[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8807-8808]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        REMEMBERING THE LONG-TIME CONGRESSIONAL AIDE RICK JAUERT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 12, 2013

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, last Saturday I traveled to Luverne, 
Minnesota to say good-bye to a dear friend and long-time congressional 
aide Rick Jauert. For nearly three decades Rick worked for seven 
different Minnesota Democrats in the U.S. House. He also worked for 
members from New York and California.
  A committed, passionate man, Rick worked for the families of 
Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District as my press secretary during 
my first-term in Congress.
  Rick Jauert passed away on June 2, 2013 at the age of 59 years old.
  Mr. Speaker, I delivered the following eulogy for Rick at his funeral 
on June 8th.

        Eulogy for a Friend: Remembering the Life of Rick Jauert

       Today we are here to remember a brother, a cousin, an 
     uncle, a co-worker, a mentor, a public servant, a dear 
     friend. We are here to celebrate Rick Jauert and how his life 
     touched us. We are here to grieve for our loss. And, we are 
     here to say good-bye to a dear man who we cared for and 
     loved.
       In April, I drove down from the Twin Cities with Sue Vento 
     to see Rick and visit with him for the last time. He was very 
     sick, physically depleted, and enduring the realities of his 
     failing health. His dear friend Ben VanderKoi had rigged up a 
     microphone which allowed his whispers to be heard and we had 
     a wonderful conversation. His political opinions had not been 
     diminished. He was more up to date on the news than I was. 
     Rick was calm.
       As we were ending our visit Rick didn't ask, but sort of 
     told me and Sue that we would be speaking at his funeral, 
     even though he assured us that it would be a long way off. He 
     was sure he was improving even though he very gracefully 
     accepted the fatal nature of his condition.
       A few weeks ago I received an email from Rick. He told me 
     he saw me on MSNBC speaking on the House floor and that he 
     was proud, that I had done a good job. I didn't know I had 
     been on MSNBC so it made me feel like once again Rick was 
     playing his congressional aide role, this time from his 
     hospice bed. That was the last time I heard from Rick.
       I am here today because Rick was a special person in my 
     life. He was a special person to each of us. Rick's sisters 
     and brother and other family members have known him from 
     childhood. Some of you may have grown up with him here in 
     Luverne or maybe a worked with him on a political campaign or 
     in a congressional office. Some of you may have stayed with 
     Rick at his famous 146 North Caroline Ave South East home.
       But however we got to know Rick, here we are, together in 
     Luverne, Minnesota on a June afternoon. We are here because a 
     kid grew up surrounded by a loving family, a uncomplicated 
     small town life, and then one day he packed a bag on day went 
     out to discover the world. He took with him his love for his 
     family, the strong values this community instilled in him, 
     and his own curiosity and sharp intellect.
       Rick went to the Philippines and lived and studied there 
     right out of high school. That took real courage and a 
     tremendous sense of adventure. He went to college at Morris 
     and excelled at both activism and academics. He went to our 
     Nation's capital and found a home for himself for more than 
     three decades.
       Rick Jauert grew up on the prairie and ended up meeting 
     Presidents and First Ladies, working with Members of Congress 
     and Senators, and fighting policy battles to help make 
     Minnesota, our country and this world a better place.
       Rick was dedicated. He was smart. He had a quick wit and a 
     sharp tongue. He could be incredibly kind and incredibly 
     cruel, which was the case anytime the words ``Michele 
     Bachmann'' came out of his mouth.
       He was a DFLer to the core of his being and an unapologetic 
     liberal. If there are any Republicans here today you must 
     have never told Rick your party affiliation or you endured a 
     lot of political lectures.
       Stop for a moment. Think back to the first time you met 
     Rick.
       I remember. I first met Rick thirteen years ago--June of 
     2000--at the DFL State Convention. I was running for Congress 
     and Rick was in Rochester wearing a seersucker suit. As many 
     of us know, it takes a special person to make a fashion 
     statement at a DFL State Convention and Rick stood out!
       At that time Rick was working for Bruce Vento, Bruce was 
     living at Rick's house, and Bruce was dying of cancer. Rick 
     was playing the role of friend, caretaker, and staff member. 
     It was a heavy burden.
       I got the feeling Bruce had sent Rick out to keep an eye on 
     me and to provide advice. Rick was certainly not shy about 
     sharing his opinions about what I needed to do on my 
     campaign. After all these years I can't remember anything 
     that Rick told me that day.
       I just kept looking at his suit and thought to myself--is 
     this what happens to Minnesotans who go to work in 
     Washington?
       Over the next six months Rick gave his heart and soul to 
     help me win that congressional race. He spent the last month 
     of the campaign in the office every day doing any job that 
     was helpful. He helped with strategy, entertained volunteers 
     with stories, chastised young staffers for sport, and 
     prepared me for my new career in Congress. He was invaluable.
       But there were some hard times. Bruce's death really hit 
     Rick. The next year we evacuated my Washington office on 
     September 11th, 2001 and my entire staff and I camped out 
     with Rick at his house during that day of horror and tragedy. 
     The following year in 2002 the tragic deaths of our friends 
     Paul and Sheila Wellstone was devastating to Rick as it was 
     to so many of us.
       I really felt these three tragedies tore into Rick's being, 
     into his soul. He internalized the losses, the pain, the 
     grief and it seemed like he wouldn't let it go.
       For any of us, there is no denying our faults, failures and 
     frailties. Rick had his and at times imposed them on those he 
     cared for and those who cared for him. He had his 
     vulnerabilities and many of us endured difficult episodes 
     with him.
       There were some dark times. But this was the very human 
     nature of Rick. He so often gave of himself without holding 
     back. He gave so much to others and to the causes and people 
     he believed in. And, at times, he needed help desperately.
       These last two years Rick needed help--especially as his 
     physical health declined.
       So many of his family and friends gave Rick the love and 
     support he needed.
       As Rick's condition became more debilitating he put his 
     trust in his friends and family members. And their love for 
     him was comforting and it allowed Rick to make the final 
     transitions in his life that brought him back home to 
     Minnesota. Ben VanderKoi and Cini and Denny McGrann, along 
     with so many others, gave so much to help guide Rick though 
     difficult decisions and towards a peaceful conclusion to his 
     life.
       What I always will remember about Rick, what is embedded in 
     my heart, is that Rick never stopped loving, he never stopped 
     believing in people, he never stopped hoping for a better 
     tomorrow--even when he felt dark inside.

[[Page 8808]]

       On Wednesday night this week, I was in Washington and we 
     finished voting in the Capitol around 8 o'clock. I went 
     outside to walk home and there was dark smoke in the air and 
     a strong odor of something burning.
       When I got home I looked on-line and the news said that 
     there was a four alarm fire at Frager's Hardware Store which 
     is on Pennsylvania Avenue about 10 blocks from the Capitol 
     and about the same distance from Rick's house.
       The first thing I thought about when I read the news was 
     Rick. Rick loved Frager's. Rick really, really loved 
     Frager's. It seemed like Rick would walk to Frager's every 
     Saturday as part of his weekend routine. He had a Frager's 
     tee-shirt I remember him wearing.
       Frager's was the old school hardware store where everything 
     you could ever want is packed into tiny isles and tall 
     shelves. There is clutter and disorder and a sense of 
     stepping back into a grittier, more personal time.
       In fact, the hardware store looked a lot like the packed 
     shelves and poster covered walls in Rick's house. And in both 
     places, in spite of appearances, if you asked for a special 
     window putty or a book about Trotsky's travels in Mexico, the 
     respective proprietors could locate them almost instantly.
       For 90 years Frager's was a Capitol Hill institution. And 
     now it is gone.
       Rick Jauert was a Capitol Hill institution for more than 30 
     years. And now he is gone.
       Rick gave his life to public service and to the U.S. House 
     of Representatives. He gave me his friendship and put his 
     faith in me and for that I'll be grateful forever. He gave so 
     much to so many of us.
       Let us all give thanks that our lives were touched by Rick 
     Jauert. Let us all pray for Rick that may God bless him and 
     keep his soul at peace. Let us all remember that for 59 years 
     a good man walked this Earth and we had the privilege of 
     knowing him, caring about him, and loving him.
       We will miss you, Rick.

                          ____________________