[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO PAUL BARKLA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the life and 
legacy of my good friend, Paul Barkla. I met Paul when I first ran for 
Congress. He was one of my earliest supporters.
  I still vividly recall meeting him at the end of a Democratic primary 
debate when he introduced himself as a former Bill Proxmire staffer, as 
I was, and then promised to do everything he could to help me get 
elected. It was the beginning of a 25-year friendship, during which 
time he became a member of our family.
  Paul is a native of the Pacific Northwest and was raised in Eugene, 
Oregon. Paul was a firm believer in good, old-fashioned, shoe-leather 
politics, and he pounded the pavement for Democratic candidates across 
the country, where he met many friends along the way.
  In 2004, he traveled to New Hampshire to volunteer for the 
Presidential campaign of General Wesley Clark. In 2008, he again loaded 
up his dog and traveled around the country, showing up in battleground 
States and volunteering for President Obama. He believed we all had an 
obligation to participate in our democracy.
  After college, Paul moved to Washington, where he received a master's 
degree from George Washington University and worked as a Capitol 
policeman.
  He also went to work for numerous Congressmen and then worked for 
Senator Proxmire of Wisconsin, where he became engaged with Wisconsin 
politics.
  It was during his time in Washington that he became active in the 
civil rights movement, participating in the March on Washington in 
August 1963. He enjoyed telling stories of his life during those times.
  Paul met his wife, Nancy, who also worked for Senator Proxmire in 
Washington, in 1958. And then, in 1968, they moved their family to 
Wisconsin, where he continued to work on progressive causes and 
campaigns. There he worked as a caregiver and manager of group homes.
  Paul and Nancy raised three children: Ann Fedders of New Richmond, 
Sidney Scott of Fall City, and Paul Barkla, Jr., of Ellsworth. He was 
very proud of his 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
  Paul believed in our democratic process and public service. That is 
why he ran for and was elected to the Pierce County Board in 2004 and 
later became the board chair.
  Pierce County residents knew Paul as a community leader and advocate 
for the needs of his neighbors. He wasn't afraid to tackle tough 
issues.
  He told me he enjoyed serving on the county board because it was less 
partisan, driven more by the local needs of the Pierce County residents 
rather than strict adherence to party ideology.
  Although Paul was gruff on the outside, he was fiercely loyal to his 
family and friends. We had many discussions over the years. I knew I 
could always count on Paul to provide an honest opinion, and he was 
never afraid to speak his mind.
  He made many friends over the years through politics and public 
service. He befriended many of my staff whom he talked to frequently 
and stayed in touch with even when they moved on to other 
opportunities.
  For those who are lucky enough to cross paths with Paul, from folks 
in Washington to Oregon to Washington, D.C., he will not be forgotten.
  Paul exemplified what was great about America: deep love for his 
country, the importance of public service, and the need to fight for 
the most vulnerable and less fortunate in our society.
  In short, Paul was a great patriot and a great American. For those 
whose lives he touched, Paul will be greatly missed.

                          ____________________