative Counsel 
in 1968, and in 1997 he was appointed to serve as the Sixth House 
Legislative Counsel since that office was first created in 1918. Today, 
Pope Barrow leaves his post as head of the Office, and I and many other 
Members and staff who have worked with him over the years will miss 
him.
  Over the years, Pope has assisted hundreds of Members and their 
staffs in the drafting of a wide range of legislation. He helped

[[Page 17499]]

to draft the War Powers Act; he drafted education laws, tax laws, and 
pension laws. But, it is really in the field of Energy and 
Environmental law that Pope has made his mark.
  Pope helped draft the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the 
Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Superfund law, the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act, various amendments to the Federal Power Act. 
He has worked on each and every omnibus energy bill of the last three 
decades, including the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. In 
intervening years, he has worked on other smaller energy bills that are 
too numerous to mention.
  Pope Barrow has also spent years drafting public lands, mining, parks 
and recreation laws. He was, for example, the principal draftsman of 
the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978, which passed under 
former Representatives Mo Udall and Phil Burton's leadership. He 
drafted the Alaskan Lands Act with Mo Udall and former Representative 
John Seiberling.
  Just a few days ago, Pope stood on the floor of this House as we took 
up the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security bill. Like so 
many other energy and environmental bills before it, this was a bill 
drafted in part by Pope Barrow, and the other attorneys he has trained 
and mentored. But, Pope and his colleagues also drafted many of the 
amendments offered to the bill by the bill's opponents. For that is the 
duty of the lawyers that this House has chosen to serve as our 
legislative scriveners. They must serve all of the Members of this 
House, regardless of party and regardless of position. They must 
maintain the confidentiality of their contacts with various Member and 
Committee offices. They must remain neutral as to issues of legislative 
policy.
  Pope and his colleagues in the Office of Legislative Counsel are 
truly a national treasure. They work very hard to make sure that the 
bills, resolutions and amendments that we offer are as clearly written, 
as understandable, and as reflective of legislative intent as is 
humanly possible. He and his colleagues work long hours, nights, and 
sometimes weekends, and for some very demanding clients. They truly are 
public servants. We simply could not do our job around here without 
their assistance.
  When I think of a markup in the Energy and Commerce Committee, or in 
the Natural Resources Committee, I think of Pope Barrow sitting down at 
the Counsel's table, ready to assist the Members as we work our way 
through whatever legislation is before us. Pope, we will miss you down 
at your usual spot in the counsel's chair.
  But we also know that Pope Barrow does have interests outside of the 
office. Over the years, Pope has been an active whitewater kayaker who 
has paddled rapids across the country and all around the world. While 
he still kayaks, Pope reports that it has been years since he has run 
the Class V waterfalls at Great Falls on the Potomac.
  Pope is also an avid sailor, who has sailed up and down the East 
Coast from Nova Scotia to Key West, and who has sailed across the 
Atlantic and all around the Mediterranean. In fact, on one ill-fated 
sailing expedition back in the 1970s, Pope and his father capsized 
their boat off the coast of Florida in a bad storm and spent several 
hours in the ocean before floating ashore.
  Pope, we salute your service to this House of Representatives. We 
thank you for all that you have done for the hundreds of Members and 
thousands of staffers you have done work for. We wish you all the best 
as you leave this People's House to enjoy your retirement. Please keep 
an eye on the weather reports for squalls, check those river gauges, 
and keep both your paddling gear ready for the river and your sailboat 
ready for sea. Best wishes to you and to your family as you embark on 
the next chapter of your life.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
retiring Legislative Counsel M. Pope Barrow, Jr., a true public servant 
who has dedicated over forty years to the House of Representatives.
  Pope Barrow has worked in the House Office of Legislative Counsel 
since 1968, beginning as a Law Assistant and serving in the Office 
until his appointment as the sixth Legislative Counsel in 1997. The 
House Office of Legislative Counsel plays a critical, often behind-the-
scenes, role in the legislative process. The Office is responsible for 
ensuring that legislation is drafted in a clear, intelligible, and 
coherent manner that accurately reflects Members' or Committees' 
legislative objectives. Pope Barrow has ably served the Office of 
Legislative Counsel and the House of Representatives throughout his 
forty-plus year career on Capitol Hill.
  During his distinguished career in the Office of Legislative Counsel, 
Pope has drafted important legislation dealing with energy and 
environmental issues, foreign assistance, criminal law, and pension 
reform, among many other issues. In addition to drafting key pieces of 
legislation, in his role as Legislative Counsel Pope has been 
responsible for modernizing and implementing significant improvements 
to the operations of the Office.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate Pope Barrow on his 40-
plus years of dedicated public service, and wish him all the best in 
his retirement. We know that Pope is an avid whitewater enthusiast and 
river conservationist. He has explored whitewater rivers throughout the 
United States and internationally, and was recognized for his 
conservation efforts with the River Conservationist of the Year award 
in 1987. We hope he will continue these endeavors in retirement. We 
wish Pope and his family well. Please join me in honoring him on this 
special occasion.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is my honor today to highlight 
the career of Pope Barrow, Legislative Counsel of the United States 
House of Representatives, who retires after over 40 years of service to 
this body.
  In honoring Pope Barrow, a man who has spent his career making sense 
of our words and intent, I can best encapsulate the meaning and value 
of his service with Pope's own words: ``Our intended role has always 
been the same, which is the role of trying to create a body of 
legislation that is intelligible and coherent and administrable by 
agencies and that can be interpreted by the courts and give people 
clear guidance on what rules they have to live by in the Federal law. 
That's our goal. It's a simple one.'' And throughout his 40 years of 
service, Pope has achieved this goal time and time again.
  Pope joined the legislative counsel's office as a Law Assistant upon 
graduation from Harvard Law School in 1968, quickly rising to Assistant 
Counsel in 1969, and then to Deputy Legislative Counsel in 1993. In 
1997, Speaker Newt Gingrich appointed Pope to be the head of the office 
responsible for the management of the House legislative counsels. This 
is a position he has continued under Speakers Hastert and Pelosi. 
During his tenure as Legislative Counsel, Pope has undertaken a 
significant program of modernization and improvements in the operations 
of the Office and has skillfully enlisted the help of all personnel in 
this endeavor.
  Pope has been involved in most major energy and environmental 
legislation considered by the Energy and Commerce Committee during his 
tenure with Legislative Counsel. Throughout my years with the Energy 
and Commerce Committee, Pope has worked on more bills and amendments 
for me than I can count. Highlighted pieces of legislation include the 
Barton/Clement amendment on nuclear relicensing which was included in 
the Energy Policy Act of 1992; the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990; 
and the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Under Pope's leadership, the House 
Legislative Counsel was responsible for all drafting throughout the 
EPACT 2005 conference. Pope is the consummate professional, once 
describing the work of the Legislative Counsel by explaining: ``We are 
impartial, like an umpire. You call it as you see it. You don't try to 
give one side an advantage over another side. You try to do as good a 
drafting job for the majority as you do for the minority and vice 
versa, and try to put as much thought and energy and work into each 
one.''
  Pope has continued his excellent, impartial service to all regardless 
of which party controlled Congress. My staff has checked, and even 
though Pope descends from a family that has included two U.S. 
Representatives, two U.S. Senators, and one Governor--all from 
Georgia--and is cousins with current U.S. Representative John Barrow 
from Georgia's 12th District--Pope is responsible for more pieces of 
legislation becoming law than all of them combined.
  In addition to being the father of three, Isabel, Pope, and Rebecca, 
Pope is an avid whitewater enthusiast, kayaker, and sailor, who has 
explored whitewater rivers throughout the United States, Canada, 
Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile. In 1987, Pope received the River 
Conservationist of the Year Award. He is co-author of Rivers at Risk 
and the editor of Nationwide Whitewater Inventory.
  As an avid whitewater kayaker, Pope Barrow knows that a fork in the 
river is a choice between two courses, and with his retirement he is 
choosing his next adventure. On behalf of all of us who have benefited 
from Pope's excellent counsel, his dedication to the rule of law, and 
his enthusiasm for collaborating with Members and staff alike, I thank 
him for his more than 40 years of service and wish him the best of 
luck.

[[Page 17500]]


  Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who, as 
Legislative Counsel, has truly been an unsung hero of the Congress. 
Pope Barrow has loyally, diligently and selflessly served the U.S. 
House of Representatives and the American people for nearly forty years 
in a role that brought him no public accolades but the deep 
appreciation of Members of this great Chamber.
  As Legislative Counsel, Pope has carried out the often thankless task 
of turning ideas for bills and amendments into statutory text, and he 
has done so with an unfailing dedication to the office's commitment to 
serving as a non-partisan resource in a task where politics is the name 
of the game.
  Legislative Counsel's key role in the process is to quickly and 
accurately turn the ideas of legislators and staff into statutory text. 
As my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee will attest, this 
challenge is especially acute in the world of tax, as a single missed 
word or incorrect cross-reference can turn into a multi-billion dollar 
tax loophole.
  The difficulty of accurately drafting bills and amendments, often on 
tight timelines, is daunting, to say the least. Mr. Barrow performed 
this task with unwavering diligence, commanding the respect of his 
fellow colleagues and the appreciation of Members and staff over the 
years, all while keeping the confidences necessary to be trusted by 
Republicans and Democrats working on opposite sides of the same issue. 
Though he often flew under the radar, his tireless efforts and years of 
service have not gone unnoticed. I am pleased to rise today to thank 
him for that.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the U.S. Congress, I thank Pope Barrow 
for his exemplary years of hard work and dedication to making democracy 
work. I wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.
  Congratulations and best of luck.
  Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I just want to take a brief moment to 
commend Pope Barrow on his service to the House.
  He has been a witness to history--serving through a succession of 
speakers, passage of landmark legislation, and unprecedented political 
change. But he and his team have served as a steady hand throughout.
  The professionals in the Legislative Counsel's office are truly 
instrumental to the function of the House and our legislative process. 
They participate from the initial concept, through multiple rewrites 
and phone calls, until we have something that hopefully respects the 
law and the Constitution.
  At times we are in a rush, pushed and pulled by the demand of policy 
and politics to move hastily. Under Mr. Barrow's able leadership, 
however, he and his team always guided and assisted us with a steady 
hand, providing timely, professional, and nonpartisan advice.
  Madam Speaker, I simply want to express my gratitude to him for his 
service, and express my thanks to everyone in the Legislative Counsel's 
office for their work.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, there are many people who 
work very hard behind the scenes to enable the House to fulfill its 
legislative responsibilities, and Pope Barrow is unsurpassed in his 
craft. As ``the'' House Legislative Counsel for the past dozen years, 
and as ``a'' legislative counsel for 28 years before that, Barrow has 
helped me and every Member to prepare and perfect our legislation, that 
is, the actual words on the papers that Congress enacts into the law of 
the land. He is a gruff yet genial fellow who takes great pride in his 
work, and rightly so. He has much to be proud of over the course of his 
career, as many of my colleagues have already described.
  I frankly don't know about Barrow's other genres, but as Legislative 
Counsel his professional work product here can be indecipherable. Even 
Shakespeare's prose makes lighter reading. With the Bard one needs only 
an English-language dictionary nearby. For Barrow's works, one needs, 
at a minimum, not only Webster's but Black's Law Dictionary, the 
Revised Statutes of the United States, the Statutes-at-Large, the 
United States Code, and a pot of strong coffee.
  Writing federal legislation is obviously a unique skill and a 
decorative art form. Pope Barrow and his office colleagues have 
mastered it. As a practical matter, all of us Members untrained as 
lawyers in our former lives would always find ourselves at a 
disadvantage in any legislature, so we owe Pope Barrow and his 
colleagues an extraordinary debt of gratitude. He evens the playing 
field so a carpenter like me can compete with any other Member in this 
place.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of myself and my own staff, and on behalf of 
the staff of the House Administration Committee, I wish Pope well in 
his next endeavors, whatever they may be. May Pope Barrow always look 
back over his 40 years here as fondly as will his office colleagues and 
every Member of this House.
  Mr. BARROW. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the resolution is adopted 
and a motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________