[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 15045-15046]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO ERIK FATEMI

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, Erik Fatemi, the clerk of my 
appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education, is leaving the Senate this week after 12 years of sterling 
service. On behalf of Senators from both sides of the aisle who have 
had the good fortune to work with Erik over the years, I would like to 
take a few minutes to express our gratitude.
  Knute Rockne was probably the alltime great coach at Notre Dame, and 
he knew that the Almighty had a special feeling for that team. But 
Rockne was fond of saying: ``I've found that prayers work best when you 
have big players.''
  Successful committee chairs in the Senate have the same approach. We 
know that it is not enough to be on the side of the angels; we have got 
to have big players. Here in the Senate, that means big intellect, big 
heart, big work ethic. And those are qualities that Erik Fatemi 
possesses in superabundance.
  Erik joined my Appropriations staff in early 2001, a few months 
before Senator Jim Jeffords switched from Republican to Independent, 
giving Democrats back the majority in the Senate. So Erik has been in 
the minority with me, then the majority, then back to the minority, and 
now in the majority again.
  Over the years, Erik has acquired a profound knowledge of the 
appropriations and legislative processes that is widely respected not 
just by Members and staff in this Chamber, but also in the 
administration. And with Erik, it's not only a matter of know-how, it 
is also a matter of know-who. Over the years, Erik developed important 
relationship of trust and respect, especially with top researchers and 
institute directors at the National Institutes of Health.
  Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health 
since 2009, recently said about Erik: ``Erik Fatemi stands out in my 
mind as one of the most effective staff members I have worked with on 
Capitol Hill. Erik is the exemplar of an effective appropriations 
staffer: he has always mastered any of the issues he's been involved in 
and he has always demonstrated the `passion for anonymity' of a loyal 
staff member. An expert on NIH, Erik has always been tough, fair and 
compassionate. He always asked the tough questions and would not give 
up until he got straight answers--whether it was from the NIH or the 
broader biomedical research community. And in all of his dealings with 
NIH and me, he has always kept uppermost in his mind the millions of 
patients and their families who count on the treatments, cures, and 
preventive measures that publicly-funded biomedical research makes 
possible. Throughout his career, in his dedication to his boss, Tom 
Harkin, and in his commitment to patients and their families, Erik 
Fatemi has been a superb Appropriations staffer and a model public 
servant.''
  As notable as Dr. Collins' praise is, I long ago lost track of the 
number of times people have thanked me for things that Erik played a 
huge role in getting done. Let me mention a few of his many 
accomplishments.
  One signal achievement of my time as chair of the Appropriations 
subcommittee was collaborating with Senator Arlen Specter to double 
funding for the National Institutes of Health over a 5-year period. 
Erik played a very significant role in making that possible in 2001, 
2002, and 2003--and that is something that he can be very proud of.
  In the late 2000s, I was chief Senate sponsor of the Stem Cell 
Enhancement Act, to remove the administration's arbitrary restrictions 
on stem cell research and Erik was my lead staffer on the bill. With 
Erik's invaluable assistance, we passed the Stem Cell Enhancement Act 
twice in Congress with large bipartisan majorities. Unfortunately, the 
bill was also vetoed twice by President Bush. And do you know what. 
That is about the only thing that can stop Erik Fatemi: A veto by the 
President of the United States. The good news, of course, is that we 
ultimately prevailed, with President Obama's executive order in early 
2009.
  During and after the great recession, Erik took the lead in 
identifying and responding to the impact the downturn could have on our 
Nation's education system. He illustrated for me and other Members of 
Congress the devastating impact educator layoffs would have on our 
children's education and our Nation's future. The historic Recovery Act 
and the later Education Jobs Act kept hundreds of thousands of teachers 
and other educators in our schools, and Erik helped me shape the debate 
and passage of those critical laws.
  Erik played a key role in the creation of the National Center for 
Advancing Translational Sciences at NIH, which is accelerating the pace 
of getting new cures and therapies to the patients who need them.
  He also oversaw production of the 2012 report ``Under Threat: 
Sequestration's Impact on Nondefense Jobs and Services.'' This was the 
first comprehensive State-by-State projections of the destructive 
impacts of sequestration on nondefense discretionary programs.
  All of these accomplishments amply demonstrate Erik's skills and 
talents as a top Senate staffer. But Erik is more than that. He is the 
quintessential humble public servant who works long hours on behalf of 
this institution and the people of the United States.
  Let me cite just one aspect of that humble service. Over the years, 
Erik has spent countless hours explaining to thousands of constituents 
and advocates what was happening on Capitol Hill at any given moment. I 
can't imagine how many times and to how many audiences he has patiently 
explained how the legislative process works, especially the arcane and 
sometimes bizarre workings of appropriations.
  As a Senator, I have always appreciated that when Erik couldn't tell 
my constituents the answer they wanted to hear--which, unfortunately is 
most of the time, especially these last few years--he would respond to 
every question and e-mail promptly and honestly. In dealings with Erik, 
people always know that he is listening and taking their concerns 
seriously.
  Finally, I also want to express my appreciation to Erik's family 
members,

[[Page 15046]]

especially his wife Alisann and their beloved daughters, Caroline, 
Kathryn, and Anna Christina. They, too, have sacrificed as Erik has 
spent many late nights and weekends toiling in the Dirksen Building. It 
was not easy to experience those absences, but I hope you realize that 
Erik's work has made a powerful difference for the American people.
  Erik, I join with the entire Senate family in thanking you for your 
outstanding service. We wish you, Alisann, Caroline, Kathryn and Anna 
Christina much happiness in the years ahead.

                          ____________________