[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 12042]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO KURK BROKSAS

 Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, today I wish to acknowledge the 
valuable contributions that Special Agent Kurk Broksas of the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ATF, has made to the U.S. 
Senate as a legislative fellow to my colleague, the late Senator Frank 
R. Lautenberg. Special Agent Broksas came to the Senate on detail from 
the ATF in January 2012 and served through the conclusion of the 112th 
Congress. Kurk became such a valued member of Senator Lautenberg's 
staff that he was asked to extend his tenure into the current Congress, 
and he provided exemplary service until Senator Lautenberg's passing on 
June 3, 2013.
  Special Agent Broksas has had a long career in Federal law 
enforcement, and his experience, knowledge, and expertise served 
Senator Lautenberg, the people of New Jersey, and the Nation.
  Kurk Broksas began his career as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent, 
enforcing Federal law against human traffickers and drug smugglers on 
the United States/Mexico border. Agent Broksas quickly established 
himself as a leader, becoming a field training agent and ensuring the 
next generation of agents were highly trained and performed their 
dangerous duties with honor and vigilance. Agent Broksas ultimately 
left the border for New York City to conduct criminal investigations as 
a special agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
  A desire to protect our Nation from criminals armed with firearms and 
explosives brought Kurk to Washington, DC in 2000 to serve as an ATF 
special agent. His work over the past 13 years with the ATF involved 
complex criminal investigations into the illegal manufacture, 
trafficking, and use of firearms by violent criminals. As ATFs 
representative to the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, 
Special Agent Broksas worked diligently with Federal, State and local 
police to track down and apprehend the worst of the worst. His tireless 
efforts ensured that murderers, rapists, and gang members did not evade 
capture, and victims saw justice.
  Special Agent Broksas' expertise was of great use during his time as 
a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate. During the past year and a 
half, our Nation has suffered terrible losses at the hands of criminals 
and the mentally ill in possession of firearms and explosives: 12 
killed and 58 injured at a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, 
CO; 20 children and 6 adults shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary 
School in Newtown, CT; 3 people killed and hundreds wounded at the 
bombings during the Boston Marathon. While our country grieved, Special 
Agent Broksas set to work here in the Senate, working late nights 
providing valuable technical expertise and helping craft legislation to 
prevent future tragedies. His tenacity and drive exemplified what our 
Nation desires in the men and women that put on the badge and dedicate 
their lives to serving our Nation and keeping us safe.
  Mr. President, Special Agent Broksas has represented the law 
enforcement agents of the ATF with distinction and honor. I thank Kurk 
for his tremendous service to Senator Lautenberg, the United States 
Senate, and to our Nation.

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